The mission then began to build my own coconut hamster house. The largest coconut I could find was added to the weekly shopping trolley. It cost us 50p! One tenth of the price of a readymade coconut hamster house. All that was needed now was a little work. So if you would like to save £4.50 and have the pleasure of seeing your hamsters happy in a little coconut house, then here is how…

1. The obvious step, go and buy a coconut from your supermarket, and to feel better go to a pet shop and see the money you saved (optional but it helps!).

2. Now you will need to drain the coconut milk (more like water but anyway), using a nail or drill make 3 large holes in the 3 black spots on the top (or bottom) of the coconut. These are the weakest places on the coconut. Place the coconut upside down in a large cup/glass and wait for the milk to drain; this should only take a few seconds if the holes are big enough.

3. This bit depends on what you would like the coconut to be, a playhouse or a nesting area. Drill 1 hole in the coconut, preferably in between the three draining holes, this would be good for a nesting house. If you would prefer it as a playhouse drill 2-4 holes for the hamsters to run in and out of. I used a special drill bit which makes a large circle, as pictured, but if you do not have this a few holes then push out the circle would be OK. Keep in mind Syrian hamsters will need a larger hole than dwarfs!

4. Now for the fun (and quite tricky part). I would recommend using a knife for this job, and you will get messy! Get your coconut and start scooping out the coconut “meat” or “flesh”; I would also say doing this over a bowl is wise! The more you scoop out the easier it gets, towards the end you should be getting large chunks out, unlike at the start where you will be surrounded by “grated” coconut! Also when the coconut meat is washed you may want to eat it, although it is not a very pleasant taste, I think!

5. Once you have removed all of the coconut flesh you are left with the hard shell. This is quire moist and damp, so I would recommend leaving it near a radiator overnight and by the morning you have a lovely, dry, hard shell.

I am going onto my 3rd coconut, so trust me, it gets easier the more you do!

Congratulations! You have now made a great hamster house/playhouse or bed, that you can see your hamster play or sleep in with pride!

By Laura

Obviously any drilling and use of other dangerous objects like a knife, hammer and nails should be performed by a responsible adult.

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