Hamster care is important to the health and happiness of your new pet. Plus, they make great pets to someone (especially children) new to taking care of animals.

I'm going to take you through a brief introduction to everything that you are going to need to handle your hamster care needs. We'll start first with selecting a home, then move one to buying your first hamster and on to handling and feeding it.

Your hamster cage is the first place to start if you don't already have a hamster. It's an essential item for proper hamster care and it is best if you have it purchased and setup before you even bring your new hamster home. This way, your hamster isn't going to have to stay in the box you get him in while you are trying to setup his new home.

There are several styles of hamster cages available. Probably the cheapest solution is either a standard wire cage or a glass fish aquarium with a mesh top. Other choices include several types of cages that have from a few to many tubes available for your hamster to roam around in.

Give your new hamster accessories so that he can live in comfort. For a basic cage setup, you should include a wheel, a water bottle and a hiding/sleeping place.

The wheel is a necessity as it will allow your hamster to exercise. They love to run and will easily run three miles or more a day. Not bad for such a small critter, huh? There are many types to choose from, just make sure that it is big enough for your hamster to run in (Syrian hamsters will need a bigger wheel).

Like most creatures, your hamster will get thirsty, so you'll want to have a water bottle on hand. I highly suggest a bottle over a bowl as it will be easier to keep his bedding dry. You can find a bottle with a ball on the end that keeps water from coming out unless your hamster is licking or sucking on it.

And finally, you'll want a place for your hamster to sleep. Hamsters love the night and will usually sleep during the day. Any enclosed area will work, such as a small cardboard box or a commercial home for your hamster. Don't be suprised to see bedding showing up though at the opening. They like to really hide.

Now that you have a home setup for your hamster, you're ready to pick one up and bring it home. And since you already have a cage setup, you won't have to worry about keeping your new hamster in it's box for very long. But how do you go about buying the new hamster?

There are generally three place to get a good hamster. The first and most popular is through a pet store. You should have no problem finding a hamster in the pet store as they are a popular pet choice.

The next place that you can look for a hamster is through a breeder. Buying your hamster through a breeder is the best choice, as you can get information about its parents and how they are raised. Hamster breeders will have the most information on hamster care for you as well.

Finally, you may find a hamster at your local animal shelter. You will no the least about a hamster found in this manner, but most animal shelters will do a thorough exam on the animals that they have, so the health of a hamster from one should not be an issue.