The most common type of domestic hamsters at present is the Syrian hamster , which has a pleasant golden fur. It was discovered as far back as the nineteenth century in the Arabian desert, and in the early twentieth century British professor Izrael Aharoni, during the expedition to Syria, managed to catch a hamster with an offspring, and from that moment hamsters were raised at home.
When these animals were kept at home, it became clear that the Syrian hamsters were hardy, unpretentious and very fertile. Adult hamster reaches a length of 8 cm, it is very mobile, non-aggressive and curious. The hamster has two most developed senses: hearing and smelling. Sometimes a hamster's owner can watch his pet stand on its hind legs, sniff and sniff, as if asking: "What's happening now?" The developed sense of smell allows the hamster to quickly learn to recognize the owner by smell, especially if he spends enough time with him.
A good owner even before the acquisition will learn all the needs of his pet, which will create a hamster as comfortable as possible for living.
Golden Syrian hamsters are best kept in metal or mesh cages, the size of which for a pair of hamsters should be at least 40x30x30 cm. Be sure to put a drinking bowl inside the cell, into which, if necessary, it is convenient to add liquid vitamins and special additives. It would be superfluous to install a special box for toilet equipment in the cage, which will simplify the cleaning of the host and minimize the risk of an unpleasant smell.
And the hamster will be very happy if you put a wheel in his home, because hamsters are very smart animals and like to run in the wheel, stopping from time to time, running out of the wheel and looking around. In addition, such jogging is extremely useful for the hamster's body, because they give him the necessary physical load, which will avoid your pet a lot of diseases.
Filler for the cage and toilet can be sawdust, pressed wood or cellulose filler, hay, unpainted paper napkins, paper towels, toilet paper. It is strictly forbidden to use cotton wool for the filler. In it, the hamster can get confused, damage or even break the foot, and if swallowed, it damages the intestines. Also, do not use newsprint to fill a hamster's cage - it is very stiff, and printing ink contains poisonous substances.
Particular attention should be given to the location of the cage - this should be a warm, dry place without drafts, which the hamster is very afraid of. However, the place should have good access to the fresh air cage. The ideal temperature for hamster content is 21-23 degrees Celsius.
Cleaning the cage is necessary every 3-5 days, if it does not have a special toilet corner, if it is there and the hamster is accustomed to going to the toilet, then it is possible to clean only the toilet at the same time, and clean the whole cage as the unpleasant odor appears about once in 2-3 weeks.
The ration of the hamster should be full and varied, since, despite its unpretentiousness, hamsters are very sensitive to a lack of vitamins and minerals. The basis of the correct ration of the hamster is oats, millet, corn, flax seeds. In addition, now pet stores offer a wide range of ready-made grain mixtures of various price ranges from inexpensive, but sufficiently high-quality domestic, to expensive imported ones. In addition, producers offer various hamsters "delicacies" - crispy sticks, biscuits, cookies. Necessarily in the diet of a hamster fresh vegetation should be present. Succulent plants - salad, carrots, cabbage - are suitable for these purposes. An indispensable condition is the constant presence in the cell of clean water at room temperature.
The ability to breed in hamsters appears already at the age of six months. They can bring offspring all year round, as a rule, it is 3-4 litters a year for 6-10 cubs. Average life expectancy of hamsters is 2-3 years.
And remember that when you acquire a hamster, you get not a nice toy, but a living being that requires proper care, attention and care of its owner! You see, what lovely these little animals - hamsters, care, food, content will be only for you!