Average Size: 4-5 inches

Lifespan: 2-3 years

Hygiene and Health: Hamsters require a constantly available water source. Water is very important to a hamsters well-being and they must have clean water at all times. If you observe your hamster throughout the day you will notice it going for short drinks numerous times. As the hamster care giver you have the choice between a water bottle or a water dish. For the extra few dollars a hamster water bottle is well worth the investment, as water dishes tend to become littered with shavings and other debris very fast. However, if you do decide to go with a water dish ensure that it is either ceramic or metal as hamsters will bite and ruin a plastic dish.

Except for long-haired hamsters, they do not require grooming by a human. Hamsters groom themselves on a regular basis. Long-haired hamsters require brushing only to remove shavings and other items that will get stuck in their fur. Some recommend that you have a dish of sand for the hamster to roll in. This will help them remove some of the natural oils from the coat and avoid them from becoming too greasy. It can actually adversely affect a hamster to bathe it. That will remove most of the natural oils that their fur has.

Handling your Hamster: When hamsters are handled carefully from a young age they rarely bite and generally do not mind being handled as they grow older. While frequent handling is a good idea be sure that you are extremely careful with them and that you do not handle the hamster excessively. If you notice that the hamster is trying to avoid your grasp it is time to place it gently back into its cage.

Sometimes children will be rough with the hamster when handling it which may cause it to bite and lose trust with human handling. A hamster can also gain this kind of personality if it is suddenly awakened or disturbed on a regular basis.

If you are unaware of the temperament of the hamster it is advised to use a glove or towel to pick the hamster up in the beginning until you can see how it handles it. Although they may be small creatures their bites can hurt and certainly draw blood.

Hamsters have pouches in their cheeks which they use to store food. Typically hamsters will walk up to their food dish and collect a large amount of food in these pouches. They will then walk away to a place where they feel safe and empty the food from their pouches and begin to eat.

Diet: hamster mix which is specially designed for hamsters. Hamster mix is usually made up from a variety of crushed grains and seeds. Do not feed your hamster any sort of mix designed for other animals. At the very least your hamster may not be as healthy as possible because it is not receiving the correct types and amounts of vitamins. Feeding your hamster the wrong type of food can also cause serious illnesses in your hamster. Beware when changing the type of hamster mix you are feeding your hamster, especially if you have been feeding it the same one for a while. Hamsters are very sensitive to changes in their diet. The best way to change their food is to make it a gradual change by mixing the two together for a week or so.

Fruits and vegetables are excellent foods for hamsters in small amounts. Never try to make the majority of your hamsters diet out of fruits and/or vegetables. Hamster mix should always be the primary source of their nutrition.

When first starting to feed your hamster fruits introduce it very slowly into their diet. If you notice any change in their behavior or if they appear to become sick stop feeding all fruits and vegetables. Once they have recovered completely you can begin to slowly introduce the fruits and vegetables back into their diet. There are many things they can eat such as Alfafa, Banana, Broccoli, Carrots, Celery, Chestnuts, Cranberries, Cress, Grapes, Green Beans, Papaya, Strawberries, Sweetcorn, Sweet Peppers, Turnip, Watermelon, etc.

Habitat: There are many variations of terrariums and cages available at pet stores for Hamsters or other small rodents. Often you will find cages which have many add-on parts avalable to change the configuration of the cage or connect two together. This provides you with the ability to create a unique environment for your hamsters. A hamster wheel is a great addition to any terrarium and will ensure there is a way for your hamsters to exercise.

Species Specific Info :

Chinese Hamsters

The Chinese hamster is almost as small as a dwarf hamster but is not actually classified as one. Male Chinese hamsters are slightly larger than their female counterparts and reach sizes of approximately 10 cm in length. They very closely resemble the look and shape of mice which is one reason they are not as popular as Russian or Syrian hamsters. Chinese hamsters are known for being very timid by nature and frequently dart across their cage if they are attempted to be handled. They are however very good natured in the sense that they rarely bit humans. In order to help reduce their timidness they should be frequently handled from a young age. This will help them become accustomed to the touch of a human.

European Hamsters

European Hamsters are actually so large that they are comparable in seize to most guinea pigs . Because of their size, in the past they have been trapped and caught merely for their fur. In the wild they are found in areas with short grass such as meadows, fields and some farmland. These hamsters can actually live to be 8 years old or in some cases more. This is in quite a contrast to most other hamsters who rarely live past 3 years of age.

Syrian Hamsters

Syrian Hamsters are known for being one of the few hamster species that cannot tolerate being in the same cage as others. Syrian Hamsters seem to be the most popular pet hamster and is distinguishable from other hamsters due to its very short tail.

Syrian Hamsters are nocturnal meaning they sleep during the day. Usually the wake up in the late evening and become active throughout the night. Like most hamsters they go to their food dish and place a large amount of food in the pouches in their mouth and walk away to an area in which they feel safe to eat. The Syrian Hamster can actually carry up to half of its body weight in these pouches!

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