Help and advice for Hamsters

Amusing, affectionate and gentle, the hamster makes a delightful pet. They are easily maintained, make little noise and are inexpensive to buy. Hamsters rose to fame after World War ll. when they were sent to Europe for research purposes. The public were instantly impressed and adopted them as pets. The nicest thing about a hamster is that, despite its very solitary nature it still finds time for its owners.
Hamsters are small rodents belonging to the family 'Cricetidae' (or burrowers) originating in Asia. There is a wide range of hamster types to choose from including long hair and short hair varieties, although the most commonly kept hamster is the Syrian or 'Golden' hamster, native to a small area around Aleppo in Syria. Other types are the Chinese, Russian Dwarf and Roborovski's Dwarf hamster.

What to consider

In the wild, hamsters have complete control over their environment. If they do not like the habitat, they will move to another area. They hunt food, defend and hide from predators, and choose their own mate. In captivity a hamster can do none of these things and so is completely dependent on its owners for all its needs. Hamsters live to around 2-3 years of age so if you decide to buy one, you will have to make the most of your years together. Don't expect hamsters to be active during the day because they are nocturnal creatures and perform 90% of their activity at night. Hamsters are clean, quiet animals but they have a deep-rooted need for privacy from both animals and humans. Owners must respect a hamster's space if a meaningful bond is to develop.

Housing

The golden rule for hamsters is one hamster, one cage. It is not cruel to keep a hamster by itself. The Syrian hamster is a solitary animal and should never be kept in pairs or groups. They will fight to the death if left alone together.
It is possible to keep pairs of Russian dwarf or Roborovski Dwarf hamster in one house.
Different types of hamster should not be mixed, as they do not get along.

Buying a hamster

It is recommended that owners buy young hamsters - as these offer better value for money in view of their short lifespan. Young hamsters can be separated from their mothers at four weeks of age. Wild coloured animals are considered to be the toughest, most long-lived and healthiest. Males tend to be a bit friendlier and more even-tempered than females but females can still be tame, intelligent and friendly towards their owners.

The hamster should weigh an ounce and a half or more in weight.
The coat should be soft and silky with a bit of a sheen, and there should be no bald patches. Hair loss is normally a sign of ageing in a hamster. Other causes include parasitic infection.
The eyes of the hamster should shine brightly and express a curiosity in their surroundings. The eyes should not be crusty.
The nose should be free from discharge and there should be no signs of diarrhoea.
An animal arising from sleep should not lie in a lethargic manner nor should it move frantically. These symptoms are associated with sickness and overcrowded conditions. Nonetheless, Roborovski's dwarf will run about in a nervous state when disturbed from its sleep.
The hamster should have a plump, solid appearance.
A young hamster will have white hairs in the inside ear and as the animal ages less hair will be visible. In an old hamster the hairs will have vanished completely and the ears will be shiny and naked.

Housing

Hamsters can be housed in a variety of containers - hamster cages, an idle fish tank or a birdcage. If using a tank place a wire mesh cover that locks in place, allowing plenty of ventilation yet preventing a hamster from knocking the lid off and escaping. The cage should be at least 50-60 cm (20-24 inches) in length and the spacing between the bars should be no more than 1-cm (half an inch). For dwarf hamsters the spacing should be even smaller. The bottom of the cage should not consist of bars because as desert dwellers, hamsters have short feet, which would fall through the rungs. Hamsters will appreciate horizontal bars on the cage as the Syrian and Chinese hamsters love to climb.
Wooden cages should be avoided as they absorb urine and begin to smell quickly. There's also the chance of the hamster gnawing the wooden structure out of boredom or in a bid to wear down its teeth.

Bedding

The hamster's bedding should be dust-free, absorbent and lightweight, so any number of materials can be used. If using wood shavings they should be free from any toxic wood preservatives. Sawdust is not satisfactory as it can easily be thrown out of the cage and tends to pack down rather tightly when wet. It will quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria. For dwarf hamsters sand can be useful bedding but it is much heavier and does not absorb moisture as well.
Hamsters are clean creatures and go to great lengths to keep their environment as clean and dry as possible. In their cage hamsters will thoughtfully divide their space: one area for rest, another for exercise and finally toileting. Hamsters will be seen arranging its bedding to fit its eventual use. Bedding will be piled high in one spot for sleeping while one site will remain free from bedding - this area will become its latrine.

Equipment

Opt for feeding chutes as opposed to open food bowls. Open containers are easily knocked over, covered with bedding or soaked with urine. If given an open water dish the hamster is unlikely to drink from it, instead it soils or urinates in it. This dates back to the wild where hamsters would avoid stagnant drinking pools. Therefore, it's best to give water from a bottle.

Exercise

Hamsters need to expend any surplus energy and what better excuse than an exercise wheel. In the wild hamsters are very active and will travel long distances by night in the search for food. These trends continue in captivity: if you hear a slight burring from the hamster's cage you know it is on the run and has probably covered anywhere between 4 - 8 miles, going round in circles! Running promotes physical and mental wellbeing, and can prevent the animal from paralysis, (indicated by a hunched body and a permanently lowered head).
Chew toys are important for hamsters because their constantly growing teeth need to be kept short at all times, and by chewing on different toys their teeth stay naturally short.

Feeding

Hamsters are basically herbivores, which will thrive on many of the specially prepared hamster foods available. Don't feed hamster's human scraps, as they cannot cope with salt, spices and fat. In the wild hamsters are used to high fibre, low fat foods and this should be replicated in the domestic setting. Hamsters can be fed hard crusts and dog biscuits, which also stress their teeth.
The hamster has a complex digestive system based on recycling. Hamsters use everything twice to get the maximum benefit from their food - in a process called refection. Hamsters will naturally eat their own faeces which are rich in proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates. The droppings you find on the bottom of the cage should be hard and dry and contain the residues of food while the droppings caught and swallowed by the hamster are soft, moist and wrapped in mucus. Check that the bottom of your hamster's cage does not contain moist, mucus droppings: if it does the hamster may be sick.
Occasionally, give your hamster a treat such as small pieces of fruit and vegetable - but never feed citrus fruit as these can harm the stomach. It's also possible to feed hamsters wild plants such as grass, dandelions and clover that are a good source of roughage.
Don't be nervous about over-feeding a hamster because they will only eat enough for their immediate needs. A hamster's drinking water requirements are difficult to assess because in the wild they gain enough moisture from green foods and plants. However, fresh, clean drinking water should always be available - make sure it is changed every day.

Pouch-perfect

Hamsters are characterised by their chubby cheeks but have you ever wondered what they are for? A hamster stores food in its cheek or pouch, which acts much like a shopping bag. Once the goods are packed inside the bag and carried home, they are unpacked and stored away. A hamster is no different. In the wild hamsters have to travel vast distances in search of scarce food supplies. Their expandable food pouches enable them to collect many sources of food before returning home.
In captivity a hamster will stuff any left-overs in its pouch, scurry off to a secret corner of the cage and dislodge the contents, leisurely eating the food at a later date. A well-stocked food pile is extremely important and comforting to a hamster and means it never has the need to overeat. When cleaning the cage don't disturb the food store unless it smells or contains perishable foods. Hamsters sometimes urinate on stored grain so it is best to remove it.

Locating the cage

The cage should be kept on a raised surface because hamsters are frightened by overhead activity. In the wild they are conditioned to watch for dangers, i.e. hawks swooping down on them. Hamsters dislike noise so place the cage in a quiet room, free from cigarette smoke and draughts. Even though hamsters in the wild are exposed to the extreme conditions of the desert, they dislike direct heat such as radiators and direct sunlight. In the wild hamsters hide from strong sunlight by retreating underground into burrows; so in captivity they will also need protection from direct heat.

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