There is a saying that a hamster is an animal for a child – small, not too troublesome and having low requirements. Nothing could be more wrong! The consequence of stereotypes is, unfortunately, that most hamsters in our country live in bad conditions that completely ignore their basic needs. Do you want to avoid this? We are happy to help!
Hamster species
Not everyone knows that the European hamster lives wild in the south of Poland, which is under strict species protection – we are more familiar with the smaller species of hamsters from Asia that we keep in our homes: the Syrian hamsters, the Dzungarian and Roborowski hamsters. Lesser-known domestic pets are the Chinese and Campbell’s hamsters. Due to the similarity of Dzungarian hamsters and Campbell, we most often meet them in the form of hybrids – “hybrids”. We do not distinguish breeds in hamsters – they are separate species, and within them we can distinguish different types of hair structure and colors. The average hamster lives about 2-2.5 years; three-year-olds are very rare. We keep hamsters singly – they are loners; the other individual would be constantly harassed, and a possible dispute could result in serious injury or even death!
Who is the hamster for and where to get it?
Hamsters of all species are active in the evenings and at night, less often in the morning. Some of them wake up at 7 p.m., but there are some that will get up only after midnight. Such activity is their feature – you cannot and should not try to change it, you cannot wake a hamster and disturb him, because stress will shorten his life. These animals like to move, they will appreciate the night runs in a secured enclosure and any new entertainment we give them. They spend long hours on a spinning wheel, digging in deep litter and caring for their fur – and when bored they will make our lives miserable with great pleasure by nibbling the bars of the cage … They are great companions for night owls – adults and older teenagers. Contrary to appearances and stereotypes, hamsters are not good companions for children – they become active when the little ones are already asleep. They are delicate – they require careful treatment as well as a skilled eye that will spot the first symptoms of a possible disease. Of course, nothing prevents a hamster from living in a house with children – they can help by changing water, preparing food, helping with cleaning or building toys – but you need a prudent parent who will explain the needs of the pet to your toddler.
Do you want to know more? The full version of the article is available at www.petsworld.com.pl
