Caresheet for hamster

A beloved pet goes by many names. The little pet we know as a hamster is actually called a Syrian hamster or a golden hamster. Its scientific name is Mesocricetus auratus.

Hamsters have won over millions of pet families worldwide, and their popularity shows no signs of waning. In this guide, we will talk about hamster care and feeding. Enjoy the read!

Origin
Originally, the hamster comes from the Middle East, from where it was brought to Europe and the United States as a pet in the 1930s.

In the wild, hamsters live in steppes and deserts, where there are few trees. Thus, hamsters have never needed to climb, which is why evolution hasn't given them long tails like those of climbing rodents. A hamster's tail is a cute little nub, which is not useful for balance when climbing. However, hamsters may still enjoy climbing if given the chance, so it's essential to ensure they don't climb too high and risk injuring themselves. Instead of climbing, hamsters are excellent burrowers. In the wild, they live in tunnels, so pet hamsters also need the opportunity to dig or at least have cozy, dim nesting caves and houses.

Coloring
Wild hamsters have brown backs, heavily streaked with black, meaning there’s black mixed in with the brown. They have distinct white markings on different parts of their bodies. The belly and front legs, except for the paws, are black in wild hamsters. Through breeding, there are now many variations in coat type and dozens of color variations in pet hamsters. The short-haired, normal color is closest to the original appearance. The main difference is that hamsters with the normal color have ivory-colored bellies with a gray base color.

Hamster behavior
Adult hamsters are solitary creatures, so two hamsters cannot be housed together.

As the morning dawns, a hamster seeks a dim spot for a nap and wakes up to get active in the evening. Since long naps are natural for them, interacting with a hamster is best scheduled for the afternoon and evening.

The average lifespan of a hamster is 2-3 years.

Getting the hamster used to handling
When a hamster comes to a new home, it may be very timid, especially if the breeder hasn't handled the litter much. Also, every hamster has its personality: one may be trusting and calm from a young age, while another may be utterly terrified of humans. A frightened hamster will raise its front paws, pull its ears back, clack its teeth, and may hiss with its mouth open. With such a little friend, patience, calmness, and gentleness are key to building trust—if it's going to happen at all.

Always approach a hamster with calm movements, as it may get scared of sudden actions due to its nature as a prey animal. Before handling the hamster, it’s a good idea to wash your hands and rub them in the hamster’s bedding material, as unfamiliar scents can frighten the hamster.

It’s best for children to handle a hamster under adult supervision.

When moving a timid hamster from its enclosure, you can use a cardboard tube or another familiar hiding spot to help lift it.
Especially when a hamster has just been brought home, it’s good to handle it at floor level to prevent it from jumping and injuring itself. A better alternative than the floor alone is to use a large box or pen for handling practice, so the hamster can’t escape. When the hamster is in the box, you can place your hand inside and let the hamster sniff it calmly without trying to grab or pet it.

Some recommend offering treats from your hand during training, while others wonder if this only teaches the hamster that human fingers are worth tasting.

You can practice handling every day, and once the hamster is clearly used to your hand, you can start lifting it. When lifting a hamster, use both hands and gently but firmly enclose it between your palms. As the training progresses, you can lift the hamster directly from its enclosure into your lap.

Once trust is established, it’s good to get the hamster accustomed to being handled on its back, so nail trimming, dental checks, and a potential exhibition career go smoothly in the future.

Where should a hamster be kept?
A hamster can be housed in a cage, a Duna-type plastic terrarium, or a glass rodent terrarium. If using terrariums, adequate ventilation is important.

The floor area of the enclosure should be at least 90 x 40 cm, but the bigger, the better. The floor space is more important than height, but a hamster will use multiple levels if provided with a suitable ramp to climb to the upper tier.

The hamster’s enclosure should not be placed in a spot that’s too hot, such as direct sunlight, as temperatures above 27°C (81°F) put the hamster at risk of heatstroke. The enclosure also shouldn’t be in a drafty place, like under a window, as drafts can cause respiratory problems for the hamster.

What accessories does a hamster need?

• Bedding:
  There are many different types of bedding on the market, with wood shavings and aspen chips being among the most used. You can also mix different types of bedding, such as peat and shavings, together. Bedding should be changed every one or two weeks depending on the size of the enclosure and the bedding quality. If the enclosure is very large and has a separate toilet area, cleaning once a month is usually sufficient.
• Nesting house and hiding places:
  Hamsters need hiding places, preferably several, where they can retreat to sleep during the day. Ceramic or untreated wooden options are best, as hamsters can chew on plastic.
• Food bowls:
  Ceramic, glass, or metal food bowls work best. You can have several bowls if, for example, fresh food is served in its own separate dish.
• Water bottle or water bowl:
  It’s most convenient to provide drinking water from a rodent water bottle, as a bowl can tip over or get filled with shavings.
• Hamster running wheel
  When choosing an exercise wheel, make sure it’s large enough for the hamster to run with a straight back; the wheel’s diameter should be at least 28 cm.
• Hamster toilet:
  A separate toilet is not strictly necessary, but it significantly helps keep the enclosure clean. Hamsters are very organized little creatures that often choose a corner, house, or container as their toilet. There are ready-made hamster toilets available, and you can use special hamster toilet sand as bedding.
• Toys and activities:
  Hamsters are curious and active little creatures that need plenty to explore. You can offer them digging opportunities, climbing platforms, tubes, small cardboard boxes, willow bridges, toilet paper rolls, clean branches from deciduous trees, and all sorts of new things to discover from the nearby forest or the pet store shelves. Enrichment collected from outside should be heated in an oven at over 100°C for 10 minutes to kill any potential parasites, insects, and bacteria. Toys can be rotated to keep your hamster mentally stimulated, ensuring their life remains fun and interesting.
  Tip: CUNIPIC activity toys are perfect for this purpose!

Note that the plastic hamster exercise balls sold for hamsters in many places are not ideal for them at all. A hamster running inside the ball cannot explore its surroundings naturally or control the duration of its exertion.

What does a hamster eat?
A hamster is an omnivore, meaning it eats both plant-based and animal-based food. The primary diet consists of specially formulated hamster pellets and high-quality seed mixes. These should make up at least 75% of their food. The recommended nutritional values for a hamster's basic food depend on the hamster's age, condition, and other factors, but some general guidelines are:

• Protein: 17-22%
• Fiber: 8-10%
• Fat: 4-15%
• Ideal calcium-to-phosphorus ratio: 2:1

There are many different seed mixes available, but unfortunately, even if a package has a hamster on the front, the food inside isn’t always the most suitable. It’s good to check the back of the seed package and examine its contents: a variety of seed types and the proper nutrients listed above are a plus.

A complete feed like the CUNIPIC Alpha Pro Hamster is pellet-based and designed to meet a hamster’s nutritional needs. One advantage of pellet food over seed mixes is that it prevents selective feeding, ensuring the hamster consistently gets all the essential nutrients. The nutrients in CUNIPIC Alpha Pro Hamster are 18% protein, 9% fiber, and 5% fat, making it an ideal choice based on the recommended values.

In addition to basic food, hamsters should be given fresh vegetables and fruits. Also, provide animal-based protein such as eggs, meat, and insects. These should make up about 20% of their diet.

Hamsters can also have a “candy day,” but it should be sugar-free. Suitable treats include dried whole grain bread, millet sprays, and special hamster treats, such as those from the CUNIPIC range.

REPRODUCTION

Hamsters can reach sexual maturity as early as 4-6 weeks old. The best age for the first mating is around four months, but it should occur before the female hamster turns 10 months old.

Only breed healthy and well-conditioned animals. If possible, learn about your hamster’s background to rule out any potential genetic issues. The combination of certain color and coat variations can cause problems, as well as other factors that can lead to issues or even death in the offspring. For example, kink tail, a cartilage deformity in the tail, is a recessively inherited trait that can cause severe paralysis if it affects the spine.

A female hamster goes into heat approximately every four days for about 12 hours. The best time for mating is usually in the evening. It’s wise to perform the mating in a neutral location, such as a cage unfamiliar to both hamsters (or one that has been very thoroughly cleaned). This is because the female may be quite aggressive towards the male if she’s not in heat. Hamsters should be closely monitored when placed together. If a fight breaks out, separate them immediately—have sturdy gloves on hand for this.

After a successful mating, the pair should be separated again.

The gestation period for hamsters is about 16 days. A week before giving birth, the female will build a nest for her upcoming litter. By this time, the female should be left completely undisturbed to avoid stress, which in extreme cases can cause her to eat her newborns.

A typical litter consists of 5-12 pups, but up to 20 isn’t uncommon. At birth, the pups weigh only a few grams. They are hairless, blind, and deaf. Skin pigmentation and the beginnings of fur can be seen at around 4-5 days old. Their eyes open at about two weeks old.

The pups start nibbling on solid food at around one week old. They are ready to be rehomed at five weeks of age. About a week before rehoming, the pups will have fully transitioned to solid food, and it’s best to separate them into male and female groups by this time.

Hamsters are theoretically very efficient at reproducing, as the female may go into heat again just a few weeks after giving birth. This means that they could potentially produce up to ten litters a year. However, you should only breed a hamster a few times during its lifetime, as raising a litter is very demanding for the mother.

If you are planning for your hamster to have offspring, make sure to research the topic thoroughly in advance and plan carefully where the pups will go. Hamsters do not need to have babies at all, and this is the most common situation. You can enjoy having your hamster as a pet without worrying about raising a litter, and simply focus on the time you spend together.

Enjoy your moments with your little furry friend!