Saturday, May 22, 2010

What are some things i should no about hamsters?


Answers:
All Syrian hamsters (including Teddy Bears, which are named that simply because they have long-hair, but in reality they're genetically the same as short-haired Syrian hamsters) are descended from a small number of hamsters that were brought from the Syrian desert in the 1930's. Knowing that they are desert animals explains a lot of their behaviours...
-they are nocturnal. They are most active (and noisy!) at night. Unless you can sleep through a freight-train, don't keep the cage in your bedroom. If you gently wake your hamster up at the same time each day, especially with some yummy treats and friendly conversation, you will find that the hamster will start changing his/her schedule to wake up at that time.
-they store food. Hamster have cheek pouches in which they can cram all sorts of food into, to carry back into their nest. Because they evolved in a desert, they lived in a land where they hand to travel great distances to find food. They would store the food in their cheek pouches and then take it back to the nest, and add it to their hoarde. When you clean a hamster's nest, you will find all sorts of food stored away. When you're cleaning the cage, just throw it out because your hammy has already eaten the best.. add new food into the cage at this point.
-They are escape artists. If they had a cage the size of a foot-ball field, a hamster would STILL try to escape. It's not personal, it's just how they are. They can run miles on their wheel at night, but given the choice, they'd rather get out and see what the world has to offer them.
-You've heard the analogies of rabbits and many babies? Hamsters are MORE fertile than rabbits. Hamster pups can have babies at 21 days old. It takes about 16 days of gestation, they can have litters of 10 or more pups, and then the cycle begins again. If you end up with a male-female combo, and you let them spend time together, prepare to have a lot of hamsters in the near future.
-Hamsters are solitairy animals. While they may seem friendly when living in pairs, but they will be extremely territorial and fight bloody fights in the overnight hours.
The fact that their grammar and spelling is better than yours.
they are esacpe artists! dont let it down if theres somewhere it can crawl or get out. its happened to me before, but thankfully i found him, he got out of his cage! smart little thing! he went out of my room and into the living room and was hiding under my couch. my dog found him.
God Bless!
they wander off of decks so be careful.
their lifespan is two years or less
THEY ARE USUALLY QUITE LOVEABLE EXCEPT DWARF HAMSTERS! BUT THEY LOVE TO ROLL AROUND IN THOSE BALLS AND THEY ARE LESS OF A FUSS THAN GUINEA PIGS AND RABBITS ~ I HAVE A GUINEA PIG MYSELF! AND I HAVE HAD TONS OF FRIENDS WITH HAMSTERS ALSO NEVER HANDLE THEM WITH GLOVES IT FREAKS THEM OUT ~ MY FRIEND DID AND IT ALWAYS BIT HER SO FINALLY I JUST PICKED IT UP AND IT WAS AS LOVING AS COULD BE! HOPE THIS HELPS!!
If you get two, make sure you know exactly what their sex is if you plan to put them in the same cage otherwise you will have unexpected babies..
I learned the hard way
Do not let them near any type of electrical wires, dont let them out in the house unless you are watching them 100% of the time, keep them in a room thats very calm and not many people walking through it in a day, they need toys to play with, they LOVE to nap.
http://www.aspca.org/site/docserver/hams...
this site should do it
Hamsters are tiny, nocturnal rodents covered from head to toe with different colours of fur. They are great pets to keep in a cage and are easy to take care of. If you would like to tame your hamster the best time to do so is when he is still young. The older he gets the harder it will be to make him trust people. Start by talking to your hamster and do not pick him up until you are sure he isn鈥檛 frightened of you. Hamsters will bite when they are frightened so be careful. If he shows any signs of being stressed, leave and try stroking him after a while. Cup your hands gently around the hamster to pick him up, or pick him up at the scruff of the neck, the way the mother hamsters will carry her babies when they are still young. It will take about three to four weeks to tame a hamster so be patient. Hamsters need a cage, food, water, a hiding place, toys and soft bedding materials. Etc... (see link below -- it's in the middle of the page.)
I hope this helps. :)
Get everything ready in advance of collecting your new hamster. Remember if he is very young, he will find everything very strange from the minute he leaves his mother and home. He will be lonely and will miss his mother, brothers and sisters. If you take a little time to prepare for his arrival, you will make it easier for him to settle in.
Hamster Shopping List
Cage
Wood shavings to line the floor
Paper bedding
Earthenware dish
Water bottle
Hamster mix
Hamster toys

Some thought must be given where the cage is to be positioned: Make sure the cage is out reach of any other pets, which could frighten or upset him.
It should be in a room that has a constant temperature, away from draughts and direct sunlight.
Cover the floor of the cage with sawdust or woodshavings and supply some soft bedding material. Fluffy cotton wool type bedding should be avoided as this can cause harm if eaten by the hamster.
The cage should be cleaned out a least once a week, more often if the litter becomes damp. He will keep a corner of his cage for urinating in and this area should be cleaned out daily. Some owners put a glass jar on its side in this spot and find their hamster does the toilet in this, thereby keeping the cage clean and dry. If your hamster learns to do this, the jar must be cleaned and washed out daily. When you clean the cage, you will find stored-away food, take some of this away but please do not remove it all as this will upset your hamster and he will spend a lot of time looking for it. Your hamster will spend time making his bed with the paper bedding material, so when you are cleaning out the cage, take care not to disturb this area too much.
A heavy earthenware dish is ideal for his feed as he will not be able to knock it over easily or indeed chew it! A water bottle is the best way to make sure that his water stays clean and fresh all day. Please remember to change the water every day.
Many cages have hamster wheels already fitted, but if not, please make sure you get one as it provides an excellent way for him to exercise. When the hamster is running in the wheel its spine must not be curved, if it is then this indicates that the wheel is too small for the hamster and you may need to buy a larger wheel. Buying a clear plastic ball or see-saw tube is another way to let him exercise in safety.
Lastly, choose a name for your hamster, for he will soon learn it and respond to it!
If your hamster arrives in a box, open it carefully. He will probably have burrowed down into the bedding, so please be careful not to give him a fright just in case he gives you a nip.
As soon as he is home, put him in his cage and leave him in peace for a couple of days to settle in. By all means, speak to him quietly when you are feeding him, but on the whole, he needs time to explore the cage, deciding where to have his nest, toilet and food storage area.
Hamsters normally sleep during the day and come to life at night, so it is best to feed them in the evening. Never poke a sleeping hamster or it may result in you getting bitten!
It may take a while for him to get used to being handled. Once he has settled in, it is best to start stroking him in his cage and talking to him gently so that he becomes used to you and your voice.
Your pet will soon become tame and affectionate if you handle him often but it is important to do this properly.
Always handle him when you are sitting down so that if he tries to jump he will not fall too far and hurt himself. Have him facing you and scoop him up using both hands. Let him walk from one hand to the other and, should he try to jump never squeeze him tightly.
Hamsters wash and groom themselves regularly and, in doing so, keep themselves very clean and presentable. The longer-haired varieties can be brushed with an old soft toothbrush to remove shavings.
If you decide to let your hamster run about loose, you must always watch what he is doing as he can cause a lot of damage by chewing electric cables and furniture. Before letting him out, please make sure other pets, which could hurt him or frighten him, are locked out of the room. Always remember, hamsters are good at escaping and disappearing! So again make sure you watch him carefully when he is out and about!
It is not advisable to let your hamster loose outside as he could easily be hurt by other animals or birds or eat unsuitable plants which could harm him.
Hamster talk
Teeth Chattering This means your hamster is annoyed and he should be left alone as handling him could result in you getting bitten.

Standing and staring If he stands on his hind legs and stares, something has caught his attention and he is listening keenly. Hamsters' hearing is excellent and they can hear sounds that we humans cannot.

Gnawing Hamsters' teeth grow continuously so they must gnaw on apple wood, hard biscuits or the bars of the cage to stop them from overgrowing.

Side rubbing Hamsters will sometimes rub their sides against areas of their cage in order to mark their territory.

Digging It is natural for hamsters to dig and if you can give them a box filled with sand, he will love you to bits!
As you can see from the above, owning a hamster involves responsibilities as well as pleasures but if you follow this advice you will have a well-behaved, contented hamster who is a joy to own and who will repay the time and effort you have made many times over.
They are nocturnal and they are soooooooo sweet and cute!! They are soo much fun!! NEVER USE CEDAR OR PINE SHAVINGS FOR THERE BEDDING USE CAREFRESH IT IS THE BEST BEDDING YOU CAN GET!!. you should never wake up a sleeping hamster or they will bite. be very patient with them and be very gentle! For first time hamster owners i would recomend getting a Syrian hamster ( teddy bear hamster) Never have more than one hamster in one cage unless they ae dwarf hamsters If you have any questions plz email me at www.christina_connelley@yahoo.
Hope this helps!!!
PLZ READ ALL I SAID
Hamsters are always trying to escape. You need to make sure that their cage is always closed tight because they could escape. Also you should know that hamsters sleep during the day and are awake all night. So if it stays in your room you'll be able to hear him in the night, but you'll soon get use to it, i had a hamster and i got use to it being awake in the night. good luck! =]

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