Oooh so sweet!! (Hamsters)

Member Name: Sarah_Louise

Product:	Hamsters
Date:	22/09/00 (1189 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great pets, cute, cheap to maintain

Disadvantages: Short lifespan

R.I.P. Nibbles :(
Nibbles was my first hamster. I got her when I was 14. She lived for 3 years.
Why did I call her Nibbles?
Well lets just say she 'christened' my finger before I'd even got her home! More about that later though.

If you (or your child) wants a hamster then don’t worry - let them have one! Don't believe the horror stories you hear from people about them - they aren't true!

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~ Good points ~
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1)They do not smell at all.
My hamster never smelled at all.
The reason they do not smell is because there is no need for them to smell (you are keeping it on its own) - if you do get a problem with smell then my advice is:-

(i) You are cleaning out not often enough - clean the cage out once to twice a week - no more no less. Or:-
(ii) You are cleaning it out too often (I know this sounds weird) but:
Hamsters are naturally territorial animals and so they scent mark. If you are needing to clean out the cage every day - then it is no surprise you are having trouble with the smell - your hamster is marking its territory - and you are just wrecking it! (poor little thing!!)
Trust me on this one....if you leave the cage alone for about a week then you should notice that the smell is actually getting better - it needs to get worse before it can get better. Although initially the smell *will* get worse, eventually you will notice that you are actually not needing to clean the cage out quite so regularly.

2) They’re really cute!
3) They make really good pets once tame (mine became really tame pretty easily).

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~ Bad point ~
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Unfortunately, hamsters do not live long. This is the only fault I have found with hamsters.
Their average lifespan is about 2 years; but having said that my hamster had reached 3 years old - so its not too bad for a small creature!
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One major misconception is:

~ “But they’re nocturnal aren’t they? They wont do anything!” ~

Yes they are nocturnal - but even if they weren't then you should still not handle the hamster too much.
Even though they are nocturnal, this doesn't mean to say that they're boring. Hamsters can easily be trained to come out in the mornings or afternoons to suit.
Having said that though, if you decide not to really bother training it to come out at a certain time (I never bothered) then you will find that the time you have a few hours to spare so you think you'll clean the cage out....it's Sod's Law the hamster will be fast asleep! Don't wake it up though!! You simply have to wait a bit until it wakes up! Can be a tad inconvenient but they're still lovely creatures!
If you do get them up they tend to be a bit grumpy, but then so am I when I get woken up so I’m not going to say a thing bad about that small problem!




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~ Quick facts ~
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~ History of the hammy ~
The Syrian or Golden hamster comes from the deserts of North Africa. They were first bred in captivity in Israel from where they were introduced as pets to Britain. More recently other breeds have appeared from different parts of the world, for example, the Chinese Striped hamster.

~ Lifespan ~
2 - 2.5 years

~ Do they lead solitary lives? ~
Yes, they must be kept on their own, otherwise you are likely to end up with 2 severely injured hamsters requiring urgent vet treatment (if you're lucky!) or at least 1 dead hamster.

You can keep more than one hamster if you decide to get a Chinese or dwarf hamster. These seem happy to live in pairs as long as they are from the same litter.

~ Are they expensive to keep? ~
Not at all. After you've bought the cage/tank and accessories you only need to k
eep buying food and bedding/sawdust.

~ Where do they like to live? ~
Hamsters need lots of exercise, so buy the biggest cage you can afford, preferably at least 60cm x 40cm x 30 cm.
Plastic cages with metal tops are best as wooden ones will be gnawed and splinters can damage the hamster's pouch. The modular, stacking systems such as "Rotastak" or "Habitrail" provide lots of interest and fun for pet and owner and you can add to them to accommodate additional hamsters. (Seperated though!)
You should use wood chips/sawdust on the floor and add either shredded paper or "Nestledown" for bedding. Do not use hay though - this can damage their delicate pouches if they eat/store it in their pouches.

~ How to handle them ~
When you first get your hamster home, leave him/her alone for the first day or two to get used to his new surroundings. After that it is important to handle regularly to build up a relationship, but remember hamsters have very poor vision. First of all talk to him and let him get used to your voice. Then introduce your hand so that he can become used to your smell. Finally pick him up very gently by cupping one hand under him and one over him. Young children should be supervised when handling hamsters and must take great care not to drop them. Eventually he should come to you and eat out of your hand.

~ Do they bite? ~
Mine only ever bit me once....the time she ‘christened’ my finger before I’d even got her home. That was painful, drew blood....but it was only once!! So my advice about taking hamsters home with you is to make sure you take the cage you are going to use with you to the pet shop. Nibbles decided that she wanted to investigate her surroundings on the way home while she was in the little cardboard box the pet shop put her in. Of course Sod’s Law would have it that we lived a good 30 minutes drive from home. Fortunately there was a go
od stock of tissues in the glove box so every time she made a new hole I had to stuff a tissue in so she could chew the tissue up instead of the box and my finger!

Generally they are not prone to biting unless petrified.

~ Can the hamster be kept outside in a shed/garage? ~
In a word, no. They can go into hibernation. It is for this reason they should be kept at between 18-22 degree's C.

~ Health problems ~
Generally hamsters are healthy beings, however they can be prone to "Wet tail".
This is a severe form of diarrhoea.
It can be caused by rotten or mouldy food or bedding or by stress from too much handling particularly with a new hamster. However many older hamsters seem to come down with this for no apparent reason. You should get immediate veterinary treatment for this. It is often fatal but if caught early enough there is a slight chance of recover with the proper medication.

~ What do they eat? ~
Hamsters in the wild are omnivores and will eat a wide variety of food. However, a dry hamster mix or pellets will provide all the minerals, vitamins and nutrients required and are clean and hygienic. You should still provide vegetables and fruit occasionally though.


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~ Sarah’s shopping list ~
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1) Cage or tank of suitable proportions (at least 60cm x 40cm x 30 cm).
2) Sawdust and bedding
3) Toys (although you could make your own or simply use toilet/kitchen roll tubes). Even if you are going to buy toys you should always try to provide bits or cardboard for your hamster to chew up. Not only is it fun for them to do, it keeps them occupied and keeps their ever-growing teeth down a bit.
4) Food
5) Food bowl (non-tip-able though preferably!) and a water bottle
6) Mineral block (for the nutrients and also to keep their teeth down a bit)

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~ Price list ~
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My hamster cost £4 from a pet shop. The cage set me back £35 from what was then PetsMart (now Pets at Home). However the cage was part of the “started kit” range that the larger pet chains do. So in the cage I got the ladders and shelves (the cage is a three story one), 2 food bowls (incorporated into the shelves so they wont tip up), a water bottle, some sawdust, some food and a guide about keeping hamsters. So, all in all, it was a bargain really.
The only other thing you should have to folk out for is a book. The little guides you can get free aren’t really suitable unless you’ve had a hamster before. The book I bought only cost a couple of pounds – it was one of the RSPCA guide books.


Happy hamster hunting :)

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