Hamsters make excellent pets. They are smart and intelligent, and can be taught tricks if you get them when they are young. As you handle and hold your baby hamster, it will learn to trust you and will not be frightened of you. However, there are steps to taking care of a hamster and these should be followed when you bring the hamster to your house the first time.

Do not try to handle the hamster the first day itself. It will afraid of its new surroundings and will be prone to nipping and biting you. Instead, spend time talking to your new hamster in a soothing and gentle voice. Keep doing it until it is visible that the hamster is no longer afraid of you. If your hamster shows distress, then leave it alone. Come back after some time.

Once your hamster is comfortable around you, it is time to pick him up. Make sure you pick up the hamster from the scruff of its neck. However, do this gently. You can also cup the hamster between your palms if you do not want to hold the scruff. It takes around 3 to 4 weeks to make the hamster comfortable, so be patient.

Make sure that your hamster has a cage, bedding, shelter, drinking water and food bowl. The food bowl should always have food as hamsters do not have fixed timings to eat. They eat when they are hungry. You can keep the food bowl filled with pellets, fresh fruits or vegetables. You can feed your hamster things like apples, rice, boiled egg, pasta, bananas, carrots, broccoli and spinach. Never give your hamster citrus fruits as they are fatal for them.

Also, make sure that the cage is big enough for the hamster to move around. Do not keep the cage in front or next to a fridge, TV or radio. These electrical gadgets give out harmful rays and will reduce the lifespan of your hamster.

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