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Syrian hamster care includes all the actions which a person might take to promote
animal welfare
Animal welfare is the well-being of non-human animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures such as longevity ...
in the
Syrian hamster
The golden hamster or Syrian hamster (''Mesocricetus auratus'') is a rodent belonging to the hamster subfamily, Cricetinae. Their natural geographical range is in an arid region of northern Syria and southern Turkey. Their numbers have been d ...
when it lives with humans either as a pet or laboratory animal.
Enclosure
![Home built enclosure for a Syrian Hamster](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Home_built_enclosure_for_a_Syrian_Hamster.png)
There are some different recommendations for what cage size is appropriate for hamsters. HSS (
Hamster Society Singapore) recommend a minimum unbroken floor space of for Syrian hamsters. While TVT () recommend you give Syrian hamsters as much space as you can and at minimum (L x W x H) which is a floor space of .
[ § Unterbringung ousing/ref>
BMEL ( Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture) like TVT also recommends a minimum of for Syrian hamsters.
The bedding should not be pine wood shavings, ]cedar wood
Cedar is part of the English common name of many trees and other plants, particularly those of the genus ''Cedrus''.
Some botanical authorities consider the Old-World ''Cedrus'' the only "true cedars". Many other species worldwide with similarl ...
shavings, most soft wood shavings, or corn cob
A corncob, also called corn cob, cob of corn or corn on the cob, is the central core of an ear of corn (also known as maize). It is the part of the ear on which the kernels grow. The ear is also considered a "cob" or "pole" but it is not full ...
shavings, because those have been known to cause respiratory problems. Corn cob shavings do not pose a threat to a hamster's respiratory system, but instead pose a threat to their weight, for this bedding is edible, and some hamsters enjoy nibbling it. That increases the risk of obesity. The bedding should also not be cotton, as that can cause choking, as well as getting wrapped around hamster’s limbs and cutting off circulation. Paper-based bedding, aspen shavings mixed with soft hay and spruce shavings are safer alternatives. When buying paper-based bedding, make sure it is not the scented kind, as this can be toxic for your hamster and cause respiratory problems. The bedding in the enclosure should be pressed down firmly to allow to hamster to create stable burrows. When pressed down, the bedding height should be at least 30-40 cm (12-16 inches) high to allow for burrowing, as hamsters show fewer stress behaviours when given enough bedding to burrow in, though a bedding height of 80 cm (31.5 inches) or more, if possible, is preferred. To make sure that the hamster burrowing below does not get injured or squished, always place heavy objects like ceramic hides, the sand bath and the wheel on stilts. The cage should also include an appropriately sized exercise wheel. For Syrian hamsters, a diameter of 12 inches is a minimum (studies have found that they prefer over ). The running surface cannot be wire or mesh because that can cause bumblefoot. Silent spinner wheels are a good alternative. Flying saucers, on the other hand, should not be used, as if a hamster tries to stop or slips they will be thrown off. They can also cause spinal issues, as the spine curves unnaturally to the side when running on them. The cage should also provide at least one sheltering structure for sleeping; this can be as simple as an opaque tube closed at one end. For fur care, hamsters should have a sand bath permanently available in their enclosure, or otherwise their fur can become greasy and unhealthy.
Environment
Hamsters should experience 12-16 hours of light per day. Among other health effects, daily exposure to light influences the estrous cycle
The estrous cycle (, originally ) is the set of recurring physiological changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian therian females. Estrous cycles start after sexual maturity in females and are interrupted by anestrous p ...
of females, and hamsters thrive with regular light. Hamsters prefer humidity
Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present.
Humidity depe ...
levels of 40-60%, Breeding hamsters prefer a room temperature between and , whereas hamsters who are not breeding prefer between and . Hamsters prefer quiet rooms and become stressed when sudden noise disturbs them.
Diet
In the wild hamsters are omnivorous
An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutri ...
, but mostly eat plants.
For captive hamsters, researchers design diets to maximize growth, breeding, milk production in mothers, and the maintenance of health in adult hamsters. The diet of the hamster is less studied than the diet of other laboratory rodents. A typical nutrient recommendation for a hamster diet is 17-23% crude protein
Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body. They are one of the building blocks of body tissue and can also serve as a fuel source. As a fuel, proteins provide as much energy density as carbohydrates: 4 kcal (17 kJ) per gram; in cont ...
, 4.5% crude fat
In nutrition science, nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such chemical compound, compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food.
The term often refers spec ...
, and 6-8% crude fiber. It must include Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a group of eight fat soluble compounds that include four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Vitamin E deficiency, which is rare and usually due to an underlying problem with digesting dietary fat rather than from a diet low in vitami ...
. Gatchalian-Yee et al 1995 finds a high cholesterol diet especially in combination with safflower oil
Safflower (''Carthamus tinctorius'') is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant in the family Asteraceae. It is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds and was used by the early Spanish colonies along ...
to produce signs consistent with metabolic disease
A metabolic disorder is a disorder that negatively alters the body's processing and distribution of macronutrients, such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Metabolic disorders can happen when abnormal chemical reactions in the body alter the ...
.[ .] Safe vegetables for Syrian hamsters include cucumber, carrots, celery, kale, and Romaine lettuce (not iceberg). Apples are an appropriate fruit to offer. Adult hamsters eat 7-15 grams of food daily. Food should not consist solely of pellets, so a mix of seeds and other hamster-safe ingredients is best. Treats such as sunflower seeds
The sunflower seed is the seed of the sunflower (''Helianthus annuus''). There are three types of commonly used sunflower seeds: linoleic (most common), high oleic, and sunflower oil seeds. Each variety has its own unique levels of monounsatu ...
are not important to a hamster's health, but hand-feeding treats will increase their trust.
Hamsters will drink up to 10ml of water for every 100g of hamster bodyweight. Nursing mother hamsters will want extra water. It can be difficult to provide fresh water to hamsters in a water dish because they are likely to soil it with bedding and need it changed twice daily. Water bowls are easy to clean, and have a natural drinking angle. Water bottles in cages must be positioned at a height that the hamster can reach without stretching.
Hamsters hoard their food, and will carry it to a hiding place. They seem to not care whether their food is served in a dish or placed on the floor (although scatter feeding can provide entertainment for some hamsters). Uneaten fresh vegetables should be removed after a day or so to prevent rotting.
Handling
Hamsters that are frequently and gently handled will learn to respond peacefully. However, enforcing trust by taming is very important. When hamsters bite, they bite in front of them. A typical hamster-holding technique is to grasp the hamster from above around its belly with a thumb and the third finger. With two hands, a hamster may be cupped and held while left free to walk on the palms. Sleeping hamsters often bite when disturbed. Allow a hamster several days to become familiar with its new home. Then, gently offer it treats, which it will shortly take from your palm, beginning its willingness to be handled. However, remember that some individuals prefer to be left alone and cannot be tamed.
It is important to know that, due to their poor eyesight, hamsters will jump from any platform without regard for height or consideration for their wellbeing. Therefore, there should be no way for them to fall more than 15 cm (6 inches) in their enclosure. For the same reason, never carry or let a hamster ride around on shoulders; they lack a tail for balance and can easily fall.
Hamsters are less likely to bite a bare hand than a gloved one. If a hamster seems like it might bite, but must be handled, it may be collected by allowing it to explore a can or jar.
Exercise wheels
TVT (Tierärztliche Vereinigung für Tierschutz) recommend wheels should be at least for Syrian hamsters, since smaller diameters lead to permanent spinal curvatures, especially in young animals. They also recommend a solid running surface because rungs or mesh can cause injury.[ § II. Tierschutzwidriges Zubehör bei Kleinsäugern, 7. Laufräder I. Accessories for small mammals unnacceptable for reason of animal welfare, 7. Wheels/ref>
Avoid using wire and mesh exercise wheels to protect them from such conditions as bumblefoot, a painful inflammation of their foot pads.
]
Domestication
In the first ten years after the 1930 start of the domestication of the Syrian hamster
The domestication of the Syrian hamster began in the late 1700s when natural history, naturalists cataloged the Golden hamster, Syrian hamster, also known as ''Mesocricetus auratus'' or the golden hamster. In 1930 medical researchers captured Syria ...
, 70 scientific articles were published based on Syrian hamster research and six of those concerned caring for hamsters. In 1945 at the New York Academy of Science
The New York Academy of Sciences (originally the Lyceum of Natural History) was founded in January 1817 as the Lyceum of Natural History. It is the fourth oldest scientific society in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization wit ...
held a conference on animal colony maintenance with a presentation that included care of Syrian hamsters. The 1947 first edition of the ''UFAW Handbook
The ''UFAW Handbook'' is a manual about care of animals used in animal testing. It is presented by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare
The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW), is an animal welfare science society. It i ...
'' contained a chapter on the care of Syrian hamsters. In 1950 ''The Care and Breeding of Laboratory Animals'' contained a chapter on Syrian hamster care, with recommendations on cage size, handling hamsters, hamster diet, cleaning hamsters, and hamster breeding.[Magalhaes 1968, p. 15 gives this information about
*] In 1960 the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources The Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) is a United States organization which develops and shares information and guidelines about animal testing and care of laboratory animals. It is a unit in the United States National Research Council ...
published a guide on the care and breeding of Syrian hamsters.
See also
*Hamster cage
A hamster cage is a cage designed to house a hamster or hamsters. Hamster cages need to be at least 1524 cm2 (600 in2) of floor space or bigger, although many experts such as Gernot Kuhnen recommend that hamsters thrive with larger cage sizes. ...
*Hamster wheel
A hamster wheel or running wheel is an exercise device used primarily by hamsters and other rodents, but also by other cursorial animals when given the opportunity. Most of these devices consist of a runged or ridged wheel held on a stand by a ...
Notes
References
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External links
{{wikibooks, Animal Care/Hamster
How to Care for Syrian Hamsters
by wikiHow
wikiHow is an online wiki-style publication featuring how-to articles on a variety of topics. Founded in 2005 by Internet entrepreneur Jack Herrick, its aim is to create an extensive database of instructional content, using the wiki model of ope ...
SYRIAN HAMSTER CARE
a video review by YouTube
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Animal welfare