Just For Fun Archives - Dwarf Hamster Blog

Best Hamster-Themed Gifts

September 25, 2016 By Sarah Yee 2 Comments

Shopping for hamster lovers

With December approaching, many of you have probably already started shopping for holiday gifts. I thought I’d make a list of hamster-themed gifts that you might want to put in your shopping list (or wishlist!)

Photo Credit: jpockele

Beware of the Hamster & Beware of the Dwarf Hamster Sign

These magnet and steel signs are great for hanging outside your room (if that’s where you place your hammies) or near the hamster area. Both measure 8.2 * 5.8 inches. I personally prefer the dwarf hamster one:

Chatimals The Talking Hamster Hampster

If hamster plushies are your thing, a Chatimal is much more entertaining than any Zhu Zhu pet. And it talks too! Watch this and tell me you don’t want one for yourself:

Hamtaro Anime DVD

Hamtaro is an anime series about a hamster and his friends and their many adventures. It’s one of the very few cartoons about hamsters that are actually good. Hamtaro is more than ten years old but is still pretty popular in some parts of Asia. I should have bought some Hamtaro stuff while I was in Japan!

Cute Hamster Calendar for 2017

I don’t usually like receiving calendars as gifts but I wouldn’t mind one like this. This calendar measures 7 x 7″ and features a cute hamster for every month of the year.

A Hamster Cookbook

I bought this book a while ago and haven’t had the chance to write a proper review. The book is full of photos and recipes of cute treats that you can make for your hamster. It’s kind of like a 2 in 1 gift if you get this since your hamster (or your friend’s) will be enjoying its results 😀

No Idea What to Get?

I’m sure anyone would appreciate a gift card ^_^

Hamster Facts in Photos

May 25, 2014 By Sarah Yee Leave a Comment

Curent total: 6 facts

New photos / facts will be added to the top so you don’t have to scroll down too far to see new additions 🙂

You are free to share any of these hamster facts / photos on this page anywhere and with anyone. You can use these photos freely in your:

instagram account
facebook pages
school projects
YouTube videos
Personal blog
and anything else you can think of

We would really appreciate a link back to https://dwarfhamsterblog.com/facts if you use any of the photos on your blog or web site. This is 100% optional but we would be really happy if you do that!

Hamsters are nocturnal and sleep during the day

Handle your hamster often so it remains tame

Fresh fruit and vegetable can be given occasionally as a treat

Winter white dwarf hamsters change coat in cold weather

Bathe hamsters in sand not water

Hamsters love to burrow. Give them a thick layer of bedding

10 Fun Things to Do with Your Hamster

May 20, 2014 By Sarah Yee 23 Comments

There are lots of fun things that you can do with your hamster. Here are a few ideas that will be fun for you and your furry little friend!

Use your body!
Let your buddy crawl on you, and it will let him get to know you better by allowing him to feel and smell you. Hamsters can recognize your voice and scent, so this will be a great bonding experience

Hold your pet or let him crawl on you; Photo Credit: Piulet
Make toys for your hamster
There are lots of DIY hamster stuff that you can create and watch your hamster play with. You can easily make something for your little buddy by reusing old cardboard and paper tubes or if you’re up to it, try making a platform for your pet

A platform for your little friend; DIY instructions here
Build a hamster fort with Puzzle Playground pieces
These are plastic pieces that can be combined to create different designs — kind of like Lego but made specially for small pets. You can get the Puzzle Playground here

A Puzzle Playground creation; Photo credit: Hamster Talk
Make homemade hamster treats
Combine a few hamster-safe human food in this list and come up with your own recipe for a homemade hamster treat. Your hamster will no doubt have a great time gobbling it up. You can also find lots of pre-made recipes in the book, “Happy Hamster”
Put the hamster in a hamster ball, and watch him run around like crazy
Make sure he is in a safe area to roam around freely and don’t put him in the ball for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time to prevent tiring out your pet

Put your hamster in a ball; Photo Credit: striatic
Take your hamster outside and let him run around in the grass
You’ll need a play pen or a fence to prevent your hamster from escaping. Keep a close eye on him (even with the fence) to make sure he is safe and sound. Alternatively, bring the hamster ball outside!

Take your pet outdoors; Photo Credit: Eljay
Set up an obstacle course!
Use toilet paper rolls, Legos, or anything you want. This is the time to let your creativity shine to make a fun maze for your hamster. Put a small treat at the finish line, and your buddy will love you for it

Hamster in a Lego maze; Photo credit: Keitha’s Chaos
Have a photoshoot
Put your hamster in a small toy car or train. Put a few seeds in it so he can enjoy the ride while having a snack, then shoot away. You can set up all sorts of props besides cars and trains too. Even an eggshell could work:

Hamster in an eggshell; Photo Credit: >Timo<
Dress up your hamster…with cardboard!
Cardboard is really useful isn’t it? You can even do this:

Is it a mermaid? Photo credit: Myths & Fabrications
Teach your hamster a trick
Hamsters are smart creatures and can learn many cool tricks. Make sure to have treats to reward him, which will make him more willing to listen to you. When he knows a few different tricks, put on a show for your friends.

Train your hamster to climb a spiral ladder

What’s your favorite thing to do with your hamster?

Got ideas for other fun things to to with your hamster? Share them with everyone in the comments section below 🙂

The 7 Most Ambitious DIY Hamster Projects

March 28, 2014 By Sarah Yee 2 Comments

This article is submitted by a reader. If you wish to submit your writing to our blog, please check out this page

Here are some entry-level ideas, best done at the end of summer, when you have a supply of ice-cream sticks generously donated by yourself or your family! Of course, they can be bought en masse at any craft store, but that’s not nearly as delicious. What you can build is only really limited by your imagination, so go nuts!

7. DIY Popsicle Stick Toys for Hamsters

Credit: Tiny Furballs

6. DIY Hamster Platform

It almost looks like a wrestling ring for rodents, but this is a platform fit for a hamster king or queen. All it needs is some spare popsicle sticks from #7, and you could make a little Iron Throne.

https://dwarfhamsterblog.com/diy-hamster-platform/

5. Diy Hamster Bath

This is for the hamster of discerning tastes, who values luxury and privacy while bathing. Throw a couple of rocks and a tiny rake in it for a multitasking Zen garden!

https://dwarfhamsterblog.com/diy-hamster-bath-house/
(Props to the Dwarf Hamster Blog for making the list twice!)

4. Home-made Hamster Elevator

From here on out is utter madness. Let’s ease into it by watching a hamster learning to use a home-made elevator.

3. IKEA Expedit Cage

You’re looking at a spacious bit of converted IKEA furniture from a site called IKEA Hackers. It resembles a fish tank but is actually the final form of a shelving unit. The remaining shelves are to be used for filing, and honestly, I’m a little disappointed that there isn’t a hamster-sized work cubicle, as this all sits in someone’s study!

http://www.ikeahackers.net/2009/12/expedit-hamster-home.html

2. iMac Hamster Home

At one point, it was widely known that the internet is run by a series of tubes. Self-confessed Apple fan boy, nicknamed Sunder, has taken this to its logical extreme and put his hamster inside an iMac monitor, with food accessed by a series of tubes. This group of pictures really says it all, but Sunder also provides a detailed guide to doing this DIY project yourself!

Credit: Awesome Hamster Home

1. Human Hamster Wheel

Uncontestably and completely the most ambitious DIY hamster project. A human hamster wheel. That can cross bodies of water. Let that sink in. A human hamster wheel.

The builder/inventor/apparent madman, Chris Todd, stated that this monstrosity took 11 months to construct and almost resulted in divorce. No word yet on what could have caused the marriage strain, though I suspect it was too much wheeling and dealing on Todd’s part.

Credit: Daily Mail

James has two rodent pets, George the hamster and Mildred the rabbit. He enjoys seeing them play together and when he’s not busy tending them he works as electrical instructor at Ableskills.co.uk .

Hamster Kickstarter: Pop-up Playland

March 2, 2014 By Sarah Yee 2 Comments

There aren’t many toys around that let you play with your pet hamster outside of the cage. The most common accessory is a hamster ball, but that limits your interaction with the hammy while it’s outside. The Pop-up Playland combines a pop-up book and a playground to create a safe play area for your pet:

This video by Shawn and Olivia Kessler, co-inventors of the Pop-up Playland, explains how it works:

The creators of the Pop-up Playland are now raising funds to manufacture this product. If you would like to find out more or to support them, please visit the Pop-up Playland’s kickstarter page.

Hamster Stuff in Japan

November 9, 2013 By Sarah Yee 2 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Tokyo, Japan for holiday. Naturally, I went searching for unique hamster stuff to bring back home!

Before I went, I wanted to find out what I could get but I couldn’t find a guide for it so I thought I’d make mini one now for anyone who will be going to Tokyo and want to get some stuff for your hammy.

This is far from complete and only represents what I was able to find. If you know where to get more hamster stuff in Japan, please feel free to chime in in the comment section.

Photo of my haul:

Places with hamster stuff

Tokyu hands

Web site: http://www.tokyu-hands.co.jp/en Tokyu hands a multi-storey department store. We went to the ones at Shinjuku and Shibuya and they had a pet section with some hamster stuff as well as cute dog treats. I also bought hamster stickers from their stationery section! Tokyu hands should be the most accessible because it’s in a lot of places and it’s really hard to miss. It sells almost everything so there are lots of other stuff as well if you don’t want to go to a place just to get hamster products.

Kojima Pets

Web site: http://pets-kojima.com We went to two Kojima pet stores in Kameido. They have a hamster section with some ‘Made in Japan’ food and accessories. There were live hamsters and other animals in store!

Gacchapon machines at Akihabara

This isn’t really a place but you can find lots of Gacchapon machines around Akihabara and there are a few that vend hamster keychains/phone straps

Bookoff (various locations)

Web site: http://www.bookoff.co.jp/en/ Bookoff sells tons of secondhand books and comics at unbelievable prices (starting 100 yen). The books are mainly in Japanese so this might not be for you if you’re not interested in the language. I was able to get quite a number of Japanese books and comics on hamsters at just $1 each.