Care for Syrian Hamsters
Syrian hamsters are the most common species of hamster there is to find (and the largest). At pet stores, they are often referred to as Panda Bear hamsters, Black Bear hamsters, and Teddy Bear hamsters. These are just nicknames to draw attention, but they are really just Syrians. They make great pets, as they are calmer and friendlier than other smaller hamster varieties. Syrian hamsters are well-suited for young children or first time hamster owners and it is fairly easy to learn how to take care of them properly, although they do require gentle handling.
Contents
Steps
Preparing to Bring Your Hamster Home
- Buy a cage. A good cage for a Syrian hamster is a cage with a minimum of 360 square inches of floor space. Never give your Syrian a cage any smaller than that because they will be severely cramped. Most pet store cages are too small; instead try a {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} long tank, a bin cage, or a DIY cage. Remember, a cage that is too small will lead your hamster to extreme boredom and severe stress. It doesn't matter if you see a cute cage at a pet store and think it must be okay because they're selling it there. The only exception to small cages is if you buy three or four and connect them together with tubes. Most cages at pet stores are too pricey anyways.
- It's best to avoid "starter cages" or "beginner cages"; these are much too small. Instead, purchase a cage suitable for the hamster's entire lifespan at the start, as this will save you money and bring much stress-relief in the future.
- The 360 square inches (2322.58 square cm) of floor space does not include levels. Solely the ground floor must be 360 sq in. Levels do not count.
- Get bedding for the cage. Remember that safe bedding is a must. Do not use sawdust, pine, or cedar (and any other wood-based) bedding because the oils from these wood types are harmful to your hamster. Avoid cotton as well. This could clog up your hamster's intestines and kill him, and it may also catch on your hamster's legs and break them as he tries to pull free. Use shredded paper, brands like Aspen, Care Fresh, Boxo , and Katyee. These are the most commonly found in pet stores. They keep odors down, are clean and cozy.
- Sawdust should be made from untreated wood. When buying it at a pet store, check that the packaging says "untreated." Do not purchase sawdust from a wood mill or carpenter, as this wood is probably treated with chemicals that can be toxic to hamsters.
- Cotton or string "fluffy" bedding types are extremely dangerous. These types of bedding kill thousands of pets even if the package says it's safe.[citation needed] The risk is that strands of bedding fiber get caught around a leg, then tighten to cut off the hamster's circulation. It will also more than likely break your hamster's fragile bones as it tries to struggle free. The leg becomes gangrenous and the hamster is too sick to withstand surgery. In some cases the hamster has to be euthanized on humane grounds.
- A great nesting material is toilet paper. Don't get anything with fragrances. You can shred/rip it to small pieces and place it around the cage or in the hamster house. Note that this is not a replacement for regular bedding.
- Avoid cedar, redwood, and pine bedding, as they contain resin dust that can irritate your hamster's respiratory system. Aspen and Care Fresh are perfectly safe and comfortable options for hamsters.
- You should also avoid any bedding materials coloured with inks or dyes as they may be harmful to your hamster's health if eaten.
- Buy a "hamster house" for your hamster to stuff with nesting material so it feels safe and cozy. These vary from plastic houses (great for disinfecting and cleaning) to attractive wicker nests. Wicker nests are a much more natural environment for the hamster, but difficult to clean so you will need to dispose of such a house if the hamster soils inside. A hamster house is a must-have, so don't skip over it. A hamster, in the wild, lives in a "den" or a "burrow". It spends all of its day sleeping inside there, where it feels safe and protected from any threat. It also stores its food in its house. Note that some hamsters prefer to sleep beneath their wheel, but you still need a house.
- Some people use hutches made for guinea pigs and rabbits for their hamsters, but these are good if you have a pregnant female that needs lots of space and won't want to climb all over her cage.
- Buy a carry case. Most pet stores offer cardboard boxes, but hamsters can chew right through them. Buy a carry-case made for Syrians. Cheap ones with lids that come right off and are easy to escape from are no good; you'll need to purchase a proper carry case from a pet shop. They will be a much more expensive option, but also the better option, as this can be re-used whenever you need and are escape-proof. Do not bring your new hamster home in its cage.
- It is also useful to have a reliable carry case at home, for those times when you need to transport the hamster safely to the vet.
- Buy wheels and accessories. Wheels and accessories, like Hideaway Huts, made for Dwarf hamsters and mice are far too small for Syrian hamsters! Allow the hamster to have plenty of room to move around in, and make sure you have an 8-12 inch wheel; Wodent Wheels are best.
- When buying a wheel, visualise an adult sized Syrian hamster inside. Your pet needs to be able to run on the wheel with its back straight. If the wheel is too small, the central spoke will cause the hamster to flex in the wrong direction (its back makes a "U"). If in doubt, buy the largest wheel that will fit in the cage, such as a rat-wheel. Also, make sure that your wheel isn't made of wire or mesh material, because this can cause bumblefoot.[citation needed]
- Locate the hamster's cage in a quiet place. Your hamster needs quiet to avoid stressing it with loud, sudden sounds. Keep the cage is out of the full sun, and do not keep hamster cages in a room where food is prepared.
- Be prepared for your hamster to live 2 to 3 years. The average age is about 2 years. Let your hamster sleep as it gets older, and be prepared for vet trips, as older hamsters are prone to illness. If you have young children, and an older hamster becomes sick, take care to explain to them that the hamster is very old and may not recover, rather than get their hopes up.
Settling Your Hamster into its New Home
- Bring your Syrian hamster home straight from the store without detours. Transfer the hamster from the carrier to the cage, which should be set up beforehand. Leave the hamster alone after you put it in its cage, so that it can explore its new home and become used to it.
- Start to interact with your hamster. After about 48 hours (2 days), slowly get to know how your hamster likes to be handled. Start by sitting down and talking to the hamster, in a calm, soothing voice, to get it used to your presence. When the hamster is awake and alert (so evening is the best time), try reaching in to stroke it.
- Hamsters are not aggressive by nature and do not usually attack unless provoked. However, they do have poor eyesight, so if your hand smells of food they may bite a finger assuming it's something to eat. So wash your hands first. For this reason, it is a bad idea to hand feed hamsters, since they can confuse where the smell of the food is coming from and accidentally nibble your finger.
- One option is to place a treat in the cage, (on a spoon) and whilst the hamster is eating his treat, gently stroke him. Take it slowly, let the hamster become used to you.
- Give your hamster time to get used to you before attempting to pick it up. Have short, non-aggressive interactions with the hamster several times a day until your pet is comfortable with you. Once the hamster accepts you stroking it, try scooping it gently into the palm of your hand. This may take a long time with aggressive females, but tame, friendly males will allow you to hold them after just a few days.
- The ideal time to wait before picking up your hamster and taking it out of the cage to play is two to three weeks.
- To hold your hamster, slide one hand under it and cup the other round the front of its body. Ensure you are gentle.
- You should never start by picking your hamster up! Try holding out treats for it. If the hamster is too shy to take it from your hands, just put the treat down and wait for the hamster to take it.
Feeding Your Hamster
- Choose appropriate foods and treats for your Syrian hamster. Hamsters need to be fed a good variety food, as well as the occasional treat. Commercial brand hamster foods, such as Hazel Hamster (Harry Hamster in the UK), are ideal. Because hamsters are hoarders, give a small quantity that you can be reasonably confident the hamster will eat quickly and not try to stash away.
- Make sure the nutritional values are: 17-22% protein, 4-6% fat, and 8-10% fiber.
- Some experts believe most hamster mixes are a little too low in protein to be perfectly balanced for the average Syrian hamster.[citation needed] It is a good idea to give your hamster the odd treat of hard boiled egg or cheese, cat food, or mealworms. Small bits of cooked chicken or scrambled egg are good sources of protein and may be given daily.
- If the hamster does not take any excess treats away to eat later within 24 hours time, remove any uneaten goodies.
- Avoid feeding your hamster foods that are not good for it. For instance, never give your hamster seeds with husks. The sharp pointed seed husks may hurt the delicate lining of the cheek pouch.
- Also avoid giving foods with a high moisture content (cucumber or lettuce), since these are liable to have a laxative effect on the hamster's digestive system.
- Provide the hamster with clean, fresh drinking water. Make this available at all times. A sipper bottle is ideal since this doesn't get contaminated with bedding or food in the same way a bowl does. Make sure to check the water level every day, so that your hamster never gets dehydrated.
- Wash the inside with a bottle brush. It may look clean, but the inside of the bottle will become coated with harmful bacteria.
- Use a hamster approved water bottle.
- Filtered water is best, but tap is fine - as long as you dechlorinate the water, either by using dechlorination liquid/tablets or by leaving the water out in the open over night.
- Provide chews to help file down the hamster's teeth. This prevents your hamster from having to chew on its cage bars and potentially damaging his or her teeth, and it prevents the teeth from becoming overgrown. To reduce the risk of teeth overgrowing, give your hamster dog biscuits, dry whole wheat macaroni, or wood from orchard trees, such as apple, pear, plum or cherry.
- Provide mineral/salt blocks.
Caring for Your Hamster
- Keep your hamster's cage clean. Hamster cages should be cleaned out completely every week to 2-3 weeks, depending on your hamster and needs.
- Wash out bowls and water bottle at the same time as cleaning the cage. Dust and rinse all items of the cage. Dry everything and fill the cage with fresh wood shavings, bedding, food, and water. Put all the items back in the cage and clip the top back on. A clean cage makes your Syrian hamster happy and healthy.
- Try giving your hamster a "hamster toilet," which is a plastic litter pan with a hood that fits snugly into the corner of the cage. Use the special hamster litter which you can purchase from pet stores, and clean the toilet every other day. Hamsters generally catch on quickly as to what the hamster toilet area is for, since instinct tells them to use one corner for toileting, and the confines of the toilet help them to feel secure.
They should also be "spot cleaned," by removing fresh foods and cleaning toilet areas, each day, depending on the size and type of cage. To clean the cage, take the top off and empty all the dirty bedding and wood shavings and old food into a dustbin. Scrape out all the other remains. Go over the cage with a pet-made disinfectant, then dry it with tissues or kitchen roll, if preferred.
- Relocate the hamster while you clean its cage. Disinfect the cage properly and change the bedding before putting your hamster back in. While you clean the cage, you can put your pet in a hamster ball and have someone supervise it.
- The hamster ball must be the right size. Most balls are only 6" wide, so most are too small for Syrian hamsters. Get a larger 10" ball at a minimum.
- Or, put the hamster in a pen, supervised, so it cannot escape. Cleaning the cage too often can cause stress; this does not mean do not clean your cage, rather, just clean it every other week and remember spot cleaning is your best friend.
- Give your hamster lots of love. Syrian hamsters are the most friendly and sociable of the hamster family. They should receive attention everyday, but excessive handling can actually cause stress in Syrian hamsters, which can result in bad health. Handle your hamster for 10 minutes at a time, a couple times a day, and then spend time tidying up its cage, watching it run, dig, and burrow.
- Be aware your hamster will be sleepy during the day, and most likely to be active at night. So, the best time to socialize is in the evening.
- Keep your hamster happy with toys. You can buy toys at the pet store or make homemade ones. Never give rubber or non-digestible toys that the hamster could chew small pieces off and swallow. These are likely to cause a bowel obstruction.
- Take care when waking your hamster. Most hamsters are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. Wake up your hamster slowly to prevent scaring your little friend. Some hamsters can nip if they are woken up roughly. Allow your hamster at least 30 minutes to wake up, let it get something to eat and drink and go potty before taking it out of its cage.
- Visit the vet when needed. Rush your hamster to the veterinarian clinic if the fur under its tail is always wet, if it shows signs of a cold, if it has lumps or bumps on its body, or it has gone off its food, water and playing times completely. In addition, you should take your hamster to the vet if it has watery eyes, has runny droppings (diarrhea), its teeth have broken, or if its claws need clipping.
- Vets have got special clippers for hamster claws and know exactly how to do it. It is safer and better to leave this to the experts rather than trying it by yourself at home. Hamsters can't run on their wheels very well if they have long claws, since that hurts for them!
Tips
- It doesn't matter what species of hamster you purchase. What matters is how it is handled when he or she is young. This will affect his or her personality for life.
- If your hamster is not fond of you holding it, try putting some shavings on your hand and letting it climb on to you.
- Hamsters like to be played with. When playing with them, try to think of new activities so they don't get bored.
- Hamster teeth never stop growing and chew toys help to keep their teeth at the proper length. For toys, paper towel/toilet paper rolls are good, as long as your hamster can fit through them. Safe wood blocks are good as well.
- If you have cats or dogs, make sure that the cage or housing has a secure locking door. Hamsters are nocturnal (active at night) and attract the attention of other pets. It may be easy to protect your hamster while you're awake but impossible while you're asleep.
- It might be tempting to play and cuddle with your hamster as soon as it arrives, but remember, they need time to get adjusted. If they bite then it's to be blamed on human behavior and not on hamster nastiness.
- When your hamster doesn't want to be held, maybe he doesn't trust you. You can build trust by interacting with him more, and spending quality time together. The more you know the hamster, the more you love it!
- If you can't find a big enough hamster cage or tank, gerbil cages are great for hamsters. These are usually much better than traditional hamster cages because they are typically more spacious and more durable.
Warnings
- Wash your hands before and after handling your hamster.
- Some vegetables are harmful for hamsters. Never feed them raw iceberg lettuce, kidney beans, onions, raw potatoes, or rhubarb. Anything you are unsure about should generally be avoided.
- If your hamster doesn't get fed often, it may get aggressive and bite.
- Don't house your hamster with another Syrian hamster. They are a solitary and territorial species and will most likely fight. While not all Syrians housed together will fight to the death, they will become stressed and their immunity will be lowered. Injured hamsters tend to stop eating and drinking.
- To prevent illness, only introduce new foods to your hamster in very small quantities, such as half a teaspoon. Then, see if your hamster reacts well to it.
- Look out for diseases. If your hamster is not normally looking or acting like a bright, lively hamster, or if its fur is oily or bald in some spots, it is best to go to a vet and see what they have to say.
Related Articles
- Make Hamster Food, Water and Bedding Choices
- Learn When to Separate Hamsters
- Make a Hamster Playground
- Train Your Hamster Basic Tricks
Sources and Citations
- ↑ Small Animal Nutrition. Sandie Agar. publisher: Butterworth Heinemann.
- Best Bedding and Litter for your Hamster. The Celia Haddon Trust
- ↑ Rodent and Rabbit Medicine. Laird & Flecknell. Butterworth-Heinemann.
- http://www.chahamsters.org/hamsterhealth.html