When someone decided to have a pet hamster, the first thing that com5es to mind is “how much does a hamster cost”? Perhaps followed by “where to get one?”. But before you pick up one, there are important things you should know before buying a hamster especially if you already have other pets such as a cat or a dog. Check if a hamster is suitable for other pets to be around.
Hamsters are great pets. They are cuddly (sometimes) and very entertaining to watch. Despite their size, hamsters are very independent and love their own space and living alone. A hamster’s lifespan is also quite short, making them a great pet for those who are not ready for a long commitment or busy working adults.
In this article, we will talk not only about hamster prices but also about basic things you should know about hamsters as pets. Even though it’s a smaller commitment compared to dogs or cats, it’s vital that you understand the responsibility you are taking on.
HOW MUCH DOES A HAMSTER COSTS
There are 3 ways to get hamsters – from a pet store, from breeders, and from rescue centres.
Pet store hamsters cost between $10 to $15 (£15-£18). From experienced and ethical breeders, hamster price is somewhere between $25 to $35 (£18-£26). From rescue centres or individual people, it should be free, but some people might charge something especially if the hamster is to be delivered to you or rehoming free if there are cages or toys included.
In pet stores, hamsters older than 3 months often are free. Since hamsters only live for 2 years and become fertile at 6 weeks old, at the age of 3 months, they are considered old.
WHERE TO GET A HAMSTER
You can buy or get a hamster from a pet store, breeders, individual person, or rescue centres looking to rehome or have the hamster adopted or rescued. We have a list of different ways of rescuing a hamster.
You can also contact hamster Facebook groups or Reddit subs where people often list their hamsters for rehoming. People in these group also look out for hamsters in pet shops in such bad situation and needs to be rescued.
HOW MANY HAMSTERS ARE IN ONE CAGE
Not because hamsters are cheap, means you should get more than one. Hamsters enjoy living alone and prefer it that way. They are solitary and territorial animals. Housing more than one hamster in a single cage is very dangerous and can be fatal to the hamsters.
Don’t worry, your hamster will not be sad or lonely living alone. They will actually thrive more if they live alone and can enjoy all the space in the cage. Plus they will have you to play with and share cuddles.
You can read our article about hamster species, so you can understand which type of hamster is suitable for you. Our guide about hamsters living together will give you more insight on this topic.
HAMSTER COST AND COMMITMENT
How much does a hamster costs should not be your only question. The cost of a hamster is very cheap but the expenses don’t stop there. Hamsters might be super affordable but their cage, food, toys, and other necessities could cost up to $850. We have an article that breaks down the cost of owning or raising a pet hamster.
This will include the basic items you have to prepare before bringing your hamster home plus the emergency vet fee.
Hamsters live for 2-3 years. If you choose to share your life with a hamster and provide them with the best care, you should be able to commit to this time frame. They will also need cooked food feeding 2-3x a week, changing of bedding or cage deep cleaning once in 5-6 weeks, 2 times a week spot cleaning, and 10-minute a day playpen time or safe free-roaming.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HAMSTER LIFESPAN
HAMSTER BASIC NEEDS
Here is a quick list of things you need for a hamster’s cage, you can also check out this basic hamster needs list which tackles basic hamster needs.
- cage (at least 10x50x50 cm or 39x20x20 in) – tips on choosing hamster cage
- dry mix (no pine or cedarwood) – best dry mix list
- bedding (no pine or cedarwood) – safe hamster bedding
- food bowl
- water bowl/bottle
- sandbox
- sand bath (no powder sand or dust bath) – list of hamster safe sand bath
- den/hideout
- running wheel – the suitable hamster wheel
- chew toys – healthy chew toys
- playpen
- vet carrier/transport cage
- rocks/stones for nail trimming
BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PET HAMSTER LIFE
If it’s your first time having a hamster, to do it properly, read our quick first-timer’s guide on pet hamsters to avoid accidents, buying the wrong toy/cage, and wasting money.
However, we highly recommend you get yourself a copy of our complete beginner’s ethical hamster care book. This will help you understand how to provide proper care and make sure that you and your hamster will have lots of fun together.
FINAL THOUGHTS AND TIPS
There’s only one last thing we want you to remember. Before you head out to pick up a hamster, please do as much research as possible. There are so many common mistakes new hamster owners make. Either choosing the wrong type of hamster (Roborovski/robo hamsters can be highly aggressive) or buying and wasting money on the wrong cage.
Not only do we want you to avoid these errors to save money. But also, we care a lot about pet hamsters. Many of them get abandoned because the owners didn’t do their research and ended up not liking the hamster just a few weeks later.
By doing your research before getting a hamster, you will be able to understand hamsters as pets. In this way, you and your hamster will have a better relationship and will share so many fun memories together.
Most results on Google will not give you the right answer quickly. Spend a week reading websites, blogs, forums, and social media groups. The best way to learn is to join the forums and Facebook groups. Lots of them will give you all the answers quicker.
I hope that you found this article about how much does a hamster costs article helpful and that I answered some of your questions. If you have more, we are more than happy to help you out. Just leave your comment below.
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