Moosley
06-29-06, 02:36 AM 06-29-06
Is a hamster the right pet for you?
Many people think that hamsters are just a low maintenance pet that will just need cleaning out every now and then, food every now and then and being cuddled once in a while.
Hamsters, like all pets, are a big responsibility, they are dependant on humans to care for them and to love them.
-Do you have the time to spend at least an hour or two with your pet every day?
-Are you going to get bored of them after a few weeks?
-Are you going to ignore them and lose interest if they bite you?
Hamsters are NOT toys!!
Research
Before you go out and buy your hamster, there are many aspects that need to be researched, these are:
-What species of hamster do you want?
-What sort of cage do you want/can you afford?
-What sort of bedding are you going to use?
-What food are you going to use?
-Where are you going to get these from?
-Do you have a local vet that will treat your hamster and can you affod vet bills?
Species
The most common species of hamster in the shops are the large Syrian hamsters and the dwarf Winter Whites, Campells, Roborovski and occasionally Chinese too.
All of these are different species and have different specific needs, they should not be kept with a hamster of a different species.
Syrians-
Syrians are the largest species of hamsters in the market today and they come in a huge variety of colours, you name it and it is probably there (without the obvious colours like green ;) )
Syrians are a solitary species and HAVE to be kept on their own. One hamster per cage. Often in petshops you may see groups of them, this is because they are very young and often from the same litter, give it a week or two and they will usually try and kill each other.
Because they are such a large species, they need a large cage, like all hamsters, they would rather have more floor space than levels upwards. Also, because of their size, cages with tubes aren't that suitable, they can often get stuck in the tubes or start peeing in them and making your house smell bad..
Syrians are generally the best species for people with slow reactions or for children, they are bigger and easier to handle than the smaller dwarf species, they are also slightly slower.
Winter White-
Winter Whites (ww) are the most docile species of dwarf available, they like to live in pairs of the same sex, like two males together or two females.
Many people prefer dwarf hamsters because the idea of them having someone to snuggle up to is just very cute, and admittedly... it really is cute!
There aren't so many colours available with the winter white but there has been a huge problem with the fact that the winter white and the campbells can breed and produce sterile young, these young are classed as hybrids as they are neither species but a mix of both..
Campbells-
Campbells are usually slightly smaller than the winter whites and are a lot faster.
They have a bad reputation for being nippy and personally, i have found that they do tend to be more likely to nip than the winter whites but like all hamsters they can be tamed.
The campbells are pretty speedy and small making them slightly harder to handle, perhaps not so good for a first hamster or for kids.
Unlike the winter white however, campbells are happy to live in pairs of in groups of the same sex.
Roborovski-
By far the smallest and fastest hamster species, these hamsters do not make great 'pets' as such as they can't be cuddled and they are pretty difficult to handle, but they are absolutely great fun to watch as they zoom about their lives. They are very small but their personalities are huge!
They like to live in at least pairs if not groups of the same sex and they will nest together and play in the wheel together and run around together, they are great fun to watch but not to handle.
Although this is the only species of hamster that can be said to very rarely bite.
Chinese-
A lot of sites will tell you that this species like to live in groups or pairs, this generally isn't true, like Syrians they prefer to be solitary animals and have their own cage to themselves.
This species of hamster actually has a long tail compared to the other species, isn't very long, is half way between a mouse tail and a normal stubby hamster tail. They are also quite a flat sort of hamster and are best kept in cages without bars as they have an uncanny ability to be able to slide out between any bars with no difficulty.
Like mice though, these hamsters are far more agile than the other species, they cling on to you and objects as oposed to leaping wildly or walking straight off you.
They can be very cuddly and affectionate species and are great fun to watch, this is the only species id recomend having tubes in the cage and rope for them to climb on.
Despite all this, they are very shy creatures and do tend to spend most of their life hiding away, so not that much fun to watch in their cage.
Cages
What sort of cage you want to get depends on the species really, definately, the biggest cage you can get it going to be better...
Syrian hamsters prefer wire cages but do have a habit of chewing the bars an awful lot, not so suitable if kept in a bedroom (not a great idea). It is also possible (and a lot cheaper) to make your on cage suitable for all species using a plastic storage box and some wire...
Another lot of cages are the modular cages, these are always popular for first time cage buyers and in my opinion and experiance, are a very bad idea. They are awkward to clean and access or tame your hamster., the ventilation isnt very good and causes condensation in the cage and the fact that the cage is circular is unnatural, hamsters having bad eyesight use corners to guide them.
Crittertrail and Habitrail cages are also far too small and the plastic is brittle and easily broken, the crittertrail revolution is just plain dangerous and cruel.
The best cage brands are FOP, Marchioro and Ferplast.
Bedding
All hamsters need a substrate to line the cage and some material to make a nest in.
Scented (pine, lemond, lavendar & eucalyptus etc) and pine shavings are dangerous for hamsters and can damage their delicate respiratory systems. As with any dusty types of beddings.
The best beddings to look for are Kiln Dried Pine Shavings, Aspen Shavings, Carefresh or Megazorb.
For the nest, a lot of petshops sell 'snuggle bedding' etc which is known in the hamster world as 'fluffy bedding'. This stuff is dangerous for hamsters and really should NEVER be used, if the hamsters eat it then they can die and also just pouching it or getting limbs tangled in it can cause death..
The best nesting material is plain white unscented toilet paper. Just give the hamsters as many squares of it as you want and they love taking their time to make it into a pile and tear it up to make their own nest just how they like it.
Food
Their are many different types of food that can be bought, the two main types are hamster mixes or lab blocks.
Lab blocks provide all the nutrition needed but in plain blocks so that hamsters cant be picky and just eat their favourite bits like sunflower seeds. Their aren't that many types of lab blocks, the two main companies that sell them are Kaytee and Mazuri.
Hamster mixes are far more popular and so there is a far wider range. Brands such as Burgess and Pets @ Home own brand (made by Burgess) contain very high amounts of sugar and so aren't so suitable for any hamster but especially dwarves who are more prone to diabetes.
By far, the most popular and the best hamster food is Harry Hamster (In the USA this is known as Hazel Hamster). It contains everything a hamster needs in its diet except fresh food, it also contains pre-biotics which are very good too.
Where are you going to buy your hamster?
Well the obvious answer is always going to be "from the petshop" but there are so many more options than just from a pet shop. Pet shops are well known for buying hamsters from breeders who dont care about inbreeding their hamsters, who just breed to mass produce or 'farm' rather than for quality. The pet shop hamsters are rarely tame and are often a lot harder to tame as they are not handled at all from birth.
A better option is to look for someone who breeds hamsters in your local area. Proper hamsteries produce larger, healthier and far tamer hamsters that are more likely to live long lives.
Everyone wants their pet to live as long as possible and badly bred pet shop hamsters often dont make it past 1 year old which is quite shocking when Syrians can live to be 3-4 years old and dwarves not much less!
Another option is also Rescue Shelters. There are ALWAYS hamsters in shelters needing homes and hundreds of thousands of hamsters all over the world are put to sleep simply because no one wants them. Rescue shelters often have young litters of hamsters too so it is still possible to get young and baby hamsters plus you have the knowledge that you have saved a life.
Vets
Before you buy your hamster, you have to think about vets. What will you do if your hamster falls sick? They will need treatment from a vet who treats rodents and a lot of vets do not, it is always a good idea to give your local vets a quick ring to see if they treat hamsters first.
Also, before buying a hamster, it is ALWAYS a good idea to keep as much money set aside for vet bills as possible. Vets can be expensive when treating hamsters but it is a neccessary evil when your little hamster needs help. If you are hurt or sick, you go to the doctors, therefore the same applies to your hamster, if it is hurt or sick it will need to see a vet.
Many people think that hamsters are just a low maintenance pet that will just need cleaning out every now and then, food every now and then and being cuddled once in a while.
Hamsters, like all pets, are a big responsibility, they are dependant on humans to care for them and to love them.
-Do you have the time to spend at least an hour or two with your pet every day?
-Are you going to get bored of them after a few weeks?
-Are you going to ignore them and lose interest if they bite you?
Hamsters are NOT toys!!
Research
Before you go out and buy your hamster, there are many aspects that need to be researched, these are:
-What species of hamster do you want?
-What sort of cage do you want/can you afford?
-What sort of bedding are you going to use?
-What food are you going to use?
-Where are you going to get these from?
-Do you have a local vet that will treat your hamster and can you affod vet bills?
Species
The most common species of hamster in the shops are the large Syrian hamsters and the dwarf Winter Whites, Campells, Roborovski and occasionally Chinese too.
All of these are different species and have different specific needs, they should not be kept with a hamster of a different species.
Syrians-
Syrians are the largest species of hamsters in the market today and they come in a huge variety of colours, you name it and it is probably there (without the obvious colours like green ;) )
Syrians are a solitary species and HAVE to be kept on their own. One hamster per cage. Often in petshops you may see groups of them, this is because they are very young and often from the same litter, give it a week or two and they will usually try and kill each other.
Because they are such a large species, they need a large cage, like all hamsters, they would rather have more floor space than levels upwards. Also, because of their size, cages with tubes aren't that suitable, they can often get stuck in the tubes or start peeing in them and making your house smell bad..
Syrians are generally the best species for people with slow reactions or for children, they are bigger and easier to handle than the smaller dwarf species, they are also slightly slower.
Winter White-
Winter Whites (ww) are the most docile species of dwarf available, they like to live in pairs of the same sex, like two males together or two females.
Many people prefer dwarf hamsters because the idea of them having someone to snuggle up to is just very cute, and admittedly... it really is cute!
There aren't so many colours available with the winter white but there has been a huge problem with the fact that the winter white and the campbells can breed and produce sterile young, these young are classed as hybrids as they are neither species but a mix of both..
Campbells-
Campbells are usually slightly smaller than the winter whites and are a lot faster.
They have a bad reputation for being nippy and personally, i have found that they do tend to be more likely to nip than the winter whites but like all hamsters they can be tamed.
The campbells are pretty speedy and small making them slightly harder to handle, perhaps not so good for a first hamster or for kids.
Unlike the winter white however, campbells are happy to live in pairs of in groups of the same sex.
Roborovski-
By far the smallest and fastest hamster species, these hamsters do not make great 'pets' as such as they can't be cuddled and they are pretty difficult to handle, but they are absolutely great fun to watch as they zoom about their lives. They are very small but their personalities are huge!
They like to live in at least pairs if not groups of the same sex and they will nest together and play in the wheel together and run around together, they are great fun to watch but not to handle.
Although this is the only species of hamster that can be said to very rarely bite.
Chinese-
A lot of sites will tell you that this species like to live in groups or pairs, this generally isn't true, like Syrians they prefer to be solitary animals and have their own cage to themselves.
This species of hamster actually has a long tail compared to the other species, isn't very long, is half way between a mouse tail and a normal stubby hamster tail. They are also quite a flat sort of hamster and are best kept in cages without bars as they have an uncanny ability to be able to slide out between any bars with no difficulty.
Like mice though, these hamsters are far more agile than the other species, they cling on to you and objects as oposed to leaping wildly or walking straight off you.
They can be very cuddly and affectionate species and are great fun to watch, this is the only species id recomend having tubes in the cage and rope for them to climb on.
Despite all this, they are very shy creatures and do tend to spend most of their life hiding away, so not that much fun to watch in their cage.
Cages
What sort of cage you want to get depends on the species really, definately, the biggest cage you can get it going to be better...
Syrian hamsters prefer wire cages but do have a habit of chewing the bars an awful lot, not so suitable if kept in a bedroom (not a great idea). It is also possible (and a lot cheaper) to make your on cage suitable for all species using a plastic storage box and some wire...
Another lot of cages are the modular cages, these are always popular for first time cage buyers and in my opinion and experiance, are a very bad idea. They are awkward to clean and access or tame your hamster., the ventilation isnt very good and causes condensation in the cage and the fact that the cage is circular is unnatural, hamsters having bad eyesight use corners to guide them.
Crittertrail and Habitrail cages are also far too small and the plastic is brittle and easily broken, the crittertrail revolution is just plain dangerous and cruel.
The best cage brands are FOP, Marchioro and Ferplast.
Bedding
All hamsters need a substrate to line the cage and some material to make a nest in.
Scented (pine, lemond, lavendar & eucalyptus etc) and pine shavings are dangerous for hamsters and can damage their delicate respiratory systems. As with any dusty types of beddings.
The best beddings to look for are Kiln Dried Pine Shavings, Aspen Shavings, Carefresh or Megazorb.
For the nest, a lot of petshops sell 'snuggle bedding' etc which is known in the hamster world as 'fluffy bedding'. This stuff is dangerous for hamsters and really should NEVER be used, if the hamsters eat it then they can die and also just pouching it or getting limbs tangled in it can cause death..
The best nesting material is plain white unscented toilet paper. Just give the hamsters as many squares of it as you want and they love taking their time to make it into a pile and tear it up to make their own nest just how they like it.
Food
Their are many different types of food that can be bought, the two main types are hamster mixes or lab blocks.
Lab blocks provide all the nutrition needed but in plain blocks so that hamsters cant be picky and just eat their favourite bits like sunflower seeds. Their aren't that many types of lab blocks, the two main companies that sell them are Kaytee and Mazuri.
Hamster mixes are far more popular and so there is a far wider range. Brands such as Burgess and Pets @ Home own brand (made by Burgess) contain very high amounts of sugar and so aren't so suitable for any hamster but especially dwarves who are more prone to diabetes.
By far, the most popular and the best hamster food is Harry Hamster (In the USA this is known as Hazel Hamster). It contains everything a hamster needs in its diet except fresh food, it also contains pre-biotics which are very good too.
Where are you going to buy your hamster?
Well the obvious answer is always going to be "from the petshop" but there are so many more options than just from a pet shop. Pet shops are well known for buying hamsters from breeders who dont care about inbreeding their hamsters, who just breed to mass produce or 'farm' rather than for quality. The pet shop hamsters are rarely tame and are often a lot harder to tame as they are not handled at all from birth.
A better option is to look for someone who breeds hamsters in your local area. Proper hamsteries produce larger, healthier and far tamer hamsters that are more likely to live long lives.
Everyone wants their pet to live as long as possible and badly bred pet shop hamsters often dont make it past 1 year old which is quite shocking when Syrians can live to be 3-4 years old and dwarves not much less!
Another option is also Rescue Shelters. There are ALWAYS hamsters in shelters needing homes and hundreds of thousands of hamsters all over the world are put to sleep simply because no one wants them. Rescue shelters often have young litters of hamsters too so it is still possible to get young and baby hamsters plus you have the knowledge that you have saved a life.
Vets
Before you buy your hamster, you have to think about vets. What will you do if your hamster falls sick? They will need treatment from a vet who treats rodents and a lot of vets do not, it is always a good idea to give your local vets a quick ring to see if they treat hamsters first.
Also, before buying a hamster, it is ALWAYS a good idea to keep as much money set aside for vet bills as possible. Vets can be expensive when treating hamsters but it is a neccessary evil when your little hamster needs help. If you are hurt or sick, you go to the doctors, therefore the same applies to your hamster, if it is hurt or sick it will need to see a vet.