Hamsters, The Who, The Where, And The What
Created | Updated Oct 31, 2003
We all know hamsters, many of us keep them as pets but do you know all there is to know about hamsters, I think you don't. Here you will learn all there is to know about these small, furry and occasionally evil creatures. So get your pens, notebooks and rubber gloves and join the wonderful world of the hamster.
What Is A Hamster?
A hamster is a small rodent, (yes they are related to that filthy dead mouse your cat bought in last week). They are mostly active at night, they must like the night life around the bedroom where they sleep, some have theories to why they are nocturnal ,(for those of you who are verbally challenged* that means they come out at night), the most popular of these is that they started life out in the cities, enjoying the shops but especially enjoying the night life. Over hundreds of years they evolved to wake up when all the fun started, this is a common feature in hamsters so don't keep them up during the day.
They have very sharp teeth, they don't eat meat but they do like a tasty funger every now and then, they never stop growing and they use them for gnawing on logs and other related items.
Hamsters are nimble and energetic, when they lived in the wild they would run up to 8km in search of food. They are also very good climbers, they will scramble over anything in their path and will climb up you and your furniture.
Hamsters have brilliant night senses, they need these to find their way around in the dark, they can hear faint sounds, their noses can pick up faint smells, and they use their fine whiskers to feel around.
Life In The Wild.
Wild syrian hamsters live in deep homes underground. Some dig their own homes which are known as burrows, others steal the burrows of other small creatures. Hamsters will stay underground during the day , but comes out when the sun goes down, they are very protective and will fight off any intruders to their burrows.
Hamsters can dig these burrows very quickly, they dig their deepest tunnels up to 10 meters under the ground for protection in the winter. They can close these by rolling a stone over the entrance.
Types Of Hamsters.
There are many types of hamsters but only a few are kept as pets, the most common pet is te syrian hamster, they were introduced as pets in 1940 and are kept by millions worldwide. Here is a list of all the types of Hamster.
1. The Siberian hamster.
2. The Djungarian hamster.
3. The Roborovsky's hamster.
4. The Chinese hamster.
5. The Syrian hamster.
All Colours And Sizes.
The fist people to keep hamsters noticed some hamsters were born with different features. Some had unusual fur colours, others had new coat markings and hairstyles. By choosing which hamsters babies the owners were able to mak different breeds. Here are some coat variations.
1. Multi-coloured coats. Hamsters can have up to 3 colours in their coats.
2. One coloured coats.
3. Bands and arches, some hamsters coats have coloured bands.
4. Spotted coats.
5. Satins and rexes.
6. Unnatural fluffy coats.
Your Hamsters Home.
Your hamster should live in a large cage. It should have a sleeping box or house and have plenty of excersise equipment to keep fit on. You should stock up on litter, food and bedding. The cage will also need a toilet tray, water bottle and food bowl. To keep their teeth at a regular size the cage should also have a gnawing log.
Keep the cage away from loud noises and other pets as they may see your fluffy darling as a tasty snack. Also keep the cage away from direct sunlight and radiators so the hamster doesn't overheat.
Other Things You Need To Get Ready.
To keep your hamster happy you need to clean the cage once a week, you will need these things to do this:
1. A dustpan and brush.
2. Rubber gloves.
3. Washing up liquid.
4. Disinfectant spray.
5. Scrubbing brush.
6. Small scraper.
Hamster Food.
Hamsters are omnivores whicj means they will eat plants and animals. This is what your hamster will like to eat:
1. Grass.
2. Dandelion leaves.
3. Celery.
4. Grapes.
5. Brocolli.
6. Lettuce.
7. Turnip.
8. Peas.
9. Swede.
10. Carrots.
11. Cucumber.
12. Melon.
13. Apple.
14. Bannana.
15. Strawberry.
Handling Your Hamster.
To begin with your hamster will be frightened of you, the more time
you spend wih it the quicker it will learn to like you.
To find out more about hamsters and hear them sing annoyingly visit www.hamsterdance.co.uk
So now you know all there is to know about these cute fluffy creatures you can get yourself one and care for it greatly, get it a nice cage, feed it well replace the bedding each week. But remember, one day it could be them in charge and you in the cage.
Enjoy your hamster!!
What Is A Hamster?
A hamster is a small rodent, (yes they are related to that filthy dead mouse your cat bought in last week). They are mostly active at night, they must like the night life around the bedroom where they sleep, some have theories to why they are nocturnal ,(for those of you who are verbally challenged* that means they come out at night), the most popular of these is that they started life out in the cities, enjoying the shops but especially enjoying the night life. Over hundreds of years they evolved to wake up when all the fun started, this is a common feature in hamsters so don't keep them up during the day.
They have very sharp teeth, they don't eat meat but they do like a tasty funger every now and then, they never stop growing and they use them for gnawing on logs and other related items.
Hamsters are nimble and energetic, when they lived in the wild they would run up to 8km in search of food. They are also very good climbers, they will scramble over anything in their path and will climb up you and your furniture.
Hamsters have brilliant night senses, they need these to find their way around in the dark, they can hear faint sounds, their noses can pick up faint smells, and they use their fine whiskers to feel around.
Life In The Wild.
Wild syrian hamsters live in deep homes underground. Some dig their own homes which are known as burrows, others steal the burrows of other small creatures. Hamsters will stay underground during the day , but comes out when the sun goes down, they are very protective and will fight off any intruders to their burrows.
Hamsters can dig these burrows very quickly, they dig their deepest tunnels up to 10 meters under the ground for protection in the winter. They can close these by rolling a stone over the entrance.
Types Of Hamsters.
There are many types of hamsters but only a few are kept as pets, the most common pet is te syrian hamster, they were introduced as pets in 1940 and are kept by millions worldwide. Here is a list of all the types of Hamster.
1. The Siberian hamster.
2. The Djungarian hamster.
3. The Roborovsky's hamster.
4. The Chinese hamster.
5. The Syrian hamster.
All Colours And Sizes.
The fist people to keep hamsters noticed some hamsters were born with different features. Some had unusual fur colours, others had new coat markings and hairstyles. By choosing which hamsters babies the owners were able to mak different breeds. Here are some coat variations.
1. Multi-coloured coats. Hamsters can have up to 3 colours in their coats.
2. One coloured coats.
3. Bands and arches, some hamsters coats have coloured bands.
4. Spotted coats.
5. Satins and rexes.
6. Unnatural fluffy coats.
Your Hamsters Home.
Your hamster should live in a large cage. It should have a sleeping box or house and have plenty of excersise equipment to keep fit on. You should stock up on litter, food and bedding. The cage will also need a toilet tray, water bottle and food bowl. To keep their teeth at a regular size the cage should also have a gnawing log.
Keep the cage away from loud noises and other pets as they may see your fluffy darling as a tasty snack. Also keep the cage away from direct sunlight and radiators so the hamster doesn't overheat.
Other Things You Need To Get Ready.
To keep your hamster happy you need to clean the cage once a week, you will need these things to do this:
1. A dustpan and brush.
2. Rubber gloves.
3. Washing up liquid.
4. Disinfectant spray.
5. Scrubbing brush.
6. Small scraper.
Hamster Food.
Hamsters are omnivores whicj means they will eat plants and animals. This is what your hamster will like to eat:
1. Grass.
2. Dandelion leaves.
3. Celery.
4. Grapes.
5. Brocolli.
6. Lettuce.
7. Turnip.
8. Peas.
9. Swede.
10. Carrots.
11. Cucumber.
12. Melon.
13. Apple.
14. Bannana.
15. Strawberry.
Handling Your Hamster.
To begin with your hamster will be frightened of you, the more time
you spend wih it the quicker it will learn to like you.
To find out more about hamsters and hear them sing annoyingly visit www.hamsterdance.co.uk
So now you know all there is to know about these cute fluffy creatures you can get yourself one and care for it greatly, get it a nice cage, feed it well replace the bedding each week. But remember, one day it could be them in charge and you in the cage.
Enjoy your hamster!!
