Hamsters at home: shortcomings, care, feeding and reproduction
Many people have thought about it, to have a cat or a dog as a pet, and a fluffy hamster. Home hamsters are not just a constant source of joy, but also the simplest care, because these funny rodents are absolutely unpretentious in this regard.
However, do not think, what about such things, how to feed and care for a hamster at home, it will be possible not to think at all and to let everything drift. Of course, domestic hamsters require attention and treatment. How to properly care for them and behave with these fluffy lumps, we will tell in the article.
Keeping animals at home: Advantages and disadvantages
Before you start a house hamster, get acquainted with the main characteristics of this animal. In nature, there are several breeds of this species, Siberian hamsters are the most common pets, less often - Dzungarikov and Campbell's hamsters.
The peculiarity of hamsters is that, that they can feel good without such individuals. They can be bought without a pair, if you do not want to breed hamsters in the future.
The benefits of keeping hamsters at home are as follows:
- unlike the same cats, are not spiteful and do not remember the insults inflicted;
- do not make noise in the apartment;
- easily trainable;
- when eating juicy food for a long time may not want to drink;
- easily propagated at home;
- do not show dissatisfaction when playing with children;
- for living in a small enough terrarium;
- unpretentious in food.
However, you should also be aware of these difficulties when purchasing hamsters:
- if the hamsters are not kept in a terrarium, then they can ruin things and gnaw furniture, shoes and other things;
- so that there is no unpleasant odor in the cage, there you need to constantly clean;
- in winter, hamsters hibernate, sometimes wake up, then they must be well fed;
- can sometimes show aggression.
Usually, hamsters have a body length of 5 to 30 div. The color of animals may be different:
- ashy;
- gray-brown;
- with a dark stripe on the back and black and brown spots on the front of the torso;
- white and fluffy (artificial Angora breeds).
Home hamster shelter
Before you bring home a hamster, you need to choose housing for him. Many people use an aquarium or glass jar for this purpose, but such living conditions are not suitable for the animal and it will feel discomfort.
Therefore, you should buy a special cage at least the size of a hamster 50 on 30 cm with horizontal rods. The gaps between the rods should be small, so that the hamster does not get out.
You should also choose the right accessories for the cage, here is their description:
- filler - necessary for this, so that there is no unpleasant odor near the cage. The cage should be regularly washed and filled with extruded or granular filler, they perfectly absorb unpleasant odors. In addition to the filler, the cage can be filled with sawdust, in which hamsters like to bury before going to bed;
- feeder - everything should be in a cage two feeders: one for dry food, and the second for fresh. There should also be a separate liquid drinker;
- mineral stone for sharpening hamster teeth;
- toilet - you need to constantly change the bedding, because the hamster always chooses the place for the toilet on his own;
- because the hamster always chooses the place for the toilet on his own, because the hamster always chooses the place for the toilet on his own. because the hamster always chooses the place for the toilet on his own, because the hamster always chooses the place for the toilet on his own.
because the hamster always chooses the place for the toilet on his own, because the hamster always chooses the place for the toilet on his own. because the hamster always chooses the place for the toilet on his own.
because the hamster always chooses the place for the toilet on his own?
Domestic hamsters should be fed several times a day. The second meal of the animal should be in the evening and for this meal should be given high-calorie food, because hamsters are more familiar with the nocturnal lifestyle. It is highly undesirable to give hamsters water-based vegetables and fruits, such as cucumbers and watermelons, because the animal can be poisoned by them.
Once a day, the hamster's diet should include special cereals, which can be purchased at a specialty store. The hamster will determine the norm himself, usually, no more than three teaspoons are enough for him. But you need to watch out for that, so that the hamster always has at least a couple of seeds in the feeder.
Provide your pet with constant access to water and that he does not throw a bowl of water with sawdust, it is better to choose an automatic drinker. Do not forget to monitor its content during the day. If the hamster does not drink a drop of water during the day, he may die.
Eligible hamster foods are as follows:
- pitted pears and apples;
- pumpkin and carrots in limited quantities;
- nuts and seeds in limited quantities;
- potato;
- corn;
- lean boiled meat;
- Fish Oil;
- vitamins A, E and D.
Such products should not be given to hamsters:
- garlic;
- onion;
- citrus fruits;
- exotic fruits.
Features of caring for hamsters
Like most other animals, domestic hamsters can be stressed. Usually, their reasons may be the following circumstances:
- changes in the animal's daily routine;
- lack of water;
- external control over his offspring;
- the presence of lighting in the cage, where he sleeps;
- resettlement of another animal, even a hamster.
Also, to prevent stressful situations in your hamster, do not speak loudly or shout, being next to the cage, do not make any sudden movements in this place, so that the animal does not feel the danger. If you talk to a hamster quietly and calmly, he will behave accordingly.
Also consider the following tips, related to the care of domestic hamsters:
- relocation of the hamster to another cage should be done with a special tube. First, he is pushed by the hand, so that he could explore a new place;
- Hamster teeth should be cared for carefully and on a regular basis. If he eats not too solid food, then the teeth grow very quickly, and this interferes with normal eating;
- cleaning the cage should be done several times a week. When cleaning, the hamster is removed from the house and moved to another location, example, in a prepared jar. Litter is replaced, and the cage is washed with detergent. The toilet area should be cleaned regularly as it gets dirty;
- Hamsters need to walk regularly. To do this, equip a special playground. You can make an obstacle course, mazes and the like. Thus from a place of rest it is necessary to remove all sharp subjects, and adjacent items of furniture and decor should be as strong as possible in terms of stability;
- you need to regularly monitor the claws of the animal, especially if he has reached a certain age. The nails are trimmed with special manicure scissors. Do not use a nail file, the hamster can be frightened and injured. At weak pigmentation of claws of a hamster they are cut off only at light - day or table. When injured, during this procedure, the foot is pulled with a bandage, and the cage itself is washed, to avoid infection in the morning;
- hamsters do not like water very much, therefore bathing unnecessarily is not recommended. But if you still need to buy a hamster, watch carefully, so that water does not get into his ears, eyes or nose. Don't let the hamster out of their hands, lest he bite you. It is necessary to bathe an animal only at strong pollution, using rabbit shampoo for this purpose. Hold the hamster in your hands for a while after bathing, to keep him warm, and then wrap it in a soft towel.
What else to keep in mind when keeping a hamster in the house?
So that the hamster is calm and does not feel stressful situations, remember the following:
- inhabit it separately from other hamsters;
- provide the hamster with peace and quiet;
- do not show the hamster to other pets;
- clean the hamster house, when he doesn't see it;
- do not interfere in his way of life;
- never punish hamsters;
- do not take him outside and do not let him on the grass, especially dangerous for him direct sunlight, he may die in just a few minutes.
If you plan on home do not just keep, but also to breed hamsters, then it will not be too difficult. They are able to give regular offspring and feed up to ten broods a year. To do this, the mother hamster must create the appropriate conditions - to ensure peace during pregnancy, do not get out of the cage.
As you can see, keeping pets in the apartment is not so difficult. In compliance with all the necessary conditions of detention and care, this animal will please you and especially your children for a long time, who will be happy to play with hamsters.