HAMSTERS!

It's Friday folks and time to talk about pets!

The cricetinos are a subfamily of rodents, commonly known as Hamsters. Nineteen current species have been identified, grouped into seven genera. Most are from the Middle East and the southeastern United States. All species are characterized by expandable bags, called pockets, located inside the mouth and ranging from the cheeks to the shoulders. Being very easy to breed in captivity, they are widely used as pets. 

CHARACTERISTICS

• Life expectancy: One and a half to three years, although cases are known in which they have lived up to four years, but it depends on the species.
• Adult weight: 30-40 gr Russian hamster; 100-180 gr golden hamster.
• Length: 8-10 cm Russian hamster; 15-18 cm golden hamster.
• Sexual maturity: They complete it at two and a half months.
• Enter heat stage: (after two months) every four days.
• Gestation time: between eighteen and twenty-one days for Russians and fifteen to seventeen days for golden hamsters.
• Calves per calving: average of seven to eight. Cases of nineteen offspring have been known.
• Weaning age: between three and four weeks.

DWARF HAMSTER

There are four types of dwarf hamster that are raised as pets:

1. China Dwarf hamster
2. The Russian Dwarf Hamster
3. Campbell's Dwarf Hamster
4. Roborovski Dwarf hamster

 GOLDEN OR SYRIAN HAMSTER

The best-known hamster is the golden (or Syrian) hamster. The Angora hamster also belongs to the species of golden hamsters, but, contrary to these, it has a long coat.

CARE OF A HAMSTER

They eat daily and their home should be clean with enough water to keep them hydrated. They have to exercise on a daily basis with exits outside the cage and they must have entertainment inside it.

A wheel in the cage helps them exercise every day, you must change the bed of it cage at least every three days to avoid the appearance of germs and bad odors. At least once a year you must clean the cage completely and thoroughly including its accessories, for this, take your Hamster out to play so he can't experience discomfort cleaning.

Change the water daily since if they feel that it is not fresh they will not drink it and they can become dehydrated, also if you do not use a drinking fountain with a spout but instead an open container can easily get dirty by all the movement of the Hamster at night.

FOOD FOR HAMSTER

In pet shops you will find a wide variety of complete hamster food made from different types of grains, petals, dried herbs and fruits, try to have a low proportion of nuts, oily seeds and wheat. In addition to a quality diet, you can bring joy to your little one with snacks such as a piece of pepper or half a slice of cucumber, a small slice of carrot, or a raisin.

These little snacks are irresistible to hamsters and with a little patience, they may even eat from your hand. To satisfy the need for animal protein, you can offer, two or three times a week, a dried cricket, a mealworm or curd.

The hamster as a pet: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Buying a hamster costs very little money, but like dogs and cats they are living things and have needs and requirements. They are not suitable for testing whether children are responsible with pets, as they are very fragile and must be supervised so that they have the best quality time.

Hamsters are also not for adults who do not dare have a cat or a dog, hamsters need a caregiver who takes their needs seriously, who respects their desire for peace and retirement during the day and who does not bother the noise at night, it is when they are full of energy and scamper around the cage.

Even if you are one of those people who does not need much sleep, you should not put the hamster cage in your bedroom. Unlike dogs or cats, these animals do not need closeness, when buying one you must give it adaptation time, so that it knows its surroundings and trusts you, you will be able to bring your hand to smell it but do not force it to love you by touching it from the beginning.

I personally had a Russian Hamster named Arrow, he was a beauty, super intelligent, but at first it was difficult to gain his trust and let me touch him, but after a month and a half he was no longer afraid of my hand on the cage, he let me hold him for short periods of time and he liked to run my body on the floor, like I was a mountain that I had to cross or something hahaha.

That's Him :)

I left his cage open at night to run around the apartment, but I did not have it in my room but in the living room so that the noise it made did not disturb me at dawn, if he like a specific place of the house will make a nest with food, since it is their way of saying that they are comfortable there and it is a safe area for them.

If you like pets, and you can't have a dog or cat around where you live, hamsters are a great choice. They are smart, playful, and quite friendly but keep in mind that hamsters are nocturnal animals, they sleep during the day and are active at night, you just have to keep it with toys to keep them busy.

XOXO Li.