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.