Emma Jones
Freewheeling can quickly become dangerous for a hamster if the room in which it is allowed to let off steam is not properly secured. So never let your little rodent out of your sight.
Even before your racing-loving roommate is allowed out, the room has to be made “hamster-proof”. Even if he is “only” allowed to romp around in an enclosure, the room must be designed to be safe in case the little one escapes. Block any cracks, holes, hiding places under and behind cabinets with wooden planks or chipboard. These should have a height of 30 centimeters. Hamsters love to squeeze through burrows, passages, and holes and may realize too late that they are stuck. Access behind a wardrobe should also be blocked for the climbing artist. Don’t underestimate your little roommate! Many a hamster has managed to push himself up between the wall of the room and the cupboard so that he ended up on top of the cupboard and didn’t know how to get down. If he fell from such a height, he could seriously injure himself. During freewheeling, turn off the radiators or block access to them with boards or chipboard. Sockets must also not be accessible for the little ones. Either install a child safety device or place a board in front of it. If the hamster sniffs the outlet, it could get an electric shock. Also, close all doors and windows and put a note on the outside of the room door to let other family members know your hamster is wandering around. Stay in the room and watch your little one throughout the run.
Caution poisonous! Most indoor plants and cut flowers are poisonous to hamsters. Therefore, place all plants out of reach or in another room. Toxic greens include:
- cyclamen
- azalea
- bow hemp
- variegated
- Dieffenbachia
- ivy
- A leaf
- elephant ear
- ficus
- flamingo flower
- cob thread
- yucca
- Philodendron
- Christmas star
- room aralie
- room calla
But not only plants can be poisonous to small rodents. Medications, cigarettes, glue, and paint also pose a health risk to the hamster when chewing on them. Household cleaning products and detergents should also be closed and kept out of the hamster’s reach.
Away with many sources of danger can be avoided by simply putting them away: watering cans, vases and other bowls filled with water have no place in the outdoor room. The hamster could fall in and drown. Power cords must also be removed. The little rodents like to nibble on everything they don’t know yet. Pointed and sharp-edged objects must also be removed before freewheeling. Cacti, rice tacks, small nails, or needles have no place in the outdoor room or enclosure. It is true that we sometimes find it difficult to do without chocolate, but it must be taboo for hamsters. If your little roommate puts the treat in his cheek pouches, the chocolate can melt there and his cheek pouches stick together. Therefore, please also point out to your children that this candy is not species-appropriate food and can even cost the rodent its life. Other animals that live with you in the household also have no access to the room while you are running free. The hamster’s boisterous running around can awaken the hunting instinct in dogs and cats, even if they haven’t otherwise shown any interest in the burrower. The so-called “running ball” is simply cruelty to animals. For one thing, the ventilation in the plastic ball is insufficient. On the other hand, the racing enthusiastic rodent can neither steer nor stop the hamster ball properly. The ball rolls around the room uncontrollably and could even fall downstairs. The hamster cannot free itself from this ball without running the risk of injuring itself