Every child goes through a phase where they beg their parents for a pet. Parents will find this a great opportunity to teach their child responsibility and regular care. What animal to get? The most common answer is a hamster. Why might this not be a good idea?
Parents will say that it is a small animal, it doesn’t need much space, the child can pet it, sometimes you throw it grain. However, I have not yet met anyone who had a hamster as a child, who died with dignity and peace at an old age in a bed. They are usually the victims of clumsiness – a child drops it, steps on it, the hamster runs away, bites through the cables, gets its leg stuck in a wire cage, or simply remains locked in a crate, forgotten…
Is it fair of us to sacrifice hamsters as a teaching aid when there are many animals that are far more suitable candidates? (E.g. sardines, sparrowhawks, goldfinches, millipedes and other small invertebrates that can handle even a moment of oblivion.)
Myths about hamsters
1) “A hamster is a pet for small children.”
The hamster sits on one of the lowest rungs of the food chain, as soon as anything rustles nearby, it scurries away for cover. From his point of view, cuddling looks like you’re preparing it as an appetizer, you can’t be surprised if he bites and runs away. In fact, hamsters will appreciate the interaction, they are very inquisitive and playful creatures if you adapt to them and not the other way around. This means no unexpected grabbing, fist squeezing, and certainly no childish ideas like dressing him in doll clothes.
2) “He’s small, just a small cage.”
At first glance, you can’t even see the inhabitant of the cage, he just sleeps and doesn’t move, what a big space? The hamster is mainly active at night. Activates not a random label. In nature, it spends the whole night trying to find food. The territory is huge, he runs many kilometers per night. With his tiny little feet, this is a remarkable feat. Imagine what a pedometer would tell him?
3) “The hamster is a loner.”
In the vast majority of cases, this is true. The golden hamster is also an exclusive loner in nature. The Dzungarian hamster, if it grows up in a group and has enough space, can tolerate company. Roborovsky’s hamster is much more sociable, it is usually not a problem to have several individuals together. But if they quarrel with each other, it is necessary to separate them immediately. Never combine different types of hamsters in the same cage, they will most likely kill each other and you will be left with only one – the biggest one. Avoid breeding the opposite sex together. Hamsters breed very easily and quickly. To make matters worse, the stressed female often eats the young.
4) “He doesn’t live long anyway, so he doesn’t need proper care.”
A hamster lives only 2 to 3 years, which is a negligible amount of time for us. For a hamster, it means his whole life. It seems right to me to give him a comfortable life. He will reward you with his presence, in some cases even four years of companionship instead of a few miserable months.
5) “A hamster only eats grain.”
Grass seeds make up a large part of a hamster’s diet. When we imagine a lunch plate, low-fat seeds would form a side dish. He would probably sprinkle roots and herbs on it instead of chives. As meat on the plate, he should have… meat. The biggest mistake in breeding hamsters – the hamster is a vegetarian. Hamsters really like to enjoy grubs, bugs and other small invertebrates. Dessert would consist of a piece of fruit or a fat sunflower seed. When it comes to hunting, the Dzungar hamster is the most predatory, it does not hesitate to pounce on prey of a similar size to itself. Some of my hamsters will even wash away adult grasshoppers or the larvae of the blackfly (Zophobas morio), which is a larger version of the mealworm. I have seen blind, barely furred cubs pounce on mealworms, knocking them over several times in the fight.
Hamster in nature
All captive hamsters (Golden Hamster, Dzungar Hamster, and Roborovsky Hamster) come from dry, food-poor areas. They reside in the burrows they dig. Some can be a meter deep. They consist of a nest where the hamster sleeps, pantries where it stores its food, and even a toilet. Hamsters are very clean animals, they usually go to the toilet in one place. This is also the reason why they leave bay leaves behind everywhere outside. On the one hand, they mark new territory and also use the opportunity to defecate outside the nest.
Accommodations
As I mentioned, the hamster lives in nature on the plains and burrows below them. This means that the most natural accommodation is one that allows digging and running. Pink tubes look attractive to small children, but hamsters don’t like them that much. You don’t need anything complicated, a plastic box with dimensions of 60×40 cm for Dzungar and Roborov hamsters and something bigger, i.e. ideally 100×50 cm for golden hamsters. Classic wire cages hide the risk of injury to the legs, hamsters enthusiastically climb the bars, catch a finger or the whole leg somewhere and can bruise or even break it. The box also has the advantage of easy access to the hamster and the possibility of a higher layer of litter allowing digging tunnels and burrows. A mixture of several types of sawdust (for example classic and corn or aspen sawdust) to which I mix hay has worked best for me. This simulates roots in the ground and makes digging a bit more complicated, which means longer fun. Meadow hay also offers an interesting snack for hamsters, they can choose herbs or grass seeds from it. They like to bring paper napkins or soft hay to the bed. The fibers sold for beds are not always suitable, some are too strong and if the hamster gets its legs tangled in them, it can strangle or injure itself. Wipes are cheap and safe, just don’t be perfumed.
You can choose the equipment of the cage according to how much you are willing to spend and how much to decorate the cage. Toilet paper tubes, branches of fruit trees to nibble on and ears of millet or corn are sufficient, but nice houses and climbing frames are also not bad.
- The Roborovský hamster is the most active of the hamsters on the surface, it does not need such a deep litter, and on the contrary, it will benefit from a larger area of the living room.
- The Dzungarian hamster and the golden hamster, on the other hand, are enthusiastic tunnelers. The transparent box will also give you a view of the process of making the tunnels, which hold better thanks to the mixed hay. The litter layer can be 20 centimeters, the deeper the better.
- In nature, golden hamsters dig burrows up to a meter deep, and Dzungar hamsters are not far behind.
Menu
Despite common knowledge, hamsters are omnivores and surprisingly aggressive hunters. Dzungar hamsters are the most carnivorous, a quarter of their diet can be animal food, mainly insects. The basis of the diet consists of grass and cereal seeds, on the contrary, fatty seeds such as sunflower or flax should be represented at an absolute minimum. Whenever you think about an animal’s diet, think about what the habitats in which it lives look like.
- The Dzungar hamster comes from the steppes and deserts of Mongolia and Russia. There, it mainly finds grass seeds to eat, nibbles on leaves, digs up roots, and if it comes across a carcass or an invertebrate, be it a bug or an earthworm, it certainly does not disdain. His digestion is not built on large amounts of fat and sugar.
- The golden hamster, sometimes called the Syrian, comes from the Arabian Peninsula, where there is already a much more diverse selection of plants, so it does not have such a need for animal food, which does not mean that it does not need it at all. It should make up roughly 10-15% of the diet.
In my opinion, it is better to decorate the cage with paper tubes and invest in quality feeding. Some of the best on the market, although relatively expensive, are for example the Bunny nature Hamstertraum or Mucki menu brands, which distinguish between small hamsters (Dzungarian and Roborus) and golden hamsters.
Tip: The diet can be varied with live worms, dandelion, plantain or clover leaves, twigs for grinding teeth, root vegetables and their pulp or rosehips or chokeberry, if you collect and dry various berries at home.
Running wheel x plate
The running wheel is a classic that almost everyone associates with a hamster. Which one to choose? Definitely not wire, in it, like in a cage, there is a risk of catching and injuring the legs. You also have to think about the hamster’s spine. Choose a wheel that is either as large as possible or a treadmill that is flat. In a small circle, the hamster bends its spine to an unnatural angle and can suffer pain or even damage it in the long term.
Types of hamsters
I will not burden you with detailed descriptions and characteristics of individual species. Which species to choose depends mainly on whether you prefer petting or, on the contrary, observing the animal.
The golden hamster is significantly larger and slower than other species, has many color variants, and a long-haired “teddy” version is also bred.
The Roborovsky hamster will completely disappoint you if you want a calm pet. Robots run at breakneck speed and run before they think. They are great fun to watch as pets fail miserably. You can earn their trust, but you won’t be able to catch them on your hands.
Hamsters generally have very poor eyesight, so they often run forward without noticing where your hand ends. On the plains, they don’t have to deal with sudden slopes, so the end of the hand surprises him, and this often results in nasty injuries or even the death of the hamster when it falls to the ground. A safe room or playpen is ideal for Roborus Hamsters. Dzungars have characteristics of both species, they are slower and calmer, but still able to run and are fun to play with. The golden hamster is the easiest to accept its fate and let itself be carried.
How to make friends
Hamsters are naturally very active and curious animals, it is not difficult to get them, just a little treats and patience. Mealworms and their pupae work best for me, they are not as fat as the worms themselves and do not run away from your hand. As a first step, offer a treat to a hamster that is hiding but peeking out. After a few repetitions, he will gradually start climbing when he sees your hand. Here again, a top-open box, allowing you to comfortably handle it with your hand, pays off more. Next, offer the treat in the palm of your hand. The hamster will probably take her first and run away. Over time, he will start eating it next to his hand or even on his hand. Hold out as long as possible in this phase, the hamster will associate your palm with the treat and will automatically start stepping on it as soon as it sees it. At this moment, the hamster trusts you and you can finally pet him. Don’t rush him too much with this, proceed as quickly as is comfortable for the hamster. After a while, he will fall asleep in your hand, or let himself be stroked without fear. Another option for getting used to is, for example, a large comfortable pocket. If the hamster already knows you a little, you can carefully put it in your pocket, sit down in front of the TV and let it settle down. If he protested, there’s no point in holding him in your pocket by force. Most have a sense of burrow and safety, they will fall asleep in your scent and it will also boost his trust in you.
I understand that it is difficult to guide a child to treat the hamster with respect. If he is not able to respect his needs and comfort, there are other pet options, such as a snail, which does not solve the stress as well.
A sick hamster
I can list dozens of signs, but you know your hamster best and you will notice when he has less energy, is more obnoxious than his standard. A healthy hamster is alert, has an appetite, and does not have cloudy or dull eyes or sneezing. The most common health problems include colds, overgrown teeth, parasites and diarrhea, which can be recognized by a dirty bottom and tail. It is important to monitor the condition of your hamster, to check whether he is losing weight or losing fur. Most diseases can be prevented with proper care.
In a group of several hamsters, a fight can occur, from which the hamsters come out with torn pieces of hair and skin on their backs and faces. At the moment when hamsters in a group sizzle at each other, it is necessary to immediately divide them, they are capable of killing each other, reconciliation usually does not occur. You can treat minor injuries by disinfecting and bathing in chamomile tea at body temperature. Put the wet hamster in a box with a supply of napkins for a while. He wipes himself, cleans himself and can return to his quarters in a few minutes.
Beware of the draft!
A cold is almost always caused by a draft. Hamsters are hardy animals, in nature in Mongolia they can handle temperatures of tens of degrees below zero. Draft is not good for any animal and is a very common cause of illness across species.
About the author
Sara Rybkova she is a student of the agricultural school, majoring in animal husbandry. Animal breeding is also her main passion, she is interested in animals of all sizes and all numbers of legs, fins and wings. He also trains an assistance dog.
You could find this article in the magazine Recipe No. 01/26.
