Syrian Hamsters...
Rodent Info Chc's main Home Page to Rodent Care:
Rodent Info Chc's main Home Page to Rodent Care
Syrian Hamster Care General Info. Syrian Hamsters are totally different from Dwarf Hamsters- not only being cuter, but they are usually more tameable and gentler then Dwarves. Syrian Hamsters are also solitary animals by nature and MUST be living singly by the age of 8 weeks- or you are risking a fight to break out which would include either major injuries or death to each hamster. While your children handle your hamster, like all pets, you should be supervising them. Syrian Hamsters can be very very gentle little creatures that actually want to come out of their cage and be handled. There's a catch though- you must gain the lil' guy's trust, first. Hamsters are major prey animals like rabbits, and should be expected to be a-not-so great pet- if you have little kids in your house that scream a lot. If your kids play nice though, so will the hamster. Housing *Wire Cages with Plastic Bottoms* These work well because they provide much ventilation for your pet. Plus, he can smell and hear you better, getting more used to you after you bring him home. The negatives of using these are that the hamster will want to dig through the bedding, pushing it out of the cage making a mess. *10 Gallon Aquariums covered with Wire Mesh Lids* I used these for my breeder/pet hamsters because they provide plenty of room for a single hamster and they can dig and play in the bedding all they want to without making a mess. Hamsters can and will escape from these unless you have locks on the lid, which can be bought at pet stores. Or you may, just simply, (at all times) keep something heavy at one end of the top of the cage. *Multiple Hamster Set-Ups connecting with Tubes* I personally don't like these much- (except that they are fun to look at)- not only because they provide horrible ventilation, but it seems like a hamster always, somehow, escapes from them! (Hamsters can eventually chew their way out of plastic cages.) With lots of tubes and things, you may need to clean them daily. Like I said before, the positive thing about them though, is that they'd be fun to watch, and fun for the hamster too! So really, if you are willing to clean just about every day, and can replace a part once it looks like it's being chewed pretty bad, this may just be the cage for you! Cage Cleaning, Bedding, and Health A healthy pet= a happy pet. You should clean the cage weekly, using a disinfectant which can be bought at pet stores, or you may sometimes use an anti-bacteriol dish soap, and ocassionally, just hot water. The safest beddings to use are Aspen shavings, which can be bought at both Wal-Mart and pet stores. Cedar contains chemicals which are highly toxic and may cause respitory infections, skin problems, and death. The same chemicals are found in the Pine bedding sold at Wal-Mart. Pine doesn't have as much of the chemicals as Cedar though, so it's not as much of risk, but still a risk. There is pine bedding sold in pet stoeres that DON'T have the deadly chemicals. I still recommend Aspen over anything though, since it's completley natural. Syrian Hamsters are very hardy creatures, and if kept in a suitable enviroment, with no stress or messy cage, (and on a good diet) should live a long healthy, happy life. If you notice any odd behavior or symptoms that your hamster is sick, you need to see a Vet. immediatley, as if not treated (usually during the first 24 hours of syptoms) it's usually fatal. Symptoms of a sick hamster would be: diareaha, low activity level, hair loss, scratching, sneezing, anorexia, ect. Their average life span is 2-3 years. Toys and Cage Accessories *Wheel* I definently recommend you including a wheel in your hamster's enviroment. Hamsters have plenty of energy and need to burn it off. The wheel would also keep them from being stressed due to boredom. I would say a wheel is practically a must for each and every hamster! If you plan on giving your hamster the joy of the wheel though, the lil' guy must always have access to it--and it must be working properly. If not, the hamster will become very, very stressed and may become ill. If you are using a plastic wheel, be prepared that it probably won't last long, as all rodents are heavy chewers, and it'll probably be destroyed. You'll need to replace it immediatley. You can buy wire wheels, which are probably best. Whichever wheel you plan on using, make sure it's big enough around, so that the full grown hamster can still run on it. *Water Bottle and Holder* A four ounce water bottle will be an approiate size for your Syrian Hamster. Most come with hooks so that you can attach them to the outside of your wire cage. If you are using an aquarium, you will need to buy a metal water bottle holder/protector to keep it from being chewed at- and just to hold it up. Hamsters seem to do best with the tube hanging a few inches above the floor. You should always purchase a "drip resistant" bottle, as then you don't have to worry about the bottle continually dripping- or maybe stop working! You should change the water in the bottle every day, to prevent bacteria. *Knawing chews* Hamsters, like all rodents, have incisors that constantly grow. You will always need to provide them with something to knaw on. I think healthy dog milk bones work best because they last for a very long time- plus they can't splinter your pet like wood sticks can. WHEN CHOSING ANY FOOD FOR YOUR HAMSTER, ALWAYS AVOID GARLIC, AS IT IS HIGHLY TOXIC TO THEM! I've never had any problems with wood sticks, but I'd prefer to use the dog biscuits, eliminating the risk of splintering. I've purchased salt-licks, ect. for my hamsters, and they never touched them. Diet, Treats, &Feeding As pet hamsters, I think a good seed mix is an ok to good diet. Pick a mix that has lots of variety- and not too many sunflower seeds. You may also want to include some labs blocks a couple of times a week.You can feed fruits&veggies as occassional treats- but DON'T feed too much or diareaha will ocurr! I usually feed a little bit of carrots a couple times a week. They also like apples. FOODS TO AVOID: ICEBERG LETTUCE (Reasoning:way too watery and of no nutritional value anyway), GARLIC: HIGHLY TOXIC, CITRUS FRUITS: ALSO TOXIC, BASICALLY STAY AWAY FROM ALL JUNK FOOD! Other good, ocassional treats are raisins, saltine crackers, and (sugarless) cornflakes. You should have a food bowl to contain the hamster's food in. It's a lot better for the hamster if you only feed one-two tablespoons per day of food, as if you just give a whole bunch- it's just going to go stale in a few days---and if they eat too much--they will become obese and unhealthy. ENJOY YOUR PET AND FEEL FREE TO MAKE UP A FREE ACCOUNT AT PRACTICAL-PET-CARE.COM WHERE YOU CAN GET FREE EXPERT ADVICE OFF ANY PET! yOU MAY ALSO E-MAIL rodent_info_chc@yahoo.com P.S.--About me- I'm a 14 year old recent hamster breeder, named Nikcole:) I also enjoy training my Rottweiler Cowboy and Pomerainian Bay-Bay tricks. Cowboy knows a lot; he's very intelligent. Volunteering at the animal shelter, walking and training those dogs, are also one of my hobbies. I stick up for American Pit Bull Terriers. See www.angelfire.com/band2/simple_dog22 , another site created by me:)
