What are the Best Hamster Toys for Your Pet?

Published on: 27 April 2018 Last Updated on: 12 August 2024

Are you the proud owner of your own hamster? Congratulations! Despite their small stature, there can be quite the learning curve while you get to know your new furry friend.

Many parents grew up with dogs and always planned on getting their kids a dog too, but what do you do when your child wants a whole different kind of pet? What should I feed them? How big should their cage be? What are the best hamster toys?

These are all questions you might ask yourself as you gear up for your new life as a hamster-parent.

Hamster toys are an integral part of your new pet’s life. Not only will they provide entertainment, but they double as a necessary way to help with your hamster’s dental care, exercise, and sleeping location.

So, how do you tell which toys to get?

Keep reading to uncover the 7 best hamster toys.

Silent Hamster Wheel :

Your new hamster will need a lot of exercises.

Since hamsters are nocturnal, they feel most energetic at night, which tends to clash with most people’s sleep schedule. Make sure you include a hamster exercise wheel in their cage, so they can be free to exercise whenever they want.

Your average exercise wheel tends to squeak a bit. If you keep your cage in a different room from your bedroom, this might not be a problem. But, remember, hamsters are very active at night, so if the cage is in your bedroom the squeaking might keep you up at night.

To avoid this, invest in a silent hamster wheel. It’ll allow your pet to get the exercise they need while you get the sleep you need.

Obstacle Courses and Playgrounds :

Not only do hamsters like running, but they also love climbing too! There are tons of toys that will allow your hamster to climb, including bridges and ladders.

Our personal favorites are hamster obstacle courses and hamster playgrounds. These are a little more expansive and will offer your pet more options for entertainment.

Obstacle courses focus more on vertical ladders and rock walls so your pet can really practice their climbing skills. The playgrounds usually have a less-steep incline, but they double as a fun hideaway, allowing your pet to climb up a ramp and jump into an opaque plastic play building.

Colorful Hideaway :

That brings us to our next toy – the hideaway. Since hamsters are nocturnal, they need a dark, quiet place to sleep during the day.

Turning the lights off when you go to work won’t be enough, as your hamster will require an enclosed area to help them feel safe and secure while they sleep.

The colorful hideaway is perhaps the most quintessential part of any hamster habitat. The most common are made from a colorful, opaque plastic and look a little bit like a small, round sandcastle.

However, hideaways come in all different shapes and materials, including wooden houses and grass huts. Your plastic playground may also be used as a hideaway, depending on which one you choose.

Exercise Ball :

Your silent exercise wheel is great for allowing your pet to exercise when they want to, but exercise balls are great for adventure and playtime.

Your hamster doesn’t need to stay in its cage all day. Instead, many hamsters would enjoy venturing out of the habitat and exploring their surroundings from the comfort of an exercise ball.

This isn’t just fun for your hamster, either. You’ll love watching your new pet roll around and play. Just don’t let your pet wander unsupervised. You don’t want to lose your hamster under furniture or behind large objects.

Seesaw :

One of the best childhood toys has made the transition to one of the best hamster toys too! They’re a great way to challenge your pet as they tip over before your hamster can climb to the top.

Wooden seesaws are also available which can double as natural chews for your pet, but we suggest a more durable seesaw, so your pet doesn’t eat away their favorite toy.

Fun and Natural Chews :

Chews are an extremely important toy for your new pet. Hamster’s teeth grow very quickly, and they need things to chew on in order to keep their teeth at a manageable length.

Wooden, twig and seagrass chews are an excellent way to give your hamster a natural treat to chew on. There are even chews made with real cheese! Brightly colored loofah chews are also available to add some fun color and shapes to your pet’s habitat.

If you’ve ever had a hamster before, you’ll know that a chew only usually lasts a few days to a week.

Those hamsters really like the chew away! Pumice stones work as a natural teeth grinder for hamsters and are also long-lasting, so you don’t have to worry about replacing them as often.

Branch Ball :

Balls aren’t just a toy for dogs and cats! Hamsters can get hours of enjoyment out of a branch ball. The ball is made up of twisting twigs, which are another great option for a natural chew.

But they’re more than just a big chew.

There’s a jingling bell hidden in the center of the ball, which helps enlighten your furry friend’s curious side. They may nudge and push the ball around their cage for enjoyment before stopping to chew it for their health.

The Best Hamster Toys :

Many people opt for a pet hamster as they don’t produce many allergens and they are easy to care for. But, just like any pet, your hamster will need toys to entertain themselves while you’re away at work. Hamster toys are arguably even more important because they double as important exercise equipment, teeth grinders, and sleeping spots.

So, not only do the best hamster toys provide entertainment, but they also help maintain their health and well-being.

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Are There any Differences Between Squid and Octopus?

People are often confused with octopus and squid, for most of the individual they are classified as cephalopods. They might resemble with one another, however, there is a difference between the two and unique hunting methods got used to catching them. So, what is the major difference between squid and octopus? It is clearly stated below in this article. Are There Any Differences Between Squid and Octopus? Yes there exists the difference between the Squid and Octopus that you need to know. Squid vs octopus: In order to assist you to understand octopuses and squid better, here we have described some of the similarities as well as the difference when it comes to anatomy, habitat, size, biological classification, and hunting behavior. Biological classification- both octopuses and squid are cephalopods, that means they have head-footed and it has no real feet or head as the most prominent feature. They are both mollusks and invertebrates and they contain eight arms. Unlike other mollusks, they neither have a shell. Anatomy: The octopuses and squids are built similarly and this is how one can tell they are entirely different creatures just by the appearance. The octopus might have eight arms and a round head that radiate like spokes of any wheel. The squid also contains eight arms and a triangular head with extra long tentacles. The body is long and it contains a bony plate known as a pen which is a vestigial remnant of its shell. You will notice that the squid also has two fins over their head however the octopus has none fins. The dumbo octopus has an ear like a fin over their head that might resemble as a large floppy ear of the elephant. Both octopus and squids have a sucker over their arms and it has two extra tentacles that got equipped with a special sucker ring and hooks with teeth attached. Interestingly, they both have a squirt copper and ink in their blood. The copper helps in oxygen transportation within the animal’s bodies. Size: Most of the people believe that squids are smaller kind however the squid normally grow under 60 cm to 20 meters long. However, the smallest squid species is just an inch long. On the other hand, octopuses grow anywhere under 1 centimeter – 9 meters. Lifespan- another key difference both squid and octopuses have is life expectancy. Both the species have a decent lifespan if their size is considered. The lifespan of squid is between nine months to five years however the octopuses can live anywhere between one to three years. Habitat- The squid can be easily found out in several areas of sea, even from a darker depth of the ocean to shallower water. On the other hand, the octopuses prefer to live under the seafloor level whether it could be deep water or shallow waters. In fact, it is said that octopuses live in rubbish that can be easily sunk to the bottom of the floor. Hunting behavior: Due to the anatomical differences, the hunting techniques might vary. The squid has a habit of swimming over the open ocean in small groups and it can make use of their extra tentacles along with sucker rings in order to give them extra reach. It helps them to catch shrimp and fish then it can be easily eaten up. On the other hand, the octopus stays over the seafloor and it eats bottom crustaceans because the soft bodies will make them vulnerable. They pierce, grab and inject poison into the body of prey and it will paralyze it. This then dissolves as well as loosens the prey through the usage of saliva before ripping it into parts. The observation on the octopuses demonstrates that it is a solitary creature. They don’t like to live in groups thus prefer a lifestyle as “hermit”. The squid species are solitary and they travel the ocean. The way the squids, as well as octopuses, eat and catch is different. The squid usually hunts for fish through swimming crustaceans like shrimp and it catches them with its tentacles. 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Most of the octopuses don’t any fins. Do the squid and octopuses live in schools? Since solitary animals like octopuses, they live alone as den and squids live in schools. The young squids become more solitary in the future. Additional information: Taste- octopuses have more taste receptors over their body as much as ten to a thousand times in comparison to humans. Touch- the octopuses are sensitive to touch however you cannot discriminate between the light and heavy objects. Sight- the squid and octopuses have excellent vision however they might be color blind. It has 360-degree vision range with eyes Smell- the squid and octopuses can register smell in pits that are located over the beneath eyes. How they protect themselves? Coloration- they can create or change color in intricate patterns on bodies so as to blend with surroundings Ink- the squid and octopus can expel copper ink that is dark. 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