Post by Katt on Nov 13, 2011 3:06:40 GMT -9
Facts:
Scientific Name: Mesocricetus auratus
Common Names: Syrian Hamster, Golden Hamster, Fancy Hamster, Teddybear Hamster, Standard Hamster
Weight: ? (varies according to type)
Size: 5-7 inches (13-18 cm)
Life expectancy: 2-3 years (varies according to background, "strain")
Sexually mature: 4-5 weeks
Estrus Cycle: Every 4-5 days
Gestation period: 16-18 days
Size of litter: 2-20 (average 8-10)
Weaning age: 4 weeks (separate genders at this time as well)
www.angelfire.com/my/hamstertales/syrian_care.html
exoticpets.about.com/od/hamstersgerbils/tp/Hamsters.htm
www.hammysworld.com/
www.hamsterific.com/
Care:
Syrian hamsters are not social and in the wild only come together for breeding purposes. Male-male, female-female, and male-female pairs can all result in territory fights that at the least will stress or injure the hamsters and at the worst will end in a fight to the death. Syrian hamsters over 4-6 weeks of age should never be caged together unless for breeding. If you are breeding, play match-maker carefully and be sure to monitor closely for any signs of aggression.
Cage: Syrian hamsters need plenty of space to run and play, so you will need a nice roomy cage. Barred cages or tanks are appropriate. Ideally a cage should have a minimum of approximately 400 square inches of space. Keep in mind that it is the floor space of the cage that counts, not how tall it is (unless you plan on adding shelves). If you use a tanks or a sturdy (chew-proof) plastic tub be sure to use a screen lid to allow for sufficient ventilation.
Bedding: Many substrates are appropriate for hamsters, but there are some that are dangerous. The top two recommended bedding materials are Aspen or Carefresh. Other appropriate bedding materials include: newspaper or paper towel (good for monitoring sick hamsters), toilet paper, shredded paper fiber beddings, etc. NEVER use pine or cedar bedding as these woods have oils that are toxic .
Food: (see Diet board) Feeding your hamster a healthy diet will help keep your hamster healthy live longer. Hamsters need a rich variety of grains, seeds, and oats as well as grasses, protein, fruits, and veggies. There are several store-brand foods that are nutritionally adequate, or you can make your own homemade mix (see hereLINK ). It is good to supplement with a variety of fresh greens, veggies, and fruits in small amounts. Cooked eggs and some nuts help to provide protein, especially in pregnant and nursing mothers and growing babies. If a commercial diet is to be fed some of the better mixes are: Carefresh Complete, Prestige Premium, Sluis Supreme, Harry/Hazel Hamster, Oxbow Hamster Blocks, or Mazuri Lab Blocks. It is best to provide food in a bowl as this will minimize (though not entirely stop) food stashing and helps prevent throwing out good food with old bedding.
Hideouts: It is very important that your hamster has places to hide so that it can feel safe in its home. Hides can be things like: small cardboard boxes, hamster igloo, chew huts, wooden dens, etc. It needs to be a place where your hamster can build a nice nest; hamster sleep for most of the day, so the hide should be nice and dark.
Wheel: Having a wheel for your hamster is absolutely necessary. In the wild they will run around looking for food and shelter for hours. They can’t do this in a cage, so they need another way to get a lot of exercise. The best wheels are plastic wheels such as Silent Spinners. Wire wheels can be dangerous as your hamster can get its foot stuck in the grating. Also, metal wheels tend to become squeaky over time and can be noisy when you are trying to sleep! Plastic wheels are safer for the hamster, quieter, easier to clean, last longer (no rust!), usually come with a stand and a way to attach it to the cage bars (more versatile and saves space), and come in fun colors.
Toys: While hamsters will not "play" with toys like a dog or cat, they do need enrichment like any other animal to keep them mentally and physically healthy. Chew blocks are important to help maintain healthy teeth. Various shaped objects to run on, under, or through will provide mental stimulation and exercise. A critical "toy" to have is a wheel to ensure that the mice are getting enough exercise. Various hiding-huts, mazes, and different sizes and shapes of chew toys will provide enrichment for your mice. Letting them explore your room in a hamster ball gives them exercise and entertainment as well.
Water: Water bottles should be available, full of fresh water, at all times. Bowls are not recommended as they easily spill or become contaminated.
Exercise: Exercise is very important to keep your hamster healthy. In the wild they can run miles a day. Providing a wheel in the cage will allow your hamster to exercise on its own time. You can also purchase a medium rodent ball and allow your hamster to explore your house. This will give them physical exercise, as well as mental stimulation as they explore different surroundings.
Ball: Your hamster will love to come out of its cage and explore, but there are a lot of places for a hamster to get lost. Having a hamster ball is a great way to give your hamster exercise, and mentally stimulate them so they do not become bored. Clear plastic balls are the best, and as Syrians can be large you want a nice medium sized ball. Too small and your hamster will not have enough space to move around (and it can hurt its back), too large and the ball will be difficult for the hamster to roll. Another way to give them good exercise is to set up a play pen ($15 at the pet store), or a large Rubbermaid tub (no lid) with some things to climb on and a chew toy or two. This will let them run around outside of the cage while keeping them safe and contained, and gives them interesting things to explore.
Handling: How you handle your hamster depends on what your hamsters are being kept for. Even if your hamsters are breeders or feeders, regular handling is important. We recommend a minimum of 15-20 min every other day. This will keep them used to handling and make it easier for you to check for injuries, move for cage cleaning, check nests, etc. If your hamsters are pets you will want to handle them even more – at least a few minutes a day. The more you handle and spend time with your pet hamster, the friendlier and more social towards humans they will be.
When picking up your hamster, reach in with both hands and scoop it up from underneath. In the wild birds and other predators snatch hamsters up from above, so if you reach for your hamster from above you will scare it. Hold the hamster gently but firmly – careful to not let it escape! You can let your hamster run across your hands by putting one hand in front of the other repeatedly. This is called Hand Walking.
Tunnels: Hamsters like to tunnel and burrow. If you don’t have any plastic tunnels, you can offer your hamster toilet paper and paper towel rolls to play in. They will also chew these to use for bedding.
Chew Toys: Having chew toys will help your hamster keep its teeth in good shape, as well as decrease the chance that it will bite and chew on the cage bars, which can be noisy, and will scratch the paint on the cage. It is also mentally stimulating for your hamster, especially if you get different types of chew toys.
Treats: While giving your hamster treats is not strictly necessary, they really enjoy them. Be sure not to feed treats too often though of you will spoil your hamster’s dinner! Healthy treats like fresh veggies and greens are okay to offer on a daily basis in small amounts (see food list).
Nesting Material: It’s nice to offer your hamster material to build a soft nest with; however, DO NOT buy the nesting material sold in pet stores. Hamsters have been known to get tangled in the material and several have died. It is better to offer a little bit of toilet paper, paper towel, or newspaper.
Litter: It is up to you if you want to try to litter train your hamster. They are very tidy animals and will typically pick on corner of the cage to pee in. If you put a litter box in this corner, you can keep the dirty bedding from tracking though the rest of the cage and keep things clean longer. Litter can be a handful of bedding, or chinchilla bath sand (NOT the dust, only the sand). Pets stores carry small litter boxes, or you can cut the side off of a small Tupperware container and use that. IT is best to hold the litter box in place with a clip or tie of some sort as they can get tipped over.
Friends: Syrian hamsters are territorial. They should NEVER be kept together – each hamster needs its own cage. If they are kept together they can fight and injure or even kill each other. It may seem like they get along at first, but it is only a matter of time until they begin to fight.
Cleaning: The cage will need to be cleaned once a week. The best cleaners are: baking soda and water, vinegar and water, liquid dish soap, Nature’s Miracle, or a dilute (10%) solution of bleach in water. Do NOT mix cleaners as this produces dangerous fumes. Also, be sure to rinse your cage VERY well before putting the hamster back in – you want to remove any dangerous residues.
Important Notes: Some more important notes on care.... Be sure not to place your cage in a spot that gets direct sunlight as your hamster can overheat quickly. The more you give your hamster attention and exercise, the happier and healthier it will be – and the friendlier! Hamsters like to run on their wheels at night, so if the noise bothers you, you might want to find a place other than your bedroom, to put the cage. If you find a treat the hamster likes, they can be trained to do tricks for a treat. This takes a lot of time, practice and patience and tricks should be kept simple.
When you first bring your hamster home, you will want to let it settle in and get used to the new surroundings for a week or two before handling. He/she may be jumpy and nervous for a little while, this is normal – it’s in a new place and stressed out. Keep talking gently and handling in short bursts and your new hamster will settle into life with its new family.
Scientific Name: Mesocricetus auratus
Common Names: Syrian Hamster, Golden Hamster, Fancy Hamster, Teddybear Hamster, Standard Hamster
Weight: ? (varies according to type)
Size: 5-7 inches (13-18 cm)
Life expectancy: 2-3 years (varies according to background, "strain")
Sexually mature: 4-5 weeks
Estrus Cycle: Every 4-5 days
Gestation period: 16-18 days
Size of litter: 2-20 (average 8-10)
Weaning age: 4 weeks (separate genders at this time as well)
www.angelfire.com/my/hamstertales/syrian_care.html
exoticpets.about.com/od/hamstersgerbils/tp/Hamsters.htm
www.hammysworld.com/
www.hamsterific.com/
Care:
Syrian hamsters are not social and in the wild only come together for breeding purposes. Male-male, female-female, and male-female pairs can all result in territory fights that at the least will stress or injure the hamsters and at the worst will end in a fight to the death. Syrian hamsters over 4-6 weeks of age should never be caged together unless for breeding. If you are breeding, play match-maker carefully and be sure to monitor closely for any signs of aggression.
Cage: Syrian hamsters need plenty of space to run and play, so you will need a nice roomy cage. Barred cages or tanks are appropriate. Ideally a cage should have a minimum of approximately 400 square inches of space. Keep in mind that it is the floor space of the cage that counts, not how tall it is (unless you plan on adding shelves). If you use a tanks or a sturdy (chew-proof) plastic tub be sure to use a screen lid to allow for sufficient ventilation.
Bedding: Many substrates are appropriate for hamsters, but there are some that are dangerous. The top two recommended bedding materials are Aspen or Carefresh. Other appropriate bedding materials include: newspaper or paper towel (good for monitoring sick hamsters), toilet paper, shredded paper fiber beddings, etc. NEVER use pine or cedar bedding as these woods have oils that are toxic .
Food: (see Diet board) Feeding your hamster a healthy diet will help keep your hamster healthy live longer. Hamsters need a rich variety of grains, seeds, and oats as well as grasses, protein, fruits, and veggies. There are several store-brand foods that are nutritionally adequate, or you can make your own homemade mix (see hereLINK ). It is good to supplement with a variety of fresh greens, veggies, and fruits in small amounts. Cooked eggs and some nuts help to provide protein, especially in pregnant and nursing mothers and growing babies. If a commercial diet is to be fed some of the better mixes are: Carefresh Complete, Prestige Premium, Sluis Supreme, Harry/Hazel Hamster, Oxbow Hamster Blocks, or Mazuri Lab Blocks. It is best to provide food in a bowl as this will minimize (though not entirely stop) food stashing and helps prevent throwing out good food with old bedding.
Hideouts: It is very important that your hamster has places to hide so that it can feel safe in its home. Hides can be things like: small cardboard boxes, hamster igloo, chew huts, wooden dens, etc. It needs to be a place where your hamster can build a nice nest; hamster sleep for most of the day, so the hide should be nice and dark.
Wheel: Having a wheel for your hamster is absolutely necessary. In the wild they will run around looking for food and shelter for hours. They can’t do this in a cage, so they need another way to get a lot of exercise. The best wheels are plastic wheels such as Silent Spinners. Wire wheels can be dangerous as your hamster can get its foot stuck in the grating. Also, metal wheels tend to become squeaky over time and can be noisy when you are trying to sleep! Plastic wheels are safer for the hamster, quieter, easier to clean, last longer (no rust!), usually come with a stand and a way to attach it to the cage bars (more versatile and saves space), and come in fun colors.
Toys: While hamsters will not "play" with toys like a dog or cat, they do need enrichment like any other animal to keep them mentally and physically healthy. Chew blocks are important to help maintain healthy teeth. Various shaped objects to run on, under, or through will provide mental stimulation and exercise. A critical "toy" to have is a wheel to ensure that the mice are getting enough exercise. Various hiding-huts, mazes, and different sizes and shapes of chew toys will provide enrichment for your mice. Letting them explore your room in a hamster ball gives them exercise and entertainment as well.
Water: Water bottles should be available, full of fresh water, at all times. Bowls are not recommended as they easily spill or become contaminated.
Exercise: Exercise is very important to keep your hamster healthy. In the wild they can run miles a day. Providing a wheel in the cage will allow your hamster to exercise on its own time. You can also purchase a medium rodent ball and allow your hamster to explore your house. This will give them physical exercise, as well as mental stimulation as they explore different surroundings.
Ball: Your hamster will love to come out of its cage and explore, but there are a lot of places for a hamster to get lost. Having a hamster ball is a great way to give your hamster exercise, and mentally stimulate them so they do not become bored. Clear plastic balls are the best, and as Syrians can be large you want a nice medium sized ball. Too small and your hamster will not have enough space to move around (and it can hurt its back), too large and the ball will be difficult for the hamster to roll. Another way to give them good exercise is to set up a play pen ($15 at the pet store), or a large Rubbermaid tub (no lid) with some things to climb on and a chew toy or two. This will let them run around outside of the cage while keeping them safe and contained, and gives them interesting things to explore.
Handling: How you handle your hamster depends on what your hamsters are being kept for. Even if your hamsters are breeders or feeders, regular handling is important. We recommend a minimum of 15-20 min every other day. This will keep them used to handling and make it easier for you to check for injuries, move for cage cleaning, check nests, etc. If your hamsters are pets you will want to handle them even more – at least a few minutes a day. The more you handle and spend time with your pet hamster, the friendlier and more social towards humans they will be.
When picking up your hamster, reach in with both hands and scoop it up from underneath. In the wild birds and other predators snatch hamsters up from above, so if you reach for your hamster from above you will scare it. Hold the hamster gently but firmly – careful to not let it escape! You can let your hamster run across your hands by putting one hand in front of the other repeatedly. This is called Hand Walking.
Tunnels: Hamsters like to tunnel and burrow. If you don’t have any plastic tunnels, you can offer your hamster toilet paper and paper towel rolls to play in. They will also chew these to use for bedding.
Chew Toys: Having chew toys will help your hamster keep its teeth in good shape, as well as decrease the chance that it will bite and chew on the cage bars, which can be noisy, and will scratch the paint on the cage. It is also mentally stimulating for your hamster, especially if you get different types of chew toys.
Treats: While giving your hamster treats is not strictly necessary, they really enjoy them. Be sure not to feed treats too often though of you will spoil your hamster’s dinner! Healthy treats like fresh veggies and greens are okay to offer on a daily basis in small amounts (see food list).
Nesting Material: It’s nice to offer your hamster material to build a soft nest with; however, DO NOT buy the nesting material sold in pet stores. Hamsters have been known to get tangled in the material and several have died. It is better to offer a little bit of toilet paper, paper towel, or newspaper.
Litter: It is up to you if you want to try to litter train your hamster. They are very tidy animals and will typically pick on corner of the cage to pee in. If you put a litter box in this corner, you can keep the dirty bedding from tracking though the rest of the cage and keep things clean longer. Litter can be a handful of bedding, or chinchilla bath sand (NOT the dust, only the sand). Pets stores carry small litter boxes, or you can cut the side off of a small Tupperware container and use that. IT is best to hold the litter box in place with a clip or tie of some sort as they can get tipped over.
Friends: Syrian hamsters are territorial. They should NEVER be kept together – each hamster needs its own cage. If they are kept together they can fight and injure or even kill each other. It may seem like they get along at first, but it is only a matter of time until they begin to fight.
Cleaning: The cage will need to be cleaned once a week. The best cleaners are: baking soda and water, vinegar and water, liquid dish soap, Nature’s Miracle, or a dilute (10%) solution of bleach in water. Do NOT mix cleaners as this produces dangerous fumes. Also, be sure to rinse your cage VERY well before putting the hamster back in – you want to remove any dangerous residues.
Important Notes: Some more important notes on care.... Be sure not to place your cage in a spot that gets direct sunlight as your hamster can overheat quickly. The more you give your hamster attention and exercise, the happier and healthier it will be – and the friendlier! Hamsters like to run on their wheels at night, so if the noise bothers you, you might want to find a place other than your bedroom, to put the cage. If you find a treat the hamster likes, they can be trained to do tricks for a treat. This takes a lot of time, practice and patience and tricks should be kept simple.
When you first bring your hamster home, you will want to let it settle in and get used to the new surroundings for a week or two before handling. He/she may be jumpy and nervous for a little while, this is normal – it’s in a new place and stressed out. Keep talking gently and handling in short bursts and your new hamster will settle into life with its new family.