Chubby Cheeks - Species Appropriate Hamster Care for Beginners

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Syrian hamsters are one of the most common types of hamsters that are kept as pets. These creatures can grow up to 6 inches in length, making them one of the largest species as well.

The bigger your hamster’s cage or aquarium, the better. However, if you have limited space, you should try to get the biggest cage that your space allows. Your hamster will live its life in that cage so the more space it has, the better. Your hamster’s cage should have a minimum of two square feet. Pregnancy: If your female hamster has been housed with a male hamster, a swollen belly may be a sign of pregnancy. It’s important to prepare for the arrival of baby hamsters if this is the case. If you have store-bought hamster food at home for more than three months, throw it out and buy new food. While a hamster can drink out of a water bowl, they aren't recommended. Not only can bowls tip easily (which means you have to clean the cage more often) but it's easy for your hamster to get her poop or bedding in the water.By putting your hamster’s food in a dish rather than scattered along the bottom of the cage, your hamster will not feel like he needs to forage and hoard. When it is in the bowl, he will feel like he has a stash, so he will be much less concerned about running out. 3. Give Your Hamster A Bigger Cage If you buy a Syrian hamster with long hair, you will need to groom him or clip the ends of his fur to prevent matting. Round or bloated appearance: An overweight hamster may have a round or bloated appearance, particularly around their midsection. They may also appear wider than usual when viewed from above.

All of the other hamsters that are listed have not been domesticated and are rarely kept as pets. That’s not to say that they can’t be kept as pets, but it definitely isn’t recommended. It digs burrows to an average depth and is active both day and night. It forages for grain and seeds and also hunts insects. 14. Long-Tailed Dwarf Hamster The bedding of their cage can provide both a cushioned surface for your hamster can walk on, and a surface deep enough to allow them to express their natural digging and hoarding behaviours. Hay or paper products are best. These hamsters’ relatively large size also means that Syrian hamsters need larger hamster wheels and bigger cages so they can move about and exercise.

Obesity in any animal can lead to more serious issues like diabetes or heart problems. However, before you reduce your hamster’s food, there are far better ways to keep your pet in top athletic form. Why Is My Hamster So Fat?

Syrian hamsters are normally about 6-9 inches long and weigh somewhere between 3.5 and 5.3 ounces or 100-150 grams. However, there are times when Syrian hamsters from private breeders are bred specifically to be larger, so it is possible for a Syrian hamster to healthily weigh up to 7.9 ounces or 225 grams. Like many other animals, hamsters often adjust their feeding habits according to the seasons and may eat a little more eagerly if they feel a cold spell coming. However, there may be other reasons that your hamster has become chubby and moving around less, including pregnancy or a medical condition like a tumor. However, only about five hamster breeds are commonly kept as pets. Of these five breeds, the Syrian or Teddy Bear hamster is both the best known and the most popular. The Turkish hamster is a type of hamster that’s native to Turkey, Armenia, and several other surrounding nations. It’s very closely related to the Syrian hamster, but it’s more unknown and rarely kept as a pet.Campbell’s Dwarf hamsters are best kept in small groups, but they can still become territorial. This means that they’re best kept in very large hamster cages. The Mongolian hamster is one of two members of the genus Allocricetulus. It’s found in China and Mongolia. Not surprisingly, the Russian dwarf hamster originally hails from Russia. You may have noticed this hamster has several names! This hamster is named after where it is from and also after the person who first captured this hamster in the wild. That man was W.C. Campbell. Just as Hamsters can be cool and cute, they can also be tough and cute. The tougher they are, the cuter in fact, because they are so little and adorable and feisty!