Hamster care at home. Domestic hamster: care and feeding

Fluffy and playful indoor hamsters today, many keep as pets. These small animals are often given as gifts to children who play, feed and care for them. Rodents are not picky, so not only an adult, but also a child can handle their care at home.

Choosing a hamster house

Transportation of a rodent and the choice of a house for it should be given Special attention because these pets can be stressed for no particular reason. A hamster should not be settled immediately in a new home. After buying at a pet store, the animal can be held for several days in an ordinary glass jar and given time to adapt.

At home, it is not recommended to keep rodents in jars, plastic containers or cardboard boxes. For them, you can equip a large aquarium or, best of all, a cage. The house should be 40 cm wide and 60 cm long. If a cage is selected, then it is necessary to ensure that its rods located horizontally. In this case, the pet will be able to move freely on all planes of its home.

Types of houses for hamsters

Today, pet stores offer a large selection of devices in which you can keep rodents. However, some pet owners make houses with their own hands.

Kinds houses:

Whichever house is chosen, it should be installed in a quiet place away from radiators, direct sunlight and drafts. Place the dwelling in such a way that other pets and small children cannot reach the small pet.

Proper house equipment

Having picked up a suitable dwelling for a hamster, it must be equip:

Features of caring for hamsters

At home, rodent care consists of feeding them, cleaning the house and bathing the pet. The life rhythm of rodents depends on the time of year, which you also need to know about.

What to feed a hamster at home?

In nature, rodents eat grains and animal products. At home, they should be fed carefully, having previously studied what can be given to the pet as food, and what it is forbidden:

When caring for a hamster, great attention should be paid to the drinking regimen. During the day, rodents drink from seven to ten milliliters of water, which should always be fresh and clean.

Hamsters should not be fed food from the table, since foods that are healthy for humans can adversely affect the health of the rodent.

Nail care

At rodents rather sharp claws that they need to sharpen and cut. Therefore, you should definitely purchase a mineral stone and a special nail cutter for your pet. The free edge of the nail must be trimmed regularly. This procedure should be carried out carefully. You need to try not to touch the capillaries. To better see where the capillaries begin, you can shine a claw with a fluorescent lamp. If the pet was still accidentally injured, then the wound is treated with hydrogen peroxide.

hibernation hamsters

With the onset of winter, hamsters begin an economical mode of life, and they can hibernate. This happens at low air temperatures, poor lighting and poor diet. In a warm home environment, rodents wake up. It is not recommended to wake them up.

Bathing

Hamsters don't like water, so bathe they should be carefully. This procedure is carried out only if the animal emits an unpleasant odor or the fur is heavily soiled. Water should not get into the nose, ears and eyes of the pet. The rodent will be frightened if it is released in the water. Therefore, while bathing, the pet must be kept.

While bathing, it is not recommended to use shampoos or other detergents. In extreme cases, the hamster's coat can be washed with rabbit shampoo. After bathing, the pet should warm up, so until it dries, it should be wrapped in a cloth and held in your hands. After that, the hamster is wrapped in a dry warm cloth, in which it should dry well and keep warm.

Stress management

Rodents for no apparent reason can be stressed, so they should be provided with comfortable conditions and avoid stressful situations.

Main reasons stress:

Small children, dogs and cats should not be allowed near the cage with the pet. They can scare the animal with their behavior.
Rodents are very afraid of noisy streets, and even a simple move in a car can cause their heart to stop. Therefore, it is not recommended to take them out for a walk.
The house should be cleaned only empty, after removing the hamster from it.
Near the pet's home, you should talk in a moderate tone, and only address him affectionately. Yelling and raising your voice is not allowed.
Dirty bedding, an uncleaned house, lack of water and food can also provoke stress for the animal. Therefore, the rodent needs constant care.
It is not recommended to move the cage from place to place. Such a change can cause stress in the hamster. Also, you should not change the daily routine to which the pet is accustomed.
Hamsters thrive in the dark, and if a fluorescent lamp is suddenly turned on at night, they may start to panic.
A single pet can fall into depression if you add another hamster to it. Therefore, for a new rodent, another house is bought and equipped. In order for hamsters to live together, they are raised together with early age. However, when they grow up, each will need its own cage.
When breeding hamsters, it is not necessary to constantly check newborn animals. The female will not like it, and she will start to get angry.

Hamsters love to live in peace and quiet, separate from their relatives and other pets.

Caring for a hamster at home is not difficult. The main thing is to follow all the rules of care, choose for a pet nice house, equip his home with the necessary items and feed only permitted products.

Hamsters have become famous as the most unpretentious pets. This is not entirely true: rodents require a responsible attitude. If you find out in advance how to care for a hamster at home, this is, and the owner will avoid disappointment and dissatisfaction due to deceived expectations. In our age available information it is enough to use the Internet to read everything about hamsters.

Care for hamsters at home begins with the purchase and arrangement of the cage with all the necessary equipment. But the organization of hamster life does not end there. The animal in a confined space is completely dependent on the owner. Care must be taken to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room all year round.

It does not matter at what temperature hamsters live in nature, at home it should be 20-24 C.

The cage is protected from sunlight, and in hot climates, it is recommended to equip the room with air conditioning. should not be placed close to the heater.

The air should be fresh and clean, free of harsh odors and smoke. Airing the room, beware of creating drafts.

Rodents do not tolerate noise well, so do not turn on the TV, music or loud household appliances near the cage.

A hamster cannot be awakened during the day, it is good if it will stand in a cage so that the pet can hide. Children should be explained how to properly care for a nocturnal animal, and prepare to endure.

How to care for hamsters: daily care

Feeding

The hamster is fed 1-2 times a day, usually in the evening. The basis of the diet is dry food, but it is very important that the pet also receives juicy and protein foods. It should be carefully studied, otherwise the animal may get indigestion or even die.

Taking care of hamsters is often entrusted to children: watching them during a meal is very interesting. Small pieces can be prepared ahead of time.

Pet stores have a rich selection of treats for rodents, but it is better to choose not sweet, without honey and other substances harmful to the hamster. Dried dandelion roots, millet spikelets are a great option for.

The pet is provided with fresh drinking water. Even in a closed drinking bowl, it is recommended to change the water every day.

Maintaining cleanliness

Many are interested in how to care for hamsters so that there is no unpleasant smell from the cage. It is very important for the pet to be healthy and not too "fragrant". Every day, the remnants of food that can deteriorate are removed - rotting fruits or stale meat are dangerous for the owner of the pantry.

The bottom of the cage should be generously covered with filler. Previously used sawdust, but now the most popular. The litter not only absorbs urine, but also allows the animal to dig, make hiding places.

It is necessary to clean up after the hamster daily, removing the soaked filler and adding fresh filler instead. The animals are clean and most often relieve themselves in the same place (""). And general cleaning with a complete replacement of the filler and washing of the cage is not required so often: 3-4 times a month. Excessive zeal in this matter will lead to nervous breakdown at the hamster.

Communication

Hamsters are far from the most contact rodents, because in nature they live strictly alone. At home, keeping a hamster is also, if there are several animals, then there should be several cages. Such a pet also does not seek to communicate with the owner, so you will have to spend a lot of time taming an independent rodent.

There are certain rules of communication, if they are not followed, the hamster will show fear and aggression, annoying the owner. In the first days after buying the animal, it is better not to disturb him at all, no matter how much you want to cuddle a fluffy lump. For about a week, he will get used to the new house, and at the same time to the voice and smell of the owner. At this stage, it is recommended say the pet's name while feeding.

Domestic hamsters differ little in temperament from wild counterparts, they must be patiently accustomed to hands so that communication brings joy to both the owner and the pet. With hamsters, the main remedy is food reinforcement - you need to teach the baby to take a treat from the palm of your hand. Gradually, the rodent will get used to the hand, then it can be pulled out of the cage. Care must be taken when handling the animal - a tiny animal can be injured if it jumps out of your hands or is squeezed too tightly. It is safest to clasp it with your palms, forming a "house".

Contraindicated:

wake up the animal
take from above, from the back (association with a predator attack);
make sudden movements (even in case of a bite, you need to remain calm).

Hamster care should include daily socializing. If you do not take the pet in your arms for a long time, a “rollback” will occur, and you will have to start over. Contact should occur at the time of activity of the animal (in the evening).

Ensuring activity

Despite the need for movement and diversity, you can let your pet out for a walk around the apartment only at. Otherwise, the hamster at home is in mortal danger - it can get stuck, be crushed / pinched by the door, fall, fall into the pan, eat a poisonous plant, gnaw through the wire under electricity.

Hamsters are very cute, mobile and cozy pets. And since these animals tend to be most active in the evenings, they are very convenient to raise for those who return late from work. Caring for hamsters is as easy as taming them. Unlike other small rodents, they do not have a tail, so hamsters look much cuter than their long-tailed relatives.

Origin. There are about 240 thousand varieties of hamsters in the world. The most popular, which people most often keep at home, are Syrian (or golden) hamsters. They can grow up to 13 cm in length. They were first mentioned in written sources as early as 1839, but after 1930, when a female hamster was last seen in the Syrian desert, it is believed that they do not grow in the natural environment. Just like the Syrian ones, Djungarian hamsters and Roborovsky hamsters are also popular. Sometimes at home you can also meet Chinese, Transcaucasian and Eversman hamsters.

When to purchase. If you decide to get this pet for the first time, and still do not know how to care for a hamster at home, then it is best to get a hamster that is 4-7 weeks old, because it is young pets that are easier to raise and train. During the day, hamsters most often sleep, so be careful when buying: if an awakened hamster looks curious and explores environment, then everything is fine, and if he behaves passively, then it may be that he is not healthy. In healthy hamsters, the coat is even, thick, without bald patches and wounds, naturally shiny, the lower abdomen is free of plaque, the eyes and ears are clean, without pus and other secretions, the ass is dry.

It is best to bring home from the store in a special plastic box designed for animals (you can use it later to keep the hamster there while you clean his cage). If you are going to carry a hamster in a paper or cardboard box, be careful: with the help of sharp teeth, he can simply gnaw through his temporary house and run away.

Single or couple.Hamsters, especially Syrian hamsters, love to be alone from birth., so if you buy a pair, they might fight. Even during mating, one must be vigilant: if the hamsters grapple, they must be quickly separated. Djungarian hamsters and Roborovsky hamsters can live in pairs. If this is your first hamster, it's best to raise him alone. After you bring the pet home, try to communicate with him as much as possible, in this way you will tame him faster. You can talk to him in a calm voice and gradually accustom him to hands. Try to handle your hamster carefully so as not to squeeze his tummy, and do not use cosmetics or perfumes with an intense smell, so as not to irritate or scare your pet.

Varieties. Syrian hamsters are one of the largest. The average length of these hamsters is about 9-13 cm, weight - up to 200-300 g, wool can be different colors, but the most popular is gold. It is from this color that the second name appeared Syrian hamsters- gold. Djungarian hamsters are slightly larger than ordinary mice. Their fur is fluffy and soft. The back has a brownish-gray or ocher-gray color, the sides are darker, the tummy is completely white. A narrow dark stripe is visible along the back.

Roborovsky hamsters are the smallest. The length reaches only 4-5 cm. A distinctive feature of this variety of hamsters is the white "eyebrows" that give them a very attractive appearance. But it must be borne in mind that Roborovsky hamsters are very fast and difficult to hold in their hands, so it is not recommended to trust them to small children. On the other hand, it is these hamsters that are well-behaved and rarely bite.

Features of caring for a hamster

Caring for a hamster at home is not difficult. Enough to provide him with a comfortable home and proper nutrition. Otherwise, the animal will not bring you any trouble.

The most suitable dwelling is a metal cage for hamsters (not less than 30x40x30cm) with special equipment (food bowl, drinker, wheel, house, etc.). The bottom of the cage can be filled with sawdust or special fillers that can be found in the store. It is not recommended to put newspapers, cotton wool, threads, synthetic fabrics, straw on the bottom of the cage.

These rodents must be allowed to gnaw tree branches (oak, apple, birch), otherwise teeth will grow too long. Also in the cage should be chalk for rodents or mineral stone. In the house in which hamsters most often sleep during the day, they like to build their cozy nest, so when you clean the cage, do not throw everything away and leave at least a piece of the old nest: hamsters like to smell their own. Try to choose a cage with a wheel so that your pet can play sports. During the night, the hamster runs up to 2 kilometers. The most suitable wheel is plastic, without gratings - it is more comfortable and safe for a hamster.

Food. Hamsters should be fed 2 times a day (20-30 grams of food per day). The best food is for rodents. Various grains, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts are also suitable. Give your pet and greens (sprouted wheat, clover, dandelions, lettuce, apples, carrots, cabbage leaves). Do not feed your hamster chocolate, candy, or other sweet treats. It's dangerous for his health.

It's worth knowing

Hamsters do not feel fear of heights, so do not let them run too high: for example, on the surface of a table or bed. Falling from a great height can cause injury to your pet. internal organs and die.

Try to feed your hamster every day at the same time, in this way he will not overeat, but will take the rest of the food to storage. Throw food out of storage every day and add new food to the bowl. Do not overfeed your pet, as a fat hamster becomes less mobile, lethargic, and may even die.

Many people thought about starting as pet not a cat or a dog, but a fluffy hamster. Domestic hamsters are not only a constant reason for tenderness, but also the simplest care, since these funny rodents are completely unpretentious in this regard.

However, you should not think that it will be possible not to think at all about such things as feeding and caring for a hamster at home and let everything take its course. Of course, domestic hamsters require attention and a certain attitude. How to properly care for them and behave with these fluffy lumps, we will tell in the article.

Keeping hamsters at home: advantages and disadvantages

Before you get a pet hamster, familiarize yourself with the main characteristics of this animal. In nature, there are several breeds of this species, among pets you can mainly find Siberian hamsters, less often - Dzungaria and Campbell's hamsters.

A feature of hamsters is that they can feel good without their own kind. Them can be purchased without a pair if you don't want to breed hamsters in the future.

The advantages of keeping hamsters at home are as follows:

unlike the same cats, they are not vindictive and do not remember the offenses caused;
do not create noise in the apartment;
easy to train;
when eating juicy food for a long time may not want to drink;
easy to breed at home;
do not show discontent when playing with children;
a small terrarium is enough for living;
unpretentious in food.

However, you should be aware of such difficulties when acquiring hamsters:

if you keep hamsters not in a terrarium, they can ruin things and gnaw on furniture, shoes and other things;
so that there is no unpleasant smell in the cage, you need to constantly clean it;
in winter, hamsters hibernate, sometimes wake up, then they need to be well fed;
can sometimes be aggressive.

As a rule, hamsters have a body length of 5 to 30 cm. The color of hamsters can be different:

ashen;
gray-brown;
with a dark stripe on the back and black-brown heels in front of the body;
white and fluffy (artificial Angora breeds).

home for a hamster

Before you bring your hamster home, you need to choose a home for him. Quite a few people for this purpose uses an aquarium or a glass jar, but such living conditions are not suitable for the animal and it will experience discomfort.

Therefore, for a hamster, you should purchase a special cage measuring at least 50 by 30 cm with horizontal bars. The gaps between the bars should be small so that the hamster does not get out.

You should also choose the right accessories for the cage, here is their description:

filler - necessary so that there is no unpleasant smell near the cage. The cage should be washed regularly and filled with compressed or granular filler, they ideally absorb unpleasant odors. In addition to the filler cage can be filled with sawdust in which hamsters love to burrow so much before going to bed;
feeder - in total there should be two feeders in the cage: one for dry food, and the second for fresh food. Separately, there should also be a drinker for liquid;
mineral stone for sharpening hamster teeth;
toilet - you need to constantly change the bedding, because the hamster always chooses a place for the toilet on his own;
wheel for running - hamsters are very active animals, therefore it is highly desirable to put such a simulator in a cage. The wheel must have a solid surface so that your hamster does not damage the paw.

It is highly advisable to choose one place for a cage with a hamster and not rearrange it, because hamsters are not lovers of frequent changes. Also, do not place the cage in drafts or near cribs or play areas for children.

How to feed hamsters?

Domestic hamsters should be fed several times a day. The second meal of the hamsters should be in the evening and for this meal should give him high calorie food, because for hamsters the nocturnal lifestyle is more familiar. It is highly undesirable to give hamsters vegetables and fruits with a watery base, such as cucumbers or watermelons, as the animal can be poisoned by them.

Once a day, the hamster's diet should include special grain feed, which can be purchased at a specialized store. The hamster will determine the norm on his own, as a rule, no more than three teaspoons is enough for him. But at the same time, you need to ensure that the hamster always has at least a couple of grains in the feeder.

Provide your pet with constant access to water and so that he does not throw sawdust in a bowl of water, it is better to choose an automatic drinker. Do not forget to follow during the day for its filling. If the hamster does not drink a drop of water during the day, he may die.

Acceptable foods for hamster food are:

pitted pears and apples;
pumpkin and carrots in limited quantities;
nuts and seeds in limited quantities;
potato;
corn;
lean boiled meat;
fish fat;
vitamins A, E and D.

Do not give hamsters the following foods:

garlic;
citrus fruit;
Exotic fruits.

Features of care for domestic hamsters

Like most other animals, pet hamsters can be stressed. As a rule, their reasons may be such circumstances:

changes in the daily routine of the animal;
lack of water;
external control over his offspring;
the presence of lighting in the cage where he sleeps;
sharing another animal, even a hamster.

Also, in order to prevent stressful situations for your hamster, do not speak loudly and do not shout, being near his cage, do not make any sudden movements in this place so that the animal does not feel danger. If you talk to a hamster quietly and calmly, he will behave accordingly.

Also consider the following tips for caring for pet hamsters:

the relocation of a hamster to another cage must be done using a special tube. First, he is nudged by the hand so that he can explore the new place;
A hamster's teeth must be cared for carefully and on an ongoing basis. If he eats not too hard food, then teeth grow very fast, and this interferes with normal food intake;
cleaning the cage should be done several times a week. During cleaning, the hamster is pulled out of the house and transferred to another place, for example, in a prepared jar. The bedding is changed and the cage is washed detergent. The place of the toilet should be cleaned regularly as it gets dirty;
Hamsters need to be walked regularly. For this, a special playing place is equipped. You can make an obstacle course, mazes and something like that. At the same time, all sharp objects must be removed from the resting place, and those nearby furniture and decor should be as durable as possible in terms of sustainability;
you need to regularly monitor the claws of the animal, especially if it has reached a certain age. Nails are trimmed with special scissors for manicure. Do not use a nail file, the hamster may be frightened and hurt. With weak pigmentation of the hamster's claws, they are trimmed only in daylight or table light. When injured, during this procedure, the foot is pulled with a bandage, and the cage itself is washed so that the infection does not get into the wound;
Hamsters are not very fond of water, so bathing is not recommended unless necessary. But if you still need to buy a hamster, be careful that water does not get into his ears, eyes or nose. Do not let the hamster out of their hands so that he does not bite you. You need to bathe the animal only with severe pollution, using rabbit shampoo for this purpose. After bathing, hold your hamster in your arms for a while to keep him warm, and then wrap him in a soft towel.

What else should be considered when keeping a hamster in the house?

To keep your hamster calm and stress-free, remember the following:

populate it separately from other hamsters;
provide the hamster with peace and quiet;
do not show the hamster other pets;
clean the hamster's house when he does not see it;
do not interfere with his way of life;
never punish hamsters;
do not take him outside and do not let him on the grass, direct sunlight is especially dangerous for him, he can die in just a few minutes.

If you plan to not only keep, but also breed hamsters at home, then it will not be too difficult. They are able to give regular offspring and independently feed up to ten broods during the year. For this mother hamster needs to create the appropriate conditions- ensure peace and during pregnancy do not pull out of the cage.

As you can see, keeping pet hamsters in an apartment is not so difficult. Subject to all the necessary conditions of maintenance and care, this animal will delight you and especially your children for a long time, who will play with hamsters with great pleasure.

Having made a deliberate decision to get a hamster at home, you must first make sure that the household is not allergic to animal hair, choose the right place of residence for the future pet and study the rules for caring for it.

The hamster is a fairly picky animal, but still requires careful care and attention to itself.

Pros and cons of keeping a hamster at home

Before you get a pet hamster, you need to familiarize yourself with its main characteristics.

A convenient feature of this animal is its content without a similar individual, that is, a hamster does not have to start a pair. He feels great alone, unless, of course, you are going to breed them.

The benefits of planting a hamster house are:

low fluid intake, in case of taking juicy foods;
keep silence in the room;
the main difference from cats and dogs is the absence of rancor and resentment;
have a positive attitude towards children;
occupy a fairly small area;
easy to train;
breed in captivity;
unpretentious in eating.

We must not forget about the possible difficulties when planting a hamster:

in winter, the hamster may hibernate, and upon waking up, it requires a larger amount of food;
constant care is needed for the cage in which the animal is kept;
it is necessary to keep a hamster only in a terrarium, otherwise it can ruin things;
Hamsters can be aggressive towards people.

Before introducing a hamster, you need to carefully consider its habitat on the territory of the dwelling. A glass jar, an aquarium or a box will bring discomfort to a small tenant.

For these purposes, it is reasonable to purchase a spacious iron cage (50 by 30 centimeters) with horizontal bars, the distance between which is not too wide so that the animal cannot get out of its dwelling.

In the new housing, the inhabitant needs to pick up additional special accessories:

The bottom of the house must be filled with filler, which will help to avoid an unpleasant odor. It needs to be changed regularly, carefully washing the cage. The filler is pressed and in granules. It's also wise to add some sawdust, which hamsters like to burrow into before going to bed.
A pair of feeders must be placed in the cage: for natural food and for dry food.
It is reasonable to hang a special drinker for small animals on the bars of housing, the water from which will not flow out on its own.
The running wheel will help an active animal to have fun.
To periodically sharpen sharp teeth, a mineral pebble is placed in the cage.
The pet will choose a corner for the restroom; the toilet must be regularly replaced with fresh flooring.

It is recommended not to blame the permanent place of the cage, since this individual is not used to changing its habitat, visually getting used to one place of residence. Also, his housing should be moved away from noisy restless places and placed away from possible drafts.

pet hamster diet

If you still decide to start pet, you need to know what the hamster eats several times a day. Since this animal is on duty at night, choose the most high-calorie foods for the evening meal. To avoid poisoning, do not feed it with excessively watery food (watermelon, melon, cucumber, etc.).

Approximately once a day, you need to give your pet a special food made from a mixture of grains, the assortment of which is offered by specialized pet stores for animals.

The hamster usually determines the norm of one meal without anyone's help, but food must be constantly present, as well as the presence of fresh water. Do not forget to make sure that your pet drinks enough throughout the day, this is vital. necessary condition for hamsters!

Approximate diet of a domestic hamster:

Vegetables and fruits, pitted.
Potato.
Grain mix.
Lean cooked meat.
Seeds and nuts in small portions.
Vitamin complex.

It is highly undesirable to feed the animal with garlic and onions, citrus and tropical products.

Distinctive features of keeping a hamster

Hamsters are quite shy individuals, so avoid harsh sounds, screams and noises when you are near his cage. Sudden movements also cause him a sense of anxiety and danger.

A stressful situation can lead to:

close supervision of offspring;
lack of liquid in the drinker;
a sharp change in his usual daily routine;
bright lighting in his home;
sharing a neighbor's hamster, even a similar individual.

To avoid rapid growth teeth in a hamster, it is necessary to regularly give him solid food, which wears down the teeth. Several times a week, a thorough cleaning of the animal's cage is necessary.

For this, the hamster must be carefully removed from the dwelling into a container prepared for this (for example, temporarily placed in a glass jar). Be sure to change the bedding and toilet at regular intervals, and wash the bars of the cage with detergent and rinse well with running water.

It is recommended to regularly walk a domestic hamster, using a specially selected place in the house for this purpose. Do not forget to remove sharp objects during this procedure, as the hamster is a rather nimble animal.

A hamster's claws grow very quickly, especially if it is at a certain age. So that he does not get hurt, they are carefully cut with small nail scissors, making sure that the animal is not frightened.

You should not bathe your hamster again unnecessarily, he does not like water procedures. If everything is necessary, then make sure that moisture does not get into the ears, eyes and nose of the pet. For these purposes, you need to purchase shampoo for rabbits.

After washing, it is necessary to wipe the hamster dry and wrap it in a soft cloth.