Rat
Rescue :: Guide
to Hamsters
Guide to Hamsters
Of the many species of hamster that live in the wild, relativity
few have found their way into the pet world. One of the most
common of these is the Golden or Syrian hamster; although this
is still a comparatively new pet which has only been available
since its re-discovery in 1930.
Syrian hamsters are solitary animals with both sexes living
apart in the wild and only coming together for mating purposes,
in captivity these hamsters must be housed separately, as fights
to the death are not uncommon.
All hamsters will need to be housed in a strong cage that fits
tightly onto a strong plastic base, ideally with more than one
level and as large as possible. Hamsters are adept at escaping
- so be extra sure that their cage is secure!
Hamsters are very active creatures throughout their short two-three
year lives and should have an exercise wheel with solid treads
fitted to the side of the cage so the hamster cannot hurt its
feet.
Most hamsters will accept, and use, any of the wide variety
of houses that can be brought for them to sleep in, while others
will ignore them and even remove any bedding material placed
inside them, and proceed to make a nest else where in the cage.
Hamsters like all rodents have teeth (incisors) that grow continually
throughout their life, so plenty of gnawing material will need
to be in the cage, or the cage itself will become the centre
of its gnawing.
Considering the amount of time hamsters have been part of the
pet world they are available in a great many colours and coat
lengths, the long hair varieties will need extra grooming but
all hamsters, no matter what their coat type, should be handled
ever day.
Dwarf Hamsters
There are 3 main species of dwarf hamsters that are becoming
more popular as pets, they all live from between 2 - 3 years
and have similar requirements to the golden hamster.
The Chinese dwarf hamster is about half the size of a golden
hamster with a long sleek body a short, but not stubby, tail
and a distinctive dark coloured line that runs along the animals
back starting on its face and ending at the base of its short
tail.
Supplies for your Hamster
The other 2 species both come from Russia, the smallest being
Roborovski or Russian Winter White, because if kept in cool conditions
its topcoat, which is normally grey, will fade until it almost
matches the pale white underbelly. This hamster is also sometimes
called A Siberian Miniature Hamster. Because when fully grown
it is only about 1" in length. Its body and head are well
rounded with large dark eyes and the fur that is less dense than
other hamsters cover the entire animal including the tail and
feet.
The 2nd dwarf hamster from Russia are called Campbell's Hamster,
these reach a length of between 1 ½ - 2 ½" are much more
stockier and have the thickest fur, this again covers the short
and stubby tail as well as the animals feet.
The overall appearance of this hamster is that of a small fuzz
ball often it is difficult to even see the hamster's legs when
it is walking about. This hamster, like the golden, is usually
available in a variety of different colours but only ever with
the normal coat length.
Diet
Feeding these smaller hamsters poses no real problem, other
than the size and amount of food that should be fed to them.
Hamsters in the wild collect their food during the early evening
and night filling their cheek pouches to bursting point before
returning to there burrows several times and storing the food
in its food chamber. These trips always end before daylight
when the hamster stays in its burrow, until its next night of
foraging.
This behaviour pattern can be seen in all golden hamsters kept
as pets, few will be seen during the day, most will empty food
dishes and spend most of the night on an exercise wheel.
The feeding requirements of hamsters are like all rodents,
a basic diet of a hard food hamster mix which is then supplemented
with treat foods like; carrot, celery, grapes, pear, grass,
dandelion leaves and raisins. Always be careful not to over
feed any one food and make a balanced diet from all the foods
your hamster will eat.
When any fresh food is offered make sure it has been washed
and dried, any foods collected from the wild are free from any
chemicals, pesticides or fouling by other animals. And that
the size of the item is relative to the size of the hamster
it is being offered to.
Because of the hamsters method of collecting its food care
must be taken when fresh food is offered, only feed what your
hamster will eat in front of you.
If while cleaning the cage you find a store of old food, clean
it away but replace it with fresh food, if you don't your hamster
might think it has no where safe to store its food, and will
then start to keep all its food in its cheek pouches. If this
happens it could lead to a serious health problem.
Housing
The Chinese and Campbell hamsters can be housed securely in
cages, when they are adults, providing the bars of the cage
are not too far apart. Even so young adults of these breeds
and the Roborovski hamsters will be more secure in a converted
aquarium or similar tank.
However you choose to house these smaller breeds their requirements
for toys and solidly constructed exercise wheels are the same
as for the golden hamster.
All of the dwarf hamsters are more sociable than the golden
and will live happier when kept as a pair or part of a group.
Females kept together are less likely to squabble than males
but providing that sufficient space is allowed per hamster they
should all live happily together.
The behaviour of all adult animals, no matter what species,
will be greatly influenced by the temperament of the parents,
the individual's personality of the animal and to a much lesser
degree by how the animal was handled and socialised as a baby
and youngster.
