Everything you need to know about hamsters

Hamsters are one of the most popular pets in Russian families. They are unpretentious to feeding, friendly and do not need any special conditions of detention. In this article we will try to tell all the most interesting about hamsters.

In simple terms, hamsters are animals of the subfamily of rodents of the family of hamsters. They differ from their close relatives of mice by a small build, a short tail process, small and rounded ears, and also cheek pouches in which individuals of this species store and carry food.

The external characteristics of hamsters can vary considerably depending on the species. Approximate description: body length from 5 to 30 centimeters, weight from 30 to 500 grams. The color due to selective research is also diverse - from solid white, blue, black and red hues to brown colors with an original pattern on the back or chest.

Unlike their relatives, some species of hamsters can be trained and trained. In addition, like many other animal species, hamsters can hibernate during periods of cold and lack of food.

We all wonder how long our pet can stay with us. Some of them are able to be with us for life - dogs, cats, parrots, turtles. Others will not live with us even for 5 years, however, they will remain in the memory of good, faithful friends.

As for hamsters, then even in the best conditions of care and nutrition, they rarely live longer than three years. If the pet is kept in poor home conditions or is eating improperly, this period may be reduced to several months. The body of domestic hamsters is so weak that the most trivial allergies or colds can result in the real death.

Especially interested in the life expectancy of a hamster is inexperienced owners. And here a short life expectancy is more of a benefit than a minus.

• In a short time, the owners will be able to get used to the animal, to gain practice in the care and feeding, so that the upbringing of the next individuals proceeds seamlessly.
• As a rule, in a few years the animal does not have time to fail to meet the owner, therefore, the risk of being thrown out onto the street here is small. In an inexperienced owner, the animal at best will live no more than 2.5 years.

Factors affecting longevity.

• Main condition - correct and balanced diet. These include both dry fodder, hay and fruits, and vitamin and mineral food supplements that strengthen the body of the animal. To make an approximate diet for your animal, you should seek help from a veterinarian or a zoologist.

• The second important condition is the qualitative conditions of detention. First of all, it is housing or cell. It should be a metal or glass container with a good flow of air.The material of the cage must be fairly durable so that the animal could not spoil it or be poisoned by it - so immediately cross off the wood or polymer options.

• When choosing a filler in a cage, make sure that the animal is not allergic to it. The best stuff would be good hay or soft straw. Dirty hay should be removed immediately to avoid rotting, the same goes for cleaning the entire cage. After feeding, try to immediately remove products from it that may soon deteriorate.

• Socialization and communication. Khomyakov can hardly be called those animals who find it difficult to do without human attention, but they still require their share of communication. In open nature, these animals often intersect with their own kind, and even tend to group life. Without a company, some species of hamster may develop depression, so the best option would be to grow a pair of hamsters. So they will be less bored alone.

As for wildlife, hamsters have even less chance to reach the venerable age. Their whole life is in constant movement - speed allows not only to quickly find food, but also to hide from dangerous predators (badgers, kites, buzzards). By two years, these animals gradually see their eyesight, the reaction worsens, which leads to a quick death from the paws and claws of other animals.

They are entertaining, very active, but not particularly kind and social animals. Unlike Syrian hamsters, this variety is rarely given in the hands, often bites and slips out with the help of its incredible acrobatic abilities. It should be kept in a high closed cage or aquarium, otherwise it may just run away.

All species of hamsters can be divided according to their range - some of the species live only at home, or have been specially bred for this, while other species live in their natural environment and are poorly adapted for training: field, ordinary, forest, Thomas, marsh. Below will be considered exactly domestic breeds.

It is the most popular breed bred at home. The Syrian desert is considered the birthplace of this species, where it was first discovered in 1839, after which any information about the species was lost.

Only in almost 100 years - in 1930, several individuals were again caught on the territory of Syria, which became the ancestors of the species that we know now. In 1939, the species was officially announced as a new breed, which led to the wide distribution of these hamsters throughout the world.

The Syrian hamster immediately fell in love with all the families - it was easy to care for, did not require a lot of food and food, was resistant to heat and almost never got sick.

The external characteristics of such a hamster are quite standard: no more than 15 cm long, the mass rarely exceeds 250 grams, the tail is small, almost imperceptible behind the scalp, the color of purebred breeds is golden-white, with a tint, the hair is short and smooth, and in some individuals fluffy. Eye color is usually black or brown, however, there are individuals with pink and reddish irises.

This variety refers to the dwarf type: the body rarely reaches a length of more than 5 centimeters, the tail is almost imperceptible. The color, like that of the Syrian hamster, is golden (back, withers and ears) and white (breast and limbs). A distinctive feature of the form are considered characteristic white superciliary arches. It lives in some regions of China and Mongolia, and prefers open areas with moderate humidity.

It is also one of the most popular species among domesticated species. They are not particularly large in body length - up to 7-10 centimeters, mostly gray or whitish color, as well as a characteristic black or dark stripe from the head right up to the tail (forms a characteristic dark cross or rhombus at the crown).

At the moment, there are varieties of Jungar hamsters of bluish and even brown tint. The breed is popular for its friendly and calm nature, as well as its unpretentious food.

As for the care, then everything is much more complicated. Without daily cleaning and replacement of hay, animal excrement can produce an extremely unpleasant odor, which can be difficult to fight even experienced breeders.

A variety of dwarf hamsters, discovered at the beginning of the 20th century near the Russian-Chinese border. They look like a Jungar breed because of a similar color and strip along the body (although there are Campbell hamsters without this strip), however, the latter has a thinner one and has fuzzy borders. The color is usually golden or amber, brownish tones are possible. It is not different longevity - the most healthy individuals rarely live to 2.5 years. In addition to all the above, the individual does not change the fur coat for winter.

According to typical varieties, it is one of the smallest representatives of its species. - Growth is rarely more than 10 centimeters, and the weight is tiny at all - up to 50-60 grams. By the nature of the breed is not particularly social, rarely goes on his hands, can bite. Despite his unstable character, he doesn’t need special care, he doesn’t need too much room or food for reception, which is why he is also widely loved by Russian breeders.

The diet of hamsters varies depending on the habitat. Below you can find an approximate list of products that are more or less useful for these animals.

The habitat has given hamsters a wonderful appetite for many grain crops, primarily legumes and cereals. In the period, due to a lack of feed, animals switch to plant shoots and vegetables. Very fond of bamboo shoots, from vegetables they prefer potatoes, carrots and beets, which is why in some regions they are considered to be real pests. During periods of hunger do not disdain eating small creatures: insects, worms, some species can hunt snakes and frogs.

If we talk about species preferences, then webbed hamsters are very fond of mollusks and crustaceans, dorm-like hamsters prefer fatty vegetables and fruits, rice hamsters like to feed on fish or its remnants from other animals.

Even an amateur is able to cope with feeding a hamster. As a rule, there is no need to pick up a certain diet - All vitamins and cereals necessary for development are in large quantities in special feeds for rodents. The use of this type of balanced feed is much easier and cheaper than its independent production. On the packaging of such feed most often already indicated with what regularity and in what doses it should be served.

If you want to pamper your pet, then in the diet in limited quantities should enter some vegetables: carrots, beets, lettuce, meadow grass, zucchini. You should not overdo it with doses of natural plant products, the main part of the diet should be dry food and hay.

If you reduce all the conditions of feeding hamsters to a small list, you get the following.

• Always fresh and healthy food, no elements of ordinary human food.
• Constant access to clean water in the cage, provide it with removable feeders, convenient for you.
• In the cage should always be hay in the quality of food, and as litter.
• Treats should not make up a large part of the diet, the animal should not get used to them.
• Do not dramatically change the diet. Add another product, gradually increasing its dose in the diet.
• Work out a plan with a clear feed time for the animal. It will be better if your rodent can get used to a certain feeding time.
• Remove fruits and vegetables untouched by animals from the cage immediately to avoid rotting. Dry food leave for some time.

Below you can find the general rules on the maintenance and care of hamsters.

• House or dwelling - a spacious and durable cage with a retractable bottom, good air circulation. A place for a cage, shelving or display cabinet should be well lit and insulated, but should not be under direct sunlight or drafts.
• Food - regular, fresh, every day at a certain time. Leave dry food until the animal picks up, and take fruits and vegetables from the cage immediately after feeding. Most of the diet is dry food, not vegetables.
• Restroom. Debris and excrement try to clean as often as possible. It is pointless to make a separate place for the toilet, these animals rarely have a sense of cleanliness and they are capable of crap where they want.
• Entertainment. In the cage, be sure to place several toys, hammocks and tunnels where animals could play, spend time actively, or just sleep.
• Carrying. Animals do not tolerate abrupt change of place, and therefore in the new place try to artificially form the conditions that were in the old. This is especially true of newly purchased individuals.

Gender determination is important not only when choosing a name for an animal, but also, if desired, to contain several animals at once (whether you want to reproduce them or not). To determine the age of the animal, you should first calm it down. To keep the animal relaxed avoid sudden movements, you can give him some delicacy to divert attention from the inspection. To make it easier to examine, slightly lift the animal by the fold of skin between the shoulder blades on the back.

In males, you immediately notice the genitals, in females, you can find the nipples in the chest and abdomen. Judging by the opinions of inexperienced owners, it is sometimes difficult to determine the sexual characteristics due to hairline, in this case you shouldn’t strongly slacken the skin, just dampen the animal's hair a little with warm water and you can clearly see the genitals. If the animals are very young or newborn, then the gender can be determined by the distance between the anus and the urinary opening.

In hamsters of any kind, the period of maturity begins quite early - in some cases, already at the age of one month. If breeding is not mandatory or urgent for you, it is recommended to wait up to 5 months. It is at this age that hamsters reach full puberty.

For mating, you should choose active and strong males, as well as healthy and energetic females. The mating itself should occur in a neutral territory for each individual, only in this case it will not bring discomfort to individuals. It is better to bring the time of landing towards evening. It is in the evening that the energy of the animal increases, as does the sexual activity.

If mating was successful, after a week you will begin to notice the characteristic signs of pregnancy: swelling of the nipples, weight gain, decreased activity, the need for more water and food, possible irritability in the female. Approximately 3-4 weeks after mating to the light, babies appear, in their litter can be from 1 to 15 and even 18 - depending on the variety.

In order to preserve the young, it is necessary to immediately deposit the male in another cage immediately after birth, otherwise he may simply eat the young individuals. To the female during the period of feeding and education should be treated very carefully. Try not to annoy the animal with games and entertainment, at this time the female needs more peace and plenty of vitamins. Cubs can move to another cage after one month.

Unfortunately, any species of hamster is extremely unstable in front of many colds and infectious diseases. Some of these diseases extremely weaken the body of the animal, which may eventually lead to its death. Including a certain part of the disease will be caused by improper conditions of detention, and not the species characteristics of the species.

We list the most common ailments of hamsters.

• Obesity. A common disease among all pets. The reasons are irregular and abundant feeding together with an inactive way of life. That is why for the content of hamsters you need a lot of free space for games and entertainment. In their natural habitat, these animals spend about 90% of their active life in relentless movement. Obesity can be the basis for the development of many cardiovascular diseases.

• Bruises on the limbs. Disease resulting from high activity and poor nutrition of the animal. In order to cope with the symptoms, one should regularly smear wounds and abscesses on the paws with zinc ointment or fish oil. Healing will not take place immediately, in some cases you will have to wait until six months.

• Enlarged or curved incisors. Half of the diet of the animal should be solid food, which will grind and shape the teeth of the animal. This is especially important for still young individuals whose teeth have just begun to form. Symptoms of the disease are abundant salivation, as well as loose mouth. To shorten the teeth at home is impossible, great chance to harm the animal even more.

• E. coli. The main danger for any type of hamster is exactly the disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms of sticks are fever and diarrhea with blood. An animal, as a rule, does not survive in this case. The disease occurs due to a sharp change in diet, as well as due to poor conditions of maintenance - dirt, unwashed cage, expired food, dirty water.

• Colds. The disease occurs with similar symptoms as in humans: cough, runny nose, sneezing, discharge from the eyes. It should fill the diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as provide your pet with a dry and warm area without drafts and cold.

• Cystitis. The disease occurs with a lack of vitamins, as well as content in the conditions of dampness and cold. Symptoms are frequent urination, lack of appetite, external agitation. Sulfonamides and Buscopan help most often in this case; however, if the treatment does not help, it is worth taking an x-ray. It is possible that your little animal has stones in the bladder.

• False rabies or, in other words, Aujeszky's disease. In this case, the pet's nervous system is attacked by a specific virus. The first symptoms begin to appear in a week - the animal behaves restlessly, itches, squeaks.If you identify the disease at this stage, then it is still possible to prevent. At the final stage, the vocal cords completely lose their activity in the animal, paralysis of the oral cavity occurs. Then almost immediately death comes.

• Skin diseases: boils, peeling, itching, ulcers, abscesses, loss of coat. These diseases can be caused by both infection and parasites, malnutrition.

It is worth considering a list of 15 of the most interesting and funny facts about hamsters that were collected for you from around the world. Some of the information from the facts applies only to some species of these animals.

• The largest hamster in the world is the European hamster. Representatives of this breed can grow up to 35 centimeters in length.

• The smallest species is considered to be a dwarf hamster. Its length rarely exceeds 10 centimeters.

• The main activity of hamsters occurs at night and at twilight. During the day, they prefer to only accumulate food or play.

• Hamsters are considered omnivorous animals, as they are able to digest not only vegetable but also animal food.

• Hamster buccal sinuses serve not only to drag food (up to 30% of the animal’s weight), but also for successful swimming. The animal picks up air in the cheeks, which allows it to freely float.

• The coloring of hamsters is completely different, some researchers have up to 40 individual colorings, including white, red and black shades.

• The four most common hamster breeds are: Syrian Golden, Dzungarian, Campbell hamster and Roborovsky hamster. The most cultivated is the Syrian golden variety. That they can often meet at home.

• Some species of hamsters are actually on the verge of destruction, while at the same time, other species are considered by some countries to be real pests, from which whole hectares of vegetable crops (especially legumes) suffer. The Syrian hamster and Newton's hamster are considered the rarest species of hamsters.

• Most species of hamsters do not have good eyesight, in addition to this - these animals are color blind. However, the sense of smell and hearing in hamsters developed just fine, which helps to quickly find food in their natural environment.

• The average lifespan of hamsters is 1.5-2 years. At the same time, 1 year of existence for this animal is actually equal to 25 years of human life.

• The word hamster is translated from the ancient Avestianskih language as "the enemy plunging down." Researchers believe this was due to the habit of animals bending plants under themselves in order to get to food or fruit.

• Hamsters, like squirrels, always stock up much more feed than they can eat. It should be ready to detect a whole warehouse of food, if you have not thoroughly cleaned the cage for a long time.

• In some countries, for example, in Vietnam, hamsters are forbidden to be kept at home at the official level. These animals are considered not so much pests as carriers of deadly diseases. Failure to comply with this law imposes a round fine of about $ 800.

• Oddly enough, hamsters are a rare breed of animals that are born with incisors that continue to grow throughout life.

• Dwarfs, as well as some other species of hamsters, are capable of slightly pushing the birth of young stock to the light, if at the same time the young are raised from an earlier litter by the female.

See what you need to know when buying a hamster in the video below.