10/07/2021
Basic care for raising a hamster
First of all, you should take into consideration what type of hamster you want, since its size will be decisive when choosing your type of home. For a small hamster, cages are recommended whose bars are not separated by more than 0.5 millimeters, in order to avoid their escape. For larger ones, the opening should not exceed one centimeter in diameter.
Make sure, when you adopt or buy one, that you are completely healthy. To do this, note that your tail and legs are not wet, as this could be due to the disease of the tail, which is very common in these rodents. Also, check that there are no protuberances or spaces lacking hair, that your teeth are not bent and that your eyes are bright.
The first thing we need to raise a hamster is an adequate space for its habitat. The cage should be placed in a cool place and have good ventilation, away from extreme temperatures, to avoid developing health problems related to moisture. Also, it must be taken into account that the space must be wide enough so that the hamster does not feel locked up and must have toys and accessories necessary for it to be exercised.
The feeding of the hamster
We must give our rodent a balanced diet based on seeds, vegetables, proteins, leaves and fruits; the amount of food could vary according to the size of the hamster, although the approximate average of food they need is 7 grams a day.
To help them have their immune system in optimal conditions, it is advisable to give them fresh fruit and vegetables, especially those with low sugar and water content.
There are some foods that can be harmful to our pet, so we should prevent them from eating them. Among these foods, we can find eggplant, citrus fruits, potatoes, onions, avocado and garlic. Also, high-fat foods, chocolates and fried foods should be avoided.
Remember that to raise a hamster it is very important to provide a dispenser where you can have clean and fresh water constantly.
¿How to clean the hamster?
These small rodents in themselves are very neat and often groom themselves constantly. It is not advisable to give them a bath because a cold could be something deadly for them and if they were submerged in water they could run the risk of drowning.
The best thing we can do for cleaning the hamster is to keep its cage completely clean. The substrate should be changed at least once a week and, with the same regularity, the entire cage should be thoroughly cleaned and left to dry completely before reintroducing our hamster into it.
The process of adaptation of the hamster
When raising a hamster, it is necessary to share time with the rodent in order to know its gestures and its personality. Each hamster is different and has a particular way of behaving, so it will be necessary to interact with it and go closer little by little to get used to our presence. You must respect your space and your time of adaptation, remember that you are reaching a completely unknown place.
You can begin the approach, holding it for brief periods of time until it gets used to you; Another effective way to earn your trust is by giving seeds directly to their hands, they will take this as a gesture of protection.
It is not usually advisable to give a hamster as a gift to small children, as they can give it a rough treatment and overwhelm it.
Recommendations and guidelines for raising a hamster
You can give your pet a space of games away from his cage, that way, he will rest from the confinement in his home and will be able to enjoy new spaces, besides being able to be closer to you. You can make a play pen using materials such as cardboard boxes and plastic tubes, to create tunnels and passageways. This activity can also be used so that children can have fun watching the hamster play; In addition, you can train the hamster to search for objects inside the pen.
As we mentioned earlier, to have the hamster clean, the best thing we can do is keep your home neat; To do this, we should periodically check it and clean excess dirt so that it does not get clogged. However, despite the daily care we can give, it is necessary to do a deep cleaning of the cage at least once a week.
Before starting the deep cleaning, you must take into account the amount of materials needed to clean it to have them all at hand and that the process is less tedious. The main thing to use will be gloves, a cloth and some disinfectant or antibacterial solutions that do not have very strong odors or that are very abrasive, so as not to damage the hamster. In pet stores we can get safe cleaning solutions.
We must be careful when removing the hamster from the cage and place it in a safe place where it will not escape or may suffer an accident.
Then, you must remove all the objects from the cage, accessories, toys, containers and dispensers and place them to soak in a mixture of water with cleaning solution. Even if these objects do not look dirty, it is necessary to clean them properly. Do not forget to remove the substrate or the material you use to deposit your waste, as well as clean the cage completely.
The hamster race will determine how we can treat it; consult your veterinarian to determine the care you need to have in handling the pet and if it is convenient to have company.
