The best idea for a child’s first pet is to give him or her hamster. They are adorable and fuzzy little creatures but nonetheless appealing. No matter what the size of an animal is, they all could be used as a means of teaching the value of love. The importance of finding the perfect pet is the experience that a child undergoes in taking care of it.

Differentiate Hamsters from Gerbils

Hamsters are different from gerbils in two very important ways. First, hamsters are more inclined to be solitary and that means they ideally live alone. Syrian hamsters should not be placed in just one cage together with the others. They cannot share their domain to others without constant fighting. Although, the Chinese and Russian breeds are able to live in pairs or groups, it should be done while they are still at a young age. On the other hand, gerbils must live in groups so it will be so unkind if you keep only one as a pet. If this is the case, the gerbil will be lonesome and miserable. Unlike hamsters, gerbils relish the idea of companions. When in a group, they will most probably spend a big part of their time cleaning one another and commonly sleep curled up together.

First Step

Hamsters are generally trouble free. Their need for care is very basic yet still a good way for children to learn the importance of responsibility and elicits affection from them. Mostly, caring for these little ones entail minimal chores. Naturally like any other living creature they need fresh food, water, and adequate air on a regular basis. Feed them well and provide them with potable water.

A good thing about them is that they will have no problems with pungent odours since they do not have very overwhelming smell. Compared to other animals, they do not shed as much. Despite them being rodents, these tiny ones are fairly sanitary animals. But of course their cage would still require cleaning one to two times a week to maintain their cleanliness.

In order to tame a new hamster, offering treats is an excellent approach. Initially, they tend to be timid and nervous but their curiosity would lead them to you. Reach out your hand slowly inside the cage and allow them some time to sniff you at least twice a day before you could actually start holding them in your hands. Speak to them with a gentle voice. Be calm and patient in dealing with them. Soon, they will get used to your presence and will most likely start climbing onto your hand.

Another great thing about them is that they can be acquired at a minimum cost and caring expenses are not pricey. All you need to buy is an appropriate cage together with an exercise wheel for them. This is also the only thing that would produce a bit of noise. Not to worry though, hamsters will not stay on the wheel all night long and even that is really inconsequential so they are usually quiet. Overall, whenever a child asks for a pet it is highly suggested that hamsters should be given to them. This will serve as a perfect pet for starting up. Let the child take one step at a time. Once the child’s capacity to take on the task is established and they become very dependable that will be the time when you can start pondering on other possible animals that are suitable as pets.

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In recent times people in the UK are increasingly going for the smaller categories of pets, like rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters and guinea pigs, and moving away from larger conventional pets like cats and dogs. Of all these options hamsters seem to be the most popular and this is not without reasons. A hamster is a small furry rodent with a round body, short legs, adorable popping eyes and a tail that is shorter than its body. There are five kinds of hamster species commonly kept here in the UK namely: Syrian, Chinese, Roborovski, Dwarf Russian Winter White and Dwarf Russian Campbell. Apart from its cute bodily appearance that is more appealing than those of other small rodents, there are a lot of other benefits that come with keeping these amazing rodents.

1. Cheap To Purchase

You don’t need to break the bank in order to buy one of these amazing rodents. In general, you can expect to part with five to fifteen pounds for a hamster depending on its type and the kind of business. While it’s easy to get a hamster from a pet shop, they can also be found in the many small animal shelters across the UK.

2. Hamsters Are Nocturnal

Being nocturnal animals, hamsters sleep during the day and are most active during the evening and night. This trait is ideal for people who are away from home during the day and only return in the evenings; which is the case with most working and school attending individuals here in the UK.

3. Hamsters Are Hygienic

Hamsters have such hygienic tendencies as cleaning their own fur and using one corner of the cage as a toilet that can help save the owner precious time and money that could be used to sanitise them. Due to this their cages are easier to clean than those of other rodents.

4. Require Limited Space

Due to their small size hamsters do not need a large space to thrive. All you need is a cage that is big enough for them along with adequate space for them to play and you are good to go. This means that you can keep a hamster regardless of the size of your residence and still keep it happy and stress-free.

5. Hamsters are Solitary Creatures

Hamsters like living a solitary life and would normally fight bloody battles in cases where they are kept in one cage without the proper introduction. This phenomenon, therefore, makes it desirable to raise only a single hamster as a pet as compared to multiple. In such a case the owner gets an easy time in raising, cleaning and feeding a hamster and does not have the burden of raising many, making it a desirable pet.

6. Their Short Lifespan

Another benefit of keeping a hamster as a pet is their relatively short lifespan which averages about 2 to 3 years depending on the kind of hamster. These short life spans make them desirable to people who don’t want to make a long term commitment in raising pets over a long period of time.

7. Easy To Tame And Handle

Hamsters are easy to tame and handle due to their mild temperament and can be brought under control in no time as compared to other pets. This characteristic, combined with their small size makes them a good option for your child’s first pet. This is essential in teaching your child responsibility and empathy towards living things, qualities which will shape their adult lives.

8. Easy To Look After

Hamsters are small animals which don’t feed much, don’t require constant medical attention and don’t need to be taken out for walks. First this means that a small amount of food can feed your hamster for a long period of time, saving you money. Second, because the hamster does not require frequent medical attention the owner can save money that would have been used for check-ups and medical services. Lastly, the fact that hamsters don’t need walks in the park and would be happy when provided with a running wheel in their cage to keep fit, helps the owner relax especially after a long day at work.

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We have compiled a list of things you should do as well as some tips on how to prevent this condition from happening in the first place.

What is Wet Tail Disease?

A wet tail is basically diarrhoea, and it’s a pretty common problem among hamsters. The term “wet tail” refers to just that—a wet tail, on your pet hamster.

This watery stool usually comes from one or multiple factors: Lawsonia intracellularis (bacteria) has taken root inside them, their immune system might be compromised either due to illness or stress, or inflammation around the large intestine.

But from research and reading, the main cause of this disease is stress.

Why Hamsters Stress?

Stress can be caused by many things. For example, when you handle your hamster too roughly or change its living environment suddenly it may become stressed out.

Keeping a dirty cage for your pet to live in is also not healthy and could even cause illness depending on the type of bacteria found within that area.

If you do your best to keep stress levels down for your hamster, then they’ll be able to avoid getting the wet tail disease.

Symptoms

The symptoms of this disease maybe don’t show up for a few days.

The main symptom of this disease is the animal has a wet tail, with or without faeces stuck to it.

Other signs include:

• bad smell or foul odour
• diarrhoea
• lethargy
• excessive sleepiness/ slowness
• lack of appetite (animal goes off food)

You may also notice your pet walks hunched over and they have folded ears which are unusual.

Besides that, if you notice any strange behaviour like biting or nipping then chances are it’s got the wet tail disease.

How To Treat Wet Tail Disease in Hamsters?

It is usually not fatal if caught early, but can become deadly if it progresses for more than two days after getting the symptoms.

Treatment may include antibiotics to fight the bacteria in addition to fluids and electrolytes to replace what has been lost in body fluids.

It’s important that any hamsters suffering from wet tail disease receive prompt treatment to keep them alive and healthy.

How to Prevent Wet Tail Disease?

Hygiene is the best way to prevent wet tail disease in your pet hamster.

Clean up any faeces, quickly pick up food dishes and water bottles when they are knocked over with even just a little bit of spilled liquid, maintain clean bedding on their habitat, and don’t forget to replace it if you notice large amounts being soaked through from urine or droppings as this can cause them to feel stress.

If you are an owner with more than one hamster, be sure to keep your pets separated if they happen to catch the wet tail disease.

You should also wash your hands before touching the healthy pet after handling the sickly hamster.

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Is it because they want to eat them or is there another reason?

In this blog post, we will explore why hamsters chew bars and what you can do about it.

Why do hamsters chew metal bars?

Hamsters chew bars for a number of reasons. For example, they may be bored and want to find something new in their cage, or chewing the bar can help keep teeth from growing too long by filing them down with abrasive material.

Hamsters are known for gnawing on anything that isn’t nailed down including household items like furniture so it’s not surprising when we see them munching away at metal cages as well—especially if there is nothing else available.

Are chewing metal bars bad for hamsters?

Chewing on things is a natural behaviour for hamsters since they are omnivores.

However, while a chew toy with a plastic ball may be harmless and not have any bad side effects, chewing on metal bars could do damage to the hamster’s teeth and could even lead it to inadvertently ingest heavy metals like lead or zinc from the bar over time.

How to stop hamsters from chewing metal bars?

Hamster’s teeth are continuously growing and they need to chew on something continually in order for these teeth to wear down properly.

If there is nothing for them to chew then their teeth will grow too long and they may not be able to eat which will eventually kill the hamster.

In the wild, animals have access to plenty of things other than metal bars but domesticated hamsters often don’t receive enough stimulation in a cage so it is important that you provide them with safe items for chewing.

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They are also very territorial creatures, which means they will fight other hamsters for their territory.

This can lead to some pretty vicious fights!

In this blog post, we’ll talk about why hamsters might start fighting in the first place and what you can do to stop these confrontations from happening.

Why do hamsters fight in the first place?

The most common reason that hamsters fight is due to territory – one hamster may feel like it isn’t getting enough space.

Fighting can also be a sign of mating behaviour, where the male and female are trying to establish dominance over each other.

Hamsters will often fight when they’re feeling stressed or threatened by something in their environment.

It’s important for owners to understand why their pet is fighting so they can take steps to stop the behaviour from happening again.

One way you might notice a change in your hamster’s mood is through its tail – if it starts twitching, this could mean that it feels threatened.

How to prevent hamster fighting?

Here’s how you prevent that from happening:

Make sure there is plenty of room for them so they have different territories with which to live peacefully;

Avoid overcrowding your cage too much because it makes it more difficult for the animals living there from getting proper rest;

Provide more than one hiding place where each hamster has its own spot – in this way, no one will feel threatened when approaching another animal’s area or vice-versa;

Put enough food/water dishes around your hamster house so none of these resources become scarce;

Give them toys to chew on so they don’t develop bad habits like biting each other’s tails or toes.

If you want one male and one female hamster, make sure that the females are not in heat when you introduce them because this can lead to fighting between males for mating rights.

What to do if your hamsters are fighting?

If you’ve noticed your hamsters have been fighting, the first step is to figure out why. If it’s because they’re just playing and roughhousing each other in a friendly way – then lucky for you! But if they are actually trying to hurt one another, we recommend separating them immediately so that no harm comes of this behaviour.

Don’t hold onto one of the animals while it fights with another animal as that could lead to injury for both pet owners and pets alike.

When should I get another hamster and how many can live together?

The answer to that question is not the same for all hamsters. You should consult your local pet store or vet before adding a new one, but in general, you can have up to two hamsters living together without any problems. However, it may be better to get just one. It also depends on what type of hamsters you have.

Tips for introducing new hamsters

What’s the best way to introduce a new hamster into an existing group?

Give it some time. Let them meet and sniff each other before you put them together.

It may take up to 2-3 weeks before your pets get used to each other, so be patient and expect an adjustment period.

You can consider splitting them into two cages during this time if they don’t seem interested in playing together yet; just remember not to connect their cage tunnels or there will likely be fighting over territory later on when space becomes limited again.

Once introductions have been made successfully then the group can live happily as one family unit without anyone getting territorial about their location within the cage.

Conclusion

A hamster will fight if there’s a territory dispute or to win the attention of another hamster who might become their mate.

It is important for pet owners to know that these creatures have an array of emotions.

As long as you provide your furry friend with plenty of space and entertainment, he will live happily in his new home.

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Hamsters are one of the most popular pets in the world. They have a lot going for them: they’re adorable, hardy, and low-maintenance!

But do you know everything there is to know about these furry little critters?

Here’s a list of 15 amazing facts about hamsters that will make you say “aww!”:

Fact 1: A hamster’s teeth never stop growing, so they need to be worn down by chewing on things like wood and cardboard

Fact 2: The average lifespan of a hamster is 2-3 years

Fact 3: Hamsters are omnivorous animals that eat plants, insects, small rodents, eggs, and carrion.

Fact 4: They’re able to store food for winter months by burying it underground or storing it in their cheek pouches.

Fact 5: There are many different breeds of hamsters, including the Syrian, Chinese, Roborovskii Dwarf, and Campbell Russian dwarf.

Fact 6: Hamsters are nocturnal creatures, meaning they sleep during the day and come out at night.

Fact 7: Male hamsters will only fight each other if they’re introduced to one another for the first time after reaching sexual maturity (usually around 4 months old) or when a female is present.

Fact 8: In the wild, hamsters live in burrows and nests.

Fact 9: Hamsters can run up to 5 1/2 miles per night.

Fact 10: Hamsters can be found in many colours including white, brown, black, and grey.

Fact 11: Hamsters have poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell which helps them find food.

Fact 12: A group of hamsters is called a “Horde”.

Fact 13: Hamsters are in the top 10 lists of most popular pets in the UK.

Fact 14: Female hamsters tend to live longer than males because females are less aggressive and don’t fight as often.

Fact 15: They are born blind, deaf, and toothless but grow teeth quickly after birth.

We hope you enjoyed learning more about these furry little creatures. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know in the comment section below.

Have a great day and be sure to check our other blog posts.

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