What You Need To Know Before Considering A 'pet' Hamster
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While some animals need friends and companionship, hamsters do not. A Syrian hamster can bond with a human guardian, but they should not live with another hamster. Instead of adopting another hamster to keep yours company, be your hamster’s friend—spend time with them each day, cuddling and playing outside of their cage. Unlike a hamster wheel, which provides a hamster with a safe place to exercise when the correct size is used, a hamster ball is not recommended. Hamsters are easily frightened, because they don’t have the best eyesight, and they use their whiskers to navigate. A hamster separated from sensory information, as in one of these balls, is a disoriented animal—and what is often perceived by humans as enjoyment is more than likely a panic response.
This will allow you to gain your hamster's trust over time, and allow you to pet and hold your hamster while avoiding being bitten. Hamsters are not aggressive pets but if they are scared or startled they may bite. A hamster might seem like the perfect pet for a small child, but this is not the case. They require careful, gentle handling, may bite, and don't generally feel safe in smaller hands. Children under 5 are particularly vulnerable to the effects of salmonella, a type of intestinal bacteria that hamsters can carry.
Breeding Hamsters
We suggest setting up a small gated area with lots of toys and some treats so they can explore and say hi to their human family! Remember to always supervise your hamster when he or she is out of their habitat. As is the case with many small animals, placement is essential to a happy pet. Put your hamster’s home near the sounds of your family, but not right in the thick of things.
There is no need to bathe, comb, or otherwise supplement your pet hamster's grooming practices. Ordering your pet's prescription drugs from Wedgewood Pharmacy is safe, and convenient. With a prescription number, easily refill prescriptions and enroll in the AutoRefill Program.
- That extra step will keep your hamster's space smelling good.
- But if you have young children and aren't prepared for them to experience the death of a pet, you may prefer a longer-lived animal.
- Therefore, hamsters need to be handled only with adult supervision by children under 8 years old.
To help prevent animal companions from harming one another, it’s imperative that hamsters have a safe, spacious, and sturdy enclosure to call home. Explore our small pet supplies for bedding, habitats, treats, chews, and much more. Explore our always-growing collection of small animal advice written by our pet experts.
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Choosing a hamster that is easy to tame is another factor to consider. Young hamsters will be easier to train and hand-tame than older hamsters, who may have had bad experiences or have never interacted with humans. Always make sure that your hamster's chow, whether block or kibble, is served in a bowl or dish of some sort. Hamsters may ingest their bedding otherwise, and this may cause serious health issues. While caring for a hamster isn't difficult, it does help to have at least a basic understanding of what you're getting into when you keep one as a pet. By providing your mobile number, you agree to receive autodialed, recurring text messages from the HSUS with updates and ways you can help animals.
lol big pet hamster is best left to hamster breeders who are breeding for specific qualities and temperaments but accidents do happen. Many unsuspecting new hamster owners find themselves with a pregnant hamster after purchasing it from a pet store. fun things to do with a pet hamster and a quiet nesting area inside the cage need to be provided to a pregnant hamster.
Do hamsters have periods?
Hamsters have a short and consistent estrous cycle (4 days), a predictable time of ovulation, and a short gestation period (16 days).
Hamsters have been known to carry a virus called Lymphocytic choriomeningitis. In healthy adults, this virus causes flu-like symptoms or no symptoms at all. However, it can be transmitted from a pregnant mother to their unborn child and can produce severe illness in people with compromised immune systems. Adrienne Kruzer is a veterinary technician with over 15 years of experience caring for domestic and exotic animals. Timothy hay, orchard grass, brome hay, botanical hay, and oat hay all make excellent bedding options for hamsters. Hamsters groom themselves, and often do it more than once a day.
Cover Their Habitat With A Light Cloth For The First Few Days
Cages sold at pet stores are woefully inadequate to meet a hamster’s unique needs. Large hamsters should have a minimum of 800 square inches of clear floor space, and dwarf hamsters should have at least 640. Because very few commercially available cages meet these recommendations, we recommend building your own hamster enclosure. If you’re unable to create your own, another option is a 75-gallon aquarium with a fitted mesh lid. Hamsters love to explore, so a larger space will make your hamster happier and healthier.