If you want to own a furry friend that’s easy to take care of, perhaps you should own a hamster. Hamsters don’t require much upkeep and are cute and cuddly. They are fun to watch and most breeds have a gentle demeanor. They also make the perfect pet if you’re just starting out and want to teach your child how to take care of his/her new friend. I wouldn’t recommend purchasing a hammie for a young child. They need to be handled with care and are delicate pets. A good age to start with a hamster would be around 8 years old. Your child will love his or her new furry friend and you will too! Now let’s begin with a little background on your latest addition. If you are confusing a hamster with a guinea pig, you should read the information about guinea pigs to learn the difference between the two.
Actually hamsters have been around for quite some time. Dating as far back as the 1800’s the golden hamster was the first scientifically noted hamster on record. But it wasn’t until 1930 that the first domesticated hamster was successfully bred. One thing you should know is that a hamster happens to be a rodent. But these rodents aren’t carriers of disease so you don’t have to worry about catching anything. One type of breed known as the Syrian Hamster or “Teddy Bear” hamster was first bred by a scientist by the name of Israel Aharoni. This zoologist from Syria captured hamsters and began breeding them; eventually bringing them to the United States and other countries.
What about hamster breeding information?
Hamsters are easy to breed. They are seasonal breeders, and breed from April to October each year. The females are fertile only around 18 months of their entire lives. But during those 18 months, if paired with a male (who happens to be fertile longer than the female), she can give birth to quite a few litters. A female hammie has a gestation period of anywhere from 15-30 weeks, depending on the type of hamster you own. And your female is in heat every 4 days! That means she can become pregnant during this time. So let’s see, if I am figuring this correctly, the female hamster can be pregnant 6-7 times-which is half of her reproduction life! Yikes! And each litter consists of anywhere from 4 to 24 babies. The Syrian hamster is the one breed that can have as much as 24 in one litter. A pup is born about once every 30 minutes and usually takes around 2 hours for the whole process, depending on how many babies mom gives birth to. So let’s do some more math. If a Syrian hamster had 24 babies and seven litters, that would be a total of 168 children in her family! Talk about mucho babies! Now that mom has had her new litter, how is she to care for so many young ones?
Babies, Birth, and Reproduction:
When a hamster is born he/she is smaller than a human thumb. Mom is very overprotective and will even eat her baby if she thinks baby is in any danger. New hammies are born without any fur and stay very close to their mum. It is important not to touch her babies because your scent will confuse the new mom and she may kill or even eat her baby. So for the first 2 weeks it’s best to allow mom to do the bonding. Don’t even change out the bedding. It’s best to leave everything as is for those 2 weeks. Two weeks have past-now what? You can hold the new babies but only for a short time. This is a good time to clean out the new family’s cage. By now the cage will surely need a good cleaning. After 4-5 weeks then you can place the babies into new homes, unless you want to be brave and keep the family together. If you are a proud owner of a Syrian hamster, you may wish to re-consider keeping all the siblings in one home. They are loners and will fight till one is dead. Although they were born into the same litter, there’s never any guarantee that they’ll get along!
What kind of hamster should I get?
The most common type of hammie is the Syrian hamster. Also known as the Golden Hamster, this type of breed is the most popular type sold in pet stores today. There are long haired breeds or shorter hair breeds. They have nicknames such as Teddy Bear hamsters, Golden hamsters, honey hamsters, or panda hamsters; all depending on their color. They are rather inexpensive ranging from 10.00-15.00 depending on the breed you choose. Another popular breed is the dwarf hamster with its origins dating back from Russia-hence the name “Russian Dwarf”. The Chinese dwarf is another popular breed who processes the only prehensile tail of all the hamsters. This means that he can dig, grasp, or hold with his tail-much like a monkey! All other hamsters have a short non-prehensile tail. These cute hammies in the photos above are either Syrian hamsters, or “Teddy Bear” hamsters! An important reminder-if you purchase 2 Syrian hammies, chances are they did not come from the same litter. Do not place them together expecting one big happy family. They will fight to their death! Syrians like a life of solitude, so place them in their own homes, and they will be happy. But now that they are by themselves, how will they keep from becoming bored?
How to keep your new hammie entertained?
There are lots of toys for your new pet. They love to run in circles-believe it or not! So make sure they have a running wheel to give them plenty of exercise through the night. Remember your hamster is nocturnal. So don’t be alarmed by all those bumps in the night, It’s just your hamster playing-or trying to escape. I’ll touch on that issue later on. You can also purchase a roll ball. They are loads of fun and you can place your furry friend inside while they roll around the house exploring new and exciting territory. A toilet paper or paper towel roll make excellent hide outs for them too. Hamsters love crawling into places and hiding. You can make a home made swing using one of these rolls. Just tie some string onto each end and hang fro your cage or aquarium. You can also purchase plastic tubes for them to crawl through at your local pet or feed store.
Your fat faced hammies new home
Hamsters are happiest in cages. It gives them plenty of breathing room. But you can also use an aquarium if you like. On thing you should know is that a hamster is a master Houdini. That means that they are master escape artists and will do anything to get out of their dwelling so they can go on an exciting adventure. That noise you hear at night is not a happy hamster playing; it’s your playful pet trying to escape for a night out on the town. They are great climbers as well. I have seen one of my hamsters climb onto one of his toy chairs trying to jump out of his cage. My other hamster bites her cage, hoping she’ll bite straight through the bars so she can escape for an evening. If you have your hammie in an aquarium it’s bet to place a rock on top so he doesn’t push the top off when you’re sleeping at night.
As far as bedding goes…pine bedding is best. Cedar is too harsh for theitr little lungs and can cause many health problems including an early death. You can purchase pine bedding for around 6-8 dollars (a large bag) at your local Wal-mart or any other department store that carries pet accessories. Changes out at least once a week so your hammies home is clean, and your nose is free fro any foul odors.
Food Information about what to feed your hamster:
Your hammie is quite capable of having good table manners. But more than likely this hamster posing for a picture was just luck at its best. Mom always said, “Don’t stuff too much food in your mouth”. Well for hamsters this rule doesn’t apply: they have large cheek pouches which allow them to store nuts and large pieces of food in their cheeks. So much for teaching them table manners! It’s best to purchase your food at your local feed store or pet shop. They have a variety of healthy food you can purchase for your hammie. You can also give them fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts! Keep their bowls clean with fresh food and make sure they have plenty to drink! You can buy hamster bottles to hang on their cage.
How long will my hamster live?
Now that you’ve adopted your new pet, there’s one last item of interest on the agenda-life expectancy. A hamster only lives for 2-3 years at best. Those of us who choose to adopt these cuddly creatures can only expect to be a doting parent for a couple of years. So while you have your furry little friend, you can love them and spend as much time with them as possible-while their time with us here on earth is short.
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