Animals
Bunnies
Bunnies II 
Cat-N-Around Cat Club
Cat-N-Around Cat Club 2007 Annual Show
Hawkeye Cat Club 2004
Hawkeye Cat Club 2005
Chinchillas
Degus
Ferrets
Ferrets by BOB
Gerbils
Ground Squirrels
Guinea Pig
Hamsters I
Hamsters II
Hamsters III
Hamsters IV
Hamsters V
Hedgehogs
Kittens
Kids & Kittens
Mice
Mice Pets II
Parasites
Rats I
Rats II
Rats III
Rats, Hairless
S-T Opossums
Siberian Chipmunks
Sugar Gliders
Sugar Gliders II
Water Bottles

Bugs
Crabby 500
Crab 04 Results
Centipedes
Cray/Lobsters
Crayfish II
Crayfish III
Cray, Yucatan
Fiddler Crabs
Shrimp, Algae
Shrimp, Aqua
Shrimp, Orange Bee
Shrimp, Red
Shrimp, Flower
Shrimp, Ghost
Shrimp, Rudolph
Hermit Crabs
Hermit Crabs II
Madagas Roach
Mantids
Mini-Clams
Mini-Crabs
Patriot Crabs
Giant Millipedes
Red Claw Crabs
Reiman Butterfly
Spider, Black Widow
Snail, Apple
Snail, Colombian
Snail, Land
Snail, Malaysian
Snail, Mystery
Snail, Trapdoor 
Scorpions
Tarantulas
Tarantulas II
Tarantula Night 2006
TarantulaWeen VII
TarantulaWeen 9
Walking Stick
Misc. Bugs
Misc Bugs II  

Birds
Breeding Tips
Button Quail
Canaries
Cockatiels
Dove, Diamond
Dove, Ringneck
Finches
Love Birds
Parakeets
Pelleted Foods
Quaker Parrots
Parrot Pictures
Parrot Pix II
Parrot Pix III
Dave's Parrots

Lizards
Alligators
Anoles
Bearded Dragon
Beardies II
Calotes
Chamel, Jackson
Chamel, Panther
Chamel, Veiled
Crested Geckos
Gecko, Golden
Gecko, House
Gecko, Leopard
Gecko, Tokay
Horned "Toads"
Iguana New
Iguana Dragons
Iguana Q&A I
Iguana Q&A II
Iguana Training
Iguana Update
Cool Iguana Pics
Knight Anoles
Monitors, Nile
Monitors, Savana
Monitors, Water
Salmonella
Skinks
Skinks Blue-Tongue
Tegus
Uromastyx maliensis
Water Dragon
Misc Lizards
Misc Lizards 2
Misc Lizards 3
Misc Lizards 4
Misc Lizards 5
Misc Lizards 6
Misc Lizards 7
Misc Lizards 8
Misc Lizards 9
Misc Lizards 10


Snakes
Anacondas
Boa, Rosy
Boa, Red-Tail
Corn Snake
Garter Snake
Green Snake
Kids/Corn Snakes
Kids/Red-Tail Boas

Kids at Pet Expo 1

Kids at Pet Expo 2

Kids at Pet Expo 3

Kids at Pet Expo 4

Kids at Pet Expo 5
King & Milk
Python, Ball
Python, Burmese

Snakes Alive
Snakesgiving
Snakesgiving II
Misc Snake Pix
Misc Snakes II
Misc Snakes III  

Turtles/Tortoises
Box, Asian
Box, USA
Races
Snapping
Spiny

Sulcata
Water
Western Painted

Live Foods
Blackworms
Blood Worms
Br Shrimp I
Br Shrimp II
Crayfish 1
Crayfish 2
Crayfish 3 
Crickets
Dandelions
Daphnia
Earthworms
Feeder Goldfish
Fruit Flies
Ghost Shrimp

Glass Worms

Grindal Worms
Infusoria
Mealworms
Microworms
Rosy Reds

Super Worms

Wax Worms
White Clouds

Decorating
Bubbles
Driftwood
Gravel
Plastic Plants
Rocks
Slow Growing Plants

Miscellaneous
Bob's Acclimation

How to Start
How to Add New Fish
How to Keep Healthy
Which Fish Get Along?
10 Questions to Ask
What is Ich?
Under Gravel Filters

Sponge Filters
Cloudy Water
Cool Water Tanks
Gravel Vacuums
Preventing Disease
Feeding to the Max
Frozen Foods
Green Water
Nasty Chemicals
Overfeeding
Power Filters
Rift Lake Salts
Quarantine Tank
Mini-Tank
2nd Av Bait

Pet World Visit
Dandelions

Aquatic Plants
Amazon Swords
More Swords
Sword Plants III
Anubias
Anacharis
Aponogetons
A. boivinianus
A. fenestralis
A. ulvaceous
Aquarium/Bog
Banana Plant
Bolbitis
Bunch
Bunch Plants II
Cryptocorynes
Crystalwort
Dwarf Lily
Grassy
Grassy II
Hornwort
Hygrophila
Lace
Java Fern I
Java Fern II
Java Fern III
Java Fern IV
Java Moss
Moss Balls
Onion
Vermiculite
Watersprite
Different Watersprite

Hamster Wheels.  Most commercial hamster cages include a wheel.  We recommend them.  Why?  As we said earlier, hamster run three miles per night.  Pregnant hamsters run six.

Albino hamsters have red eyes.

When you put a wheel in with a hamster which has never in its entire life seen a wheel, it only takes him about 30 seconds to figure out how it works.  (Provided he’s awake, of course.  It takes longer if he’s still asleep.)

Wire cages come with a fairly noiseless plastic wheel.  Hamsters seem to love the taste of those plastic wheels.  Luckily, replacements are cheap.  Module cages come with a hard-to-chew, longer-lasting solid plastic wheel.  You can find all sorts of replacement wheels.  Most people select the metal ones.  Use a little dab of petroleum jelly to help quiet it.  And you can find glow-in-the dark plastic wheels also.

Lots of hamster balls to choose from.  Smaller ones fit the dwarves.

Hamster Running Balls.  Several types of see-though hamster balls enable you to open the ball and put your hammie inside.  He can then run around the house well protected from other pets and safe from being stepped upon. 

Warning:  Keep him away from any stairways.  Hamsters have no concept of stairs.  Hamster balls also come in a glow in the dark model.

Each of these three styles of hamster water bottles fits a specific need.

Water Bottles.  Use the glass tubes carefully.  Many of them drip.  Wash them very carefully.  All of them break.  By the way, you can use heavy, non-tippable bowls to hold their water.  Forget cereal bowls.  They tip too easily.  Unfortunately, hamsters like to kick litter (among other things) into these bowls.

Hanging water bottles keep your hamsters’ water free of pollution.  You can find several styles of these – even colored bottles.  If you use them inside their cage, provide a protective holder.

Hamster Foods.  We prefer the chunky block foods specifically made for rodents.  They are hard enough to wear down their teeth as they gnaw on them.  Their large size makes them difficult to hide in the litter.  They contain next to no waste and provide a total diet.

Nutrition Note:  Most rodents defecate in their food to aid in their absorption of certain B vitamins.  Luckily, they produce little dry pellets.

Seed foods are small enough that hamsters hide them all over their cages.  (Hampster is the German word for “hoarder.”)  Hamsters also like to pick out their favorite seeds and don’t necessarily eat the balanced diet you selected for them.  Both types of food work fine if you can’t find the one you prefer.  Some people prepare their own mix of ingredients. We used to have our own mix made up with added anise oil (because we liked the licorice smell).   However, hamster food costs too little to make your own.

Plenty of hamster treats to choose from.

Treat Foods.  Hamsters enjoy a little change in their diet once in a while.  Offer yours a treat food.  In addition to the boxed treats, you can find several types of seed-filled “honey sticks” specially made for them.  They also like the bird honey sticks.  Secret Food:  They also like Cheerios and dry dog foods.  Just don’t give them too much of these treat foods, and your hamster will fare fine.

Chew Toys.  Rodents’ teeth never stop growing.  Their constant gnawing keeps them ground down.  (If your hamster ever gets overgrown teeth trim his teeth with fingernail clippers.)  Hamsters need chew toys to help grind down their teeth.  Hard foods help.  Chew toys finish the job.  You can find a tremendous variety of chew toys from which to choose.

You can choose from dozens of types of hamster caves and chew toys.

Caves.  Hamsters love to pile into a little cave – the more the merrier.  We like the wooden and ceramic ones because they can’t push them around or chew them into memories.  Of course, the hamsters like the cardboard, plastic and wicker caves/homes for exactly the opposite reason.  No matter which hamster home design you prefer, your hamsters will all pile into it and snooze away until about 8 that evening. 

Hamsters enjoy tearing these "nest" materials to shreds.

Fluffy Bedding.  Several companies make what they call hamster fluffy beds.  Hamsters love these compressed fibers from which they make mountains out of molehills.  They start ripping them up and make a bigger and bigger pile the harder they work.  Pregnant moms get the most mileage out of these special beddings.  Chalk them up under “not necessary but extremely fun to watch.”  Change their fluffy bedding when you change their litter.

Lots of hamster litters to choose from.  Avoid cedar.

Cage Litters.  We like the pine chips.  The compressed blocks go the furthest.  We rip them apart like hamsters tear up their fluffy bedding.  Some people prefer cedar.  They like the smell.  Cedar can cause big problems with rodents.  Others prefer corn cobs.  Corn cods mold when they get wet.  Oat hulls and ground walnut shells work fine also.  Aspen chips top the list.  You could probably use newspaper temporarily if you ran out of your regular litter, but the ink darkens them up on their undersides.  You can also find newspaper pellets and aspen pellets.  Lots of choices.

Change Their Litter.  Change their litter weekly or as often as your nose says “go for it.”  Hamsters kick out very little odor compared to mice, but you still need to practice regular hygiene.  You can delay your changes quite a bit if you use one of the odor killers.  Or, scoop out the spot where they urinate.  Hamsters try to keep their quarters clean if you help them a bit.

Use Your Litter.  Dispose of used hamster litter in your garden.  It mulches the soil and fertilizes at the same time.  My garden looks like it contains no dirt.  Wood chips also cut 90% of your weeding work.

Cage Sprays.  Supposedly for fleas (which I’ve never seen on a hamster), these sprays work fine on the tiny little mites that sometimes show up in crowded or uncleaned cages.  If you can’t find a rodent spray, use a bird spray.  Both labels say they are harmless, but I’d sure avoid spraying them anywhere near your hamster’s eyes.

Vitamins.  Pet store foods contain all the vitamins your hamster  needs.  If you want to make sure (or you feed a grocery store brand), give them a tiny bit of vitamins.  Don’t overdose them on vitamins.  Just a trace is all they need.

Salt Wheels.  Forget them.  I’ve never seen a hamster even taste a salt wheel.  For guinea pigs and rabbits, yes.  For hamsters, no.

"Please, no photos.  No autographs."  New so-called "panda" oranda.

Last Words.  So much for today’s lesson.  Have fun with your hamster(s).  LA.

© 1998, © 2003, © 2004, © 2006  LA Productions

Jaguar Spawning II
Jewel Fish
Keo's Flowerhorns
Keo's Flowerhorns II
Kribensis
Oscars 1
Oscars 2
Oscars 3
Oscars 4
Oscars 5
More Oscar
More Oscar II
More Oscars III
More Oscars 2007
Peacock Bass
Red Devils
More Red Devil  
Red Parrots
Red Parrots Spawn
Pikes
Pink Tilapia
Rams
Red Bay Snooks
Roger Stephen's Cichlids
Severums
More Severums
Severums III
Tanganyikans
Texas Cichlid
Texas Spawning
Texas Spawn II
Uarus
Misc Cichlids I
Misc Cichlids II
Misc Cichlids III
Misc Cichlids IV
Misc Cichlids V
Misc Cichlids VI
Misc Cichlids VII
Misc Cichlids VIII

Livebearer  
Guppies
Half-Beak
Mollies
Moons/Platys
Swordtails

Minnows/Tetra 
Barbs
Barbs, Black
Barbs, Gold
Barbs, Rosy
Barbs, Tiger
Barbs, Tinfoil
Danios
Distochodus
Fathead Minnows
Headstanders
Killies, Econ.
Killies, Golden
Killies, Peat
Killies, Plant
Misc Mini-Fish
Pacús 
Piranha, Black
Piranha, Red
Rainbowfish

Rainbowfish, Dwarf Neon
Rainbowfish, Irian
Silver Dollar
Tetras, Larger
Tetras, Smaller
Tetras, Spawn
Tetra, Vampire
White Clouds

Pond Fish
Carp
Channel Cat
Gold. Comets
Gold. Fantails
More Fantails
Gold. Oriental  
Gold Oriental II 
Gold. Spawn
Kloubec Koi Farm
Koi
Koi II

Koi III
Plecostomus
Shubunkins

Oddballs  
Af. Butterfly
Af. Lungfish
Af. Mudskippr
American Eel
Archer Fish
Arowana
Bichirs
Borneo Suckers
Brackish I
Brackish II
Brackish III
Brackish IV
Brackish V
Michael Troung's Pix
Butterfly/Wasp
Chameleon Fish
Chromides
Chin Alg Eater
Crazy Fish
Crocodile Fish
Datnioides
Dojo
Electric Cat
Electric Eels
Elephant Nose
Exodon paradoxus
Flounder
Gars  
Glassfish
Goby Bumble
Goby Butterfly
Goby Dragon
Goby Misc.
Half-Beak
Knife African
Knife Clown
Knife Ghost
Loach Botias
Loach Clown
Loach Kuhli
Loach Weather
Moray Eel  
Peacock Gudgeons
Polypterids
Puffers
Ropefish
Scats
Siam Algae Eater 
Spiny Eels 
Snakehead
Stingray
Stonefish
Wasp Fish
Wolffish
Wrest Half-Beak
Misc Mini-Fishes
Misc Odd
Misc Odd II
Misc Odd III
Misc Odd  IV

Misc Odd V

Sharks  
Bala
Black
Bull
Chinese Hi-Fin Banded
Iridescent
Red-Tail
Siam Algae Eater

Pond Info 
Blank Park Zoo
Bob Humphrey's Ponds
Cattails
Maffett Reservoir
DMACC's Pond
D.M. Botanical Center
D.M. Water Works
Dr. Ervanian's Garden
Duckweed
Dwarf Lily
Ewing Park "Pond"
Jan & Chris's Water Garden
John McDonald's Pond
Hall's Four Acres
Klines' Water Garden
Landscaper Effects
Mini-Pond Pics
Pioneer Corn's Pond
Pond Fish Predators
Pond on 38th Street 
Pond Pics
Pond Plants
More Pond Plants
Pond Plants III
Reiman Ponds
River Scenes
Riverview Island
Selin's Water Gardens
Selin's Japanese Garden
Tom's Used Cars Pond
Urbandale Duck Pond
Water Hyacinth
Water Lettuce
Wild Ponds