Angora hamster: breed features, maintenance and care

Hamsters are cute small pets that are loved by many. Often, such a pet parents allow you to have young children. There is a huge number of breeds and types of similar animals. One of the most popular are the Angora hamsters.

The Angora hamster, like any other hamster, has some specific features that must be met with without fail before acquiring and starting such a pet.

The Angora hamster (the second name of the animal is the Syrian hamster) is a domestic animal whose original homeland is Asia and America. In these countries, animals can be found in natural conditions. Free Angora hamsters prefer a terrain with a temperate climate and plenty of vegetation.

The Angora hamster received its name due to its unusual appearance: due to the presence of shaggy long hair on its body, which can reach 2 cm in length for females and 6 cm in length for males. Thus, already in appearance, you can easily determine the sex of the animal.

Coloring of the Angora hamsters can be very diverse. It happens both monophonic, and in the form of a combination of several flowers: black, white, gray, beige, spotty.

In size, the animals can reach 10 cm in length, and the weight usually does not exceed 200 g. Domestic pets do not have a tail. In addition, it is important to note that in terms of their external index, Angora hamsters are similar to guinea pigs. In this regard, animals are often confused with each other.

Angora hamsters are a fairly friendly animal species. That is why most often it is their plant in homes where young children live. Syrian rodents respond well to training and are considered quite clever: they can be trained to the tray, as well as taught various tricks.

If you start to train and train a hamster from a very early age, then he will then easily carry out all the commands.

If we talk about specific indicators regarding the life expectancy of Angora hamsters, there is no definite answer. If we talk about averaged numbers, it is believed that representatives of this breed of animals live no more than 2 years. At the same time, it is important to note that in the case of attentive and caring care, as well as with all the necessary conditions of detention, you can extend the life of your pet at least 2 times (up to 4 years). The hamster of the Angora breed, which is recognized as a record holder of long-lived, is an animal that has survived to the age of 7 years.

Of the characteristics that affect the life span of a hamster, mention should be made of:

• conditions of his birth;
• quality and standard of living before purchase;
• mode of transportation after purchase;
• diet;
• conditions of detention.

It is obvious that it is necessary to keep a pet in a special cage. You need to take care that there is enough space in it for the normal functioning of the hamster, so do not get too small cage. And it is also important to remember that the cage must be fairly durable, because the Angora breed is much larger (and therefore stronger) than other species of hamster.

Your pet can damage the cage bars or break an unreliable door and get out of its place of detention. In that case, if the hamster manages to leave the cage, then inevitably there can be negative consequences: for example, the animal can chew on the wiring. Therefore, preference should be given to products made from high-quality materials that have proven their reliability and durability.

Be sure to be in the cage of your pet should be running wheel, because the Angora hamsters need a lot of movement. Remember that the race wheel, like all other components of the animal's home, must correspond to its size (taking into account the long hair).

The Angora hamster is quite simple to keep at home, as it does not require any specific approach to its content. Due to such unpretentiousness and pickyness, this breed of hamsters has deserved the love of many people. First of all, it is important to note that veterinarians and biologists forbid the hamster to be bathed. The fact is that the presence of an animal in water will lead to hypothermia, and subsequently - to various diseases of the pet.

In order to clean the hamster from various kinds of pollution, as well as to carry out hygienic procedures for it, one should make sand baths rather than water baths. And the sand must be absolutely clean. Best of all, if you purchase it at the pet store, and then spend the quartz treatment procedure. In addition, to ensure a pleasant neat and well-groomed appearance to your pet, it must be regularly combed using a special comb.

The main hamster cage should be washed with warm water without using any chemically synthesized detergents. After the procedure, the hamster can be placed back in the cage. Remember that in the absence of regular cleaning the cage (and subsequently the animal itself) will start to produce an unpleasant smell and will become a source of reproduction of various harmful bacteria that are dangerous not only for the hamster, but also for humans.

And also deserves special attention the diet of domestic animals. It is believed that hamsters should eat grains of cereals. However, this is not entirely true. In addition to cereals, vitamins should also be included in the diet of fluffy animals. To meet this need, hamsters in pet stores sell special complex feed. In addition to feed, hamsters can be given:

• vegetables: apples, pumpkin, salad;
• greens: dill, parsley;
• sunflower seeds;
• nuts.

Forbidden products include:

• cabbage;
• potatoes;
• garlic;
• bow;
• citrus.

Syrian rodents are quite thermophilic animals. If the temperature of the air in the room where they are kept falls below 10 ° C, then the hamsters hibernate. To wake them up, it is enough to take the animal in your arms and warm it with your warmth. That is why you should maintain a constant temperature. In the cold season it can be done with the help of ordinary household devices: air conditioners, heaters, fireplaces.

It is important to note that veterinarians do not prohibit keeping several hamsters in one cage. However, remember that cell size should allow each of them to function properly and maintain their vital activity at the proper level. And also it should be noted that it is impossible to contain several males in one cage. Otherwise, they will show signs of obvious aggression towards each other and even fight. The result of such collisions may be the death of one or both animals, or at least serious injury to the animals.

Angora hamsters are subject to a large number of diseases. That is why it is important to perform all the care activities that are fairly simple. The most common ailments of Syrian rodents include:

• diarrhea - occurs in the case of overeating raw vegetables;
• constipation - indicates a lack of fluid in the body;
• colds and flu - a variety of water procedures become a frequent cause of these diseases;
• infectious diseases;
• cystitis;
• lichen;
• inflammation of the buccal sacs - may appear due to injury with sharp objects.

Angora hamster females bear children fairly quickly: in just 2 weeks. That is why (if you do not plan to breed animals) it is not recommended to contain animals of different sexes in the same cage. Numerous offspring will appear very soon. From 4 to 18 new individuals can be added at a time. At the same time, it is worth knowing that females can eat the offspring in whole or in part.

Of course, the easiest way to get offspring from young hamsters: animals are ready to reproduce from the age of 1.5 months. And you can pair hamsters not only one, but also different breeds. Animals, if possible, should be the same size.

More information about the care and arrangement of the house for the hamster tells a specialist in the video below.