General Information:

Hamsters are rotents.They are sweet, pretty, charming etc. mammals. They rarely bite (Only if you have food odor on your hands). They are clean and quite animals. They require little care. Thus, their handling is easy.

They are fun to watch and play. Thus, they are perfect animals for young children. One can spend hours watching these fur balls.

Hamsters are burrowers. They live in burrows or in closed and dark places. They mainly sleep during mornings and live(!) during the nights. (You'll see what i mean once you have one!!)

Their life span is 2-3 years.


Picking up an hamster:

A healthy hamster must have:

1. Circular body
2. Shiny, lively and healhy eyes
3. Dry nose
4. Shiny and smooth fur
5. Active and interested with its environment

Also, check the cleanliness of the cage. A dirty cage means illness!!!
It is a good idea to buy/take a hamster not during mornings since most of them will be sleeping at that time.


Sexing the hamster:

For female hamsters, the distance between the genitals and anus is larger. The male hamsters back is sharper (pointed) and after the fourth month their testicles become visible near their anus.


Having one or multiple?? (The question!!)

Hamsters love living single. However, if you really want to have another one first of all, your cage/aquarium must be large enough for both of them to have special hiding places. A female hamster may kill the male one if she is not ready to have a mate. If you see them fighting you must sparate them, because the fight might end up in one of thmes death.

On the other hand, dwarf hamsters love living in colonies. You can have multiple dwarfs or one. But again the cage/aquarium must be big enough. If you want to have another hamster for your beloved dwarf to have friends you should be very careful. Because they might start fighting. You must know tihs "Everything is about the odor". If you can make the new hamster to smell like the other they can be great companions.


Caging:

One can either use plastic or metal cages or aquariums as their hamsters' home. One must know that a hamster is insecure and is always nervous in a small cage.The cage should be as large as possible (but don't exaggerate). For one hamster a cage with the dimensions 60cm * 45cm (bottom area) and 30 cm (height) is just perfect.

Well, I prefer an aquarium because hamsters usually gnaw the metal cagings. 

 

Bedding:

 A layer of 3-5 cm absorbing bottom material should be provided. Hamsters love   pawing.Thus, the bottom material should be as much as for the hamster to satisfy itself.  Wood shavings are good bottom materials because they have good "soaking capacity".

 Hamsters mark their territory with their smell. If the cage is cleaned too frequently their  odor vanishes and the hamster becomes unfamiliar to its environment and this makes the  little ones nervous. Changing the bedding once a week is good. 

 Well, I prefer changing it once in 15 days.



Nutrition:

Hamsters stock their food in their mouths. They stock them and carry them to their burrows or houses. This is due to their instincts since they are desert animals and it is very hard to find food and they want to protect their food.
There are many brands of hamster foods. But you can also provide your hamster fresh foods.

Hamsters love:
Apple
Carrot
Banana
Grape
Lettuce
Cucumber
Other vegetables
But don't forget: Only give small amounts!!!