Hamster as Your First Pet : A 2025 UK Guide

Getting your first pet is a wonderful experience for life. It comes with great feelings of joy and confusion at the same time. Choosing the animal for bring your first pet can be a little confusing. For many years in UK, hamster is considered the ideal beginner pet. They are small, easy to deal, budget-friendly, low maintenance, yet have the whole pet personality.

 In this article, we will talk about how to have a great pet owning experience with hamsters. Whether you're a student, a parent introducing a pet to your child, or someone looking for a manageable pet, this guide is for you.

 

How to Choose the Breed of Hamsters in UK

Hamsters belong to the family Cricetidae. They have huge variations in species. There are 24 species of hamster out of which only 5 breeds are kept as pet.

1. Syrian Hamster  
2. Chinese Hamster
3. Campbell's Russian Dwarf Hamster
   
4. Winter White Dwarf Hamster
   
5. Roborovski's Dwarf Hamster

The fact that all hamsters are not same makes it more crucial to understand the basic difference among them. If you are a beginner pay attention to breed selection to choose a most suitable hamster.

 

Syrian Hamster

They are also known as the Golden Hamster. They are very popular in UK and available in many colors and coat types.

Lifespan: 2 to 2.5 years.

Breeding Age: Syrian hamsters are able to breed at the age of 4 weeks.

Size: About 13 cm in length, although some can be little larger. Females are often larger than the males.

Nature: Friendly, easy to tame, and low-maintenance

Socializing: They must be kept alone. Syrian hamsters are unsocial and should never share a cage

Active Time: They are most active in the evening and at night. Which makes them ideal for night owls.

Syrian Hamsters have big personality in a small body. They are great first pet for families as it’s easy to handle.

 

 Chinese Hamster

These are also called the “striped-back hamster”. They resemble rats in appearance and are known for their mouse-like tail and sleek body.

Lifespan:  Around 2 to 3 years. With proper care, they can live a bit longer than some other hamsters.

Breeding Age: They are able to breed at the age of 4 weeks.

Nature: Chinese hamsters are calm, sweet-natured, and easy to tame

Size: About 10–12 cm long, Smaller than Syrians but longer and slimmer than dwarf hamsters

Socializing: Though they are not as aggressive as Syrians, still they best kept alone.

Active Time: Most active in the evening and early morning

Pick Chinese hamster if you have a calm and cozy home and you like a similar pet to get mixed well.

 

Campbell's Russian Dwarf Hamster

These cute creatures are also known as “Campbell’s Dwarf” or just “Russian Dwarf”.  They are quite similar to Winter Whites hamsters but they have key differences. 

Lifespan: Around 1.5 to 2 years 

Nature: Small, social, and energetic.

Breeding Age: 4 weeks.

Size: Tiny in size, Around 7–10 cm long, rounder body and super cute appearance

Socializing: They can live in pairs or groups, but you have to introduce the partner properly. They enjoy company of same gender more than couple.

Active Times: Mostly active at night and during evening hours.

They are more playful and energetic than Syrian hamsters. Can be biting at first but with consistent and gentle handling they can be tamed easily. They are energetic and fun but may not be ideal for too small kids. They are good choice for those who want a lively and entertaining small pet.

 Winter White Dwarf Hamster

Also known as Siberian hamsters. They can change fur color to white in winter.

Lifespan: Around1.5 to 2 years. Sometimes up to 2.5 with good care

Nature: Winter Whites are one of the friendliest dwarf hamster species and great for gentle handling

Size: Usually 8 to10 cm long, with a short and round body and a more “fluffy” look than Campbell’s.

Socialization: Just like Campbell's, they can live in pairs.

Active Time: Most active at dawn and dusk, but can adjust to your routine with time.

Winter white is one of the calmest dwarf breeds. They are great choice for beginners, especially if you want a smaller hamster with a sweet and calm nature. 

Roborovski’s Dwarf Hamster

These are also known as Robo hamsters. They are originally from desert regions and love dry, sandy setups.

Lifespan: Around 2.5 to 3 years. They got longer lifespan than most dwarf hamsters.

Nature: Roborovskis are full of energy and really fun to watch.

Breeding Age: 4 weeks. 

Size: They are Smallest of all pet hamsters, only about 4 to 5 cm long when fully grown.

Socialized:  They can live in pairs, preferably same-sex siblings raised together

Active Time: Extremely active at night. They don’t like cuddles, but super entertaining to observe.

Roborovski’s Dwarf Hamsters are super-fast and hard to catch. They are not ideal for handling and taming. Better for experienced and older people who enjoy watching rather than cuddling and touching pets.

 

Perfect Cage Setup for Pet Hamster

Once you decided which breed you are bringing home, it’s now time to build a cage for your new family member.

Cage for Hamster

Unlike other pets, hamsters will spend most of their time in cage so make sure you provide the super comfy and entertaining environment in their cage.

RSPCA suggests some important thing to keep in mind while setting up your hamsters’ cage:

• The minimum cage size for hamster is 80cm x 50cm. According to National HamsterCouncil UK, Syrian hamsters may need bigger cages than dwarf breeds, as they love to roam around the cage.

•  Always provide an airy cage with a thick layer of bedding and some nesting material.

• The cage should be safe from dangers, no pointy edges and should be placed safely.

• A wooden cage is not at all recommended for hamster. Use plastic or metal cages. Keep in mind that plastic cages are better than metal.

• A fully covered solid walled cage is not ideal for hamsters. Provide them cages with stainless steel bars or mesh sides. Keep the space between bars minimum 1cm to avoid escape.

• Glass tanks are good cage options for hamsters, you can also DIY to provide the most suitable cage for your fellow. Mostly Chinese hamsters can squeeze themselves and escape the cage bars, that’s why a glass tank is more suitable for them than bar cages.

• The floor of the cage should be solid and smooth. Wire or mesh based cage floor can lead to foot deformation and other issue.

 

Bedding for Hamster

• Hamsters love to dig. The cage bedding for hamsters not only provide a soft surface but also makes a good digging option.

• Use shredded paper bedding with the depth of 15 cm at least. Avoid pine or cedar shavings to use for bedding.

 

Burrow Area for Hamster

• Try to make a litter area in the cage. This area should be deep enough to allow your hamster burrow in that.

• Burrow area can be made of sand but usually it becomes very difficult to handle. If you can handle that the best thing is sand bath.

• Using peat as a burrow material is a good option but it may cause discoloration in hamsters’ coat.

• Wood shavings and corn cob particles are also a good option but make sure they are dust free, preservatives free and have no chemicals.

 

Nesting in your Hamster's Cage

• The nesting material for hamsters can be a good quality hay, wood wool, shredded paper or cardboard.

• Some materials like cotton wool can separate in to fine thin threads, these are extremely dangerous for hamsters. They can cause choking if eaten, can tangle with the bedding and also can tie up tightly around the hamsters’ leg causing serious injuries.

 

Hideouts for Hamsters

• Hamster love to have personal hiding spaces. If you want to keep your hamsters in pair, it is advisable to make 1 hideout or shelter for each of them.

• The hideout should be spacious enough to allow hamsters to move freely and sleep if they want.

• Make sure the hideouts are dark and close to food and nesting material. Don’t place water near hideouts, it may leak and can hurt your pet.

• Use wooden or ceramic material to build a hideout.

 

Wheel for Your Pet Hamster

•  Hamsters are very active and fun loving and that’s why they love wheels. Use wheels with minimum diameter of 28cm.

•  Always provide solid wheels with no wire or mesh to prevent injuries.

•  Popular UK brands for hamster wheel includes Trixie and Silent Runner

 

 

Water & Food Supply

It’s good to offer water in hamster safe special water bottle. Some bottles are attached to food dishes too.

 

Toys & Chews

Hamsters are very playful and energetic. They need constant play to avoid boredom. Make sure to place multiple toy options in their cage. Some of the most suitable toys for hamsters are wooden chews, tunnels and bridges. Keep rotating them weekly to improve activities of your hamster.

 

Diet for Pet Hamster

Hamsters are wild animals where they eat grass, shoots and seeds along with worms and insects. While keeping them as a pet it is important to recreate natural diet to provide the maximum nutrition.

 

Major Health Risk

Usually hamsters are prone to diabetes. Chinese hamsters, winter white dwarf and Campbell’s hamsters are at higher risk of being diabetic. So, no sugary treats, homey sticks or fruits should be included in their diet.

 

Basic Diet of Hamster

 Like we described earlier, hamsters eat a huge variety of greens, seeds and worms and to compensate that at home the best base diet is high-quality hamster mixes. HarryHamster is a popular UK hamster mix brand to start with.

 

Fresh Vegetables

Around 2 to 3 times per week you can offer vegetables to your pet hamster. Introduce each vegetable gradually and give not more than 1 teaspoon per day. Dwarf hamsters will eat even lesser. Keep changing the vegetables and note any diarrhea or digestion issue.

Safe Vegetables for Hamsters:

• Cucumber
• Broccoli
• Bell Pepper (no seeds)
• Zucchini
• Cauliflower
• Kale

Unsafe vegetables for Hamsters:

• Onion
• Garlic
• Potato
• Carrot
• Iceburg Lettuce
• Raw Beans
• Avocado

 Occasional Treats for Hamsters

Just 1 to 2 times in a week you can offer them treats like millet, oats, sunflower seeds, boiled chicken and boiled white egg. Make sure these are in moderation, also notice any change in appetite or passing stool. Always supervise your hamster when introducing something new.

 

Things to Avoid as New Hamster Owner

Having hamster as a pet is all fun if you take some special precautions. Usually it’s all good and safe but here are some things that need to be avoided to provide your hamster a healthy and happy life.

 

Skipping cleaning:

Doing regular cleaning is very important for your hamster. Do a quick cleaning daily, remove soiled food and replace water. Deep clean full cage once in a week and change the toys and other accessories that are no more in use.

 

Using hamster balls:

Mostly hamster balls are unsafe as they can cause injuries and lack ventilation. Use proper playpen for a safe playtime.

 

Handling too soon:

Hamster may feel insecure and shy at first. It is not recommended to start taming them immediately after bringing home. Start with soft and polite talking near the cage and after practicing for some days hold your hamster softly and carefully.

 

Creating too much noise:

Small pets like hamsters are very sensitive to light and sounds. They develop stress easily with so many sounds that are quite common in the house for example, sounds of TV, refrigerator, computer processors and cooling fans can make them tired easily. Try to provide as much calming environment as possible.

 

Ignoring cold symptoms:

Pet hamsters can catch cold from humans very easily. Similarly, if they have cold the chances been high that the owner will get cold too. Wash your hands thoroughly during viral season before and after handling the hamster to avoid any contamination.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are there hamsters in the UK?

Yes, Syrian Hamster, Chinese Hamster, Campbell's Russian dwarf, winter white dwarf and Roborovski's dwarf are 5 common hamster species in UK.

 

2. Is it legal to keep a hamster in the UK?

Yes, hamsters are completely legal. No special license is required to own them.

 

3. Are hamsters good pets for children?

Yes, but it should be under adult supervision because hamsters need soft handling.

 

4. Can hamsters be left alone for a few days?

Yes, if you are out for 2 or 3 days provide them with enough food and water. But don’t exceed more than 3 days.

 

5. Do hamsters bite?

They can if they are not handled properly. Treat them with love and care and they will get tamed in a few days.

 

 Conclusion

Hamsters are one of the most popular pets in UK. They are especially great for kids to teach them how to be responsible. Even if you are new to pet ownership, hamsters can make your first pet experience most delightful. They ae fun loving, playful, energetic, easy to manage and budget friendly. Just like any other living being provide them love attention, a good place to say and a food to enjoy.