Noraml hamsters: Housing/feeding/bedding/breeding/toys/harness/hamster balls/life-span

Question
Hello

Are those wire sided cages with plastic bottoms that are sold for hamsters big enough for them or are they too small?

Is a ten gallon fish tank large enough for a mother with babys?

Do hamsters offen get wet tall a few days after buying them? What is the cause of this? Is there anything that can be given at home if the need should arise?

Is there a homemade food they can be fed? Are all hamster foods the same?

At what age are they able to breed?

How many times can they be bred a year?

How many years can they be bred before they shouldnt be bred any more?

How long is the pregnancy?

How many pups are in a litter?

At what age should they be weaned?

Can any of the babys be left together forever without fights?

How offen is the female in heat?

How do you breed them? Can the pair live together?

At what age should all the babys be in different cages?

At what age are they full grown?


What kind of bedding is best? Can I use newspapers or yesterdays news cat litter(its newspaper pellets with a light scent)? Can I use tissues for the nest? Is that hamster bedding fluff safe?

What can be used for them to play with? Are hamster balls safe?

Can I make a harness for my hamster at home? What would I use to make it?

How long do hamsters live? Do breeding females live shorter lives then non breeding females?

Thanks

Answer
I prefer the aquarium cages, I think it offers better protection.

Yup, 10 gallons should be fine.

In a healthy hamster there should be no cause for wet tail, even if you just bought them or not. If your hamster has a case of wet tail, its a very good idea to see a vet.

For food I recomend anything that has a variety of things in it from dried fruit to seeds and nuts. Dont just buy pellets or those green puff things, hamsters need variety just like we do. For homemade, give your hamster fresh fruit and veggies every so often, too much of a good thing can upset your hamsters stomach.

As for the rest of the questions Im sorry but I can't answer them, Im not very good on breeding because I've never personaly bred hamsters. Good luck!