Everything you need to know about hamsters

Hamsters are one of the most popular pets in Russian families. They are unpretentious to feeding, friendly and do not need any special conditions of detention. In this article we will try to tell you the most interesting things about hamsters.

In simple terms, hamsters are animals of the subfamily of rodents of the hamster family. They differ from their close relatives of mice in a small physique, a short tail process, small and rounded ears, as well as cheek pouches, in which individuals of this species store and carry food.

The external characteristics of hamsters can vary significantly depending on the species. Approximate description: body length from 5 to 30 centimeters, weight from 30 to 500 grams. The color, thanks to selection research, is also diverse - from solid white, blue, black and red shades to brown flowers with an original pattern on the back or chest.

Unlike their relatives, some types of hamsters can be trained and trained. In addition, like many other animal species, hamsters are capable of hibernating during periods of cold and lack of food.

We all wonder how long our pet can stay with us.Some of them are able to be with us for life - dogs, cats, parrots, turtles. Others will not live with us even for 5 years, but they will remain in our memory as good faithful friends.

As for hamsters, then even in the best conditions of care and nutrition, they rarely live longer than three years... If the pet is kept in poor home conditions or eats improperly, this period can be reduced to several months. The body of domestic hamsters is so weak that the most trifling allergy or cold can end in real death.

The life expectancy of a hamster is especially interesting for inexperienced owners. And here, the short life expectancy is more a plus than a minus.

• In a short time, the owners will be able to get used to the animal, gain practice in caring for and feeding, so that the upbringing of the next individuals goes smoothly.
• As a rule, for several years the animal does not have time to eat less than the owner, therefore, the risk of being thrown out into the street is small here. At an inexperienced owner, the animal, at best, will live no more than 2.5 years.

Factors affecting life expectancy.

• Main condition - correct and balanced diet. These are both dry food, hay and fruits, and vitamin, mineral supplements to food that strengthen the animal's body. To compose an approximate diet for your animal, you should seek the help of a veterinarian or zoologist.

• The second important condition is high-quality conditions of detention. First of all, this is a dwelling or a cage. It should be a metal or glass container with good air flow. The material of the cage must be quite strong so that the animal cannot spoil it or poison it - so immediately cross out the wooden or polymer options.

• When choosing cage litter, make sure your pet is not allergic to it. The best filler is good hay or soft straw. Dirty hay should be removed immediately to avoid rotting, the same goes for cleaning the entire cage. After feeding, try to immediately remove food from it that may soon go bad.

• Socialization and communication... Hamsters can hardly be called those animals that find it difficult to do without human attention, but they still require their share of communication. In open nature, these animals often intersect with their own kind, and even tend to a group lifestyle. Without companionship, some hamster species can develop depression, so raising a pair of hamsters is the best option. This way they will miss being alone less.

When it comes to wildlife, hamsters are even less likely to reach their venerable age. Their whole life consists in constant movement - speed allows not only to quickly find food, but also to hide from dangerous predators (badgers, kites, buzzards). By the age of two, these animals gradually lose sight, their reaction worsens, which leads to rapid death from the paws and claws of other animals.

They are entertaining, very active, but not particularly kind and social animals. Unlike the Syrian hamsters, this species is rarely handled and often bites and slips out with its incredible acrobatic abilities. Should be kept in a tall, closed cage or aquarium, otherwise it may just run away.

All varieties of hamsters can be divided according to their range - some of the species live only at home, or were specially bred for this, while other species live in their natural environment and are poorly adapted for training: field, common, forest, thomas, marsh. Domestic breeds will be considered below.

It is the most popular home-bred breed. The homeland of this species is considered to be the Syrian desert, where it was first discovered in 1839, after which any information about the variety was lost.

Only almost 100 years later - in 1930, several individuals were again caught in Syria, which became the ancestors of the species that we know now. In 1939, the variety was officially announced as a new breed, leading to widespread distribution of these hamsters throughout the world.

The Syrian hamster immediately fell in love with all families - it was easy to care for, did not require much food and food, was resistant to heat and almost never got sick.

The external characteristics of such a hamster are quite standard: the length is no more than 15 cm, the weight rarely exceeds 250 grams, the tail is small, almost invisible behind the hairline, the color of purebred breeds is golden-white, with a tint, the coat is short and smooth, in some individuals it is fluffy. Eye color is usually black or brown, but individuals with pink and reddish irises are also found.

This variety belongs to the dwarf type: the body rarely reaches a length of more than 5 centimeters, the tail is almost invisible. The color, like that of the Syrian hamster, is golden (back, withers and ears) and white (chest and limbs). A distinctive feature of the species is the characteristic white brow ridges. The species inhabits some regions of China and Mongolia, prefers an open area with a moderate level of humidity.

It is also one of the most popular domesticated species. They differ in a not particularly large body length - up to 7-10 centimeters, mainly in gray or whitish color, as well as in a characteristic black or dark stripe from the head to the very tail (it forms a characteristic dark cross or rhombus on the crown of the head).

At the moment, there are varieties of Dzungarian hamsters of a bluish and even brown hue. The breed is popular for its friendly and calm nature, as well as for its simplicity in food.

As for leaving, then everything is much more complicated. Without daily cleaning and hay changes, animal excrement can produce an extremely unpleasant odor that can be difficult to control even for experienced breeders.

A species of dwarf hamsters discovered in the early 20th century near the Russian-Chinese border. They look like a Dzungarian breed due to a similar color and stripe along the body (although there are Campbell's hamsters without this stripe), however, in the latter it is thinner and has fuzzy boundaries. The color is most often golden or amber, brownish shades are possible. It does not differ in longevity - the healthiest individuals rarely live up to 2.5 years. In addition to everything described, the individual does not change its fur coat for winter.

According to the typical varieties, this is one of the smallest representatives of its kind. - growth is rarely more than 10 centimeters, and the weight is even tiny - up to 50-60 grams. By its nature, the breed is not particularly social, it rarely goes into the hands, it can bite. Despite its unstable character, it does not need special care, it does not need too much space or food for eating, which is why it is also widely loved by Russian breeders.

The diet of hamsters differs depending on the habitat. Below you can find an approximate list of products that are more or less useful for these animals.

The natural environment has endowed the hamsters with an excellent appetite for many grains, primarily legumes and cereals.During the period, due to a lack of food, animals move to plant shoots and vegetables. They are very fond of bamboo shoots, they prefer potatoes, carrots and beets from vegetables, which is why in some regions they are considered real pests. During periods of hunger, they do not hesitate to eat small creatures: insects, worms, some species can hunt snakes and frogs.

Speaking about species preferences, membranous hamsters are very fond of mollusks and crustaceans, sleepy hamsters prefer fatty vegetables and fruits more, rice hamsters love to feed on fish or its remnants from a meal of other animals.

Even an amateur can handle feeding a hamster. As a rule, there is no need to select a specific diet - all vitamins and cereals necessary for development are contained in large quantities in special feed for rodents. Using this type of balanced feed is much easier and cheaper than making it yourself. On the packaging of such food, it is most often already indicated with what frequency and in what doses it should be served.

If you want to pamper your pet, then some vegetables should be included in the diet in limited quantities: carrots, beets, lettuce, meadow grass, zucchini. Do not overdo it with doses of natural plant products, the main part of the diet should be dry food and hay.

If you reduce all the conditions for feeding hamsters to a small list, you get the following.

• Always fresh and healthy food, no elements of ordinary human food.
• Constant access to clean water in the cage, provide it with removable feeders that are convenient for you.
• There should always be hay in the cage, both as food and as bedding.
• Treats should not make up a large part of the diet, the animal should not get used to them.
• Do not change your diet abruptly. Add another food, gradually increasing the dose in your diet.
• Have a plan with a clear timing for feeding your pet. It will be best if your rodent can get used to a certain feeding time.
• Remove fruits and vegetables untouched by animals from the cage immediately to avoid rotting. Leave dry food for a while.

Below you can find the general rules for keeping and caring for hamsters.

• House or dwelling - a spacious and durable cage with a retractable bottom, good air circulation. The place for the cage, rack or display case should be well lit and insulated, but should not be in direct sunlight or drafts.
• Food - regular, fresh, every day at a certain time. Leave dry food until the animal picks it up, take fruits and vegetables out of the cage immediately after feeding. Most of the diet is dry food, not vegetables.
• Toilet. Try to clean up trash and excrement as often as possible. It makes no sense to make a separate place for the toilet, these animals rarely have a sense of cleanliness and they are able to shit wherever they want.
• Entertainment. In the cage, be sure to place several toys, hammocks and tunnels where animals can play, spend time actively or just sleep.
• Carrying. Animals do not tolerate a sudden change of place, and therefore in a new place try to artificially form the conditions that were in the old one. This is especially true for newly purchased individuals.

Determination of gender is important not only when choosing a name for an animal, but also if you want to keep several animals at once (whether you want to breed them or not). To determine the age of an animal, you must first calm it down. To keep the animal relaxed avoid sudden movements, you can give him some kind of treat to distract attention from the examination... To make it easier to view, slightly lift the animal by the fold of skin between the shoulder blades on the back.

In males, you will immediately notice the genitals; in females, you can find nipples in the chest and abdomen. Judging by the reviews of inexperienced owners, sometimes it is difficult to determine the sexual characteristics due to the hairline, in this case, you should not pull the skin too much, just slightly moisten the animal's fur in the chest area with warm water - and you can clearly see the genitals. If the animals are very young or newborns, then the sex can be determined by the distance between the anal and urinary opening.

Hamsters of any kind reach their maturity period quite early - in some cases, already after one month of age. If breeding is not mandatory or urgent for you, it is recommended to wait up to 5 months. It is at this age that hamsters reach full sexual maturity.

For mating, you should choose active and strong males, as well as healthy and energetic females. The mating itself should take place in a neutral territory for each individual, only in this case it will not bring discomfort to the individuals. Mating time is best done in the evening. It is in the evening that the energy of the animal increases, as does sexual activity.

If mating was successful, within a week you will begin to notice the characteristic signs of pregnancy: swelling of the nipples, weight gain, decreased activity, the need for more water and food, irritability in the female is possible. Approximately 3-4 weeks after mating, cubs are born, in the litter there can be from 1 to 15 and even 18, depending on the variety.

To preserve the young, the male should be placed in another cage immediately after birth, otherwise he may simply eat the young. The female should be treated with extreme caution during the period of feeding and rearing. Try not to irritate the animal with games and entertainment, at this time the female needs more rest and a large amount of vitamins. Cubs can be moved to another cage after reaching one month.

Unfortunately, all types of hamsters are extremely unstable against many colds and infectious diseases. Some of these diseases severely weaken the animal's body, which can eventually lead to its death. Including a certain part of the diseases will be caused by improper conditions of detention, and not by the breed characteristics of the species.

Let's list the most common hamster ailments.

• Obesity... A common disease among all pets. The reasons are irregular and abundant feeding together with an inactive lifestyle. That is why keeping hamsters requires a lot of free space for play and entertainment. In their natural habitat, these animals spend about 90% of their active life in tireless movement. Obesity can lead to the development of many cardiovascular diseases.

• Extremities... A disease resulting from high activity and malnutrition of the animal.To cope with symptoms, you should regularly smear wounds and abscesses on the paws with zinc ointment or fish oil. Healing will not take place immediately, in some cases you will have to wait up to six months.

• Enlarged or curved incisors... Half of the animal's diet should be solid food, which will grind and form the teeth of the animal. This is especially important for still young individuals, in which teeth have just begun to form. The symptoms of the disease are considered to be profuse salivation, as well as loose mouth closure. You cannot shorten your teeth at home, there is a great chance of harming the animal even more.

• Escherichia coli. The main danger for any type of hamsters is precisely gastrointestinal diseases. The symptoms of the bacillus are fever and bloody diarrhea. The animal, as a rule, does not survive in this case. The disease occurs due to a sharp change in diet, as well as due to poor conditions of detention - dirt, unwashed cells, expired food, dirty water.

• Colds. The disease proceeds with similar symptoms as in humans: there is a cough, runny nose, sneezing, discharge from the eyes. You should fill the diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, and provide your pet with a dry and warm place without drafts and cold.

• Cystitis. The disease occurs with a lack of vitamins, as well as being kept in damp and cold conditions. Symptoms are frequent urination, lack of appetite, and external agitation. Most often, sulfonamides and "Buscopan" help in this case, however, if the treatment does not help, it is worth making an x-ray. It is possible that your pet has bladder stones.

• False rabies or, in other words, Aujeszky's disease. In this case, a certain virus attacks the pet's nervous system. The first symptoms begin to appear after a week - the animal behaves restlessly, itches, squeaks. If a disease is detected at this stage, then it is still possible to prevent it. At the final stage, the animal's vocal cords completely lose activity, and paralysis of the oral cavity occurs. Then death comes almost immediately.

• Skin diseases: abscesses, peeling, itching, abscesses, abscesses, hair loss. These diseases can be caused by both infection and parasites, unhealthy diet.

It is worth considering a list of 15 of the most interesting and fun facts about hamsters that have been collected for you from around the world. Some of the information from the facts applies only to some species of these animals.

• The largest breed of hamsters in the world is considered to be the European hamster. This breed can grow up to 35 centimeters in length.

• The dwarf hamster is considered the smallest species. Its length rarely exceeds 10 centimeters.

• The main activity of hamsters is at night and at dusk. During the day, they prefer only to accumulate food or play.

• Hamsters are considered omnivores, as they are able to digest not only plant but also animal food.

• The cheeks of hamsters are used not only to carry food (up to 30% of the weight of the animal), but also for successful swimming. The animal draws air into its cheeks, which allows it to float freely.

• Hamsters come in very different colors, with some researchers counting as many as 40 distinct colorings, including white, red and black shades.

• The most common 4 breeds of hamsters: Syrian golden, Dzungarian, Campbell's hamster and Roborovsky's hamster. The most bred is the Syrian golden variety. It is they who can most often be found at home.

• Some species of hamsters are practically on the verge of destruction, at the same time, other species are considered by some countries to be real pests, from which whole hectares of vegetables (especially legumes) suffer. The rarest species of hamsters are the Syrian hamster and Newton's hamster.

• Most species of hamsters do not have good eyesight, in addition to this, these animals are color blind. However, hamsters have excellent sense of smell and hearing, which helps them quickly find food in their natural environment.

• The average life span of hamsters is 1.5-2 years. Moreover, 1 year of existence for this animal is actually equal to 25 years of human life.

• The word hamster is translated from the Old Testament language as "the enemy, throwing down." The researchers believe that this was due to the habit of animals bending under themselves plants to get to food or fruit.

• Hamsters, like squirrels, always store much more food than they can eat. If you haven't cleaned the cage thoroughly for a long time, you should be prepared to find an entire warehouse of food.

• In some countries, such as Vietnam, it is officially prohibited to keep hamsters at home. These animals are considered not so much pests as carriers of deadly diseases. Failure to comply with this law is subject to a round fine of approximately $ 800.

• Oddly enough, but hamsters are a rare breed of animals that are born already with incisors, which continue their growth throughout life.

• Dwarf hamsters, as well as some other species of hamsters, are able to slightly postpone the birth of young animals, if at the same time the female brings up cubs from an earlier litter.

For what you need to know when buying a hamster, see the video below.