The content of the Syrian hamster at home

The Syrian hamster is a small and fluffy pet that is loved by many children and adults. The behavior of the rodent is friendly to the person, so this pet can be wound up even in those houses where young children live.

What are the characteristic features of a furry pet? How to properly care for him? What to feed the hamster and which cage to choose? Find answers to these and some other questions in our material.

The Syrian hamster is one of the most common representatives among rodents, which is usually kept at home. The animal has certain features that should be discussed in more detail.

First of all, veterinarians and biologists emit such an unusual characteristic of the Syrian hamster as changed number of fingers: 4 on their front paws, and 5 on the hind paws. In addition, it is important to note that often the rodents of this species have an aesthetically pleasing coat, which is traditionally painted in golden color. Also, hamsters can be beige, black, brown, etc. And the color can be as uniform (consisting of the same color), and include several tones and half-tones at once.

Among other things, another unusual characteristic of Syrian rodents is the length of the coat. So, short-haired, long-haired and even sleek-haired individuals are distinguished. Moreover, females have much shorter hair than males.

Syria is considered to be the birthplace of this animal (hence the name of the breed). Later the hamster was introduced to the UK, and from there it spread to the whole world, including our country.

If we talk about the biological characteristics of the rodent, it is important to note that his body length usually does not exceed 12 centimeters in the wild and 20 centimeters at home. Weight varies depending on the gender of the rodent: females can weigh up to 140 grams, and the weight of the males, in turn, usually does not exceed 125 grams. However, there are exceptions, the weight of which reaches 200 grams.

First of all, it is important to note that it is necessary to keep a hamster at home in a large and spacious cage. In no case for these purposes can not be used banks, cardboard boxes and other available containers. Such conditions for the rodent are considered unfavorable and can cause stress, aggression, etc.

It is also worth remembering that Syrian hamster is the animal that is nocturnal. Therefore, to put a cage with a rodent is not worth it in the bedroom - your pet will interfere with sound sleep. On the other hand, the hamster himself also does not tolerate loud noises, so he has no place in the kitchen, where home appliances are constantly working, or in the living room, where the TV is running. The solution to the placement problem may be moving the cage from one room to another during the day.

In general, the rodent cage should be spacious enough. The size should allow the hamster to move freely in its home.Also, the dimensions depend on how many additional elements you plan to install inside the cage.

As for additional accessories, the hamster needs:

• dishes for drinking and drinking;
• toilet space;
• running wheel;
• a house;
• the maze.

And it is important to pay attention to the placement of these objects: the best option is when all the elements are located a few centimeters from each other, and the places for toilet and food are at different ends of the cage. Thus, the cage will meet all the necessary conditions of the rodent.

Since Syrian hamsters can be found not only at home, but also in nature, the diet of an animal should be based on its natural habits. In this regard, the main volume of food of the animal should be seeds, cereals and herbs.

Zoological stores sell a huge variety of mixtures suitable for feeding a hamster. Usually they contain not only the main feed, but also additional elements in the form of minerals, vitamins and other substances beneficial to the body.

If you want to make food yourself, you can do it, mixing oats, millet, corn kernels and sunflower seeds. Periodically in the diet of the hamster, you can enter fresh greens, fruits, vegetables and berries.

Among other things, the diet of the Syrian rodent should include protein. Your pet can get this healthy substance from foods such as: egg white, chicken breast and white fish.

Do not forget also daily replenish water for a hamster.

The Syrian hamster must be carefully and carefully looked after. And this should begin to do from the moment you acquired a rodent. Should remember that Syrian animals are very sensitive to various kinds of stress.

Therefore, it requires special attention in the first days after the purchase and change of residence. During this period, it is important to protect the hamster from any noise and a large number of people. The animal must be given the opportunity to get used to its new home. If you ignore these rules, you can provoke aggression. For the same reasons Do not wake the animals during sleep.

Usually the animal takes care of its hygienic condition on its own. However, many veterinarians recommend placing a small tray with clean and disinfected sand in the cage, which will allow your pet to clean its hair coat on its own (such sand can be purchased at any zoological store). If you notice that pollution has appeared on the hamster's coat, with which it cannot cope on its own, then clean its coat with the help of wet cotton pads or napkins.

In case of non-compliance with the necessary conditions and care rules, the hamster may experience various diseases. Syrian rodents are most susceptible to such illnesses:

• overweight and obesity;
• disorders of the digestive tract;
• eye problems;
• skin diseases;
• injuries.

When the first, even the smallest signs of disease appear, you should immediately contact a veterinarian. Ignoring or self-healing can lead to the death of your pet.

Breeding Syrian rodents at home is a fairly popular activity among livestock breeders. However, it is worth noting that such an activity can be quite difficult and costly (not only in terms of money, but also in terms of time).

In order to begin to cross rodents, remember a few facts. You can not cross animals from the same litter - this can cause a variety of genetic diseases and abnormalities in the offspring. For the same reason individuals for crossing should be purchased from different vendors. In addition, the female and male should be approximately the same age.

The age of puberty of Syrian hamsters is 4–6 months. It is at this time that they can begin to produce offspring into the world. However, up to this period, the female and the male should be kept separate - otherwise conflicts and fights over the division of territory may arise. After mating animals should also be immediately divided.

The gestation period of the female Syrian hamster in particular lasts about 2 weeks. At this time, special attention should be paid to the diet of pregnant women - add more fresh fruits, vegetables and protein. After the female has given birth to babies, it is not necessary to carry out any care of the newborn. On the contrary, they can not be touched. Otherwise, the mother may abandon her children, stop caring for them, and they will die.

For more information about keeping Syrian hamsters at home, see the video below.