HAMSTERS

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HAMSTERS

• Alissa Anger

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Syrian Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)

• Muridae -family
• Rodentia order
• includes other common rodents such as gerbils,
  rats, mice, guinea pigs and chinchillas

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Hamsters

• weigh about 4 ounces
• 5 to 6 inches
• temperature not much above 80 F. WHY?
• below 50 F? What happens?

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GROUPS/BREEDS

• Hamsters were first used for medical research.
• Tame- Pets
• Hamsters are native to the Middle East, Europe
  and Asia.
• Syrian or Golden hamster is the most common.

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Breeds (cont)

• 2 dwarf hamster (Phodopus sungorus)
• Common colors include black, yellow, silver
  grey, light grey, rust and cinnamon.
• Markings include banded patterns and speckled or
  piebald patterns.

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Breeds

• Dwarf hamsters can be brownish-grey, opal, black,
  sooty grey-brown and albino.

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HOUSING and EQUIPMENT

• Spacious
• easy to clean
• built to prevent escapes (gnaw-proof)
• Basic Equipment needed
• Cage
• Floor cover/bedding
• Food dish
• Water dispenser
• 10 to 19 square inches of cage floor space per
  animal

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CAGES

• standard wire commercial cage
• an aquarium with wire mesh lid
• homemade construction.
• Cages should be at least 10 inches by 16 inches
  by 10 inches in height.

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Equipment

• Water dispensers (bottles) are hung on the
  outside of cages with the drinking tube extended
  into the cage.
• If water bottles are hung inside of the cage,
  they need to be protected from gnawing by the
  hamster.

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Bedding

• Floor covering-comfortable place to dwell and
  also absorbs urine.
• Bedding is used for nesting purposes. (wood chips
  BEST not Cedar, newspaper, cardboard,
  tissues,cotton)
• Hamsters are a nesting animal and require a
  material they can use to build a nest.

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TOYS

• Hamsters are very active animals, but they are
  nocturnal.
• Nocturnal- They sleep during the day and move at
  night.
• Need Toys!!!
• Exercise Wheel
• Wooden ladder
• Seesaws
• Merry-go-round
• Wooden branches and twigs
• Sand box

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NUTRITION

• Feeding hamsters a nutritious diet is an
  important factor in keeping them healthy.
• Hamsters are omnivores, eating both plants and
  meat
• But they can grow and thrive on a herbivorous
  diet eating only vegetables.

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Food

• Hamsters' nutritional needs are best met through
  commercially prepared pellets.
• Pellets contain the recommended levels of
  protein, fat, fiber, energy, vitamins and
  minerals.

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FEEDING (cont)

• Hamsters eat about a tablespoon of pellets daily
• A small amount of vegetables or fruit should also
  be fed each day.

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Treats!!!

• Some example of supplemental foods include
• Apples, Carrots, Parsley, Peas, Spinach, Bananas,
  Broccoli, Corn on the Cob, Nuts, Cheese, Dog
  Biscuits/Pellets, Bread, Raisins, Crickets,
  Potatoes, Rice, Pasta Chicken, and Bean sprouts.

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Coprophagy

• Hamsters will eat their own droppings. This is
  normal. The droppings contain B vitamins and
  vitamin K produced in the intestine.
• Important for microbes (small single celled
  organisms) that help break down food.

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REPRODUCTION

• Hamsters become sexually mature at six weeks of
  age
• Female hamsters generally produce five to six
  litters a year.
• Average litter of eight, but can produce up to 26
  per litter. WOW!!!

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• come into heat (estrus) every four days
• evening hours between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.
• Gestation in hamsters averages about 16 days (15
  to 18 days).
• Baby hamsters are born totally helpless.
• weigh only 1/4 to 1/8 of an ounce
• Do NOT disturb until 14 days old
• weaned at 24 to 28 days

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COMMON DISEASES

• Hamsters are relatively healthy animals.
• The two most common diseases are hamster
  enteritis (wet tail) and Lymphocytic
  Choriomeningitis (LCM).

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Disease cont

• Symptoms of a problem
• Loss of weight
• Drowsiness
• Ruffled coat
• Lethargic movement
• Fleas, lice and mites are common in hamsters.
  Frequent cleaning of the cage and use of an
  insecticide prevents flea problems.