Keeping a Syrian hamster at home

The Syrian hamster is a small and fluffy pet that is the favorite of many children and adults. The behavior of a rodent is friendly towards humans, so such a pet can be gotten even in those houses where small children live.

What are the traits of a furry pet? How to properly care for him? How to feed your hamster and which cage to choose? Look for answers to these and some other questions in our material.

The Syrian hamster is one of the most common rodents and is usually kept at home. The animal has certain characteristics, which should be discussed in more detail.

First of all, veterinarians and biologists identify such an unusual characteristic of the Syrian hamster as changed number of toes: there are 4 of them on the front legs, and 5 on the hind legs. In addition, it is important to note that rodents of this species often have an aesthetically pleasing coat, which is traditionally dyed golden. Also, hamsters can be beige, black, brown, etc. Moreover, the color can be either uniform (consisting of one color), or include several tones and halftones at once.

Among other things, the length of the coat is considered another unusual characteristic of the Syrian breed rodents. So, distinguish short-haired, long-haired and even smooth-haired individuals. Moreover, females have much shorter hair than males.

Syria is considered the birthplace of this animal (hence the name of the breed).Later, the hamster was brought to the UK, and from there it spread throughout the world, including our country.

If we talk about the biological characteristics of a rodent, then it is important to note that its body length usually does not exceed 12 centimeters in the wild and 20 centimeters at home. Weight varies depending on the sex of the rodent: females can weigh up to 140 grams, and the weight of males, in turn, usually does not exceed 125 grams. However, there are exceptions, the weight of which reaches 200 grams.

First of all, it is important to note that you need to keep your hamster in a large and spacious cage at home. In no case should you use cans, cardboard boxes and other improvised containers for these purposes. Such conditions for the rodent are considered unfavorable and can cause stress, aggression, etc.

It is also worth remembering that the Syrian hamster is a nocturnal animal. Therefore, you should not put a cage with a rodent in the bedroom - your pet will interfere with sound sleep. On the other hand, the hamster himself also cannot stand loud noises, so he has no place in the kitchen, where household appliances are constantly working, or in the living room, where the TV is on. The solution to the placement problem is to move the cage from one room to another during the day.

In general, the rodent cage should be spacious enough. The size should allow the hamster to move freely around his home. Also, the dimensions depend on how many additional elements you plan to install inside the cage.

As for additional accessories, the hamster needs:

• utensils for food and drinking bowls;
• a place for a toilet;
• running wheel;
• house;
• maze.

Moreover, it is important to pay attention to the arrangement of these objects: the best option is the case when all the elements are located a few centimeters from each other, and the places for the toilet and food are at opposite ends of the cage. Thus, the cage will meet all the necessary conditions for keeping a rodent.

Since Syrian hamsters can be found not only at home, but also in nature, the animal's diet should be based on its natural habits. In this regard, the bulk of the animal's food should be seeds, cereals and herbs.

Zoological stores sell a huge variety of mixtures suitable for feeding a hamster. Usually they contain not only the main food, but also additional elements in the form of minerals, vitamins and other substances beneficial to the organism of the creature.

If you want to make food yourself, then you can do this, mixing oats, millet, corn kernels and sunflower seeds. Periodically, the hamster can be fed with fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables and berries.

Among other things, protein should also be included in the diet of the Syrian rodent. Your pet can get this nutrient from foods such as egg white, chicken breast, and white fish.

Don't forget also Refill the hamster's drinking bowl with water daily.

The Syrian hamster must be looked after carefully and thoroughly. Moreover, this should begin to be done from the moment you purchased the rodent. It should be remembered that Syrian animals are very sensitive to various kinds of stress.

Therefore, he requires special attention in the first days after the purchase and change of residence. During this period, it is important to protect the hamster from any noise and a large number of people.The animal needs to be given the opportunity to get comfortable in its new home. If you neglect these rules, you can provoke aggression. For the same reasons you can not wake up animals during sleep.

Usually, the animal takes care of its hygienic state on its own. However, many veterinarians recommend placing a small tray of clean and disinfected sand in the cage so that your pet can clean its fur on its own (you can buy this sand at any zoological store). If you notice that dirt has appeared on the hamster's fur, which he cannot cope with on his own, then clean his fur with damp cotton pads or napkins.

In case of non-observance of the necessary conditions of keeping and the rules of care, the hamster may develop various diseases. Most of all, Syrian rodents are susceptible to such ailments:

• the problem of excess weight and obesity;
• disorders of the digestive tract;
• eye problems;
• skin diseases;
• injury.

When the first, even the smallest, signs of disease appear, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. Ignoring or self-medication can lead to the death of your pet.

Breeding Syrian rodents at home is a fairly popular activity among livestock breeders. However, it is worth noting that such an activity can be quite difficult and costly (not only in terms of money, but also in terms of time).

In order to start breeding rodents, there are a few facts to keep in mind. You cannot cross animals from the same litter - this can cause a variety of genetic diseases and abnormalities in the offspring. For the same reason individuals for crossing should be purchased from different sellers... In addition, the female and male must be approximately the same age.

The age of sexual maturity of Syrian hamsters is 4-6 months... It is at this time that they can begin to produce offspring. However, until the indicated period, the female and the male should be kept separately - otherwise, conflicts and fights over the division of the territory may arise. After mating, the animals should also be separated immediately.

The gestation period in the female Syrian hamster lasts about 2 weeks. At this time, special attention should be paid to the diet of the pregnant woman - add more fresh fruits, vegetables and protein. After the female has given birth to babies, there is no need to carry out any care for the newborn. On the contrary, they should not be touched. Otherwise, the mother may abandon her children, stop caring for them, and they will die.

For more information on keeping Syrian hamsters at home, see the video below.