Hamsters As Pets: Hamster Care

Hamster, which belongs to the rodent family, is one of the most popular and tiny pets found in the world. Hamsters are cute, clean and easy to take care of, which makes them a favorite pet for people of all ages. Hamsters can be real entertainment for his/her keeper if proper care of his mood and diet is taken.

The only sad thing about hamsters is that they live only up to 1000-1100 days (i.e. about 1-3.5 years), which can be a real heartbreaking thing for children. But few people think it as an opportunity for children to understand and learn the responsibilities and other important things in life.

Types of Hamsters
There are mainly three type of hamsters found:

• Syrian Hamsters: This type of hamster is also called black bear hamster, golden hamster, teddy bear hamster, fancy hamster, etc. Syrian hamsters are generally golden brown in color with dark-colored markings on parts like jaws, cheeks, etc., of their body. Syrian hamsters are the largest in all the types of hamsters and are very easy to tame and take care of, which makes them the most commonly accepted hamster as a pet. They grow about 6-8 inches in length, and their lifespan is around 2-3 years. Syrian hamsters are strongly territorial animals and cannot tolerate the presence of other hamsters in their territory, which makes it very important to keep them alone in a cage/home. Syrian hamsters are mainly nocturnal and are quite active from the early hours in the evening and night.
• Dwarf Hamsters: They are also called Campbell's Russian Hamsters, Winter White Russian Hamsters or Roborovski Hamsters. Dwarf Campbell's Russian Hamsters are the most common type of hamsters people like to keep as a pet. They grow about 4-5 inches in length and have almost the same lifespan as other types of hamsters. Dwarf hamsters prove to be good mates for hamsters of the same species rather than other species (given that they are introduced to each other at a young age).
• Chinese Hamsters: These type of hamsters are often misinterpreted to be dwarf hamsters as they exhibit similar physical characteristics like them, but they are actually different. They grow same in length as dwarf hamsters, and have a lifespan of about 2.5 to 3 years. Chinese hamsters are also nocturnal but are not as lazy as Syrian hamsters during the daytime. Female Chinese hamsters generally are not comfortable with the other hamsters and so should be kept alone or with the hamster they get along easily with.

Ideal Homes for a Hamster
Consider what will happen if you are confined to a very small place with no room for you to at least walk through it? You will surely get frustrated and would wish to get out of the place as soon as possible. Same is true with hamsters. The first and the most important thing to take into consideration is that the house for hamsters should be as large as possible, with a proper, dry and hygienic bedding. It is found that if a hamster is not allowed to exercise (play around and run throughout the home), there is a high risk of his/her getting paralyzed, so you should consider buying/building a home for a hamster that is enough to allow it to run through, it should have a running wheel (hamsters really love it and cover up to a few miles of running using it every day).

You should avoid choosing a wooden house for hamsters as it cannot withstand their sharp teeth, and you might one day end up having your pet lost. Nowadays, there are many varieties of cages/homes available in the market like simple wire cages, large cages with bedding, wheels and tunnels (add-on habitat homes) for your hamster to play, glass/plexi aquarium homes, etc. While choosing one out of these, all you need to understand is how happy your pet hamster will be in the new home. Inside the cage there should be (as already mentioned) plenty of space available for your pet hamster to play, there should be a small metal plate where you can keep food, a small metal bowl or a bottle for water and some space for the hamster's bedding. If you are willing to allow your hamster be his/her own home decorator then you can provide him/her with some tissue papers (chemical-less or non-scented), straws, dry grass, etc. Your hamster will love to make his/her own bedding.

Food for Hamsters
Probably this is the simplest reason why people consider keeping a pet hamster. Hamsters can eat a variety of foods which you will never find hard to grab for your pet hamster. Hamsters can eat vegetables (cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, etc.), fruits (such as grapes, apples, raisins, small, cucumber, etc.), seeds and even worms. Nowadays, there are many food mixes available which you can buy for your pet hamster. These food mixes are prepared using corns, sunflower seeds, cereal, alfalfa etc., which hamsters eat happily.

Whatever you feed your pet hamster, all you need to understand is that it should be fresh and you should not give everything (fruits, vegetables, cereals, seeds, food mixes, etc.) all at once. If you put everything in the food plate, possibility is that your pet hamster might eat only those items which he/she likes, leaving behind spoiled food. You should also understand and note down the daily food habit of your pet hamster, which will help you in feeding him/her in the right way and also monitor any unusual activity that can help you find out if your pet hamster needs special attention.

Handling Hamsters
Hamsters are best known for their cuteness and also for their sharp teeth. Although very easy to tame, they need special handling until they are tame. Initially you may need to use a hand glove to pick up the hamster that bites (and is not completely tame). You should be careful not to stress or frighten him/her, as hamsters often start biting once they are under shock/stress or frightened. You will also have to learn how to hold your pet hamster without making him/her feel uncomfortable in your hands.

If you are planning to set your pet hamster free inside your room/home even for a couple of minutes or hours, be careful as it easily can be stepped over by someone (by mistake) or might get into some corner from where you will find it very hard to bring him/her out. Make sure that your pet hamster gets enough space to play and run in order to meet his/her daily exercise requirements, he/she should get enough privacy, there should be no harmful element (such as electric wires, any harmful chemical, anything that might choke him/her) within the reach of your pet hamster and the hamster's home should be very hygienic.

What if Your Pet Hamster Escapes
If suddenly you find your pet hamster has left the hamster cage without you getting a hint of it, all you need to do is to set a tempting trap and wait. There are many ways you can set a trap, but the most common things you will include in the trap are: your pet hamster's favorite food, extra-cushioned bedding (in case your trap has a mechanism of making your pet hamster jump into something deep), etc.

Hope you enjoy fun-filled days with your pet hamster and your pet hamster will like the hospitality you offer.