Breeding Basics For Hamsters

Breeding Basics For Hamsters


Hamsters are easy to breed and boast one of the quickest reproductive rates in the animal kingdom.
Anyone who has entered a pet store will notice there is no shortage of hamsters. There is, however, of shortage of good, safe, permanent homes for them. With this in mind, unless your intention is to keep all of the offspring you produce for the duration of their lives, it is highly irresponsible to pursue breeding them.

Some owners breed hamsters for many misguided reasons including making money or teaching children the facts of life. These thoughts never take into account the awesome responsibility this decision makes. Breeding hamsters is not a wise choice.

Sometimes, unfortunately, accidents happen. This usually happens innocently when the new owner brings home what he thought were two female hamsters. Several weeks later, when those two females become a family of five or more hamsters, the mistake is realized. This information is for that family who suddenly realizes they need a crash course in the care of that new family of hamsters who are now part of their family and thus, their responsibility. This will help the new babies survive and it will also help prevent something like this from happening a second time.

Hamsters have one of the quickest reproductive rates in the animal kingdom. They reach sexual maturity at about two months old. The gestation period is sixteen days.

Hamsters in the wild are solitary and only come together for the purpose of mating. The female raises her young alone.

Breeders of hamsters do the following:

1. They house the hamsters separately.
2. They place a female in estrus with the designated male only at the opportune time.
3. They watch the pair carefully as the female can be dangerous to a male if she's not ready for mating.
4. Once mating occurs, the male is removed from the cage.
5. Two weeks later, the female is ready to give birth. Before this time, the cage is cleaned and replaced with fresh bedding as the cage must be undisturbed for a few weeks.
6. As the due date approaches, the hamster will become restless. This is the signal that the owner should stop handling and playing with her. A day or two later, as if by magic, the owner will notice the new mom and a litter of five to ten naked babies.
7. Hamster mothers don't want interference from humans, so they are left alone to care for the babies. Any interference will bring unneeded stress. She may become so distressed that she will eat her young, so it is best to leave her and the babies alone. As the weeks progress the babies will gain hair and begin to share the mother's solid food. They will not be completely weaned for as much as a month.

Once the young are old enough, the breeder is faced with the challenge of placing the young animals into safe, permanent homes. While siblings can usually coexist for a while, they are solitary and can become dangerous to each other within the same cage.

The best bet is to contact a local animal shelter, although, they don't all take hamsters. Screen potential owners as hamsters are often used as "food" for other animals in the food chain. Never release unwanted hamsters into the wild as they can upset the balance of nature. If you ultimately cannot place the hamster babies, the other alternative might be euthanasia performed by a veterinarian or a shelter. It is an unfortunate solution, but for better than seeing hamsters go to inappropriate homes or releasing them into the wild to face starvation, injury, illness, and countless other dangers for which they are not prepared to encounter.

The Best Way To Handle Your Hamster

What'S The Best Way To Handle Your Pet Hamster?


Should you handle your pet hamsters? How should you do it? How frequently should you handle them?
If you own a pet hamster you should know that they are cute and very smart, however they may not be as gentle and cuddly as other pets. In fact it's common for pet hamsters to bite their owners. However if you take a few simple precautions then you may spare yourself a nip on the hand once in awhile.

What's the best way to handle a hamster?
If you feel like you know your hamster's teeth better than the rest of it, you may not be handling your pet correctly. Hamsters bite people either because they are scared or because their owner's hand smells like food. So don't hold your hamster after eating, he might greet you with a quick bite. Before you try and handle your hamster, let it become familiar with your hand. Put your hand in the hamster's cage and hold it steady. Let the hamster sniff you over and feel comfortable with you. Then gently pet its back. As your hamster gets to know you, it will feel comfortable crawling on your hand. At this point you may gently grab it by its belly and slowly lift it towards you. Keep the hamster close to the ground because if it is startled it will try and jump away from you. Allow the hamster to look at your face. Never squeeze the hamster or do anything to frighten it.

What are the dangers of over-handling your hamster?
Hamsters may take a while to grow acclimatized to human interaction. They are initially nervous about being held and may become consistently scared of you if you don't treat them with respect. Work slowly with your hamster
and as long as it feels comfortable while you're handling it, enjoy the bond that you have created with your pet.

Pet Hamster Training Tips

Pet Hamster Training Tips


Shows pet owners how to train or tame their hamsters by bonding with the small animals. Training a hamster will reduce bad behaviors like biting or peeing on you. Includes tips for parents to teach children with a new hamster.
Hamsters are a popular choice for a child's first pet. Hamsters are interesting and inexpensive pets that take little space and minimal care as compared to larger housepets. Your hamster may live in a cage or an aquarium.

Hamsters can be trained to enjoy being handled and are naturally docile creatures. Training a hamster is a matter of gaining its trust and learning to understand how your particular hamster communicates. In training hamsters, it is best to think about life from the hamster's view. Children who handle hamsters need parents to explain a bit about what the hamster feels, what it needs, and how it may react to them. The hamster training tips listed here are based on simple attributes that all hamsters possess.

Hamsters aren't very bright. In training your hamster, don't expect the same type of training as you would with a dog. Hamsters are trained to reduce the behaviors you don't want and increase the behaviors you do want. Most hamster owners want to be able to hold and play with their hamster without it biting them or urinating on them. It is easier to teach a hamster to change something it already does than to train it to do something that is completely unknown to it.

Try to handle your hamster at least a little every day if you can. The hamster has to get to know you: the way you pick it up, how it feels, and how you smell. When you first take a hamster home, set up its cage or aquarium and give it a day of privacy to get used to all the new smells and sounds.

Initially, parents should supervise visits with the hamster. Parents are a better choice to pick up a new hamster that hasn't been handled much. Remember, the hamster will probably be scared at first. It may be necessary initially to grasp the hamster by the scruff of the neck to remove it from the cage. A hamster's skin is loose and stretchy, so this doesn't really hurt the hamster. When the hamster is used to you, you may be able to cup your hand around it to lift it out of the cage. While handling a hamster, avoid giving it fleshy parts of your hand, like fingertips, as targets. One good technique is to support the hamster with a tightly flexed hand underneath while holding it or stroking it firmly from above.

At some time during its life, the hamster may bite you. If this happens, put the hamster back in its cage and use some peroxide and/or antibiotic cream on the wound. After you've calmed down, think about what the hamster did before it bit you. Hamsters often appear more agitated or try harder to leave your hands before they bite. Your hamster may have subtle warning cues you can learn.

Why would a hamster bite? Hamsters generally bite for four reasons: fear, pain, tiredness, or to eat food. Fear has already been addressed. If you were in pain from something much larger than you, you'd bite it if that was all you could do. How long were you playing with the hamster? Visits with a new hamster should be frequent but brief. If a hamster is tired and becomes overwhelmed, it may let you know it is ready to go back in its cage by biting you. Gradually increase time spent handling your hamster so you both can get to know each other.

Hamsters don't see very well. If you smell like food and present the hamster a soft, fleshy part of your hand, it may think you are offering a treat. For this reason, it is a good idea to wash your hands before you play with your hamster. (Hamsters also can catch colds from people, and it is much harder on them than it is on us. Washing your hands helps prevent this. If you are really sick with a cold, skip handling your hamster that day.) When you start giving your hamster treats by hand, use large treats. Popcorn is easier for you to hold and for the hamster to take than sunflower seeds. Gradually offer smaller treats by hand.

Hamsters do communicate. If you try to pick up a hamster and it rapidly thumps or whirls its feet or hisses at you, it is not a good time to pick it up. Try again later. If this happens in a pet store, pick a different one. If you come near the cage and the hamster comes over and paws at the sides, it is seeking attention. If you are holding your hamster and it suddenly seems agitated, put it back in its cage. It probably needs to use the restroom or is tired of playing. Hamsters will sit up bright and alert for treats or play. Patiently earn your hamster's trust and it will reward you with affection.

The Healthy Hamster

The Healthy Hamster


Although hamsters life spans are short, pet owners want to do all they can to make that time fulfilling and healthy for their pet hamster. Preventative care for hamsters.
Pets are not immortal. When we decide to have animals in our homes, we must remember that we will outlive them. With hamsters, their life span is considerably shorter than ours, living, at best, from two to three years. Knowing this fact, it is our responsibility to make those years as happy and healthy as we can be. It is our duty to make sure they enjoy the longest life possible and to give them a loving bond and safe environment. The mutual love will exist for the entirety of their lives.

A responsible owner is directly related to the health and happiness of a hamster. It is important to learn as much as possible about your pet BEFORE you bring it into your home. The owner must learn about housing, diet, exercise, and social interaction the pet will need if he is to live a long, healthy life. In this respect, whether it is a hamster or a dog or a cat or any animal, owners are responsible to be prepared for the commitment a pet demands.

This starts with the purchase itself. In choosing a healthy hamster either from your vet or a pet store or a neighbor who has the awesome responsibility of finding homes for offspring of their pet, look for the following characteristics:

• bright, lively eyes
• clean, erect ears
• well-formed and trimmed incisors
• hearty appetite
• barrel-shaped physique
• alert expression
• dry nose
• abundant, silky hair
• vigorous behavior

Once the hamster is a member of the family, it is important to handle the hamster correctly and avoid any stress. It must have a healthy, clean, safe habitat away from drafts or excessive heat. The environment must be kept clean. Healthy food and fresh water should always be available.

If an owner and his pet bond and spend time interacting, subtle changes will be evident. Even the subtlest differences will come to the owner's attention. Knowing a pet's physical and behavioral characteristics when he is healthy could be a matter of life or death when he becomes ill. The medical profession is in agreement that the earlier the treatment is sought for an ailment, the greater the patient's chances are for full recovery.


Some of the subtle changes to be aware of are:

• eating patterns
• appearance
• density of its hair
• natural aroma
• personality changes
• sleeping patterns
• lumps and bumps on the hamster's body
• water intake
• uncharacteristic lethargy, especially at playtime (late afternoon and evening)
• a lack of appetite
• diarrhea
• presence of moisture around the hamster's rear end (classic sign of wet tail)
• a deterioration in the quality, density, and texture of its hair
• swollen abdomen,
• incessant scratching
• failure to tend to routine grooming
• unusual odor
• drinking excessive amounts of water or excessive urination (kidney disease, diabetes, or adrenal disease)
• circling behavior (acute sign of ear infection)
• development of lumps or bumps under the skin (tumors or abscesses)
• eye discharge

When in doubt, seek the advice of your veterinarian. Never wait until it's too late for the veterinarian to help.

The owner who interacts regularly with his hamster will notice these things and be able to attend to them rapidly.

Even with the most diligent care, hamsters are not immortal. After his first or second birthday, changes will be evident. A diligent owner will know when the changes are due to age or if age is part of it. If not, a veterinarian can help.

Loving a hamster is an emotional investment with great rewards. Giving your hamster the highest quality of life is a fundamental ingredient in the formula.

Pet Rats

Pet Rats

How do you handle your pet rat? How often should you handle it? Do they like being handled?
Many people are disgusted by rats because of the negative connotation associated with this furry creature. However, many people have rats as pets and love them as one would love a dog or a cat. Rats must be domesticated
before that can learn to trust and rely on you.

Whats the best way to handle a rat?
With most rodents you are not supposed to handle it unless absolutely necessary. However, with rats experts suggest that handle the rat as much as possible, regardless of whether it likes it or not. To pick it up you want to either cup your hands around it's body or lift it up with your hand around its belly. Never pick it up by the tail. Rats hate this and it could hurt them. A tail is not meant to be a handle, it is not designed to hold the weight of the body.
The more you handle the rat the more it gets used to you. If walk around with the rat on your shoulder it will get to know you and become more trustful of you. Soon enough it will get comfortable with you and enjoy your company very much.

Is there anything to avoid in handling a rat?
Aside from picking it up by the tail there isn't really anything to avoid. The more the better. If you keep your rat safe while in your hands, they will trust and not bite. However, if the rat becomes sick, for both your
sakes, refrain from handling until the little guy is healthy again.

When should you start handling your rat?
Start as soon as possible. The sooner you start handling your rat the sooner you and your rat will become friends. If you don't handle your rat enough, sooner or later it will begin to regard you as only someone who
gives it food.

Small Animal Pets: In Pairs Or Alone

Small Animal Pets: In Pairs Or Alone?

Do small animals do better in pairs? Why? Is it necessary that you buy them in pairs for their well being?
Pets like friends. But not all pets do well when their with their own kinds. Here's a rundown of which pets like to be in pairs and groups and which do not.

Mice
Mice like to be in pairs. If you want to keep only one mouse in your house, you need to be sure to spend sufficient time with the animal. Mice need attention.
If you're going to add a second mouse to your family, it's best to let one mouse get used to its surroundings for awhile first. Then, a few weeks later, add the second pet. Keep them separated for awhile so they both get used to the home and give them supervised visits regularly. Then after a few days, they should be able to jump right in and be friendly with each other.

Rats
Rats like to be in pairs, too. No matter how much you love your rat and play and care for it, nothing takes the place of a rodent friend for your rat. No one knows a rat better than another rat.
With that said, there are some rules to keep in mind when getting a couple rats. Getting two female rats is usually a good bet. They get along well. Male rats should get along fine as long as they were raised together or properly introduced. Getting one rat of each gender may also not be a good idea, unless you want a huge number of rats roaming your house within a few months. Rats breed quickly and frequently.

Gerbils
Get your gerbils in pairs or groups. They like being around others of their same kind. The only major drawback to getting more than one gerbil is reproduction. If you put at least one male in the same setting as at least one female, look out. You're in for a family. And gerbil families can grow at an incredible rate. So, if you're new at gerbils, consider just getting a few that are the same gender, or just one, even though they like being together.

Hamsters
Some types of hamsters actually like being alone. A dwarf hamster likes being with another hamster, while Syrian hamsters get by best if they're alone. They're individualists, of sort. The best rule when it comes to hamsters is to do your research about the particular kind of hamster you have. Find out if your particular breed wants a friend or wants to be alone.