The Syrian hamster is a small in size and furry pet, which is the favorite of many children and adults. The behavior of the rodent is friendly towards the person, therefore, such a pet can be brought up even in those houses where young children live.
What are the characteristics of a furry pet? How to properly care for him? How to feed a hamster and which cage to choose? Look for answers to these and some other questions in our material.
Features
The Syrian hamster is one of the most common representatives among rodents, which is usually kept at home. The animal has certain features, which should be discussed in more detail.
First of all, veterinarians and biologists distinguish such an unusual characteristic of the Syrian hamster as the changed number of fingers: on the front legs there are 4, and on the hind legs - 5. In addition, it is important to note that often rodents of this species have an aesthetically pleasing fur, which is traditionally painted in golden color. Hamsters can also be beige, black, brown, etc. Moreover, the color can be either homogeneous (consisting of one color) or include several tones and midtones at once.
Among other things, another unusual characteristic of rodents of the Syrian breed is the length of the coat. So, emit short-haired, long-haired and even smooth-haired individuals. Moreover, in females the coat is much shorter than in males.
The birthplace of this animal is Syria (where the name of the breed comes from).Later, the hamster was brought to the UK, and from there it spread throughout the world, including our country.
If we talk about the biological characteristics of the rodent, it is important to note that the length of his body usually does not exceed 12 centimeters in the wild and 20 centimeters at home. Weight varies depending on the sex of the rodent: females can weigh up to 140 grams, and the mass of males, in turn, usually does not exceed the figure of 125 grams. However, there are exceptions, the weight of which reaches 200 grams.
The huge advantage of Syrian hamsters is their predisposition to contact with people. For this reason, cute fluffy rodents are often the first pets of small children.
How to choose a cell?
First of all, it is important to note that you need to keep a hamster at home in a large and spacious cage. In no case cans, cardboard boxes and other improvised containers be used for these purposes. Such conditions for the rodent are considered unfavorable and can cause stress, aggression, etc.
It is also worth remembering that a Syrian hamster is an animal that leads a nocturnal lifestyle. Therefore, putting a cage with a rodent is not worth it in the bedroom - your pet will interfere with sound sleep. On the other hand, the hamster itself also does not tolerate loud noises, so it does not suit him in the kitchen, where household appliances are constantly working, or in the living room, where the TV works. The solution to the problem of accommodation can be the transfer of cells from one room to another during the day.
In general, the cage for the rodent should be quite spacious. Size should allow the hamster to move freely around his home. Also, the dimensions depend on how many additional elements you plan to install inside the cell.
As for the optional accessories, the hamster needs:
- dishes for food and drinkers;
- place for the toilet;
- running wheel;
- house;
- the maze.
Moreover, it is important to pay attention to the arrangement of these objects: the best option is the case when all the elements are located a few centimeters from each other, and places for toilet and food are at different ends of the cell. Thus, the cell will meet all the necessary conditions for the content of the rodent.
How and what to feed?
Since Syrian hamsters can be found not only at home, but also in nature, the diet of the animal should be based on its natural habits. In this regard, the main volume of food of the animal should be seeds, cereals and herbs.
Zoological stores sell a huge variety of mixtures suitable for feeding a hamster. Usually they contain not only the main feed, but also additional elements in the form of minerals, vitamins, and other substances useful to the body.
If you want to make food yourself, you can do it, mixing oats, millet, corn kernels and sunflower seeds. Periodically, you can enter the hamster’s diet fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables and berries.
A common disease of Syrian hamsters is diabetes, so try to avoid too sweet foods in its feed.
Among other things, protein should also be part of the nutrition of a Syrian rodent. Your pet can get this healthy substance from foods such as egg white, chicken breast and white fish.
Do not forget also daily replenish water for a hamster drinker.
How to care?
The Syrian hamster must be carefully and carefully looked after. Moreover, this should begin to be done already from the moment you have acquired a rodent. It should be remembered that Syrian animals are very sensitive to various kinds of stress.
Therefore, he requires special attention in the first days after the purchase and change of residence. During this period, it is important to protect the hamster from any noise and a large number of people.The animal needs to be given the opportunity to get comfortable in his new home. If you neglect these rules, you can provoke aggression. For the same reasons you can not wake up animals during sleep.
Care should include hygiene procedures to clean the hamster. However, in this regard, you must immediately consider that a hamster should never be bathed in water. Water procedures should be avoided.
Usually the animal takes care of its hygienic condition on its own. However, many veterinarians recommend putting a small tray in the cage with clean and sanitized sand, which will allow your pet to clean his coat on his own (this sand can be purchased at any zoological store). If you notice that the hamster’s hair has become contaminated, which it cannot handle on its own, then clean its hair with damp cotton pads or napkins.
To prevent your pet’s hair from getting dirty, regularly clean the cage. Pay particular attention to the removal of food and feces. It is believed that a rodent cell should be cleaned at least once every 3 days.
Disease and treatment
In case of non-compliance with the necessary conditions of detention and rules of care for the hamster, various diseases can occur. Most Syrian rodents are prone to such ailments:
- overweight and obesity;
- digestive tract disorders;
- eye problems
- skin diseases;
- injuries.
If the first, even the most insignificant signs of the disease appear, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. Ignoring or self-medication can lead to the death of your pet.
If you want to protect your pet in any way, then you should clearly follow all the instructions of the specialists and listen to the recommendations of veterinarians. Show love and care for your pet.
Breeding and offspring
Breeding Syrian rodents at home is a fairly popular activity among livestock breeders. However, it is worth noting that such activities can be quite difficult and costly (not only in terms of money, but also in terms of time).
In order to begin to cross rodents, several facts should be remembered. Do not cross animals from the same litter - this can cause a variety of genetic diseases and abnormalities in the offspring. For the same reason Crossbreeds should be purchased from different sellers.. In addition, the female and male should be approximately the same age.
Syrian hamsters puberty - 4-6 months. It is at this time that they can begin to produce offspring into the world. However, until this period, the female and the male should be kept separate - otherwise conflicts and fights may arise over the division of the territory. After mating, the animals should also be separated immediately.
The gestation period for a female special Syrian hamster lasts about 2 weeks. At this time, you should pay special attention to the diet of the pregnant woman - add more fresh fruits, vegetables and protein. After the female has given birth to babies, it is not necessary to carry out any care for newborns. On the contrary, they should not be touched. Otherwise, the mother may abandon her children, stop caring for them, and they will die.
For 14 days after giving birth, it is also not recommended to clean and clean the cage. Your task is to provide animals with water and food.
For more information on keeping Syrian hamsters at home, see the video below.
