Hamster Playing Dead

     Hamsters may play dead sometimes. Why? One very simple answer. No hiding places. Do you think you don't really need a place for your hamster to hide? Your wrong. They really do.

When hamster are scared, they will go into their hiding places, as they feel some sort of comfort. Without these hiding places, a hamster has no choice except, play dead. Many hamster owners actually think their hamster is for a fact dead, but unfortunately, their wrong. So, if your hamster appears dead, wait a day. It could also be hibernating, which I will talk about in another post. But as for now, if your hamster appears dead, wait a day. If it stays there, it is most likely dead.

This is a short post, I know, but I need to get to my cheeseburger dinner... Yum!

What are the differences between a dwarf hamster or Syrian hamster?

Another common question. What's the difference? Well, I'll tell you :).

Syrian-

4"- 7" long
A variety of colors, but the most common is gold
Can't live together
Nocturnal

Dwarf-
4" long
Depending on which type of dwarf, but overall a variety
Have to live together
Is awake at dawn and dusk

Those are the most common, but there are many more differences and similarities. I know at the beginning of my blog I said I will always recommend Syrian, and only Syrian, but as my research goes on, I'm not really sure...

Dwarfs are more active (I've read and heard) than Syrians, and I would like an active hamster. But, I would like large hamsters... So, I'm not exactly sure. Maybe by my next post I'll now :)

Syrian hamster next to Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster.. See the difference?!

Potty Training Hamsters?

Yes, it is true. You can potty train hamsters. It takes a while, but it's not hard!

 Hamsters LOVE being clean. That's why you will see you hamster brushing it fur and licking itself. Their natural habit is to pee urinate in the same spot, usually in the corner of the cage.


What is the point of toilet training?
The point is that you know what part of the cage to clean the most. When cleaning the cage, you usually take 75% of the bedding out, because you aren't exactly sure where in the world your hamster urinated. But if you know, you don't exactly need to clean the whole thing out, just mostly the parts that you know the hamster urinated at.

How do you potty train the hamster?
There are potty training products you can use. They are basically just little hut- like things that your hamster goes in. You can buy some at basically any pet store, like Petsmart, or Petco, or Petland. 

What you do, is clean out the cage. Save the urinated parts of the bedding. I know, I know, it sounds gross, but it's totally worth it. After cleaning out the cage, put all new bedding in. Don't use the urinated bedding yet!!! Next, set your hamster cage back the way it was, and put the potty in the corner. Now, put the urinated bedding inside the potty. Why? Hamster like going to the same place they urinated last time, because they like to mark their territory. Now your done! Put the hamster back in, and just wait. Don't just sit there and watch... It's going to take awhile. Also, don't put your hamster in the potty. By doing that, your forcing the hamster to go there, making the hamster afraid of that spot. Just be patient, and let the magic happen :). 

P.S. 
You may also want to put some of their droppings (eek!) into the potty. 

Another P.S. 
Just because your hamster goes potty in the same spot, doesn't mean that you don't have to clean out the bedding. You will still have to clean it for burrowed food. 

What In The World Does Tame Your Hamster Mean?

     This is a very common question among new hamster keepers. How do you tame a hamster? Well, it's actually pretty easy. When you first get your hamster, you want to leave it alone for at least 24 hours before handling it.Why? Because the hamster needs to get used to its' surroundings first. It's gone through a lot of stress since it got transported, so you want to leave it be. 

     After you have left it for awhile, you can try taking your hamster out, for short periods of time. This is part of taming your hamster. Taming your hamster is when your hamster learns to recognize you ,and does not react in a bad way to you. So basically, once your hamster is tamed, it's very unlikely for it to bite you. 

     So, to tame your hamster, you need to take it out a couple times a day everyday, but like I said, for short periods of time. You can make mazes for your hamster, or just let it crawl on you, but make sure that you in a closed space, so that the hamster can't escape. 

     How long does it take to tame a hamster? 

Usually, the average hamster is tamed in about 3-6 weeks. Some hamsters can take more, some can take less. It all depends on the hamster. 

     Overall, when taming a hamster, it will take time, but it's totally worth it. Your hamster be happier from it too. Good luck!

     

I Decided My Child Is Ready To Get a Hamster. Now What?

What to do now? Well, let's start off with what type of hamster you are going to get.

I will always say get a Syrian hamster. Why? There are a lot of reasons. They are small, and stay small. Also, they have a shiny golden furry coat that I just love. And, they don't have to be with another hamster. In fact, they will fight to their death with that hamster, just like male betta fish do. So, you don't need as big of a cage. If you can't find the name "Syrian hamster" at the pet store, look for other names like "common hamster" or "Golden hamster" or "Teddy Bear Hamster". Those are also very common names for Syrian hamsters. Although some people get confused, Teddy Bear Hamsters and Syrian hamsters are the same exact thing.

If you want more than one hamster, I would say get a Dwarf hamsters. They have to be together.

Next, let's talk about the cage. There is only ONE cage that I will ever recommend, and that is a plain wire cage, with a plastic bottom. Those allow air to flow through, and there is no way that the hamster could get stuck.

A very common cage is a cage that has many plastic tubes for the hamster to go through. Don't get that type of cage. Even if you have a dwarf hamster, your hamster will get stuck inside the tubes, which can be fatal. You would hate to come home to a hamster that passed away in a plastic tube, even after I told you not to get that kind of cage, wouldn't you?

Also, many people have thought of getting an aquarium for their hamster. People have many different reasons why, but the most common reason is "I don't want to smell my hamster". Let me set this straight for the billionth time. Hamsters don't just start smelling by themselves. This is one exception, and that is when the female is in heat. So if you want to avoid that, just get a male. But just assuming that your hamster is a male, or not in heat, hamsters don't smell themselves. They smell when their cage is not clean. So if you "smell" your hamster, either your smelling yourself, or you need to clean the cage. But the reason I am truly against aquariums, is because they don't allow air to flow through, which is not good for the hamster.

So, just because the cage looks cool, or because you don't want to smell the hamster, doesn't mean that the cage is okay. You need to choose it based on what is best for your hamster.

Also, we need to talk about water. The water either needs to be clean tap water, or it needs to be dechlorinated. It also needs to be in a bottle, not in a dish. If it's in a dish, it will not only get the fur coat wet, but also will get the bedding wet.

Have fun picking out your little puff-ball!

So Your Child Wants a Hamster?

So your child wants a hamster, eh? So your wondering if you should get her one or not. Here are some things that should ask yourself about your child...

Is your child responsible?

Does she do her homework? Get good grades? Strive to be the best she can be? If she is responsible, then that's great. If not, I would not recommend  a hamster. You would be the one cleaning the cage, and to clean the cage without the hamster biting you, you need to tame the hamster... Yes, tame it. I will make another post about that soon.

Does your child take care of the things she has at the moment?

Do you have a dog, cat, fish, or other animal in the house? If so, does she take care of it? Does she walk the dog, pet/ feed the cat, or feed her fish? If not, I would put those things into order before getting a hamster. Set up a schedule for her to walk the dog, or ask her to feed the fish everyday. Simple things like that, can make a big difference. If she takes care of other animals, and you can trust her in that position, then a hamster would be great.

If you don't have any other animals, does she have siblings? If so, does she care for them? If old enough, does she babysit them? If you can trust her with your own kids, then you can trust her with a hamster.

Let's that your child doesn't have any siblings, or any pets. Does she help around the house? Does she clean her room, or clean the kitchen? If so, then that's great.

Does your child like biology?

This is not required, but it's great if she is. If she's really interested, she would research before getting the animal. What's great about this, is that if the hamster has any sort of sickness, she would be able to identify it, and in some ways be able to cure it.

So overall, after reading this, do you think your child really wants a hamster? Is she passionate about it? If so, get her a hamster! If not, maybe a virtual hamster would be better :).

My first post!

Hi Everyone! I created this blog out of my love for Syrian hamsters. Here you will find how to care for Syrian hamsters, as well as other wonderful things about these hamsters! My goal is to post every day, or every couple of days. I hope you enjoy this blog, and thanks for checking it out!