Funny, friendly furballs (Hamsters)

Member Name: Leolover

Product:	Hamsters
Date:	06/02/02 (1256 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to tame, great fun, low maintenance

Disadvantages: sometimes bite, don't live long, cost of the cage

The first little ball of fluff entered my life twelve years ago, when I was thirteen years old. He was called Coco, and he was absolutely gorgeous. He lived to be two and a half years old – a rare achievement for a hamster – and he fathered over forty children with two different females.

Since then I’ve always kept at least one hamster, usually more. They are fantastic pets, very easy to tame and adorable to watch as they play. Here’s my guide to choosing and caring for your little pet, and I’ve included some advice on breeding if you wanted to give that a go –it’s very rewarding and so much fun!


*** ESTABLISHING SUITABILITY

Some people argue that hamsters are not suitable pets for children as they sometimes bite and do not live long – only around 18 to 24 months. It really depends on the children in question and your own feelings about children experiencing death at an early age. If your children are responsible and level headed, and are likely to take responsibilities such as cleaning and feeding seriously, I think hamsters are an ideal pet. I also think it’s a good idea to teach children the reality of death at an early age, so that it isn’t a shock to them later in life. As for the biting, hamsters only usually bite when they are young and untamed, so as long as an adult supervises the taming process, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Hamsters are also suitable for working adults who are out of their homes all day and cannot look after a more dependant pet, as they need very little supervision.


*** HOUSING A HAMSTER

Pet shops sell cages in all different shapes and sizes, from the standard square cage with bars, which will probably cost between £30 - £70 depending on size, to the flashier Rotastak homes with their round glass ‘storey’s and various different attachments, which could work out to be quite expensive.


Your hamster really won’t care what sort of cage he’s living in as long as it’s large enough for him to run around in, clean, and contains plenty of toys for him to play with. It’s really a matter of personal preference and how much you’re prepared to pay. Bear in mind that the simpler cages are often much easier to clean and maintain than the flashy plastic ones.

One thing that is really important is that you provide your hamster with an exercise wheel to run in. Hamsters need quite a lot of exercise and a hamster without a wheel will become lethargic and miserable. Some cages come with wheels already attached, or you can purchase one as an add-on.

You will need to buy wood shavings for the bottom of the cage. These soak up urine and help keep Hamy’s home clean and fresh for longer. They’re also more pleasant for him to trot around on. You will also need some bedding for him to sleep in – either the cotton wool type or torn up strips of paper. I prefer the cotton wool type because it’s less messy and my hamster’s have always seemed to prefer it.

Your hamster will need to be fed a good supply of standard hamster food once a day, and must have access to fresh water at all times. They love nibbles, and can be fed most things safely – but avoid feeding them chocolate, as it’s toxic to them, and lettuce, which gives them diarrhoea.

The cage will need to be cleaned once a fortnight. Put Hamy somewhere safe and clean out all the dirty wood shavings, bedding and stored food. Rinse the bottom of the cage with warm water, but DON’T use cleaning materials, as these may make your hamster ill.

Place your cage in a warm room away from draughts but out of direct sunlight. If a hamster gets too cold, he may go into hibernation, which can easily be confused with death by an inexperienced owner. He needs to be warm and comfortable, which means a regu
lar temperature of between 22 and 26 degrees.

Bear in mind that hamsters are nocturnal – they sleep during the day and are liveliest at night – so it’s not a good idea to keep them in your bedroom unless you’re a very heavy sleeper!


*** CHOOSING A HAMSTER

You’ll find that the hamster itself costs a great deal less than its home – around £5 to £10. As you’re likely to be buying your hamster during the day, you’ll probably find that they’re all curled up asleep in a corner of the display cage. They won’t object too strongly to be woken up – especially if you have a titbit such as a piece of carrot or apple ready as a peace offering. Gently wake them up and try to get them to move around the cage so you can have a good look at them.

Avoid hamsters that seem much thinner than the others or have patchy fur or weeping eyes. Keep an eye out for watery diarrhoea in the bottom of the cage – don’t select any of the hamsters from this cage if you can see some.

The hamsters are likely to be young and will probably not be used to being handled, so it isn’t a good idea to lift them out of the cage at this stage, as they may bite and cause you to drop them. You can reach into the cage to stroke them if the pet shop assistant has no objections.

Look for a bright eyed, curious little fellow who comes to check out your intruding hand and doesn’t object too much to being stroked.

You CANNOT keep two hamsters in a single cage, as they will fight and may even end up killing each other. Hamsters are solitary creatures in the wild and only come together to mate, after which time the female will turn on the male if he doesn’t exit sharpish! You will need to buy two cages if you plan to breed hamsters.

Once you have chosen your hamster, the pet shop will place him in a temporary cardboard carrying case so that
you can take him home. A word of warning – make sure you can get home quickly. I have known hamsters claw and bite their way through this flimsy box on the journey home, and an excited hamster scurrying around the inside of your car is not the best of situations!

When you get your hamster home, introduce him to his new cage and don’t bother him for 24 hours – give him a chance to explore and settle down. After than you can start the taming process.


*** TAMING AND PLAY

The first few times you remove your hamster from his cage he may be scared, and is likely to struggle to get away and may even bite – so it’s a good idea to supervise children at this initial stage. A hamster has very sharp little teeth and trust me, a bite hurts!

Put your hand into the cage slowly and let the hamster sniff it and become used to your smell. It’s a good idea to repeat his name quietly over and over again so that he gets used to it quickly. When both you and he are ready, lift him gently from the cage and sit down with him on a couch or bed. Let him move around and explore, but don’t let him get too far away as they’re fast movers and you may not be able to get him back easily.

After eight to ten such sessions your hamsters will gradually start to show signs of becoming tame. He will no longer be concerned about being removed from his cage and will not see you as a threat. After a few more weeks he will happily wander all over you and you can start to have some real fun with your new friend. You can buy ‘hamster balls’ which allow him to run around the place in a small plastic ball, or you can build him a ‘play area’ where he can run around safely to his hearts content. Hamsters are great fun to watch at play.


*** BREEDING

Breeding hamsters is a wonderful experience and if you have children, it’s a good way of teaching them about
the entire process. PLEASE only breed hamsters if you know you will be able to find homes for the babies. Don’t assume that a pet shop will buy them – they usually have regular suppliers and will be unlikely to take them off your hands.

Remember – two hamsters cannot live together in the same cage, unless it is a special breeding cage with a partition to separate them. If you plan to breed hamsters, you will need to house them separately and introduce the male to the females cage when you think she is in heat, then remove him quickly once mating has taken place, otherwise the female will turn on the male.

The female comes into heat every four days. There’s no way of knowing when she’s in heat, you just have to keep trying and if the hamsters begin to fight, assume she’s not ready and remove the male. When she is ready, the female will tense up and wait patiently for the male to mount her. Intercourse lasts for a few seconds, but if you don’t remove him afterwards the male is ready for ‘another go’ pretty much straight away. There’s no need to let them mate more than once – it will exhaust the male – so remove him after the first mating.

It will become obvious after just a few days whether or not the female is pregnant – the pregnancy only lasts nineteen days in total, the shortest gestation period of any mammal, and she will begin nesting preparations and bulging around the midriff fairly quickly. It’s a good idea to provide her with a ‘nesting box’ – a small wooden or plastic house you can purchase from any pet shop – to help her feel secure and comfortable.

When the female retreats to her nesting area and you don’t see her for a while, she’s giving birth. DO NOT disturb her at this time – it may cause her to reject and kill the newborns. It’s also important not to clean or disrupt the cage in an
y way during pregnancy.

Hamsters usually give birth to three to six babies. They are born hairless, blind, pink and tiny – only about a centimetre and a half long. It’s amazing how quickly they develop - after a few days they’ll open their eyes and start to run around the cage. The mother is not usually overprotective at this stage – so you can handle them without too much of a problem.

Hamsters are weaned after three weeks and are ready to go to a new home at around three months. You will need to separate the males and females at this stage, otherwise they may begin to breed. It’s not too difficult to determine the sex of a hamster – most books on the subject contain photographs you can consult to help you work it out.


*** A FINAL WORD

It is upsetting when they die. I’ve just lost my last little friend, Mojo, and it’s very sad having to clean and dismantle the cage, knowing she’ll never again be running around in her wheel at night, keeping me awake. I really miss her.

However, I believe that the joy and amusement you get from a hamster outweighs the sadness you feel when they die. I’ve had such fun with all my hamsters, they’ve all had their own very different characters and behaviour traits, and I’ve loved them all. For me, a house isn’t a home without a pet of some kind, and hamsters are perfect because they need very little supervision but they give so much back.

If you’re considering buying a pet for yourself or your children, a hamster is a really good choice. I hope they bring you as much happiness and amusement as they have me, and I hope this opinion has helped you make your decision.

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