Question:like the hamster its self and its cage and food and such...
Answers:
This answer is going to get a bit long but bear with me!
If you're concerned with finding the cheapest way to house just one hamster, here's my suggestion. Purchase a 10 gallon aquarium for $10, a metal tank topper for $10, chew-proof, climb-proof water bottle (made by Lixit) for $6, a plastic solid 8" exercise wheel by Super Pet (small ones and metal ones are harmful) for $5 and a hut for $5. This will give you the basic set-up for under $40. Do not buy one of the cage set-ups you see being sold for $20-$25, they're not the best cages for hamsters and the included wheels are too small for Syrian hamsters. The wire cages one are the worst. If you have a Pet Supplies Plus near you, shop there, they're cheaper and carry all the products I've listed.
One of the new alternatives that we hamster breeders are using are plastic bins. These make great cages! They are very inexpensive in that you can buy a bin for less than $10. There is a little bit of manual labor involved but it's worth it. The bins are light and very easy to carry and move and best of all, they are extremely easy to clean. The bedding doesn't stick to them the way it does in any of the above mentioned cages. Get a clear bin and you can easily see your friend. Get one that's tall enough to hold the wheel when the lid is on.
Here is a California Hamster Association article on how to convert a plastic bin:
http://www.geocities.com/calhamassoc/fea...
Next you have to purchase the "maintenance" items. I suggest you find a feed store in your area. You can purchase a big package of compressed shavings for the same price as the small packages in the stores (never use cedar shavings). The shaving packages I purchase cost me $4.59. It takes me just over 2 of these to fill over one hundred cages. This means that if you're cleaning the cage once a week, the shavings will last you close to a year. Not bad, $4.59 a year. Next is the food. You can buy 25 lbs. of a cheap mix for around $7-$8 dollars but I'd suggest you purchase the Hamster/Gerbil blend made by SunSeed. It is a better quality mix. This is sold in 25 lb. bags for around $15. You will want to freeze as much of the seed as you can to keep it fresh. Twenty-five pounds of food should easily feed one hamster for a year. So after the initial purchases, the hamster will only cost you around $20 a year for care if you buy your supplies at a feed store. Not too bad!
Once those are all purchased, you're ready to shop for the hamster. Pet stores price their hamsters by color and hair type. Unfortunately hamsters are the only species subjected to this kind on "incorrect pricing". Depending on the pet stores, hamsters range from $5-25. Your best option would be to find a breeder near you. Breeders will only charge about $10 no matter what the color is and should be able to supply you with a pedigree. The only challenge is that there are not many hamster breeders in the US so if there isn't one close to you, you will have to go to a pet store.
Unfortunately, most pet stores purchase their hamsters from commercial breeders. Commercial breeders do not breed for type, health or temperament but for quantity. When you go to the pet store, look for a small, and thus young, hamster. You also want to hold the hamster in the store yourself. Also watch the employees. If the employees are scared to hold the hamsters, then there's a reason- their stock usually bites. Leave that store and find another. You will have this hamster for the next two-three years so take a day and shop around all the area pet stores before deciding. It's okay if the pup is a bit jumpy but it should not be nippy at all. It's much better to be nipped once at the store while you're holding it than to take it home and be nipped every day for the rest of its life. I have noticed that the pet stores by me don't like for you to hold the hamster. They just want you to point it out and they'll box it up for you without ever letting you have the chance to hold it- don't let them do this to you!
Good luck!
-Janice
http://holmdenhillhaven.com
$10 at most. Hamsters are one of those things you can pick up at the flee market for next to nothing. Their cages can get pretty elaborate past the entry level. At a point it becomes overkill. Have fun, but stay grounded.
I agree with The One Gun Kid. Hamsters are cheap and their housing can start from about the same price you pay for them. You can always add onto them later. There are tunnels that you can use to connect one house to another. They're a lot of fun, but you can go overboard! Also, if you decide to get more than one hamster, be careful! They breed faster than you would think they do! Oh, and the food isn't expensive either. You can also add cat food, fruit and some veggies to it.
30 bucks
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