These cute and very nimble pets are among the most popular among children. Very much like children to watch, how the hamster runs in a wheel or sticks in a cheek a delicacy. But always remember that this is a living being and it requires care and concern from you. Caring for a hamster should be carefully, because the animal is very small and a bit clumsy. There are several types of hamsters that can be kept at home: Syrian, Dzungar, Campbell hamsters or dwarfish.
How to care for homemade hamsters?
Proper care for hamsters includes several basic rules:
- It is very important to remember that hamsters can not stand drafts. To the temperature fluctuations they can still adjust, but the draft is dangerous for them. It is better to place the cage away from the window.
- In the wild, a hamster stores food for the winter. This instinct remains with him and with home maintenance. The diet should consist of grain, vegetables and fruits. But do not overfeed the animal with fiber, it can provoke diarrhea.
- For good care of domestic hamsters you need to ensure constant physical activity. Arrange the cage with different simulators, a wheel for running.
Dwarf hamsters: care
These animals are very brisk and a bit like mice. Their growth does not exceed 5 cm. Caring for dwarf hamsters is slightly different from caring for their other relatives. The most popular among the dwarfs are the jungariki.
The cage for a dwarf hamster should be the same size as for any other. The fact is that these animals, although smaller in size, but very much mobile and require a lot of space. The rods must be very strong and frequent, so that your pet can not escape. The minimum area of a cage into which your pet is allowed to settle is not less than 30x70. The bottom of the cell is best lined with small sawdust. In these sawdust your crumb will be constantly buried. To facilitate this process, it is possible, if you mix a bit of hay with sawdust. In order for the animal to be able to clean the wool, place a small bath with clean calcined sand. Never bathe a dwarf hamster in the water.
Required in the cage are a house, a drinking bowl and a feeding bowl. Water animals rarely drink, so it is better to buy a drinker with a dispenser. Be sure to clean the cage in time from the remnants of food.
You can feed your pet with grain mixtures and vegetables. In the pet store you will be offered a special food for milking a dwarf hamster. The diet should be varied: offer him seeds, oat flakes, carrots, apples, bread crumbs.
Care for newborn hamsters
If you decide to breed hamsters at home, first study the materials how to care for the born hamsters. As soon as you notice that the female has begun to round off, it needs to be planted in a separate cage. Be sure to put the material on the bottom of the cage, from which the future mother can build a nest. Good for these purposes is suitable straw. Once you move the female, she will instinctively build herself a cozy place.
At the first birth the female can bring about 6 cubs. Next with each birth, they will become more and more, but the female will leave just as much as it can feed. If you found in the morning that there are fewer babies, it makes no sense to look for them. The female liquidated them.
Change the straw in the cage at least once every two days. Transplant the female and her cubs, replace the flooring on the floor and straw.
Over time, the young will begin to grow hair and gradually get out of the nest. They will begin to study the cage in search of food, because they are not enough for milk. During this period, you can feed the kids with cabbage leaves. It is this food is very useful for the growth and development of hamsters, it is very nutritious. After a month, babies are well fed with boiled chicken meat. After one and a half months, you can safely separate the children from their mother.