Mary Allen
Compared to guinea pigs and rabbits, hamsters are mostly solitary creatures. It is not advisable for beginners to socialize. Hamsters often react very aggressively towards conspecifics, which often leads to biting injuries.
Hamsters And Children
Teaching youngsters how to deal with animals at an early age is undoubtedly a sensible thing. Depending on the age of the children, however, you should be aware that as parents you always have the main responsibility for your four-legged roommate.
The basic rule for hamsters is that they are not suitable pets for children under 10 years of age. The late and short active phases of the cute little animals and their preference to bite down if something doesn’t suit them are certainly the main reasons for this. They are also not suitable for cuddling and cuddling, as they are difficult to tame and a fall can seriously or even fatally injure the little animal. And yet, according to surveys, the golden hamster is still number 1 among the most popular beginner pets for children. But compare the hamster with your junior. How would he feel if you pulled the covers off him at 2 am, poked and tickled him until he woke up, and then encouraged him to play? He would certainly be tired, probably crying, and trying to crawl back into bed to go back to sleep. It’s the same with the hamster, except that it can’t cry or verbally protest and therefore likes to pinch.
But if the whole family has a love of hamsters, there is nothing wrong with positioning a large observation cage in a quiet corner (not in the children’s room) where even the little ones can observe the cute animals.
Cage
It is often said that buying a hamster is very practical because it doesn’t take up much space. This assumption is wrong and probably stems from the fact that the commercially available cages are small and handy. However, it must be noted that these housings are definitely too small – regardless of whether you want to keep a medium-sized hamster (e.g. golden hamster) or a dwarf hamster (e.g. Roborowski).
Basically, a hamster cage can never be big enough. The length measurements should not be less than 80 cm. Even in their natural environment, hamsters run over large areas for food.
Hamsters love to climb. So mesh cages are actually not bad at all. They ensure sufficient ventilation and represent a climbing aid integrated into the cage. However, care should be taken with the distance between the individual bars. It should be small enough that the hamster cannot stick its head out or flee completely, but also big enough so that the hamster cannot get its feet caught. The cage ceiling should also be covered with a grid so that the hamster cannot escape “through the roof”.
Furnishings
In the wild, hamsters inhabit a large territory on two floors (above and below ground). Therefore, when furnishing the interior, you should also make sure that two or three floors are included in the cage. If possible, the steps should not be made of lattice, as the small feet can get caught – an injury is often the result. Houses with a flat roof and several openings are best suited. So the hamster has a shelter and a raised viewing platform in one and the openings prevent a sauna effect. Even if frequent replacement is necessary, they are best suited to furnishings (bridges, houses, mezzanines…) made of untreated wood.
However, it is important to remember that hamsters are rodents and will nibble on anything they can get between their powerful teeth. Homemade items are cheaper and can be customized. Your hamster probably doesn’t care if the house has artistically turned window frames and balconies – it will just gnaw at them.
The tray should be high enough that the hamster cannot escape and there should be enough space for digging and digging. Untreated and low-dust wood chips are best for bedding. In addition, you can add unprinted kitchen paper, toilet paper rolls, or similar torn into snippets.
Dwarf hamsters that are at home in desert regions also need the opportunity to take an extensive sand bath. It is, therefore, best to get chinchilla sand from a specialist shop and put it in a bowl in the cage for several hours every day.