hamster-club

 Regular maintenance

The cleanliness of its domain

Of course, it is necessary to put quality sand inside to keep a hamster in good health.

Simplified cleaning plan

Once a day: clean the cloaca (with a discarded spoon or small shovel).

Once a week: clean with hot water all the accessories, feeder, wheel, various games, and pass the brush in the "bottle". Twice a week: change all the litter.

If your hamster's nest does not have a bottom, before lifting it, remember to slide a small board underneath to collect the provisions the animal has accumulated there, without them mixing with the litter.

Once a month: renew the materials of the nest, making sure to leave a small amount of the old materials. Wash the bars and the floor with warm water.

Important : Do not use any detergent, hot water is sufficient.

Daily maintenance

• Feed the hamster with fresh food, preferably in the evening.
• Filling the seed tank
• Check corners and nest; remove spoiled food from them
• Remove from the nest the seeds impregnated with urine, as well as the surplus wet provisions because they dry out quickly.
• Keep the saucer containing the food clean.
• Remove dirty litter from the toilet area
• Replace the drinking water after having cleaned the container beforehand.
• Let the hamster frolic in the room or in its play case.
• Checking the hamster's health

Maintenance once or twice a week

• Remove all litter
• Thoroughly clean the cage, pen or vivarium with warm water, or at most vinegar to remove the smell of urine (other detergents may be harmful to the hamster).
• Also wash accessories such as the wheel, toys or objects to be gnawed on.
• Scrub the trough with a brush and renew the water.
• Wash the bowl
• If necessary, change the nesting materials
• Replace branches and paper rolls
• Make sure that the incisors are filed by regularly offering the hamster things to gnaw on.

Body care : The toilet, privileged occupation

The hamster spends much of its time on body care. On waking up, all hamsters do a thorough and thorough grooming, after that it is more superficial. The toilet serves primarily to put the hair in order. A well-ordered coat is necessary to keep the body warm. The loss of heat to the outside is indeed less if the hairs are well smoothed against each other, thus retaining between them a large amount of air in tiny intervals. Furthermore, in cases of great emotion - in conflict situations, for example - the hamster can sometimes be seen to suddenly start feverishly cleaning its face. This is a kind of substitution reaction.

 

How do hamsters groom themselves?

Routine care and maintenance 3 For this grooming ceremony, the hamster usually does not put itself in the "squirrel position", i.e. standing on its hind legs, but rather sits on its hindquarters. He usually starts with his head. He extends his tongue, passes his legs over it in a circular motion, and rubs several times to the back of the coat, first the muzzle, then the entire head. In the meantime, he licks his legs several times. With more or less acrobatic contortions, he then rubs his belly, back, thighs and the top of the front legs. Then he uses his teeth and hind legs to comb the places he can no longer reach with his front legs.

 

The coat

Hamsters are clean animals that regularly groom themselves. You won't have to do anything except maintain the coat. A sand bath containing chinchilla sand. An exception: long-haired hamsters. Brush their fur with a baby brush or a soft toothbrush. Carefully cut any knots that cannot be undone. Never bathe them, it does more harm than good.

Important : Begin to maintain the coat of your teddy or your angora as soon as possible. Even youngsters with short coats should be combed regularly to get them used to it. This will become a routine and will save you a lot of trouble later on.

Teeth

Specifically, rodents' teeth are constantly growing. Your hamster must therefore always have something to gnaw on to wear them out. Beware of dental malocclusions.

The claws

In the wild, hamsters do not walk around with claws that are too long, as these wear out when they scratch or run on uneven ground. In captivity, however, the claws may grow too much and injure the animal. Have them shortened by the veterinarian. As a preventive measure, consider putting rough materials in the cage, such as unglazed raw clay or a flat stone.

Nose and eyes

Gently remove any droppings from the nose and eyes with a damp cloth, without rubbing. Do not use chamomile tea to wash the eyes, it irritates them instead of relieving them.

 Hamsters are bon vivants that will swallow anything you offer them. But only proper food and a balanced diet will keep them healthy.

Hamsters are "three-quarters vegetarian", they do have a vegetarian diet, but they also need animal protein from time to time. Make sure that your food is varied and balanced, i.e. a well thought-out combination of seeds, fresh food, supplements and gnawing food. Naturally, there should be no shortage of small treats. Find the list of hamster food a little further down!

Basics

Just feed the hamster once a day - preferably at the same time. For the quantities, rely on experience. Give just enough food so that there is hardly any left over for the next day; the ration is then ideal. But it is easy to make mistakes. Some people increase the portions when they see that everything has been eaten. In reality, the hamster has hidden the food somewhere. So check that its hiding places do not contain any food. If the food is spoiled, remove it.

Important: The food must not be mouldy, spoiled or soaked.

The Art of Inventory Management

The particularity of hamsters to stock up on food has already brought them some notoriety. Any hamster, unless it is really hungry, first stuff the food given to it in its cheeks, before going to carry it in its nest or in a clean corner of the cage, in other words in its pantry. Everything is carefully sorted and stacked, and this pantry, for the hamster, is sacred. In fact, it should not be touched. But since the hamster, in spite of all his care, cannot judge which foodstuffs are perishable and which are not, it is necessary to check every day whether there is any food that is mouldy or rotting. Have a small pair of tongs for this purpose, so that there is as little clutter as possible in the storerooms, and so that your small storekeeper does not have to start putting everything away again after your intervention.

Our advice: If the hamster no longer sleeps in its shelter, or is looking for a bed elsewhere in the cage, check whether it has not put so much food in its nest that it has no more room for itself.

Why is he stockpiling?

A safety measure: hoarding food and eating it only when it is safe is a common behaviour of many small rodents, which are easy prey for their predators.

A stock for the winter: what is remarkable about the hamster is that it builds up real stocks for the bad days. In its burrow, there are special pantries, which it is particularly active to fill in the fall. The dwarf hamster accumulates at this season reserves with which it will have to hold from seven to nine months.

The hamster is extremely careful in its choice of food for the winter. The ripe seeds are carefully sorted and all the elements that rot easily, such as the glume, are discarded. But it also stores live food. In the pantry of a dwarf hamster, for example, forty different kinds of beetles, four fly larvae, and fifteen spiders were found. All of them were lethargic, practically destined to be eaten as "frozen" food. In the common hamster, too, astonishing observations were made: once in a burrow, seventeen kilos of grain were found, which is sixty times the weight of the hamster itself!

All you can give

Feeding a hamster is simple and inexpensive. It is not difficult and does not require large quantities. You can find a lot of what it needs in the garden or while walking, and for fruits and vegetables, it is easy to take a little of what you buy for yourself. For a healthy and varied diet, you can choose between dry food, green vegetables and greens, proteins, and live food. In your pet shop you will find a wide range of suitable foods.

Adapted foods

Dry foods: hamster kibbles, ready-made mixtures of various seeds (in pet stores); nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts (unsalted); cereals (wheat, oats, corn); seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, hemp); oat flakes.

Greens, fruits and green vegetables: dandelion, chickweed, clover, green grass, sow-thistle, ragwort, shepherd's purse, acanthus; fruits of all kinds; vegetables such as carrots (with the tops), cauliflower, potatoes (without tops and sprouts), tomatoes, spinach, celery, cucumber, lettuce and curly lettuce.

Live food: mealworms (pet food).

Proteins: meat; cottage cheese (lean), yoghurt (even fruit yoghurt).

Supplementary supplies: drinking water; vitamin drops; hay; branches of beech, maple, willow, hazelnut, fruit trees (to be gnawed on); animal cookies.

What not to give (toxic foods)

Some foods are toxic such as: potato skin and sprouts, green sprouts on tomatoes and carrots, fresh beans, belladonna, hemlock, cyst, canned vegetables, cooked foods, tobacco.

Raw beans; potato sprouts; the green of potatoes and tomatoes; æthuse; hemlock; cyst; colchicum; canned or frozen vegetables.

Food 5

The ten basic rules

1. Vary the food.
2. Make food and water available even during the day (i.e., while resting), as he likes to snack between meals.
3. Make sure the food is fresh and of good quality.
4. Regularly administer special vitamin drops for small mammals. Mix with yoghurt or mealworms.
5. Do not pick up greenery at roadsides (because of exhaust I), in places regularly frequented by dogs (because of bacteria in their excrement), or on the edges of fields used by farmers (pesticides!).
6. Wash commercially purchased vegetables, salads and fruits thoroughly and let them drain before feeding them to the hamster.
7. Do not give cooked food (whether boiled or roasted), so no leftovers.
8. Avoid sudden changes in diet.
9. Distribute small portions (cut fruits and vegetables), to avoid waste.
10. Serve at room temperature.

Dry food

Dry foods are an essential component of the diet. It is usually a mixture of cereal grains, sunflower seeds and flakes. Make sure these foods are sugar-free, as hamsters are prone to diabetes. This is especially true for dwarf hamsters, but golden hamsters can also suffer from it.

Avoid dry food for other rodents such as rabbits or guinea pigs, which are pure herbivores with very different needs.

Allow two to three tablespoons of dry food per animal per day. Make sure it doesn't store it in a hiding place in anticipation of bad weather. You can also feed him regular cereal grains, as long as they are not mouldy or wet.

The different types of food 4They are the main item on your hamster's menu. Always keep some in reserve as a basis for its diet. If you use the ready-made mixes found in pet stores, you are sure to provide your pet with all the nutrients it needs. Kibbles and seed mixes contain albumin, fat, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins in appropriate amounts. But remember, if you feed your pet exclusively with these mixtures, give him enough water to drink and keep them away from moisture so that they don't get too old. If you make the mix yourself, make sure you use only natural products: no roasted peanuts or cereals for your personal use, which may be sweetened or caramelized.

Dzungaria and Roborowski hamster food: The commercially available assortment of hamster cereals (seeds, nuts, flakes and pellets) is not thin enough for hamsters. It is therefore advisable to combine it in equal proportions with parakeet food. Give your animal beetles, mealworms and earthworms often (up to 50% of the animal food, alternately). You can get crickets and grasshoppers at the pet store, or offer your pet a packet of herbs with moss.

Greenery, fruits and vegetables

They allow you to easily vary the menus. They are important sources of vitamins. For greenery, it is especially in the summer months that you can easily obtain them - in your garden or during your walks. You just have to be careful about pollution. To avoid any risk, you can grow catnip yourself. You will find boxed seedlings of it in all seasons in pet shops. For fruits and vegetables, also rinse them thoroughly under cold water before feeding them to the hamster and drain them well, too much moisture can indeed trigger diarrhea! It goes without saying that you will have to peel processed fruits, such as oranges, for example.

Fresh foods are also on the menu. Don't get a heavy hand with salad, as it contains a lot of nitrates, especially lettuce. Choose varieties that contain the least amount, such as lamb's lettuce or chicory. Just one piece (no large leaves) a day. You can also give kohlrabi or broccoli in small quantities. But no head cabbage, which causes bloating, as well as beans, weights and broad beans: give only the dry ones.

Because of their acidity, citrus fruits and kiwis should be distributed with restraint. Never give lemons. As for vegetables, you can offer tomatoes (not green and seedless, which are poisonous), squash, beets, carrots, yellow peppers for example, but in limited quantities for the juiciest of them

Hamsters' favorite fruits are apples, melons, strawberries and dried bananas, among others. The dried fruits, which are sulphur-free, are used only as treats.

Finally, avoid stone fruits and exotic fruits such as papaya or pomegranate. Fruits are complementary foods that should not be given regularly. Important only serve untreated fruits and vegetables, preferably from organic farming or the family garden. If you prefer to do your own harvesting, never pick plants near a busy road where they are polluted by exhaust fumes. Only harvest plants that you are sure are not poisonous. Like other foods, fresh food should not be wet.

Live food

In the wild, hamsters feed on seeds and greenery, but also on small animals: insects, or their larvae, or even occasionally, small birds. So they are not pure vegetarians as is sometimes believed, but eclectic gourmets. You have to take this into account in the composition of their menus. Apart from mealworms, crickets or locusts can also be given. It should be noted, however, that the breeding of these last two species is not simple.

Mealworms are the larvae of the mealworm. They can be found in all well-assorted pet stores. Put them in a large jar half-filled with oatmeal and covered with a cloth and keep it at room temperature (keep away from sunlight or heat). Every two days, add a few fresh, wrung salad leaves or vegetable tops to provide the necessary vitamins. If the worms turn into cocoons and end up as tendrils, it doesn't matter - hamsters usually don't know the difference.

The hamster is not a vegetarian, it needs animal protein. These should be on its menu. Your hamster will enjoy mealworms and freeze-dried insects, such as locusts, crickets or white maggots, which are available in pet stores. You can give them by hand or with tweezers. Insects once a week is enough. Check that the hamster does not hide them, as they decompose quickly. If necessary, you can give him some fresh raw ground beef. But don't give him raw meat every day because he may become angry.

Protein

Meat: Once or twice a week, your hamster will enjoy a small piece of beef or veal, raw and fat-free. Minced meat is particularly recommended, as the animal is not likely to swallow it askew.

Dairy products: The hamster also likes cottage cheese and yoghurt (even fruit yoghurt). Give it a teaspoonful regularly.

Important :

• Only give food from this category in small quantities that the hamster can eat right away, otherwise it will make its cage too dirty.
• Never give food straight from the refrigerator.

Food to be gnawed on

Hamsters are rodents and they need gnawing materials to care for and wear out their teeth. Treated branches from fruit trees and some hardwood trees (hazelnut, beech) are ideal, as are hard, non-musty bread and millet stalks. You can also occasionally give him dog cookies, but without sugar he will be able to gnaw and ingest protein at the same time.

For natural tooth filing, there is nothing like nuts, hazelnuts, seeds and twigs. A pet cookie is also suitable. Put a piece of it in the cage and give it back as soon as it is finished. In pet shops, you can also find what are called "rodent stones". They provide calcium and trace elements. On the other hand, do not give too many nuts or hazelnuts which contain a lot of fat.

Hay for comfort and for the stomach

In addition to everything else, the hamster should always have a clean, dry hay ration available. This raspy food is essential because it contains fibre, which is good for digestion. In addition, your hamster likes to use hay for nest building. Important: the hay should be stored in a dry and well-ventilated place so that it does not get mouldy. Mouldy, it is toxic!

This fibrous food ensures a smooth digestion. As it contains very few calories, it can be given at will. In a rack, it will stay clean and dry. Commercially available hay balls are practical and varied. They are hung in the cage, high enough to force the animal to stretch to reach the tasty greenery. Leave some hay freely available for the animal to use for its nest or to snuggle in. You can find hay in pet stores or directly from a farmer. If you feel like making your own hay, harvest untreated wild grasses and plants such as lemon balm, clover, alfalfa, rudbeckia or dandelion. Spread the grasses and plants in the sun and turn them over regularly.

Recommended quantities

The daily ration of a golden hamster is about 15 g (2 teaspoons) of mixed seeds, two to three flour worms, fruits, vegetables or greens in fairly large quantities. Reduce these quantities by half for a dwarf hamster. After 24 hours, remove fresh food that has not been eaten from the cage.

Water to drink

Some hamsters totally disdain the water trough, their water needs are covered only by greenery and fruits or vegetables. Others show their irritation when they do not find water permanently at their disposal. In any case, you won't go wrong by putting water in the water trough. You will then see which category your hamster belongs to. Preferably use non-carbonated mineral water.

Involve your hamster in the culinary preparations. While you peel the vegetables, your hamster keeps you company and waits for something to fall for it. It could be the tops of a carrot, an overripe tomato, etc. When the hamster's cheeks are full, it is put back in its cage and disappears quickly into its pantry. One must simply make sure that the animal does not become a "garbage incinerator". Damaged parts of fruits and vegetables are just as bad for the hamster as they are for you.

Complementary food

The hamster must be able to nibble from time to time. Treats are supplementary food and must remain exceptional, do not give him some every day. Walnuts and hazelnuts are very popular; as they are very fatty, one nut per week is sufficient. Yoghurt, cottage cheese and faisselle are excellent protein foods, serve a teaspoon of them once or twice a week.

The constitution of the hamster lets guess that he is an inveterate digger of the depths. Its cylindrical body has a graceful bone structure, which makes the animal extremely vulnerable to fractures.

Body and legs

Hamsters have a rather round silhouette, with short legs that seem to bend under the weight of the body. But they are very pretty and very efficient, when you see how fast and frequent the hamsters run.

Legs and toes: The front legs of the hamster are powerful and muscular, and have four toes and a rudimentary atrophied thumb. It is with these toes that the hamster digs in the ground, climbs or does pirouettes. The hind legs, which are weaker but have five well-formed toes, serve as "shovels" to throw back the earth that the hamster has scraped off, or as supports when climbing.

Abajoues

The jowls are characteristic of hamsters, which use them as real pockets. The animal collects and transports food in them. In the wild, it does not eat on the spot, but brings the food back to the nest, where it can eat without being disturbed and afraid to serve as prey in turn.

Compared to the body, the jowls are immense and extend from the mouth to the shoulders. They can contain a large volume. To empty them, the hamster rubs them back and forth.

The jowls: they are bags of skin, which open inside the lips and go up to the shoulders. They are used by the hamster primarily to carry food that it does not consume immediately. They are so large that when they are full, the body of the hamster doubles in volume. It can store up to 18 g of food. The jowls play no role in the digestion process. On the other hand, they can be a very useful means of defence: often, to impress an enemy, the hamster inflates them by filling them with air.

Teeth

Hamsters are rodents, which means that their incisors are constantly growing. They also have twelve molars with roots, but these stop growing. Hamsters need to have materials to gnaw on them at all times, in order to regularly wear out their incisors.

A powerful jaw: like almost all rodents, the hamster has 16 teeth, 2 incisors and 6 molars per jaw. The incisors are chisel-shaped and have no roots, so their growth is never complete. They file themselves when the hamster eats. The chewing muscles are particularly developed.

Eyes

Hamsters do not have good eyesight. But their eyes can see independently of each other because they are located on the sides of the head. This gives them a wide field of vision, but they see blurry up close and have difficulty judging distances and heights.

On the other hand, they see very well in the dark. Most domestic hamsters have dark brown eyes, but there are individuals with red eyes (albinos). Albinos often suffer from visual problems. Their retina has no pigments, so they are very sensitive to light. Exposure to intense light for a few hours can irreparably damage the retina.

Hamsters have relatively large, slightly prominent eyes as in most nocturnal animals. They are presbyopic and do not have particularly high visual acuity. But the lateral position of the eyes gives the hamster a good field of vision (about 110°), which allows it to spot its enemies in time.

Ears

The funnel-shaped ears are covered with hair to prevent sand and dirt from getting in when the hamster digs. They are very efficient and perceive very weak sounds. It is assumed that they can even hear ultrasound, which is totally inaudible to humans.

The hamster's hearing is very clear. It even most likely perceives ultrasound. On the other hand, hamsters startle when they hear high-pitched or squeaky sounds nearby, which almost always contain some ultrasound. In addition, hearing is very differentiated: all hamsters very quickly learn to distinguish the voice of the person who is taking care of them from that of other people.

healer. The ears are very mobile and point in several directions. When they need peace and quiet to sleep, their ears close up and fold back.

Nose

Hamsters have an excellent sense of smell. This is vital for them, because they live in a world of scents. Each animal has a unique scent. They recognize by smell friends, enemies, family, sexual partners and diseases. They mark the limits of their territory with scent markers, their urine and their droppings.

This way, rivals immediately know what they are talking about. The scent markers are secreted by a special gland in the middle of the belly.

The sense of smell: it is extraordinarily differentiated. The hamster lives in a world of smells. The good relations of a couple of hamsters can quickly turn into ferocious hostility if one animal is separated from the other, transported to another setting, stroked by unknown hands, or put in another hamster's cage. This must be recognized and care must be taken not to lose the group smell in animals that have gotten along well until now, if they are to be left together.

However, this group smell can be lost just by separating the animals by a fence, inside the same cage, because they no longer have the possibility to groom each other, nor to sleep nested against each other. It is then totally impossible to rehabilitate the females of the same litter to each other, we can do it for a couple, but it takes a lot of patience and many tries.

Vibrisses

The numerous vibrating nerves are equipped with sensitive nerves and are used for the orientation of the hamster. There are not only on the head, but also on the body and on the legs. Very sensitive, they allow the animal to register the slightest air movement and to repeat the obstacle.

In nature, this faculty is vital. Entering a small burrow with the vibrissae touching the walls, the hamster immediately knows that the passage is too narrow for him. If it remained stuck, it would become an easy prey.

The hamster orientates itself with the help of its vibrissae. They inform him about the presence of obstacles along the way, or about the passage through a narrow opening. They are excellent tactile organs.

Stomach

Another particularity, which the hamster shares with other rodents: it has a two-cavity stomach. Food is predigested in the "crop", the larger of the two cavities, and then dissolved in the stomach.

 Advantages and disadvantages of the hamster

When I first bought a hamster as a young boy, it was very difficult to get me into bed when my boyfriend was getting ready for his antics - in the evening, as is often the case with these twilight and nocturnal animals. The same is true for many children. Living in the company of a hamster is a real joy. However, before you decide to buy a hamster, be aware that this funny creature also expects a number of things from you.

The hamster is an animal whose keeping in an apartment does not require any authorization.

But before buying one of these adorable rodents, make sure that no family member has an allergy to pet hair.

A pet is a lot of joy, but also work. As a caregiver, you take the small animal under your responsibility. It depends entirely on you.

Even an animal as small as a hamster makes demands on its living space and its owner. It goes without saying that you must raise it according to its needs. But this is not enough to make it happy. These agile animals need movement and stimulation above all. Do not leave him in an almost empty cage. No animal deserves such a fate. The hamster needs to move, explore, play and gnaw.

Unlike other pets, the hamster won't mind if you don't pay much attention to it for a few days. But what will happen if you are away longer? Who will take care of it while you are traveling or in the hospital?

Before you decide, ask your friends and family members if they are willing to act as a substitute caregiver.

Benefits

Disadvantages

  Most animal behaviors are strongly guided by biological and hereditary needs.

Making reserves

The hamster is known to accumulate food in its cheeks. In the wild, the hamster can only build up such reserves in the summer, in preparation for the winter: it thus stores more than 30 kg of seeds and crops in anticipation of periods of shortage. It is true that in the wild, the animal goes into hibernation, but from time to time hunger pushes it to eat a small snack.

Dig

By offering him a scratching box, you can satisfy one of the basic needs of the hamster. You will only observe this behavior if the hamster feels safe and relaxed. The hamster will scratch noisily, sniff and hide its snout in the litter box. This activity is also important for the maintenance of its claws and coat.

Gnawing

The hamster has a marked natural penchant for nibbling. Its incisors, which are constantly growing back, must wear out. During the first two months of its existence, it engages in many gnawing and experiments: later, this intense activity finally stops.

Getting clean

The hamster is very concerned about cleanliness. It is especially after waking up, when it leaves its nest, that it indulges in a thorough grooming. With its small legs that it licks and moistens constantly, the hamster cleans itself from head to hind legs. If the hamster suddenly begins this ritual of grooming while in a state of embarrassment, this behavior is referred to as "substitute activity" in a conflict situation.

Getting around

This small pet is distinguished by its pronounced need for movement. In the wild, the hamster travels at least six kilometers each night. If it has only one wheel, it easily spins it a few thousand times before fortifying itself. Some of them then become really dependent on it. However, if this fanatic can get enough exercise outside his cage, he will give up his wheel immediately. He is also able to swim, but for this inhabitant of the steppes, a bath is an abomination that should be avoided as much as possible.

Climbing

Perhaps you will be struck one day that the hamster is constantly looking up. Whether it is a branch, a bed or the leg of its guardian, the hamster must absolutely climb. Guided by its innate need for protection, this little individual always wants to have a good view. It seeks nothing more than to be safe from an intruder. However, the descent is a real problem: hamsters seem never to remember that once they reach the top, they sooner or later fall on their snout. They lack a sense of altitude: they jump and then let themselves fall heavily, thus exposing themselves to a high risk of accidents.

Sleeping

Spending the whole day asleep in your den is a great activity. At least that's the hamster's point of view. It is active only during the first part of the night, then retreats to gnaw nuts before returning to sleep in its shelter. Lack of sleep reduces its longevity. Only animals in the wild go into hibernation when the temperature drops below 10°C.

Sniffing and marking its territory

The hamster perceives its environment thanks to a highly developed sense of smell. With its quivering whiskers, it sniffs loudly and strongly every unknown object and inspects the limits of its territory. Using the glands on its flanks, it releases secretions, marking its domain with this odorous mixture. Sniffing and marking its territory allow it above all to exchange information with its fellow creatures. If another hamster leaves its odorous trace on its guarded hunt, our friend inevitably interprets it as a provocation and eliminates the foreign smell by replacing it with his own. This olfactory signal is, in a way, his shield of protection against the assailants. On the other hand, the smell of a female in heat has a different purpose: it signals to the male that the female in question is ready to mate.

Curiosity and gambling behaviour

The hamster's reaction differs depending on whether it is confronted with a new object or an already known utensil. First of all, it goes cautiously to its discovery, approaching it gently, sniffing and touching it. This is how he finds new sources of food and notices hiding places or a place to make a nest. Apart from curiosity, the young hamster's playful attitude is much more pronounced than that of its adult counterparts. The pups squabble and practice attack, defense and escape, thus arming themselves for adult life.

Learning

The hamster's curiosity is the foundation of its learning. It allows him to adapt to the specific living conditions to which he is subjected in your home. I "saved" one of my hamsters that had been missing for about seven hours. This little leprechaun, who until then had been afraid of hands, let himself be taken without hesitation and put back in his cage. Since then, he has only come out with the jowls filled to bursting point, often lugging the food around for hours on end and only resting his wealth in the manger when he returns.

 For a short absence: if you only leave for a day or two, you can leave your hamster alone.

Give him enough food for the previous days, put fresh water in his water bowl, and leave him an apple or carrot as an alternative source of hydration. For a long-term absence: If you are going away for several days or weeks and you cannot or do not want to take your hamster with you, you will need to plan in good time to take care of the animal. A neighbor, a friend, a relative or even your pet shop can take care of this service without difficulty. In all cases, it is desirable that the hamster remains in its usual cage, this facilitates its adaptation.

Leave a card on which you will have noted the important information: feeding, cleaning the cage, possible outings allowed to the animal - this last point entails more responsibility for the person in charge of the guard.

When should you avoid taking the animal into custody?

Females expecting or nursing puppies have difficulty with a change of surroundings and should not be entrusted to people other than those to whom they are accustomed. In response to the stress caused by the change, they may devour their young or stop feeding them.

Reactions on return: After a long absence, your hamster may not recognize you any more, but with a little patience, kindness and tact, you will soon have tamed it again.

Looking for a "hamster-sitter".

You need to go away for a while? Preferably look for a pet-loving person who can take care of your hamster during the vacations or in case of hospitalization. Ask your family or circle of acquaintances.

Leave them written instructions on feeding, cleaning, walking and holding the animal. Nothing prevents you from providing our website address of course. Give him the veterinarian's phone number as well as yours. As much as possible, leave your pet in its familiar environment.

If you can't find anyone, ask at pet shops, some of them offer boarding services. Opt for this option as long as the animal stays in its cage. The hamster, frightened in this unknown environment, will have at least a home and familiar smells.

The hamster on a trip

Take the hamster with you: if you do not go to very hot countries and your accommodation is suitable, you can very well take your animal with you. During the trip, be careful that it is not exposed to draughts or too much sun. Secure its cage so that it does not move constantly and the hamster is not too shaken. For customs formalities, ask your veterinarian or the consulate of the country concerned. Have this information confirmed in writing (in the language of the country), to avoid any dispute at the border.

Like many other animals, hamsters do not like to change location. For them, a trip is synonymous with great stress. If you really can't do otherwise, please do not expose it to draughts or direct sunlight. Long journeys in hot weather are forbidden. It is best to take the animal with its cage and accessories: you will need them on the spot anyway.

To help her cope with the stress of travel, darken the cage. But be careful, the wing must be able to circulate sufficiently, otherwise heat will accumulate dangerously inside. Provide enough food.

For hamster keepers

Before touching it, wash your hands because the hamster is sensitive to foreign odors. If you are new to the subject and want to avoid bites, place an empty box in front of your resident. Then protect the opening with one hand and move your pet safely. Don't hesitate to purchase protective gloves to prevent bites.