Homemade for Hamsters: Over 20 Fun Projects Anyone Can Make, Including Tunnels, Towers, Dens, Swings, Ladders and More - Softcover

Oliver, Carin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1770857818 ISBN 13: 9781770857810

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2016

Synopsis

Homemade for Hamsters features 20 easy projects for creating toys and exercise equipment for a hamster (and guinea pigs, small rabbits, gerbils, and pet rats and mice, too). The projects use materials and tools commonly found around the home. Treats may also be used and the book includes a list of those that are safe and not safe for a hamster.

The 20 projects are grouped according to the type of activities that hamsters enjoy and that enrich their life. Simple text explains how the projects meet these needs and how some just provide fun. The Nibble Necklace, for example, gives a hamster a chewing workout, and it is great for climbing and swinging, too. The Maze simulates a wild hamster's search for food. Making the projects and understanding their benefits will help a child to bond with their pet and commit to its care.

The projects are:

• Running Projects -- Wheel, Tunnels, Amazing Mazes, Obstacle Course
• Climbing Projects -- See Saw Tube, Climbing Wall with Ladder, Treehouse, Platform and Ramp, Swing, Bendy Bridge
• Digging Projects -- The Sand Bath, Miniature Landscape with Digging Pit, Digging Tower
• Chewing Toys -- Walnut Shell Toy, Treat Tubes, Treat Ball, Nibble Necklace
• Resting Toys -- Hideaway Caves, Hammie Hill Hideout, Castle, Round House.

Any and all hamster owners, regardless of age, will enjoy making these great projects as much as they will enjoy watching their pet having fun and staying fit and healthy.

About this title

About the Author

Carin Oliver is an artist with a love of nature and animals, based in Pittsburgh. This is her first book.

Reviews

Gr 4–8—Anyone who has spent time watching hamsters knows that they are very busy animals. Oliver presents 20 different projects that readers can easily make to keep their furry friends content, healthy, and active. The first section provides lists of tools and materials required for construction, with most of the items readily available for free or cheaply at a craft or hardware store. The projects are then divided into five sections based on hamster-related activities: running, climbing, digging, chewing, and resting. Step-by-step directions for each project are accompanied by a mix of detailed drawings and photographs. Most of the tasks can be completed without adult supervision. Kids will need just glue, paper, cardboard, and Popsicle sticks, though a few projects require a drill and utility knife. While this work targets hamsters specifically, many of its suggestions could be adapted for other pets, such as gerbils or mice. VERDICT After following the clear and well-illustrated instructions in this guide, the avid pet owner will be rewarded with a happy hamster.—Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Avondale, LA

Edition details

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1770857818
• ISBN 13: 9781770857810
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96