In the wild hamsters get plenty of exercise foraging for food and fending for themselves. The also use energy tunnelling to build a shelter and store supplies. Therefore when in captivity hamsters need exercise and amusement in order to stay healthy. It is important to find hamster toys for your pet that will provide both.

The best known type of hamster toys are the hamster wheel. This will give your pet a good work out and plenty of fun. When our dwarf hamsters were small they used to love running side by side together in their hamster wheel. If one stopped he’d get very confused because the wheel kept turning while his partner continued to run! Always get a hamster wheel made from plastic without rungs as there small feet can easily slip through the gaps which could cause an injury. The wheel is an essential hamster toy.

Another great hamster toy which gives your pet plenty of exercise is the run around or hamster ball. This is a clear or transparent plastic ball with a removable lid. Put your hamster in and carefully lock the lid shut then put the ball on the floor. Your hamster will run on the inside of the ball which then moves across the floor. Be careful to keep your eye on your pet because they can move far and could be inadvertently trodden on or kicked, both of which will cause serious injury to your hamster. We once put both our dwarf hamsters into a large run around we’d bought for them, however they didn’t get far as one would run in one direction and the other in the other direction! The run around ball is a recommended hamster toy.

Your hamster will love crawling through tubes as this is part of his nature and is similar to the borrows and tunnels built in the wild. The hamster cage we bought is a combination of a traditional wire cage plus clip together plastic tubing which goes through the cage walls, over the top of the cage and in the other side. This allows our hamsters more freedom and fun. The advantage of clip together specialist plastic tubing is its easy to clean, although you have to be very careful to make sure all the joins are secure when assembling it so your hamster doesn’t escape. If you give him a chance he will! Plastics clip together hamster tubing as not an essential hamster toy but it will give him masses of fun.

Hamster toys are necessary for your pets’ well being but you don’t need to get everything at once. Many hamster toys you can make from household articles, just be sure they are non toxic and won’t cause your pet injury. Start by buying the hamster wheel and build up from there.