Tips for Selecting Safe Toys for Hamsters

There are many types of hamsters toys with their ups and downs, but today we will discuss how to tell if a toy is safe for your hamster.

Something that applies to ALL toys

Hamsters are ground dwellers. They literally burrow underground; you can’t be more of a ground dweller than that. So even though some hamsters enjoy being up high, they are not equipped for climbing.

If your hamster enjoys climbing you should embrace this aspect of their personality by providing easy ways for them to climb (e.i. platforms with ramps). When selecting toys for your hamster to climb on always ensure there are railings so they cannot ‘yeet’ off the platform and possibly harm themselves.

Hamsters are known for leaping off of things; take precautions.

Plastic

Plastic hamster toys are a very popular option, and tons of small pet owners, including myself, use them without problems. The issue is that if ingested, hamsters can have internal blockages from plastic toys, so if your hamster is more of a chewer I would not recommend using plastic toys.

If the toy is meant to be a hidey house, ensure it has enough ventilation and is not transparent. Hamster’s need their privacy to feel safe.

An issue with some hideouts is that the ventilation holes (and other small gaps) pose the risk of a foot getting caught. Always check and make sure there are no crevices where your hamster’s foot could get stuck.

Natural Materials

Natural materials include wood different woods and grasses, and even cardboard. In terms of safety, these materials are all digestible, so if your hamster chews them they will pass the materials as usual. This is one reason natural toys are safer.

An issue with natural toys, however, is that they are very textured, which can create opportunities for caught toes and limbs. Texture is important for hammies, but always make sure there are no dangerously V-shaped branches etc… that can cause injury.

Edible Houses

There are a category of toys that deserve to be talked about in depth: edible toys. There is a lot of controversy surrounding these accessories, and I wanted to mention them.

Edible toys have a very… interesting array of ingredients, including hays, softwoods, and flavorings, such as honey or processed sugar. It is okay for hamsters to consume these ingredients in moderation, but when you put an entire house stuck together with sweeteners in their cage, they’re usually going to eat more than a moderate amount.

When hamsters chew things, usually they spit it out (they chew to wear down their teeth, not from hunger). But when the wood is ground up and tastes really good, they’re going to consume the wood. Hamsters are not beavers. They are not meant to eat wood, so if enough is consumed, your hamster could develop constipation or any number of issues from these edible houses.

Conclusion

Use common sense when selecting hamster toys. Is your hamster a chewer? Maybe don’t give them plastic accessories. Lots of hamsters tend to get more enrichment from natural toys anyway, so go ahead and try ’em out!

Always check for tight spaces where your hamster could get caught, and maybe give them different edible chew toys than one of those edible houses (I highly recommend Whimzees dog chews). Make sure they can’t fall too far off of a toy or platform. Stay safe, hammies!

If you’re interested in more hamster-related content be sure to like this post and follow the blog, and I’ll be back on Tuesday with more small pet care, DIYs, recipes, cage setups, stories and more, have a ham-tastic day!