Psychological preparation for raising hamsters. Hamsters are small living animals, so please do not blindly raise them without sufficient psychological preparation. First, answer the following questions: 1. Do you have a certain amount of time to raise it? ? 2. Does your family object to you raising small animals? 3. Can you ensure that someone will take care of the hamster when you are out for a long time? 4. Can you promise not to abandon it after the initial novelty wears off? Will you be able to find suitable adopters when you can no longer keep them? If you are not sure about the above points, it is recommended that you do not raise it. How to choose a hamster How to choose a healthier hamster? Here are a few methods for your reference: 1. Choose a hamster with clear eyes and no eye mucus. 2. Check if the hamster has a runny nose. If so, don’t pick it. 3. Whether the shape of the ears is intact and whether there are any traces of being bitten. If there is, it means that the hamster is too weak or sick and is bullied and bitten by other hamsters. 4. The teeth do not stick out and the coat color is shiny. Check for hair loss or tumors. 5. There should be no spots on the tail, and there should be no spots near the belly, which means the hamster may have diarrhea. 6. Whether the walking is normal or not, whether there is a feeling of stiffness, and whether the limbs are healthy or not are also important. If they all look good, there should be no problem. The last step is to choose a hamster you like. In addition to the coat color, you should also consider whether it will be friendly to people. Generally speaking, golden rats and Jakalia hamsters are easy to get close to after a period of time. Campbell hamsters and Roborovsky hamsters are more difficult, especially the Roborovsky hamster itself is very timid. It is a small and sensitive animal, so it may take some time to gain its trust in you. As for whether it is better to keep one or a pair, basically if it is a Dowaf hamster, it is better to keep two or more. If it is a golden rat, you may be able to raise one. If you want to raise a pair, it is better to keep them separately. When it is time to mate and breed, put the female rat into the male rat's cage, and then separate them after mating. Ten taboos on raising hamsters (1) It is forbidden to feed human food. Too much salt and overly seasoned food will increase the burden on the rat's body. (2) Direct contact with the sun is prohibited. Rats are very afraid of heat. When summer comes, please use heat sinks or marble to cool them down. (3) Do not wash hamsters unless necessary. (4) Please understand your own hamster species. Except for the in-laws, hamsters are not allowed to be kept in the same cage. If the in-laws are not harmonious, they must be kept in separate cages. (5) If you are not mentally prepared or financially capable, please do not keep female rats and male rats in the same cage. The reproductive capacity of rats is very impressive. (6) It is prohibited to use feed from unknown sources. If it is infested with insects or mold, please discard it and do not feed it! (7) It is forbidden for rats to drink raw water. Please let them drink boiled cold water, or mineral water or purified water. (8) It is prohibited to use bamboo chopsticks, popsicle sticks and other things to allow rats to grind their teeth. Please use the teething supplies and feed specifically for rats on the market. (9) It is prohibited to use newspapers, tissue paper, etc. as cushion materials. Newspaper has too much ink and contains bleach in the tissue paper. (10) It is forbidden to keep rats in a space that is too small. The space must have at least rollers, water bottles, dens (except bears) and other supplies. The optimal breeding environment for hamsters is a temperature of 20-28°C. Avoid direct sunlight or strong winds, but pay attention to ventilation. Don't get too close to TVs, stereos, and computers. Hamsters can hear sounds that humans can't. Avoid radiation and noise. Summer: It is best not to turn on the air conditioner, because if you turn it off when you go out and turn it on again when you enter the house, the temperature difference in the house will be too large. Hamsters are very sensitive to temperature and are prone to colds. Winter: Do not keep it outdoors as the hamster will hibernate due to the cold. Lay out more bedding materials such as sawdust and provide a wooden or straw hut for the hamster to keep warm. Or give the hamster some extra napkins to make its own nest. The easiest way is to put the entire cage into a cardboard or plastic box, but make sure it is breathable.
Basic necessities for hamsters: Cage: In summer, please use a ventilated wire cage, or a half-iron and half-glue cage, such as a field cage; in winter, please pay attention to keeping the mouse warm. An all-glue cage is more suitable in winter. Do not use wire mesh on the cage chassis. Rats and rats are prone to fractures and injuries. Food bowls Most cages come with their own food bowls. If you need to buy it yourself, any ordinary small container can be used, as long as it is not easy to knock over and the edges are not too high, otherwise the hamster will not be able to climb in. Commonly used containers: glass ashtrays, soy sauce dishes, various small bowls, microwave boxes. Drinking fountain: Most cages come with a drinking fountain, and it is best to install one when DIYing, because hamsters need to drink water. The general design of drinking fountains has stainless steel beads at the front. When purchasing, be sure to test for leaks. Never use a bowl to fill the water directly, because the hamster will wet its fur when drinking water, or go swimming in it, and it is easy to catch cold and get sick. If you don’t have any yet, feed your hamster some vegetables and fruits. Toilet: An ordinary plastic box filled with cat litter can be used as a relatively simple toilet. Remove any clumped cat litter every day or replace it entirely, as per your personal hygiene habits. Some hamsters will use it, but it is not necessary. In the bathroom, some hamsters will use cat litter to bathe in the toilet. Although it is unhygienic, this is the hamster's preference. At this time, a bathing room is no longer needed. However, some hamsters love to be clean, so the owner should buy a bathroom for them. Add bath sand and let the hamster roll and dig holes to his heart's content. Please purchase professional running wheels for bath sand. Most cages come with running wheels. Because wild hamsters have to run 20 kilometers a day, appropriate exercise is very important for hamsters. Without sufficient exercise, hamsters will Cage biting behavior occurs due to excessive stress. So careful owners should give their hamsters a running wheel. At the same time, because current owners provide hamsters with very good nutrition, they often make hamsters overweight and easily suffer from cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, even hamsters should have a normal and healthy body. When purchasing, please note that you should choose a running wheel with no gaps so that your hamster will not be easily injured. Current price: 10-80 yuan. Wood chips As a bedding material for mouse cages, many materials can be used, but most people choose wood chips because it is relatively clean and easy to obtain. Molar stone/molar stick Hamster’s teeth will continue to grow, so you need to use a molar stick to grind off the teeth that are too long. Many hamsters grind their teeth in other ways, so don’t worry too much if you don’t use the molar stones/sticks you provide. Huts There are ceramic, wooden, straw, and plastic huts, which are very popular with hamsters, because hamsters are animals that love to dig holes and live in them. If possible, hamsters should be equipped with a hut, which can be made at home. DIY Type 1: For raising hamsters, you can use a 50 cm square water tank for raising tropical fish, with a barbed wire cover on top (it is easy to get stuffy in summer, so be careful). When using a wire cage, if the hamster grabs the wire and climbs up, there is a risk of falling, so it is best not to make the cage very high, and to remove the wire from the bottom of the cage before use. Place wheat straw, hay or sawdust on the bottom of the cage. The feeding basin can be made of pottery, preferably heavier. You can provide some branches for gnawing to prevent the teeth from growing too long. Nest boxes can be made of wood or paper. In addition to what comes with the cage, you can also make use of bird nest boxes. Place hay, sawdust, rags, etc. in the nest box. The sink won't scratch your feet, but it tends to trap moisture, so be careful to keep it dry. In addition, the water tank is deep enough, and you can put a large amount of wheat straw, hay and other cage bottom materials that can allow hamsters to sneak in, put soil on it, and then spread hay on top. Create a very natural environment where your hamster can dig a hole to make a nest. To drink water, you can use a water dispenser, install it at a height where it is easy to drink, and add water to a container-shaped water tank. You can let your hamster play with water in summer, but don't make the cage too wet. Hamsters have the habit of urinating in fixed places. Put a potty in the place where it often drowns, and put urine or feces in it to make the potty smelly, and it will use this place as a toilet. If you don't use the toilet, don't force it. Just pay attention to cleaning the cage frequently. In the hot summer, the temperature in the tank is easy to rise. In summer, it is best to move it to a cage. Place the cage in a well-ventilated area and be careful not to expose it to direct sunlight.
When it's hot, hamsters don't like to eat solid food, so they should be fed water-rich foods such as vegetables. When storing food in autumn, don’t forget to check the nest box frequently to prevent hamsters from entering hibernation due to low temperatures. When placing it in a heated room, be careful not to make the temperature difference between day and night too large. You can cover the cage with a plastic bag or put the cage in a cardboard box to keep it warm. The second type: Made with three-dimensional embroidery mesh. It is a good exercise for hands-on skills. It is breathable in the summer and warm in the winter. You can buy the materials for making them. Please refer to the extended reading schedule for production details. When you bring your hamster home, because it has left the environment where it has been living, it will appear very sensitive and nervous for a long time, and sometimes it will Biting, biting the cage, not resting, refusing to eat, etc. occur, and this period is a critical period for you and your hamster to build trust! There is a timetable below, don’t be impatient and get along with your hamster little by little: Day 1: Let it adapt to the new environment. Don’t harass it at all, don’t touch it, and don’t take it around. Day 2: You can feed it with your hands, talk to it softly, and let it get familiar with your smell and voice. Day 5: You can gently pick it up and put it in the palm of your hand (don’t let it fall or get lost). Day 10: You can play with it as much as you want. Be careful when picking up a hamster: A sleeping hamster doesn't like to be disturbed, so make sure it is awake before you pick it up. You should first open its nest so that it can see you, and then gently pick it up. Pick it up and don't force it if it doesn't want to. Food for hamsters (1) Please do not look at hamsters who are too cute. If you give too many sunflower seeds or high-calorie foods, hamsters will easily gain weight and have unbalanced nutrition. Rats that are overweight are prone to heat stroke in summer, their skin is too fat, and they are prone to hair loss. (2) Please don’t think that rats don’t need to drink water! Water must be supplied and the drinking water must be changed every two or three days. (3) Do not feed too much fruits and vegetables at one time, as this can easily lead to death from diarrhea. Most fruits and vegetables contain pesticides, so please wash them with clean water and wipe them dry before feeding. (4) The snacks should be paired with the staple food. If you increase the snacks, please reduce the staple food. Do not give too many snacks. Rats that gain weight are prone to illness. (5) Please store feed and snacks in sealed jars, which can be placed in the refrigerator. Please discard food that breeds insects and ants. Edible foods: Vegetables (such as green vegetables), carrots, and pumpkins (green and yellow vegetables are preferred) Seeds sunflower seeds, peanuts, walnuts, and pine nuts (don’t give too many) Fruits apples, strawberries, cherries, and bananas (It may stick to the cheek pouches, so please try not to give it to rats), grapes (please don’t give too much because it contains a lot of sugar), cereal-based chicken feed, dove feed, bird feed, wheat, corn, millet, plant-based clover , dandelion, kudzu, plantain (please do not feed plants that may be contaminated) animal protein beef, chicken, boiled egg protein, cheese, milk, yogurt, bugs, dried fish for pets Quantity: It is easier to provide more food than less food to your hamster, because hamsters have the habit of storing food and will be very upset if there is less food. Therefore, if you find that the food bowl is always empty every time you add food, it means that you have added too little food. At the same time, you should also pay attention to cleaning up uneaten food in time, especially fruits and other watery things to prevent spoilage. Hamsters are omnivores and can be fed yellow-green vegetables such as pumpkins, light-colored vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce; potatoes, beans, fruits, wild grasses, seeds, etc. There are also special diets for hamsters. However, when feeding mainly on food, you should also pay attention to feeding some vegetables and fruits. As a source of protein, you can feed it boiled eggs, cooked dried fish, cooked chicken and cheese, tofu, etc. You can also feed it some dog food, cat food, etc. Hamsters have the habit of storing food in their gills. Pay attention to changing the water frequently. Food bowls and water dispensers should be cleaned every day and replaced with fresh food and water. The nest material also needs to be replaced. Check the nest box and leave some fruits or solid feed for the hamster to eat in the area where the hamster has stored food. Change the dressing on the bottom of the cage once a week, and clean and disinfect the cage 1-2 times a month. Hamster's Emotions Compared with cats and dogs, hamsters are animals that have a harder time communicating with their owners. However, you can still understand your hamster's mood by observing carefully every day.
Hamsters also express their emotions. Watch these actions and messages carefully to understand the hamster's emotions. Grooming body hair Hamsters are in a relaxed state when grooming their body hair. Otherwise, after the owner strokes the hamster, the smell of the hamster disappears, and the owner wants to apply the smell to the body again. Hamsters like their own smell best. Turn over. The dog will turn over when the owner reaches his hand into the cage. This is because you are startled when you put your hand in, or you feel disgusted. Hamsters have few weapons against their enemies, so they roll over on all fours to resist. This time just needs to pass slowly and reassure the hamster. Especially when your hamster is sleeping, be sure not to scare your hamster. Roll it into a round shape. You can tell at a glance that this is the sleeping posture of a hamster. You should keep your voice down at this time. However, it can also roll up when your physical condition is not good, so you should pay more attention to it. It will also be rolled up when the weather is cold, to keep warm. When chewing on the wires of the cage, it may be that the hamster wants to escape. Some hamsters will also rub the hair on their noses between the wires, causing the nose to become bald. This behavior allows hamsters to grind their teeth and control the length of their teeth. Droopy Ears The easiest thing to see when it comes to understanding a hamster's mood is its ears. If your ears droop, it must be when you feel disgusted or frightened. Your ears will also droop when you first wake up. The body is stiff. After turning on the wheel, it will suddenly stop. This is because the hamster wants to use the wheel to move to a distance. Stopping still is to confirm where it has reached. Stand up and shake. Standing up is to understand the situation in the distance, sense and observe the surroundings, listen to the sounds, and stand up when responding to the sound of the feed bag. Get down on the ground. When you come out of the cage, with your bodies together, get down on the ground and smell everywhere. This is nervousness about new places and wanting to smell what's going on around you. Never make a loud noise suddenly at this time. Hiding in narrow places Hamsters were originally wild animals that lived in narrow tunnels. When playing indoors, hamsters will always look for narrow, dark places in order to feel at ease. If your hamster goes to a corner of the room, be careful. In addition: For a little thing like a hamster, you must put more food in its cage, slightly exceeding its own needs, so that it will feel comfortable and happy. On the contrary, because hamsters have a natural tendency to collect food, a shortage of food will cause it to panic. Even if the food is enough to survive, it will cause it to be restless and irritable. Types of hamster pets When purchasing: 1. It is best to choose hamsters of the same species, because hamsters of different species are easy to fight. 2. Since they are nocturnal animals, they sleep about 12-14 hours a day and only move and eat at night. Therefore, it is best to choose the time to buy in the evening or at night, so that you can see the lively and active side of hamsters. 3. Generally speaking, the characteristics of a healthy hamster are sound limbs, bright eyes, normally erect ears without secretions, even and soft hair, and dry and hard granular feces. 4. Hamsters are also afraid of strangers and appear to be more sensitive when they first come home. They need an adaptation period of two or three days before they can have "close contact" with you. Hamsters are nocturnal animals. They like to sleep during the day and come out at night. When they are sleeping, be sure not to wake them up! A four-week-old hamster is an adult. They differ from mice in that they have a very short tail or even no tail at all. The most interesting thing about hamsters is that they know how to hide food on both sides of their gills and only spit it out in a safe place. Medical Matters Precautions for rat mothers during the birth period: (1) During pregnancy, female rats must be separated from male rats in separate cages. Male rats sometimes eat their babies; the most important thing is that male rats may still continue to be in estrus at this time. If they are not separated into cages, the female rats who are still nursing will become pregnant again, which will affect the female rats' physique and even life span. Female rats also have the ability to store sperm, and may have one pregnancy followed by a second pregnancy. Therefore, it is very necessary to separate male rats into cages in time. (2) Please help the mother mouse to replenish her body. Giving birth is very harmful to the body. You can use hemp seeds, nutritional paste, nutritional water, dried fish, mealworms, etc. to increase the nutrition of the mother mouse.
(3) During the period when the mouse is full moon, try not to change the items, mats, etc. in the cage of the mother mouse. It is easy to frighten the mother mouse, causing her to not nurse her baby or to recycle (eat the mouse). Please do not touch the mice before they are one month old! (4) After the mouse is one month old, it can leave its mother after growing hair, opening its eyes and being weaned. At this time, you can try to touch the baby mouse! (5) It is best to wait until the full moon for mice before feeding mealworms, as mealworms have shells. At this time, the baby's digestive system is not complete, so do not feed mealworms as it may lead to indigestion. Mother rats will feed the mice themselves, please do not deliberately feed the mice. (6) When the rat mother is pregnant, remember to pick up the roller. Sometimes the rat mother will ignore breastfeeding in order to play with the roller. Self-examination of rats’ bodies (1) Teeth: Rats’ incisors are constantly growing, and sometimes the teeth are too long, making it impossible to eat. At this time, you can cut your own teeth. Please use small animal tooth-cutting equipment. If you are afraid of cutting, you can take it to the doctor for cutting. (2) Scent gland: Only male rats have it. In the middle of the abdomen, there is a yellow thing, which is the scent gland. When male rats are in estrus, the smell here will be particularly strong. Sometimes the scent glands accumulate too much. Remember to regularly use hydrogen peroxide mixed with salt water at a ratio of 1:10 to help them wipe it! If there is too much, please take it to the veterinary hospital and ask a doctor to clear it. (3) Eyes: If the rat is healthy, its eyes should be very bright and shiny. If it is red, oily or has eye droppings, you should pay attention to it and take it to the doctor. (4) Poop: Rat poop should be somewhat hard, about the size of a grain of rice, black and odorless. Sometimes it will turn green, red, etc. Don't be too nervous at this time. Please think back to whether there is green or red food in the rats' feed. If so, it is normal for the poop to be green. If you have soft or smelly stools, please seek medical attention as soon as possible. (5) Cheek pouch: Sometimes you should pay attention to whether the contents of the cheek pouch have been eaten. If not, please do not give any more food. If food becomes rotten and smelly in the cheek pouch, it can easily lead to buccal pouchitis. Regularly pay attention to whether the cheek pouch has the odor of rotten food, and regularly help him clear out the food in the cheek pouch. Use salt water to mix water with a ratio of 1:3, and use a feeding syringe to insert into the cheek pouch to rinse. (6) Coat color: Rats’ fur is usually soft and shiny. If there is hair loss, please pay attention to whether it is an allergy and take it to a doctor for examination as soon as possible. (7) Body temperature: The body temperature of rats is generally touched by hand. It is slightly higher than our body temperature, but the feeling is not obvious. If it is obvious that the body temperature of rats is too high, please send to the hospital immediately. It is very likely to be heat stroke. a precursor!