All About Hamsters

Written by Sinekhaya Fikeni

Jan 30, 2025

Hamsters are the epitome of dynamite coming in small packages. These fuzzy friends may seem like they are cute and cuddly pets, but they are smart and can give you the same fun as any pet. Let’s dive into all the ways a hamster can be a great pet!

General Hamster Knowledge

Hamsters are small rodents that fall under the Cricetidae family. This means that their family members are mice, lemmings and voles. These furry cuties have twenty different species that are found in habitats that range from agricultural fields to deserts. Their lifespan ranges from two to four years depending on their living environment, with pet hamsters having a shorter lifespan than their wilder cousins.

Syrian Banded Hamster image by Dennis Blöte on Wikimedia Commons

Cool Hamster Facts

Interactive Hamster Cage image by Murikhao on Wikimedia Commons

Hamsters are really good at solving problems. Since they have limited eye sight, hamsters mainly rely on their nose to identify people and to navigate through their habitats. Through positive reinforcement and a lot of treats, hamster owners can teach their hamsters how to solve different mazes.

Hamsters are very small creatures, so many of their owners are too afraid to touch them in fear that they’ll hurt them. Most hamsters really enjoy being gently touched by their owners. They are able to remember both good and bad events, and this form of affection is considered a good memory! Hamsters are also escape artists, because of their love of burrowing and roaming they will usually find a way out of their cages to further roam and forage for food.

Escape Artist Hamster image by Горбунова М.С. on Wikimedia Commons
Hamster filling its cheeks image by Miss-Sophie on Wikimedia commons

You may also see your hamster constantly chewing on their pellets. This is because hamsters’ teeth don’t ever stop growing. The best way for them to manage their growing teeth is by chewing on different objects to keep their teeth sharp and short. These small animals are also well known for their nocturnal habits. That means that they are more active at night than during the day.

It’s very important to ensure that your hamster gets plenty of exercise, and plenty of treats to give your hamster a happy life!

Want to find out more about cool animals? Get the latest issue of Supernova magazine and learn all the animal facts you could ever imagine (and even some you can’t).

Happy reading and stay curious!

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

You may also like…

The History of Video Games

The History of Video Games

Playing video games is something a lot of us do in our free time. Boys and girls, kids and adults alike play games....

The wonder of the TomTato

The wonder of the TomTato

Tomatoes and potatoes are very important to a healthy diet. Tomatoes are in very yummy foods like pizza, lasagna and,...

Back to School with Supernova

Back to School with Supernova

Hi everybody, The holidays have been a blast, but nothing else can fill the void of an empty classroom like curious...

Pin It on Pinterest