Tuesday, November 6, 2012

An Introduction to Hamsters

By Paul Hill


Hamsters have been referenced all through history since the late 1700s although Syrian Hamsters are believed to have been discovered in the Syrian Desert in 1839. Amidst worries of possible extinction human intervention created a reproduction program designed to regenerate the population. The program was extremely effective and the world-wide pet population of hamsters is thought to have originated from a single brother and sister pairing.

There are many different breeds of hamster. Golden, Chinese, Roborovski and Russian are to name but a few. All of which make great pets, but it is the Golden, also known as the Syrian hamster that is most popular.

Inside our homes hamsters will often be kept in cages, so consideration of breed and exactly how many are going to be kept alongside one another will depend on the size of their environment. The majority of hamsters prefer to live on their own, if housed together they might become very stressed and could fight fiercely, perhaps even to the death. Dwarf hamsters however tolerate company far better, with Russian dwarf hamsters actually becoming depressed if split up. If a hamster is kept on their own their cage should be filled with toys, such as balls, tubes and wheels to make sure they're mentally stimulated and exercised.

Hamsters are omnivores. In the wild they survive on seeds, nuts and small insects. Tamed hamsters can live just on commercial hamster food and other items such as fruit and vegetables. Hamsters are food hoarders, and choose to carry their food in their roomy food pouches within their cheeks. When their cheeks are full, their heads can double and often triple in size.

Like other small animals, hamster teeth constantly grow, so they should be provided with things to gnaw on to help grind them down. Hard dog biscuits or various wood chews are ideal. If the teeth do become too long the hamster wouldn't be able to eat, a visit to the vets would then be required to sort the problem out.




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