Everything you need to know about caring for and keeping hamsters at home

These small, furry rodents are one of the most popular pets.

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Hamsters have won a strong place in the homes and hearts of caring owners thanks to their unpretentiousness, friendliness and intelligence. But despite all their advantages and popularity, the decision to place a new furry pet in your home must be approached with all responsibility.

To buy or not to buy?

The first thing you need to pay attention to is that family members are not allergic to animal hair or bedding fillers. Second, but no less important, is the choice of location for the cage of the future pet. Hamsters equally do not like drafts, too warm or cold air, and dampness. They do not belong in a smoky room, on the floor or windowsill. It is important to remember that these are living beings and they have the right to demand that they be treated with dignity.

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Other indisputable advantages of keeping hamsters include their low cost and ease of care, which does not require special skills. The small amount of food a hamster needs for a full life will not affect the family budget in any way, and its cage will not take up much space in the apartment.

How to determine gender?

Determining gender is important not only when choosing a name for an animal, but also if you want to keep several animals at once (whether you want to breed them or not). To determine the age of an animal, you must first calm it down. To keep the animal relaxed, avoid sudden movements; you can give it some kind of treat to distract attention from the examination .
To make it easier to examine, slightly lift the animal by the fold of skin between the shoulder blades on the back. In males you will immediately notice the genitals, in females you can find nipples in the chest and abdomen. Judging by the reviews of inexperienced owners, sometimes it is difficult to determine sexual characteristics due to the hair, in this case you should not pull the skin too much, just slightly moisten the animal’s fur in the chest area with warm water - and you will be able to clearly see the genitals. If the animals are very young or newborns, then the sex can be determined by the distance between the anus and urinary opening.

In girls they are located close to each other, in boys they are slightly further apart.

Cell selection

A cage with vertical or horizontal bars is the most suitable and comfortable home for a hamster. Its size depends on the breed of hamster. For dwarf hamsters - Djungarian and Roborovsky - the height and width are approximately 30 cm, length - 50 cm. For golden or Syrian hamsters, it is better to choose a larger cage - 40 cm wide and high, about 60 cm long.

Unlike Syrian hamsters, Djungarian and Roborovian hamsters are indifferent to climbing rods and other acrobatic tricks, so plastic cages (dunes) are quite suitable for them. Under no circumstances should hamsters be placed in tall and narrow aquariums - bacteria multiply very quickly here, there is high humidity and there is almost no access to fresh air.

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Pros and cons of keeping a hamster at home

Before you get a pet hamster, you need to familiarize yourself with its main characteristics.

A convenient feature of this animal is that it is kept without a similar individual, that is, the hamster does not have to have a mate. He feels great alone, unless, of course, you are going to start breeding them.

The benefits of breeding a hamster at home are:

• small fluid intake, in case of taking juicy foods;
• keep the room quiet;
• the main difference from cats and dogs is the absence of rancor and resentment;
• have a positive attitude towards children;
• occupy a fairly small area;
• easy to train;
• breed in captivity;
• unpretentious in eating.

We must not forget about the possible difficulties when breeding a hamster:

• in winter, the hamster can hibernate, and when it wakes up, it requires more food;
• constant care of the cage in which the animal is kept is necessary;
• It is necessary to keep a hamster only in a terrarium, otherwise it can ruin things;
• a hamster can be aggressive towards people.

Cage interior

To make your pet feel happy and healthy, he needs to not only be fed, but also entertained. Golden hamsters cannot do without climbing devices - various decorative branches, tubes, labyrinths, obstacles that create several tiers in the cage at once. Here, it is necessary to have a wheel with cross bars; it can be attached to the wall or installed on the floor of the cage.

Medium-sized sawdust, compressed or mixed with shavings, as well as fine sifted sand for dwarf rocks are most often used as bedding. All types of textile or paper bedding, including newspapers, cotton wool, and rags, are strictly excluded.

An important place in a hamster’s home is a house for sleeping and resting; here he can store valuable things. The house should be quite spacious and comfortable, preferably attached to the wall. Its design should provide easy access for washing and ventilation.

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Having bought a cage and placed a hamster in it, immediately install a toilet in it with a special filler that absorbs odor and moisture. You need to train your hamster to use the litter tray from an early age, otherwise retraining it will be very difficult and often impossible. The filler must be replaced once a week.

You can purchase a feeder in a store or make it yourself, taking into account the size of your pet. On average, the size of the feeder varies from three to ten centimeters, with a height of about one and a half centimeters.

You can use a small container - about 50 milliliters - as a drinking bowl. This volume will fully satisfy the hamster’s daily need for water. The water in the drinking bowl should be changed daily, and it is also very important to ensure that there is no wet sawdust around the container.

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What is required for maintenance

Proper keeping of a hamster at home can not only improve the well-being and health of the small rodent, but also prolong its life. If you create all the conditions for a comfortable existence, the hamster will live a long and happy life without stress.

To keep a pet hamster you need:

• cell;
• house;
• toys;
• feeders 2 pieces;
• drinking bowl;
• running wheel, ball, maze, playground or tunnel.

When choosing a cage, you need to take into account the number and type of hamsters you plan to keep. It is not recommended to house several hamsters in one cage, but in practice it turns out differently. The minimum cage size for one rodent is 60 by 40 cm. It is important that the bars of the cage are positioned horizontally, since hamsters are very active and love to climb the walls of the cage.

The cage must be selected specifically for small rodents. Since the distance between the rods plays an important role. If you are planning to get dwarf hamsters, choose a distance so that a small hamster cannot fit between them.

To keep hamsters, they often buy a cage. But you can use an aquarium. It is important that the size of the aquarium also corresponds to the minimum size of 60 by 40 cm per pet, and the number of hamsters living.

Under no circumstances should hamsters be kept in cardboard boxes or plastic containers. Hamsters are rodents; their teeth grow throughout their lives. They will instantly chew up a dwelling made of fragile material and run away. Finding and catching an escaped hamster is not an easy task. But besides this, he can also get poisoned.

We buy only healthy hamsters

When choosing a hamster, it is very important to make sure that your future pet is healthy. A visual inspection and observation of his behavior will be enough to make sure that everything is fine with him. So, a hamster is healthy if:

• He has a shiny, thick coat with no signs of hair loss. Scars spoil the appearance of the animal, but do not indicate its poor health.
• his eyes are clear, clean around and shiny.
• There is no nasal discharge, the nose itself is healthy and clean.
• the fur around the anus is clean, without signs of diarrhea or inflammation.

A hamster that has just been woken up should not show excessive anxiety or, conversely, apathy. Both options indicate a stressful state of the animal, which can subsequently result in high vulnerability and disease. Only Roborovsky's hamsters are characterized by increased fussiness in any circumstances.

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Breed

When choosing a rodent breed, pay attention to its character and behavior. There are many varieties, but two breeds are optimal for home keeping - Syrian and Dzungarian. Everyone decides for themselves who is better to have.

Article on the topic: How to determine the age of Djungarian and Syrian hamsters

The Syrian hamster is the best option for a child. Quite a large specimen, characterized by good vitality, cleanliness, and the presence of different colors. Their body length is 12–18 centimeters. There are short-haired and long-haired. The following color variations are common: black, cream, brown, reddish, gray, smoky and others. In addition, babies may be spotted or striped. They are kind, affectionate and responsive. When buying a Syrian, immediately take care of a spacious cage.

The Djungarian hamster is a dwarf version of this rodent. Its length including tail is no more than 10 centimeters. Djungarians are nimble and restless, which is fraught with injury and the possibility of loss. This is aggravated by the increased timidity of the animal. But representatives of this breed can still be tamed. They are not capricious when it comes to food and are quite independent. They have different color options - gray-brown, gray with a blue tint, reddish and even white! Be careful: Djungarian hamsters are highly fertile. Another very sad fact is the short life expectancy of representatives of this breed (about 3 years).

If you decide to get a dwarf, it is important not to confuse it and not buy a Campbell hamster instead. The fact is that these two varieties are very similar in appearance, but the second is more aggressive and capricious in content.

When buying a dwarf hamster, make sure that the distance between the bars in the cage is not too large.

Getting used to the new home

In order for your new guest to quickly get used to his new conditions, give him a few days to leisurely explore his home. Once the initial stress has passed, innate curiosity will take over and the hamster will begin to explore its cage with interest, feeling increasingly confident.

If there is a need to take the animal, for example, to the veterinarian, it is not at all necessary to take the entire cage with you - it is enough to purchase a small carrier for rodents. Subsequently, it will come in handy during general cleaning of the cage. Alternatively, a well-ventilated cardboard box can be used.

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Basic rules to consider when caring for hamsters

There are a number of rules that need to be taken into account when caring for hamsters. They are the following:

The hamster is a solitary creature

It is very important that he lives separately. If you add another hamster to a hamster, they will fight

And in some cases they can even kill each other. The hamster's cage should be spacious enough. Its dimensions should be fifty by thirty centimeters. The number of floors can be any. The hamster should be able to run a lot. Creatures living in nature are accustomed to increased activity. They move around a lot. Running is in their blood. Accordingly, we recommend purchasing a special wheel for your hamster. It should be large enough in size. To make it convenient for the creature to run. We also recommend buying him a ball. It will be useful for the hamster to walk around the apartment. You need to breed hamsters very carefully. Otherwise, you risk causing the creatures to fight if you put them in the same cell. After the hamster gives birth, its offspring will need to be housed. They must be placed in a separate cage. This is quite an expensive endeavor. Because you have to purchase a lot of cells.

How to keep a hamster cage?

It is imperative to place filler in the cage. It can be made in the form of granules. Or maybe corn. In addition, the cage must have:

1. Napkins. They must be paper. And also white and odorless.
2. Drawing for a nest.
3. Wheel.
4. Special drinking bowl. It must be suspended.
5. A bowl. It is recommended to place special dry food in it.

Other items can be placed if you need them. For example, we are talking about a house. Special toilet. And so on.

Where should the cage be?

The cage cannot be placed randomly. It should stand according to the following principle:

1. It cannot be placed in the kitchen.
2. It cannot be installed in the corridor.
3. It cannot be installed on a balcony.
4. It should be placed at a large distance from the windows. And also from the doors.
5. It should be placed at a distance of at least two meters from the batteries.

Keep in mind that hamsters are very fragile creatures. They can get sick from the slightest breath of wind. Accordingly, they need to be placed in the most favorable part of the room. Then they will be safe.

The cage must be placed in a quiet place. Keep in mind that hamsters have very sensitive hearing. Because of this, they get nervous when they hear something loud.

Keep in mind that sharp sounds provoke stress in hamsters. This has the effect of reducing the creature's lifespan. During the daytime, hamsters are in a state of sleep. And your task is not to wake them up.

The cage must be kept in a place that is ventilated

At the same time, it should not be placed in a draft. Be sure to place a specialized thermometer next to the cage. With it, you have to monitor whether the temperature in the room is optimal.

For example, hamsters should be kept in a temperature range of twenty-two to twenty-eight degrees. Not lower and not higher. In the first case, the hamster will freeze. In the second, it will overheat.

How to handle a hamster?

Gaining your hamster's trust will take patience and some time. However, all the efforts spent on this will pay off in full - communication with your pet will bring you only joy. What are the do's and don'ts when handling hamsters?

It is forbidden:

• make sudden movements or wave your arms near the hamster;
• pick up a hamster that has just woken up or is sleeping;
• drive into a corner or cover with palms;
• scream loudly near the cage;
• leave it on high surfaces - it does not distinguish distances and will definitely fall down;
• grab by the scruff of the neck with a rough movement.

Can:

• talk to the animal in a soft, calm voice;
• when picking him up, do it slowly and carefully, clasping him under the front paws;
• touch the hamster only with clean hands and give him the opportunity to sniff your hand first - this way he will quickly get used to your smell;
• Give him a chance to calm down if he is scared.

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Walk

When you see a hamster gnawing doomedly at the bars of its cage, does your heart clench with pity? Do you feel that your hamster needs freedom, so every evening you let him out for a walk and watch with affection as he gets stuck under the closet or falls from the curtain? Whether or not to let your hamster out for a walk is up to you, but the best thing you can do is buy a ball for walking or fence off a safe area with enclosures. Believe me, there is no hole that a hamster cannot fit through. Although it seems to you that your pet is a fat, overfed hog, in fact, at the right time he can become very flat, so it is better not to let him roam freely. Otherwise, you risk finding it on the cabinet, in a pot of fish, or, God forbid, in your underwear drawer. Yes, a hamster can do it.

What to do if bitten by a hamster?

Hamsters are harmless, but very sensitive and timid creatures. Therefore, sometimes there is a risk of being bitten, but not out of malice, but for the purpose of self-defense. Additionally, if your hand smells like food, your hamster may simply mistake it for a tasty treat. What to do if you are bitten?

Firstly, remain calm and not punish the animal - he did not do it out of malice. Carefully place it in the cage and treat the bite site with brilliant green, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, and apply a band-aid. If your hamster is healthy, then there will be no dangerous consequences from the bite.

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Feeding hamsters

Every day - dry food from a pet store, two or three times a day, or one large portion in the morning. With wet food (cucumbers, grapes, apples, etc.) you need to be careful and give it in small portions, regularly removing uneaten remains so that bacteria do not breed in the cage. Periodically give sprouted grass, mineral supplements, and vitamins. Protein products in minimal doses - boiled eggs, cheese. Hang a wooden stick in the cage for sharpening teeth - hamsters' teeth grow throughout their lives, but their brains do not grow, so either rub the stick with cucumber or buy a ready-made one - in grains, otherwise the hamster will not show any interest in it, continuing to gnaw on the plastic house.

What and how to feed hamsters?

The main food of hamsters is solid grains such as wheat, oats, and millet. They also love to nibble on seeds and nuts, but these delicacies cannot be their main food; it is better to leave them as dessert. Hamsters satisfy their need for fluids and vitamins with juicy vegetables and fruits - apples, carrots, pears, celery, cucumbers, beets, and corn. Garlic, onions, citrus fruits and cabbage should be excluded from their diet. Sometimes you can pamper your hamster with sweet berries in small quantities - strawberries, raspberries, grapes.

Feeding occurs twice a day - morning and evening. To determine the portion size and taste preferences of your pet, just watch him for a while. And don’t forget to give him a drinking bowl with clean water every day.

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What breed of hamsters is best to give to children?

Different breeds of hamsters differ not only in body length and coat color, but also in character. In order for a child to find a truly good and affectionate friend, parents should choose an animal not only with a cute appearance, but also with a cheerful and sociable disposition. What kind of hamster is best to get for keeping in a children's room? The most popular are Syrian and Djungarian rodents.

Syrian hamsters

Large, kind and flexible animals, not afraid of human hands. The optimal choice for children. Rodents of this breed do not show aggression, quickly get used to their owner, and can be taught to respond to a nickname. They are clean, love to wash themselves and tidy up their cage, and live a long time compared to dwarf hamsters, up to four years. The coat color of Syrians can be very different: golden, white, yellow, brown, gray, black.

Djungarian hamsters

If you choose who is better - a Syrian or a Djungarian hamster, then the Syrian will have the advantage. Djungarians are calm and affectionate dwarf rodents. They are bought for children if the dimensions of the home do not allow them to keep a large cage for a large animal of the Syrian breed. Djungarian hamsters are timid, and when they sense danger, they can jump out of your hands and seriously injure themselves, so they need to be handled carefully. Also, when a tiny pet escapes from its cage and hides under furniture, it is not easy to find it. So, parents who are thinking about which hamster to choose have no doubt that Djungarians and Syrians are the best option for their child.

Water treatments and nail trimming

Hamsters do not like to bathe, so water procedures should be used only when necessary. For bathing, a special shampoo for rodents is best, after which the fur should be blotted with a soft towel. If the room is cool and you are worried that it will freeze, you can lightly dry it with a hairdryer using a gentle stream of warm air.

Overgrown claws are cut off with great care using a special nail clipper or nail clippers.

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Necessary purchases for meeting a hamster

The main list with important attributes for keeping a dzhungarika or Syrian hamster fits into several items. So, before your pet arrives at home, you need to prepare:

When buying a cage for a hamster, it is important to take into account the size of the pet, choosing the optimal space for the future home.

Growing up, Syrian rodents are twice as large as Djungarian ones, so a small cage can become cramped over time.

Don't forget that you also need to place useful accessories for your pet in it - a running wheel and a cozy house in which the hamster will sleep with pleasure.

Reproduction of hamsters

Hamsters are allowed to mate after both partners reach three months of age.

On average, the duration of pregnancy in hamsters is from two and a half to three weeks.

For about three more weeks, the babies born will feed on their mother's milk. During this period, it is advisable to add a small amount of protein to the female’s diet - a hard-boiled egg, a piece of cheese or boiled chicken. Before giving birth, it is better to move the cage with the expectant mother to a quiet place with low lighting.

If the female is young and has become a mother for the first time, she may abandon her cubs and even eat them. Unfortunately, if this happened before the babies reached at least ten days of age, then it will not be possible to save them. After 3.5 - 4 weeks, the cubs are separated, being housed in separate cages. They should not be allowed to stay with their mother for more than five weeks.

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Newborn hamsters are hairless, deaf and blind. For the first few days, their main food is mother's milk, then they gradually switch to small grains. At the end of the first week, their fur begins to grow, and at the end of the second, their eyes open. Within a month, they will be completely accustomed to the world around them.

After the offspring are born, the male should not be in the same cage with the female - he will not harm the babies and even help in caring for them, but it is very likely that the female will become pregnant again, and this can be dangerous for her health.

Selection of drum (wheel)

What your pet needs immediately after the cage is a drum, or a wheel, as it is also called. Its presence in the cage will allow the animal to actively spend time free from storing supplies and sleeping. In addition, this is what is needed to develop the physical endurance of a hamster. For this reason, you should carefully consider the choice of drum. First of all, you should pay attention to:

• diameter - depends on the size to which an adult can grow. It is advisable to first purchase what a small hamster needs, then replace the accessory with a more suitable one;
• training surface - it is better if it is lined with a fine mesh. This way, the individual is insured against the possibility of receiving various injuries to the limbs while running;
• the presence of safe fastenings - if the drum is fastened between the bars of the hamster cage, this is what you need. You don't have to worry about your pet's safety.

Tips for choosing hamsters

Consider the age of the rodent. You cannot buy an animal if it is less than 30-40 days old. If he is not yet 20 days old, then he may not live long at all, since he still does not know how to eat on his own. At this time, rodents should not be handled, much less examined and transported. And when choosing a hamster, an examination is required. Let's say you purchased an animal and it turned out to be a female. Already at 2 months she can be pregnant. If you don’t see this, then both she and her offspring may die. During pregnancy, a hamster requires special care and nutrition. And finally, the most important thing is that if the pet is already able to eat on its own, it is already 40 days old or more, then it is easy to tame it. The same cannot be said about older individuals. With age, it will become increasingly difficult to tame a rodent. When choosing, consider how much hamsters cost.

Taming a rodent is not difficult, you just need patience. To tame a hamster, you will need a voice and food. You need to say a certain word (for example, the name of your pet) and give him something to eat. Over time, he will associate this word with food and the pet will respond to it. The Syrian hamster can be trained so much that if he is running around the house and you call his name, he will come running to your feet. But this will not happen with every rodent, although it is quite possible to accustom it to your arms or shoulder.

View . First you need to decide on the look you want. Each type is unique. Requires various conditions and care. There are 4 most popular species, you will learn about them in this article: types of domestic hamsters.

Time of purchase. These are nocturnal animals and are lethargic during the day. If you choose during the day, they can easily slip you a sick individual under the guise of sleeping. Then you won’t prove anything to anyone. If you come to buy in the evening, but while the store is still open, of course, they will be more active. In the evening they begin to live life to the fullest. A healthy hamster is active. He almost always cannot sit still. Especially females, they are even more active than males. In the evening, all healthy rodents run and play. If evening comes and your pet still hasn’t woken up from its “sleep,” it means it’s sick and you shouldn’t buy it. You can also determine the disease by the eyes and fur. The eyes should be clean and the coat dry.

Article on the topic: How much does a hamster cost in a pet store, on the market and when purchased secondhand, prices for Djungarian and Syrian hamsters in different countries

Promotion . Every store has promotions, and the pet store is no exception. But what are they selling us at reduced prices?! That's right, something that has either been left on the shelves, or something is wrong with it. In the case of hamsters, sellers can make serious discounts on sick, injured, or old individuals. Don't agree to this. A sick pet will not bring you joy and may generally disappoint you. Sick rodents need to be treated, for which money will also be spent. If you do not do this, then there is a high chance that he may die. Although in any case there is a chance, but with treatment it is an order of magnitude poor. Just take my word for it, buy a healthy hamster at full price and it will be cheaper for you. Choosing an old rodent is also not the best thing you can buy at a pet store. Not only will it be extremely difficult to tame him, but it is also not known how long he will live. It is very easy to cure old from young; young rodents have white teeth and hair. With age, teeth turn yellow.

Don't completely trust the seller. It’s good to know how to choose the right hamster. The seller may inadvertently make a mistake with the floor. We talked about the definition in the article here: how to determine the sex of a hamster.

Examination . How to choose a healthy individual. A healthy hamster is the key to a successful purchase. There should be no moisture or bald spots on the body. The coat should shine and be well-groomed. The butt should also be clean. I'm serious, if he had diarrhea, he might have worms. Unfortunately, worms in these rodents can lead to death. If an animal stops caring for itself, it means it is sick.

Two at once. It happens that people take two or more individuals at once so that the rodents do not get bored. You shouldn't buy two at once. Unless you move them into different cells. Hamsters will not coexist peacefully. There will be division of territory, biting and fighting. But if several animals in one cage is important to you, then pay attention to dwarf hamsters. They are most suitable for living together.

Article on the topic: Is it worth having a hamster in an apartment: pros and cons

Color . Oddly enough, the color of these animals affects not only their appearance, but also their character. Spotted rodents are more aggressive. Females are more active. If you want a wild animal, then take a spotted female. If it’s calm, it’s a male dwarf. This species is the calmest among all domestic ones, has almost no odor and does not require much time.

Newbie. Do not show, and especially do not tell the seller that you do not understand hamsters. I'm not saying that every seller is bad. But often your ignorance can be taken advantage of in order to sell problem individuals or those that are not bought. After reading this article to the end, you will gain basic knowledge that will be enough for you to choose the right hamster.

Tamed hamster. If they tell you that the smaller the animal, the easier it is to accustom it to handling, this is not true. It is easier to handle and train the Syrian hamster; he is the leader in this regard. Moreover, this is the largest of all domestic species. When a pet is small, it is easier for it to slip out of your hand and fall. A careless movement can harm him.

I want it in my arms. If you have decided on a particular hamster, ask him to catch it for you. Then you need to stroke him lightly and check his reaction (maybe he won’t like you). This will show that you come in peace. If he doesn’t feel safe in your hands, he will twitch, roll over and break free. If he trusted you and froze, it means the hamster will love you.

After the purchase . On the way home, the rodent may chew on the box in which it is traveling. Don't worry, this is completely normal. At home, let him out into the cage and let him get used to it. You shouldn't play with him for a while, because moving is a serious stress for him. Let him get used to it, at least for a couple of days. At this time, you can win his love and trust by hand feeding him. But this does not mean that you need to starve until you eat from your hand.

Article on the topic: Which hamster is better, Djungarian or Syrian: differences, comparison, which one is better to choose for a child

How to choose a hamster for children

If we are talking about a rodent for a child, then this greatly narrows the choice. In this case, of the four most popular breeds of these rodents, only two are suitable. This is the Syrian and Roborovski's hamster. The Syrian is suitable for children due to its size, friendliness and trainability. This species is one of the largest. The weight reaches 100 grams and dimensions up to 18 cm. This makes it more difficult for him to inadvertently harm. The Roborovsky hamster can be chosen due to its character. This is a very cute creature that doesn't bite. That is why it can be given to children without fear. But there is one nuance: its dimensions are only 4-6 cm and it is very nimble. Therefore, if the child does not follow a little or gets scared, the animal may slip away and fall. Choosing a hamster for a child is not an easy task, but I chose the Syrian one.

How to determine the age of a pet?

How to choose a hamster for a child so that the gift does not die of old age before it is brought to the new owner? Sellers often lie about the age of live goods in order to get rid of them faster. It is recommended to buy two-month-old animals; they are already adapted to independent living. If you take a baby under three weeks old, it will die. Nursery owners calculate exactly when offspring are born, and pet stores should weigh rodents to find out how old they are. An adult six-month-old Syrian weighs 200 grams, and a Djungarian weighs 50 grams.