Q. My son/daughter wants a hamster, what is the right age to get one?
A. That depends on how involved you'd like to
be with the pet. If you have no problem being the person responsible for cage cleaning and feeding, a child as young as 7
or 8 is a great age to get their first hamster. If you'd rather not be responsible for the day to day care of the hamster,
I'd suggest waiting till your child is 12 or so.
Q. We've made the decision! Now
how do I decide what kind to get?
A. The type of hamster you purchase really is
based on personal preference. Both Syrian and Dwarf hamsters are great pets. Dwarves can live in small groups of same sex
litter mates while Syrian (Teddy bear) are solitary hamsters. Both when handled properly can be social, loving pets. I find
that for younger children Teddy bear hamsters are best. They tend to be a bit less “wiggly” and therefore easier
for small hands to hold.
Q. I'm at the pet store and
I've picked out my new hamster, what else do I need to get?
A. First of all you need a good sized cage. A 10 gallon aquarium is an
economical and appropriate choice but there are also pricier cages that are very nice as well. When purchasing a cage, you
should take into account the amount of space you have available for the cage and the ease in which the cage can be cleaned
and dismantled. The cage should be placed away from drafts and direct sunlight, and should be in a comfortable temp room.
A good exercise wheel is a MUST. Hamsters need an exercise wheel to stay active and physically and mentally healthy. A plastic,
NON-runged wheel is the safest choice. A water bottle and food dish come next. There are many styles of bottles available,
some glass and some plastic. Choose what fits best in your cage, but not a water bowl as the hamster will kick bedding and
waste into the bowl and knock it over. Any style food bowl is really okay. Bedding is next, purchase bedding made from either
Aspen wood or Carefresh are your best choices. Pine and cedar are no good. They contain aromatic oils that cause respitory
irritation and skin irritations in hamsters. Your hamster's bedding should be changed weekly to avoid illness and stress.
An exercise ball is also a good purchase. Allows you to get your hamster out of the cage safely to run around. Your pet must
be supervised though.
Q. What kind of toys would my hamster enjoy
playing with?
A. Well, besides the above mentioned items, hamsters love anything that
allows them to dig and tunnel. They sell very nice hidey huts in different materials (plastic, wood or straw) that hamsters
enjoy. They sell many nice tunnels in pet stores but you can also make some out of paper towel tubes and connect them together
with paper tissue boxes for an economical and fun play space for your pet.
Q. We're home and the cage
is set up, what now?
A. Give your new hamster a bit of time (maybe a few hours) to get
used to it's new surroundings and get comfy. After that, you can start to introduce yourself to your new hamster. Make sure
when you introduce your hand into your ham's cage you do it slowly and from the front. Hamsters have poor eye sight. Encourage
your hamster to crawl onto your hand. If this is difficult for you try lowering a cup into the cage, your hamster will crawl
into it out of curiosity. Allow your hamster to crawl around on your lap on a towel until he/she gets used to your scent.
*Always* supervise young children. It's a good idea to consistently handle your hamster for a bit each day so they become
“hand tame”.
Q. How long will my hamster live?
A. You can expect the average hamster to live between 2 and 3 years,
but I have heard of a few hamsters living for longer.
Q. Help! I got a boy and girl
and now I may be expecting babies! What do I do?
A. Depends on the type of hamster and your needs but generally you should
separate the two. Syrian females have been known to attack their mates right after copulation. Although dwarf males can be
wonderful dads, it's just as common that they will stress mom and create unsafe conditions for the pups. Also the female can
become pregnant again as soon as one day after delivering her litter. The average length of time for a hamster pregnancy is
16 days for Dwarves and 22 days for Syrians. You may notice your hamster building a nest and getting larger, these are both
signs she is pregnant. Make sure she has plenty of clean bedding, water and is in a relatively undisturbed place so she is
not unduly stressed. She should also have plenty of protein rich food to help her prepare for lactation. I have placed a dogbone
in her cage, it aids for chewing and protein.
Q. The babies are here, what now?
A. Make sure the cage is undisturbed and in a quiet room. For the
first week or so, do not disturb the cage unless it is to change her water and make sure the food is plentiful. *Do not* touch
or try to pick up the babies. Undue stress, loud noise or an unfamiliar scent on the babies can result in the mother devouring
her litter.
Q. When do I separate the babies from mom? Generally the mom will
wean her pups at around 2 weeks or so and they will begin to explore the cage on their own and eat some solid food. Mom's
exercise wheel should be removed from the cage as soon as the pups are born as it poses a safety risk to the pups. You can
sex and separate the pups at 1 month old. There are excellent sites for sexing pups.
Q. Hamster babies are so cute! How do I go about breeding them?
A. I strongly recommend not breeding your hamsters. Hamsters can reproduce
very quickly and in no time you can find yourself over-run with babies you can't care for.
* If you still have questions come by the Small Animals board and see if we
can help you out *
