Oh Yaye!!!! Someonethat has hamsters. Today is my little girl's (Kaitlyn) birthday. I'mchecking her out of school Thursday to take her birthday shopping andshe's determined to go to the pet store. She's had her eye on a pair ofdwarf hamsters. In her defense they're adorable. Thank God she's a veryresponsible 10 year old. I know she will take excellent care of them.
Now for the questions. LOLIf you dont mind. Do you know how to sex a hamster? I dont want to endup with babies so I'd like to get two females.
I personally do not, but u8myhouse does. Perhaps, if she doesn't comeon, I can get her to send me the webpage she learned from
Can you bond two females like you can bunnies?
Dwarf hamsters, yes. They are social creatures. It's the Syrian (akaTeddy Bear, Golden) hamsters that are solitary. If you raise two femaledwarves together, you shouldn't have any problems.
Are female hamsters territorial?
No, they tend not to be. Again, it's the Syrian ones that will be moreaggressive about their territory, often fighting to the death 8O Butyou shouldn't have any problems with the lil' girls.
What are the best types of feed and bedding for hamsters?
Feed: you want to avoid anything overly colorful, just as you wouldwith rabbit feed. They need a good variety of seeds, and corn, andnuts, but make sure there are also pellets in there (to complete theirvitamin intake). The Hartz Original Recipe Hamster & Gerbil food,which you can get at any Wal-Mart, is the best I've found so far. Asfar as actually feeding them, I'd say forget the dish! It's a lot moreenvironmentally stimulating if you spread the food around so they haveto forage for it.
Bedding: There are a variety of bedding materials you could use.Shavings are very popular; if you haven't heard it yet,
avoid cedarshavings. They can cause respiratory irritation and liver damage.The same goes for sawdust. Anything that smells strong to you, if goingto smell even stronger to them, so that's something to consider. Ipersonally use Yesterday's News as a base, with CareFresh (dried paperpulp) bedding on top of that. You could also use hay on top. You wantto have some sort of bottom layer that will absorb the urine (newspaperis generally not good, especially if they ingest the ink). But you alsowant to have a top layer that'll be easier on their feet, like hay orthe CareFresh as I use. Plus, with a softer, lighter top layer, theycan burrow, something hamsters love to do.
What kinds of treats are best for hamsters?
Here's a good list of foods that hamster can/cannot eat:
http://www.geocities.com/taffy3001/food_list.html
Are there any special rules I should know about hamsters?
Let's see....handling them often will make them friendlier in the longrun. Dwarves are especially good at being hand trained. But be sure topractive very careful handling or you'll end up with a hamster likemine. I rescued him from my 11 year old cousin, and he's still monthslater, somewhat traumatized.
All hamsters need a wheel to run on (in the wild, they'd roam as muchas 9 miles in a night!), but not all wheels are good for them. Avoidany metal or plastic wheels with spokes or wires. Very, very bad! Theycan get their legs or necks stuck, and end up with a broken limb,paralyzed, or even dead.
There are two good wheels out there. One is the Comfort Wheel, whichhas a solid running base and side. This picture, though, actuallydemonstrates something you want to avoid: a wheel so small the animalshave to arch their backs to run. Now, you shouldn't have this problem,seeing as you're getting dwarves, but just make sure it's large enough.
There's also the wheel I use, and can talk about to no end. The WodentWheel. I think it's the best one out there. Not only the solid runningbase and back, but also their ingenious front design, giving littletunnel burrowers the sensation of being enclosed. Most hamsters willlove their Wodent Wheels to the point of sleeping in them!
Here their website:
http://www.transoniq.com/
What's the approximate life span of a hamster?
2-3 years, though with proper care, many have been known to livelonger. I may be wrong, but I think some dwarves have a longer lifespanthan other hamsters.
Any additional informationis greatly appreciated. I want Kaitlyn to really enjoy her hamsters. Ialso want the hamsters to have a long healthy life. Thanksbunches!!!
Lanna
