HAMSTERS

1. HAMSTERS Alissa Anger

2. Syrian Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) • Muridae -family • Rodentia –order • includes other common rodents such as gerbils, rats, mice, guinea pigs and chinchillas

3. Hamsters • weigh about 4 ounces • 5 to 6 inches • temperature not much above 80 F…. WHY? • below 50 F? What happens?

4. GROUPS/BREEDS • Hamsters were first used for medical research. • Tame- Pets • Hamsters are native to the Middle East, Europe and Asia. • Syrian or Golden hamster is the most common.

5. Breeds (cont) • #2~~ dwarf hamster (Phodopus sungorus) • Common colors include: black, yellow, silver grey, light grey, rust and cinnamon. • Markings include banded patterns and speckled or piebald patterns.

6. Breeds • Dwarf hamsters can be brownish-grey, opal, black, sooty grey-brown and albino.

7. HOUSING and EQUIPMENT • Spacious • easy to clean • built to prevent escapes (gnaw-proof) • Basic Equipment needed: • Cage • Floor cover/bedding • Food dish • Water dispenser • 10 to 19 square inches of cage floor space per animal

8. CAGES • standard wire commercial cage • an aquarium with wire mesh lid • homemade construction. • Cages should be at least 10 inches by 16 inches by 10 inches in height.

9. Equipment • Water dispensers (bottles) are hung on the outside of cages with the drinking tube extended into the cage. • If water bottles are hung inside of the cage, they need to be protected from gnawing by the hamster.

10. Bedding • Floor covering-comfortable place to dwell and also absorbs urine. • Bedding is used for nesting purposes. (wood chips BEST not Cedar, newspaper, cardboard, tissues,cotton) • Hamsters are a nesting animal and require a material they can use to build a nest.

11. TOYS • Hamsters are very active animals, but they are nocturnal. • Nocturnal- They sleep during the day and move at night. • Need Toys!!! • Exercise Wheel • Wooden ladder • Seesaws • Merry-go-round • Wooden branches and twigs • Sand box

12. NUTRITION • Feeding hamsters a nutritious diet is an important factor in keeping them healthy. • Hamsters are omnivores, eating both plants and meat • But they can grow and thrive on a herbivorous diet eating only vegetables.

13. Food • Hamsters' nutritional needs are best met through commercially prepared pellets. • Pellets contain the recommended levels of protein, fat, fiber, energy, vitamins and minerals.

14. FEEDING (con’t) • Hamsters eat about a tablespoon of pellets daily • A small amount of vegetables or fruit should also be fed each day.

15. Treats!!! • Some example of supplemental foods include: • Apples, Carrots, Parsley, Peas, Spinach, Bananas, Broccoli, Corn on the Cob, Nuts, Cheese, Dog Biscuits/Pellets, Bread, Raisins, Crickets, Potatoes, Rice, Pasta Chicken, and Bean sprouts.

16. Coprophagy • Hamsters will eat their own droppings. This is normal. The droppings contain B vitamins and vitamin K produced in the intestine. • Important for microbes (small single celled organisms) that help break down food.

17. REPRODUCTION • Hamsters become sexually mature at six weeks of age • Female hamsters generally produce five to six litters a year. • Average litter of eight, but can produce up to 26 per litter. WOW!!!

18. come into heat (estrus) every four days • evening hours between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. • Gestation in hamsters averages about 16 days (15 to 18 days). • Baby hamsters are born totally helpless. • weigh only 1/4 to 1/8 of an ounce • Do NOT disturb until 14 days old • weaned at 24 to 28 days

19. COMMON DISEASES • Hamsters are relatively healthy animals. • The two most common diseases are hamster enteritis (wet tail) and Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCM).

20. Disease con’t • Symptoms of a problem: • Loss of weight • Drowsiness • Ruffled coat • Lethargic movement • Fleas, lice and mites are common in hamsters. Frequent cleaning of the cage and use of an insecticide prevents flea problems.