Kitabı oxu: «My trusting hamster»

My trusting hamster

Everything around the hamster

By Thorsten Hawk

Content

Everything around the hamster

1. Hamster breeds at a glance

Chinese striped hamster

Djungarian Dwarf Hamster

Gold hamster

Spotted golden hamster

Teddyhamster

Roborowski Dwarf Hamster

History and breeding

2. Which hamster suits me?

3. Cage: correct location and size

4. Bedding and toilet

5. Basic equipment in the cage

Hay rack

Feeding bowl/feeding place

Drinking bottle

Gymnastics equipment, toys and climbing facilities

6. Food and water

7. Fresh food

8. Dry fodder

9. Treats

10. Which foods do not feed

11. Hamster purchase and transport

12. Getting used to the hamster at home

13. How to tame hamsters

14. Correct lifting

15. Care for the hamster

16. Dental care, cutting claws, grooming

17. Sounds and body language

Brushing:

Stretching:

Yawn:

Sharpen teeth:

Crawl flat on its belly:

Squeak:

18. Phasing out and employment

19. Cage cleaning

20. Costs of keeping and purchase

21. Most common diseases and first aid

* eye diseases

* Keraton conjunctivitis

* Cheek pocket injury/blockage

* Bite wounds

* diarrhoea

* Cold

* Fracture

* lice

* Meningitis

* mites

* wet tail disease

* Fungal infestation

* Salmonellosis

* tumor

Everything around the hamster

A compact hamster guidebook, which gives an overview of the individual breeds, shows their differences and peculiarities and summarizes how to keep and care for, feed and keep busy the hamster as a loner. The right equipment to make the hamster feel comfortable is summarized in the most important points.

Since hamsters are not allowed to eat many plants and foods, as these are poisonous or even life-threatening for the animals, a summarizing, compact list is also given. So that you can get to know your animal better, the most essential interpretations of the hamster's body language are also explained.

The most important diseases of the hamster are also described.

However, this list is not intended to replace a visit to the vet, but to create a possibility to recognize changes and abnormalities more quickly, and thus to be able to react immediately.

1. Hamster breeds at a glance

*Chinese striped hamster

*Djungarian Dwarf Hamster

*Goldhamster

+ classic

+ pied, 3-colored

*Teddyhamster

*Roborovski hamster

Chinese striped hamster

color: brown

Weight: 30-40 g

Origin: North China, Mongolia

Specials: very trustful

Personality: trustful, curious, agile, nocturnal, active, lively, playful, likes to climb

Life expectancy: approx. 2 years

Race-characteristics: resembles strongly a mouse, big prominent eyes, slim and bigger than the other types, longer tail (10-13 cm), soft, brown fur, on the underside white (natural coloring), gescheckte and white breeding-forms, eel-line from the back up to the tail-base.

Attitude: The Chinese strip-hamster is like its Artgenossen by nature, a loner and should be held also so. The living together of several hamsters often leads to fights, bite injuries, and can even lead to the death of one or more animals. If you want to keep several hamsters, you need a separate cage for each animal. Also be sure to wash your hands when moving from one animal to another. Hamsters perceive smells very strongly. If they smell the other hamster, you risk being bitten. Therefore, as a prevention, wash your hands well with soap!

Djungarian Dwarf Hamster

It is also called short-tail dwarf hamster, a subspecies is the Campbell dwarf hamster, that shows big similarities in the look.

Color: ash gray, light brown, dark brown

Weight: 19-45 g, fluctuates in the annual rhythm

Origin: steppes of northeastern Kazakhstan and southwestern Siberia, large parts of Mongolia

Special features: Color change in the course of his life

Features: very intelligent

Life expectancy: 2-3 years

Breed characteristics: 70-105 mm length, tail length 8-18 mm, dark eyes, summer coat: ash gray to light brown, black-brown eel line, from head to tail, underside of the coat is whitish The border to the fur at the upper side is recognizable at the body-sides in 3 bows. Fur-change in the winter: partially or completely whitish.

The Dsungarian dwarf hamster has short, powerful extremities and small claws. Also its cheek-bags, where it can store food collected at short notice, are distinctive.

Gold hamster

This hamster is also called Syrian hamster.

Colors: golden-white

Weight: 90-150 g

Origin: Middle East, today still in the border area between Syria and Turkey, Aleppo Plateau

Life expectancy: max.4 years

Special features: robust, aggressive towards conspecifics

Breed characteristics: Back is gold-colored, belly is white, on the cheeks are dark stripes, the typical loner, also in the wild the animals meet only during the mating season, 15-19 cm long, tail length 1-1,5 cm, rodent teeth grow constantly, therefore constant gnawing necessary;

Spotted golden hamster

This hamster-type is also called 3-colored gold-hamster.

Colors: different variations with white spots

Weight: 80-150 g

Origin: Middle East, border region between Turkey and Syria

Characteristics: much more nervous than their conspecifics, less fast and more difficult to tame

Special features: more susceptible to diseases, more aggressive against conspecifics

Life expectancy: 1.5-2 years

In the physique, the 3-colored gold-hamster is approximately same with the classic gold-hamster, it has other fur-colors and race-specific peculiarities, however.

The attitude and taming of this race required much calmness and patience! The Scheckung arose first through the natural mating of different colored gold-hamsters in the wild, through aimed crossbreeding, the breeding of the animals developed. Today the symmetrical 3-colored variant has become generally accepted. The panda hamster is also popular, its fur resembles the coat pattern of a panda bear. Another breeding form of the gold-hamster is the satin hamster.

Its peculiarity lies in its silky shining fur. The hairs are hollow inside, the sunlight can therefore shine through and create the beautiful shine. Also the snail hamster is a breeding form of the golden hamster. It is multicolored, "colorful", its immune system is not considered to be very robust and it is rather prone to disease.

Teddyhamster

This hamster is also called Angora Hamster, is a long-haired golden hamster and is one of the most popular hamster breeds.

Colors: all

Weight: 100-200 g

Origin: Syria

Characteristics: long coat

Characteristics: trustful, individual, can be happy about returning owner

Life expectancy: 2-3 years

Breed characteristics: 15/16 cm long, physique is very similar to that of the classic golden hamsters, long, soft fur hairs, especially recognizable on the back part of the animal, males have longer hairs than females, fur needs special care because it tangles easily, bath sand in the cage is essential

It should be noted that the animals prepare for hibernation below 8 degrees Celsius. This leads to a slowing down of the heartbeat and a reduction of the body temperature.

This forced hibernation should never be forced intentionally, it is not necessary when keeping the hamster indoors and only costs the hamster unnecessary energy. Many owners mistakenly believe that their animal has died in this state.