Posts Tagged ‘Hamsters’

If you are considering getting a hamsters home as a pet, jut be alarmed that these creatures need a lot of care and attention. The care for dwarf hamsters could be time consuming and would need effort as well. Only if you are positive and you are sure that you could do the required to ensure a stress free and healthy stay of the dwarf hamsters, only then you should be getting them home.

To start with you need to shortlist and locate the pet store that would have all the supplies that you would need for the hamster. Mostly, you would come across pet supplies stores for dogs, cats, birds and rabbits. You would have to stretch a little to get one for the hamster but your surly would. This is important as care for dwarf hamsters is not a one time affair, it is a continuous process. You would need to take care of the hamster and for the same you need a place from where you could not only have reliable supplies but at the same time the store should be equipped with every thing and anything that you might need for the hamster.

The care for dwarf hamsters would start with the selection of the cage depending upon the number of hamsters that you willing to put in it. This could be an iron cage or could be an aquarium like cage as well. Which ever you choose there should be ample of space for the hamsters. The hamsters' natural habitat is the tunnels and they are usually surrounded by dirt and sand. To give them the same habitat you should place a thick layer of substrate and is possible you could have the plastic tubes as well. This would give the hamsters a condition which they would be easily relate to and hence would be comfortable as well. Secondly, they like to dig and hide in sand. Hence while you are placing the substrate layer make humps and nests, so that they could hide and dig as well.

The dwarf hamsters are very active creatures. They would just need a crack to skip away, they are very active. To care of that bit you need to ensure that the cage is strong and should regularly check it for the same as well. As in case they escape from the cage it would be literally impossible to trace them back. To keep their restlessness low you could have a small rolling wheel in the cage so that they could run as much as they want on the same.

If your really care for dwarf hamsters you have, you need to research and read a lot to know more. As only then you would be able to read what they are communicating to you with their actions. The common things like the need they have to chew etc would be prominent but there would be some other aspects of hamster needs that could be ignored due to inadequate information. Get online and browse across the internet about anything and every thing you could get hands on that could tell you better about your hamster.

Are you looking for more information on care for dwarf hamsters? Visit http://www.HamsterDwarf.com today for your complete guide!

Getting a pet for a child is a great idea because it gives them responsibility and a buddy. Hamsters are a popular choice, but are they a good choice?

Hamsters are a type of rodent that belongs to the order Cricetinae which consists of about eighteen species. They come from the Middle East and Southeastern Europe and have become very popular as pets and lab animals because it is very easy to breed them in captivity. The most popular type in the pet store is known as the Syrian or Golden Hamster. They are smaller than Guinea Pigs which make them more suited for smaller homes, but they are equally as sociable.

There are several advantages of a hamster as a pet. The hamster is inexpensive, and does not cost much to feed or maintain. They do not require the care nor can they cause the problems of larger pets such as cats and dogs. It is quite possible to turn the complete responsibility of the hamster over to your little one. The pet can be kept in the child's room and is not likely to roam the house, bark at night, or chew the furniture. If it barks, you certainly don't have a hamster!

Although the hamster does not require much maintenance, it does need some. Like any living thing, it needs water and food. Its living area needs to be cleaned on a regular schedule. This is being mentioned as an advantage because one of the best things about pets and children is the opportunity to teach responsibility to the child by making them the pets care giver. It is a good idea to oversee this responsibility carefully though. The lesson you want to teach is not necessarily how to deal with grief and loss.

There are some disadvantages to the hamster as a pet. They are cute and they can be funny to watch when they are active, but they are also nocturnal. They are going to be on a totally different time schedule than your child. They are going to be running around their home late at night, playing and being cute while the child is sleeping. When the child is awake and wants to play with his hamster, the hamster will be curled up under his bedding and not much in a playing mood.

Although the hamster is somewhat social, it is not usually going to be up to the standards that the child was hoping for in a pet. Instead of playing, or even sitting still the hamster is going to run for cover most of the time, and once they get loose and hide they are not easy to find. The bottom line is that they are not dogs and cats, and with their shorter life spans and nocturnal habits they will never be that kind of long term pet. However, they are not expensive, can teach responsibility, and kids do love them. On a final note, keep them out of hot areas. They can die if it gets to hot, which is not going to make your little one very happy at all.

Hal Storm is with www.PetStoreYeti.com - your free resource for pet tips and advice.

Most parents naturally want to be able to give their children whatever they want. That's not always possible though, and not always a good idea, either. At the same time, you still want your kids to have a fulfilled childhood, and most children always end up wanting a pet at some point during their childhood.

So what should a parent do when the child starts asking for a pet? The child will probably ask for a puppy or a kitten, or a pony (yikes!). Obviously these pets take a lot of responsibility and require a lot of care and attention, and many times it is the parent who takes over these responsibilities because it seems overwhelming to the child at the time. Probably you will tell your child about how having a dog will require taking the dog on walks, cleaning up after the dog, feeding it, bathing it, and more. Of course your kid will most likely promise to do all of that stuff, but in most cases, kids slack off in taking proper care of pets and the parents are then stuck with the chores.

So what should you do? Do you refuse to let your child have a pet? I hope not because I think pets and animals are an essential part of life and learning about the world around you. I believe the best idea is to start your child off with a small pet like a hamster. Hamsters are cute, small and furry little creatures and they are very easy to take care of, yet still help to teach a child about responsibility. Hamsters don't have a very strong smell and are fairly clean animals, although they do require a little bit of care such as cleaning their cage every week, but that's about it. Of course they need to be given fresh food and water on a regular basis.

One of the great things about hamsters is that they don't cost very much to care for, especially compared to other pets like dogs and cats. They are fun to handle, the child can take the hamster out and play with it gently and then put it back in the cage when they're done. Hamsters don't shed like cats and some dogs, and they are quiet, except for the hamsters exercise wheel which might make a little bit of noise when the hamster is on it at night. So overall, I think when your child approaches you wanting a pet, I think you should suggest a hamster to start with and if the child shows it can be responsible for a hamster, maybe later they can have a dog as a pet!

For more Hamster Care information, visit www.hamster-care.com.

Hamsters are gorgeous creatures, and make fantastic pets. However, when buying a hamster, it's important to purchase from a place that will have treated the hamsters well, and which also takes care to ensure its hamsters are healthy, happy, and used to having human contact.

These are the best 3 places to buy a hamster, to ensure a long, happy life together:

1. Hamsters Breeders

The best place to buy a hamster is from a specialist breeder. Usually, breeders will also be hamster owners themselves, and as such they will know how to look after a hamster to ensure it is healthy and well cared for. Breeders are also well-versed in how best to raise a baby hamster, and so they tend to produce robust animals with a good temperament.

Many breeders will keep one or two animals from the litter, to take them to hamsters shows, or to keep as their own pets. This is an excellent sign, as it means that they will have done everything they can to produce a strong litter.

2. Rescue Homes

Rescue homes specialise in taking in abandoned or surplus animals, and helping to find them a new home. We often hear about this in relation to larger animals such as cats and dogs, but these homes also take in smaller animals, such as guinea pigs, mice, and hamsters.

Rescue homes will assess the health of their hamsters before attempting to re-home them, so you can be fairly confident that your animal will be healthy. The downside is that these centres also sometimes require you to fill out several forms, or even undergo and interview. However, this is nothing to be worried about - it's simply to ensure that the animal will be going to a loving home.

3. Pet Shops

Finally, many pet shops sell hamsters. This is a bit more hit and miss, since many of their animals will have come from farms designed specifically to breed pets for selling. This means that they are not always looked after as well as if they came from a specialist breeder. This usually means that information about their breed and background is a little harder to obtain, and the animals may not always have a good temperament.

However, pet shops still have to abide by strict animal welfare rules, so their pets should be very healthy, and you are unlikely to have any problems with them.

As you can see, buying a hamster can be a complicated affair, but by following the above advice you are giving yourself the best chance of finding a healthy, happy animal, which will give you a lot of pleasure and affection.

Paul has owned many hamsters over the years, and has gained a lot of knowledge about them, which he loves to write about in order to help others. He also runs a website full on information about buying a large hamster cage, including how a space hamster cage can fuel your youngsters' imaginations.

People all across the world like to have pets. In some cultures having pets is not considered good whereas in most of the cultures there is no such limiting parameter. On the other hand, people think that keeping pets especially when they have children growing up is good, as this could induce the sense of responsibility in the young growing kids. Dogs, cats, birds are the most common pets that you could see around. Many people love to have dwarf hamsters as pets. They could have just one or more of these little creatures. They are very beautiful and furry with a small tail.

There are various kinds of dwarf hamsters, the most common once that could be seen around would be the Winter White hamster, Campbell's Dwarf hamster and the Roborovski hamster. All these dwarf hamsters belong to the genus Phodopus except for the Chinese hamster. It has a different genus but most of the time this is counted in the list for the reason that despite being from the different genus the Chinese hamster has astonishing similarities to the others.

If you have these dwarf hamsters as pets then you need to be careful around so many things or else these would hurt each other being in the same cage. Usually the once that belong to the same breed and share the same physical structure should be caged together. It doesn't mean that two different breed of hamsters can't be in one cage, but then you would hear a lot of interesting sounds and scuffling. But, you need not worry much as the nature of the hamsters is not such that this could get into some serious fight. This would just be a minor friction between the two to make a point that who is the better one and who is the boss.

In case you had a single draft hamster for a long time in the cage, it would grow to being alone in the cage and if you are willing to introduce another one to the same cage, the first one might not like it. When you do something like that, ensure that you have an eye on the cage as the first one in the cage might not let the new arrival in cage rest in peace. Secondly, if you have more than one dwarf hamster in a cage and due to some reason you are moving some to other or some like arrangements. Always make sure that you are putting the dwarf hamsters who have been together in a cage before in one, rather than introducing a hamster to a new group altogether. This would cut a lot of stress for you.

You need to be careful about putting the male and the female dwarf hamsters in different cages, unless you are breeding them. The hamsters are quite matured sexually and from an early age they can mate. If the two sexes are not caged differently, the hamster is sure to get pregnant.

Having dwarf hamsters as pet is fun but the above mentioned precautions should be taken care of while caging them.

Are you looking for more information on dwarf hamsters? Visit http://www.HamsterDwarf.com today for your complete guide!

Having dogs or cats in your house can be great. They can be beautiful pets, also playful and funny. But how many times have you had to get out of the house to walk your pet on a cold winter day? How many times have you found your house upside down because your pet wanted to play. Also having a dog or a cat can be costly. That's why we think that hamsters can be great family pets. They are also not as pretentious as other pets, and they are easy to take care of.

You should carefully choose your hamster to be sure that you will be satisfied. If you want a small hamster that is also great as a companion, then you should choose a dwarf hamster.

If you want to raise happy, healthy dwarf hamsters, you should know something about taking care of those kinds of hamsters. Dwarf master care is easy, but you will have to remember some useful hints.

Try to buy your hamster from a hamster exposition or from a well known pet store. That's how you can be sure that your pet was born in a healthy environment. Also the expert raisers have increased knowledge about matching the pairs in order to breed the best hamsters you can get.

The next step is to make sure that your cage is enough for your pet when he or she will grow. It is not good to change the cage after, because your hamster will be stressed, and it takes time for him to get use to the new cage. A little house is appreciated by the hamsters. Also make sure that the house and toys are easy to clean and disinfect.

Try to avoid cedar abatement. Cedar contains oils that can harm your pet. Also try to choose diversified food. The dwarf hamster usually eats as much as he needs, but tends to make himself stashes of food. Give your hamster little portions of fruits and vegetables. Try to avoid lemons and oranges, also green salad, garlic or onions. Broccoli, apples and pumpkins are much appreciated by the dwarf hamster.

Cleaning the cage is mandatory at least once a week. You should also talk to your pet and brush him from time to time. Dwarf hamsters can recognize voices, and also get attached to the person who takes care of them. Also keep in mind that the hamsters cannot see too well on the edgeways. You should not put your dwarf hamster on the table or in your bed. Also try not to let them free in your house. The dwarf hamster is very small and can be easily stepped on.

Usually hamsters don't get sick, but this could happen. Try to get your pet to the veterinary immediately after buying him. Hamster diseases act very fast, so you should be prepared in case this happens.

I'm sure you and your kids will be thrilled about your new dwarf hamster. You can also teach them about dwarf master care, making them more responsible and preparing them for their lives. Keep in mind this simple advice, so you can be sure you have a happy, healthy dwarf hamster.

Are you ready to learn everything you need to know about Dwarf Hamster Care? Visit http://www.dwarfhamsterlife.com today for more information!

Hamsters make really great pets, and for that reason, they've steadily gained popularity and appeal, ever since the capture of the first and best-known species, the "Golden Hamster" in the Syrian Desert in 1930. Most experts agree that just about all of the captive population of Syrian Hamsters are descended from that original litter.

As rodents, hamsters belong to the subfamily Cricetinae, which contains some 25 different species. So, indeed there is quite a variety to choose from, many of which will no doubt make a terrific companion pet, as the care of hamsters is certainly a joyful undertaking.

The best known of the hamster types, and most commonly kept as a pet, is the Syrian or Golden Hamster. Sometimes referred to as "fancy hamsters", the Syrians are also known as "teddy bear hamsters", "polar bear hamsters", "panda bear hamsters", "honey bear hamsters", "black bear hamsters", and "Dalmatian", all of which is a direct result of their particular coloration.

When buying a hamster, it's reassuring to know that they are particularly suited as a beginner pet, since the care of hamsters is a fairly easy endeavor. They typically have a temperament that is usually quite docile, dependent of course upon environment, genetics and the amount of interaction with humans. But, all in all, they're very friendly and become extremely tame when handled frequently. Additional "hamster facts" indicate they have relatively clean habits and are actually entertaining to watch as they do their daily work of storing food, working out on the exercise wheel and performing their housekeeping chores.

Mating hamsters can also provide a special experience if managed with care. And, when hamster babies have been handled with patience, tenderness and consistency they will generally remain highly docile and very rarely ever bite. It's only on those occasions when a hamster is suddenly startled or frightened that it will resort to biting. But, with care and gentle handling biting should never be an issue. A general consensus, among experts, claim the Black Bear and Golden Hamsters are among the easiest of the species to tame.

Dwarf hamsters are among the two dozen, or so, subfamilies and have gained tremendous popularity as a highly sought after pet. Preferred by some because of the smaller size, it's important to note that they still need a similar amount of maintenance as their larger cousins. However, their smaller size does make them a bit more fragile, skittish and quick to attempt an escape. It also demands a more secure cage or enclosure, as they can easily free themselves from environments designed to contain the larger Syrian variety. Among the most secure and specialized of homes, available now for the dwarf hamsters, is the tubular habitat, which is made of a type of heavy gauge plastic. Designed initially for the pet mice industry, the size of the plastic enclosures is perfectly suited for the miniature sized little dwarfs.

Exercise is important for any hamster, as they are naturally active little critters, so it's essential to provide them with the opportunity for physical activity. The most common appliance is the hamster wheel. Incredibly, there was at least one study that calculated the distance traveled, while running on the wheel, measured at five miles. It may surprise many to learn that the hamster is not actually nocturnal, being most active at night, but rather they are "crepuscular", which is a term used to describe some animals that are primarily active during twilight, that is at dawn and at dusk. This behavior is an instinctual pattern developed within the wild species to help avoid times when predators were most active. In the desert areas of their native habitat, it was also a way to avoid the intense heat of the afternoon sun.

Dwarf hamsters can surprisingly consume as much food as their larger Syrian cousins, primarily because of the need to support a much higher metabolism. It's important to always provide a continuous portion of fresh food, even though they are famous for taking food from their bowl and hiding or storing it within their nesting area. Equally important is a readily available supply of fresh water, which can most efficiently be provided via water bottle with a metal tip, which will prevent damage from chewing and potential leakage.

As members of the rodent family, the hamsters teeth will have that same characteristic of constantly growing and because of that, will need lots of toys made from a soft variety of wood, which can help them maintain that vitally important part of their anatomy. This will also ensure they avoid chewing on plastic toys and accessories, which could potentially cause injury when ingested.

As stated earlier, hamsters are instinctively clean animals and are certainly deserving of a tidy environment in which to exist, otherwise you may end up with sick hamsters, so it's incumbent upon any hamster caring owner to do their part and provide timely and consistent maintenance of the cage and its contents, as you'll surely guard against the majority of hamster illnesses. The most effective procedure is to, once a week, empty the hamsters cages of all the contents; wash everything with a mixture of very mild soap and warm water, rinsing everything very thoroughly; drying the cage, hamster toys and accessories completely before reassembly; and replace the hamsters bedding substrate with fresh material.

In closing, it's important to note that in a study ranking pets in a priority of most desired, the hamster came in at a solid number 3 position, just behind the dog and cat. They can be a great little pet, as witnessed by their extreme popularity and while they're not maintenance free, the joy and satisfaction of owning either a dwarf hamster or Syrian hamster, makes it all worthwhile, in your care of hamsters, throughout their lives of loving companionship.

For even more information and great resources, please visit Dwarf Hamster Care.

Copyright 2010 Walter Tekman. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the entire contents of this article with your friends or post it on your site as long as it is left intact with all links unchanged, including this notice.

Walter Tekman is a pet hamster enthusiast and author of The Best Ever Guide To Dwarf Hamsters. He spends much of his time advising others on how to setup and maintain the perfect hamster habitat, while selecting the best possible hamster as a pet. For more tips, techniques and secrets for creating the greatest possible experience with your pet hamster please visit Dwarf Hamster Care.

A hamster is a domesticated animal that belongs to the rodent family. Hamsters are now popular household pets that many people especially kids love to take care of. Same with other house pets, hamsters also seek attention and need training in order to be tamed to become friendlier to humans. If you decide to pick a hamster as a pet, then make sure you are responsible enough and can set time to supervise the growth of your hamster and play with it.

In picking out a hamster, it is wise to select one that is about 4 to 8 weeks old. According to animal experts, hamsters at this age are easily trained compared to hamsters that are more than 8 weeks old. Now, before finally getting a hamster, you should make sure that you already have a hamster cage and you know where to place it. Hamsters hate to be under the sun so find a cozy part of your home where you can place the hamster cage.

As expected, your hamster will surely leave some mess like droppings in their cage. Hamsters eat often so be prepared in cleaning up the droppings in their hamster cage to remove foul odor. Of course, it is less smelly compared to the feces of dogs and cats. One way to minimize the odor and avoid cleansing from time to time is to use pine wood shavings and lay it on the hamster cage floor at 2 inches high. Pine wood is known to be a great absorbent of foul odors so it can surely help reduce the smell inside the hamster cage.

If you have placed well all the things that your hamster need in the hamster cage then it would be less difficult for your to clean up their mess. You can clean the hamster cage once a week or every time you notice that the cage is very dirty. Keep the cage clean so that your pet won't get ill due to dirt and contamination.

You should also use a water container that won't be easily tipped off by your pet hamster so that the pine wood shavings will not decompose which might cause illness to your pet. There are special containers that can be purchased in the pet store that seem like a feeding bottle made especially for hamsters. It should be placed in the wall of the cage which can be reached by the hamster so it can suck on the bottle like what babies do.

Sleep is very important for hamsters to stay energetic thus it is important to provide enough room and make a comfy bed for your hamster to sleep. You can use a piece of cardboard or you can buy special beddings in a pet store. You can even buy a cute little house especially created for hamsters which is available in various color and style.

It would also be wise to buy a wheel or running ball for hamster to use in working out. You can also add a small tunnel toy for your pet to move around. This artificial tunnel can be bought in pet store and are available in various length, style and color.

Provide your hamsters all the things they need like their own hamster cage so that they will remain happy, lively and healthy.

Looking for the best deal on hamster cages, visit http://hubpages.com/hub/Great-Tips-In-Selecting-a-Hamster to find the best advice on hamster cage

First off, let's just put the title of this article straight. As my hamster Molly will tell you, a hamster does not get owned, it is a very independent creature that will happily live with you, if you provide it with the ideal environment and lots of treats. Ok, now we have got that important matter out of the way, let's continue.

Hamsters really do make great pets for both adults and children alike. They are easy to handle, being somewhat slower and with less of a tendency to dart about than other small rodents such as mice and gerbils. As long as they are handled from when they are young, hamsters are very friendly and will happily spend time with their owners.

Read the rest of this entry »