As a child, most of us grew up with hamsters or friends who had hamsters. Even our children are fascinated with the small fuzzy creatures. There are many types of hamsters, dwarf, Syrian, Russian, Chinese, and hybrid. The hamster is a burrower so they prefer to have lots of bedding to hide under as well as tubes to create little nests in. The most difficult aspect of hamsters is telling if they are female or male and being wrong. Who has bought two hamsters thinking they were the same gender and ending up with ten hamsters? I certainly have.
A lot of biologists and geneticists use hamsters and other rodents to show genetic possibilities. In genetics, we often discuss the genome and how genes are dispersed in relation to eye color, hair color, and other traits. When you have hamsters as pets you are seeing this first hand. I had one gold hamster and one white hamster. When they bred I ended up with several color traits from gold, white, black, white and black to many more. Half the fun for kids is seeing the baby hamsters grow up with different colors. It can be a great science project for school as well as having a wonderful pet.
Hamsters are relatively easy to take care of. You can feed them hamster food, vegetables, and little hamster treats to give them a good life. The bedding should be changed weekly or twice a week depending upon how many hamsters you have. The downside to hamsters is their short lives. Most live only a year or two making it difficult on the younger children.
There are lots of hamster accessories from tubes to wheels. Hamsters like other pets need to have exercise so giving them wheels to run on or having a hamster ball to run around the house in is good for them. The tubing and cages come in a variety of colors to add to a child’s fun. You can create straight pathways to other larger home areas or curve them around to reenter the same cage. Most of the caging is plastic and your hamster will try to chew or claw there way free. You will want to monitor their activity when you clean the cage to make sure they are not producing a hole. Some hamster owners go with a metal wire cage with tiny slits to avoid the chewing escape. Your preference will determine the type of accessories you purchase.
Handling hamsters should be kept to a minimum and you should always wash your hand before and after. Hamsters can have a tendency to bite if they are not handled at least once a day or if they become scared. Be cautious with little children.
Hamsters are a lot of fun for all ages whether you have a budding scientist or just want an easy pet your child can care for. You will want to make sure you feed your hamster properly by not over feeding them while maintaining proper exercise. When your hamsters procreate, you will want to separate out the mother and children from the rest of the crew. A cautionary note before concluding this article: dwarf hamsters are very susceptible to infections with cedar chips because it can tear holes in their tiny mouths.
June Sabe
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-care-for-a-hamster-743579.html
How do you care for a dwarf hamster?
I’ve had syrians before, and I understand basic hamster care, but I want to get a Campbell Dwarf hamster. So, should I get one or two? Also, is dwarf hamster care different then syrian hamster care?
Well, as far as care, dwarf hamsters are very much like other hamsters. They generally need their cages cleaned regurally, they always need a fresh water supply, and food should be available at all times. They are also most likely to come out and eercise in the middle of the night, so a silent wheel is a good idea.
As far as whether to get one or two, either option is good. Dwarf hamsters are very social, and they really prefer being in groups of two. At the same time, if you want a stronger bond with a hamster, it’s a better idea to go for one. Two hamsters will bond more with each other and less with you. Either way, dwarf hamsters are sweet animals and really great pets.
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I kept them in a cage with a snow white rat, and fed them red apples. I am serious.
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exactly the same as other hamsters but need more handling because their more prone to nibble.
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i really believe dwarfs are the best because of my personal experiences.though, they kinda stink.Remember everything depends on your budget, your home, your lifestyle, and if there are any vets in the area who could take care of your hammy in case of emergency.It also depends which one you find cuter, ( seems silly, but actually when it comes down to it it counts) and what your parents like, ( or if you live alone,)So really it depends on you.You always wanna find the one that really suits your personality too.;) thinking about all these things makes for a responsible owner.You also have to think about the cage. hamsters of all sorts are MASTER escape artists(i tell this to everyone) so find the perfest cage.I don’t reccomend crittertrail, just because my hamsters always escape.So find the right cage because thats a big part of it too.Then think excersice and toys.Your hamster have some toys and a sturdy silent wheel i say silent because hamsters are nocturnal and if its in your own room, when you go to sleep its very loud.You should get it an excersice ball to.Then comes food and shedding.Hamsters take lots of droppings in their shedding and i reccomend carfresh because its biodegradable good for the enviroment, fun colors and soft on your hammy.also hypo allergenic.Whatever you do never use sawdust, its bad for hamsters.Then for food and standard hammy mix is fine.Don’t overfeed your hammy.it could get fat thats not good.Remember clean the cage at lest once a week.For cleaning hammys, you don’t really have to because theyclean themselves.Robos are very energetic too.A random tip- don’t have your hammy in your hand and go to a dark room or light room.just because it freaks the hammy out.Also hammys are nocturnal, which i mentioned before so just be aware.All these i items i mentioned could be foun on amazon.com or ebay. Remember hammys are not all that cheap!
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heyy
ive been doing loads of research on dwarf hamsters because i really want one. basically the care is really similar to syrian hamsters but dwarf hamsters need a little bit more attention as when syrian hamsters are tamed they stay tame forever even if you ignore them but with dwarf hamsters once tamed if ignored they become wild again and will bite you and be less friendly, they need to be handled at least once a day for 10 minutes so they get used to you and stay tamed.
personally, i think you should get one dwarf hamster because most people who get two have to separate them because they fight and that means buying another cage and more toys etc. because they may be separated anyway and are usually a lot calmer when separated i suggest just buying one which will avoid stress and possible damage to your hamsters health because of the fighting. many people say that having one is mean because they will get lonely but the hamsters that were separated from fighting and live on their own seem just fine on their own. if you give it enough toys and attention having one will be just fine!
good luck with whatever decision you make!
love felicity
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meeeeeeee!!!
A dwarf hamster is much smaller in size, so the exercise wheel would be smaller and more gauged to their size, without rungs! One dwarf is fine on it’s own. If you chose to get two, best that they know each other from a very early age, and that the cage you supply for them, has plenty of room with a hiding spot for each. Prepare if necessary, to have another cage should they fight.
Keep in mind, if you do select a wire cage, as they are smaller in size that it will be need to be gauged to their size so they cannot escape through or get stuck! An aquarium with a breathable lid can make a great home.
There is a lot more info at the website.
Good luck with your new pet!
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http://www.DwarfHamsterGuide.com