Imagine having nothing to do except eat, sleep and run in a wheel. Sounds pretty boring, huh? That's what it's like for hamsters who aren't given enough enrichment in their cages, and we wonder why hamsters barchew! But don't worry, enriching your hamster's environment and improving its quality of life is really easy and doesn't have to cost much at all! Here are 5 ways you can improve your hamster's life...
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1) Hamsters are very food oriented, so anything to do with food will interest them!  Try hiding some food in different places around their cage, hanging some food on a treat K-Bob (                      ), putting some food in a toilet roll tube and folding up the edges, wrapping a little food in some PLAIN paper (like you use for your printer) or anything else you can think of! My personal favourite is putting some food in an empty eggbox (all stickers e.t.c removed) with some toilet tissue and then putting the closed eggbox in my hamster's cage.

You really don't have to use much food, just make it hard to get at and enjoy watching your hamster attack it!

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2) Rearrange their cage a little. Try not to disturb their nest, but perhaps pop in a new toilet roll tube or other toy and perhaps put a few toys in different places. If  your hamster has more toys than can be in their cage at once (like mine!), rotate them now and then. It just makes life that tiny bit more exciting!

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3) Get your hamster out in a ball/zoomer/whatever you want to call it for about 15-20 minutes each night (30 at an absolute maximum) . Some people think these balls are cruel, but I think they're a good way to give your hamster some exercise without having to crawl around on the floor with it. You should aim to buy a clear ball so your hamster has more chance of seeing where it's going, and Syrian hamsters generally need balls advertised as 'rat balls' for them to be able to run without having to arch their backs at all. Just remember to keep an eye on your hamster and make sure the ball is secure first... I think most owners, myself incuded, have a story about their hamster getting out!

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4) Get your hamster out for some time in its playpen. You don't need to fork out for a posh playpen (which I can almost guarantee any self-respecting hamster will escape from in minutes), just put some towels down in your bath (empty, of course) and place a few toys inside. Ta dah! A ready made playpen.

Alternatively you can just get a really big cardboard box (ask in your local pound/dollar store) and chuck a few toys in. Job done!

Remember, never leave your hamster unsupervised in its playpen for even a moment!

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5) Give your hamster a sand bath. Buy some chinchilla sand (not dust or powder) and pop it in a plastic or glass container, then give it to your hamster in it's cage. It can be left in all the time, though keep an eye on your hamster if it swallows any! Syrians tend to do their business in it, and dwarves love to roll in it. Remember to change the sand every so often!

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This is a very bad idea that people often have for enriching their hamster's life-

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Getting their hamster another hamster to 'play with'. This is a really bad idea, especially if your hamster is a Syrian hamster. If your hamster is a Syrian hamster, it is SOLITARY. If you put it in with another hamster, there's a high chance they will fight to the death (yes, you may know someone who has had Syrians live together for years, but that is not natural and those poor hamsters will be living in stress and fear).

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Dwarf hamsters can sometimes live together happily, but normally this is when they have lived together from a very young age, and even experienced hamster owners find it difficult to introduce hamsters.

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