Ever had a question about your hamster? Well, maybe
it could be
answered here! These are just some of the questions some hamster
owners asked me.
Ever had a question about your hamster? Well, maybe
it could be
answered here! These are just some of the questions some hamster
owners asked me.
Our female hamster was pregnant and she abandoned her babies.
Does this "behaviour" occur often? Will it ever go back to take
care of the babies?
Well, on occurance I cannot say anything. You see, hamsters (as well as other animals) will abandon their babies once humans have come in contact with the offspring. Hence, our human scent is left on the babies thus allowing the mother to believe that her offspring are not hers. Now, since the female thinks that way, sadly she will no longer care for them. Like I said before, I cannot comment on occurance since this "rejection behaviour" is actually our own fault and how often that happens, I don't
know.
What are the signs to tell that the mother is pregnant?
Physically you will not be able to tell because the increase in the female's girth is very minor. However, you will be able to tell from the behavioural aspect. She will start to hoard more then ever, be constantly dig in and around her nest, and be busily carrying nesting material in and out. Some females might become more jumpy and nervous than normal during gestation.
We have two hamsters living together from the same litter. Our female, has begun to chew tufts of her fur out and she has mated with the male. Is this a sign that she could be pregnant and begining to nest? Should we separate the two?
Definitely seperate the two hamsters. Generally, hamsters are solitary animals so let's keep it that way. One other thing that should be known is that the female hamster is MORE aggressive then the male. That's why when even mating a pair, it should be done in the males' cage rather than the females' (possibility that she would kill the male). About her pulling out tufts of her fur, it sounds like she is being stressed out from living in the same cage quarters as the male does. So seperate the two so that the female will not continue to do this strange behaviour and to prevent further unexpected in-breeding to occur.
I have a leash for my hamster. Should I use it or not?
Hmm, about the leash... I've tried that before and I don't really recomend it. My previous hamsters really disliked that thing being strapped around their bodies, so I guess it made them feel uncomfortable or annoyed. Besides,
the only thing my hamsters did (when the leash was on them) was constantly trying to remove it. Obviously something not fun for the hamster and the owner.
My hamster has little tuffs of hair sticking out on the same part of its sides. I checked to see of they were shedding fur but it's not. Is it some kind of a mutation? (They are her normal furs)
No, no. Not to worry. But I'm glad that you did point that out. What you are mentioning is the scent glands of a golden hamster. (Chinese hamsters have scent glands not only on their sides but also on their abdomens. Dzjungarian dwarf hamsters only have it on their abdomens.) Usually you will see a hamster using its scent glands when it is marking its territory.
My hamster had an "attached to the wall" wheel but when it became too small, I gave her a "stand by itself one". But she dosn't get it's a wheel.
Some hamsters get too attached to some things (like their wheel) and replacing it might sometimes be a challenge. If you must replace a wheel for a bigger-sized
one, do it ASAP. Hamsters, (like Humans) have a harder time learning when they are older rather then being younger.
Is chewing on cage bars ok?
Sure it is! The purpose for a hamster doing that, is to grind down its teeth and keep them trimmed. (As you should know, a hamster's 4 incisor teeth never stop growing.) Just be cautious that the bars the hamster is chewing on
doesn't contain rust. As you can understand, rust inside a hamster's system isn't exactly healthy for the little critter.
My hamster lives in a medium house with a wheel
and house and everything else it needs. But I have a big cage with tunnels and stuff. Which one should I use?
My suggestion is... the bigger, the better for the hamster. So treat it right and go for the bigger cage... trust me, it'll make the little critter much happier. Besides, the more room a hamster has to live in, the more active it
usually is.
Do you have a question for me?
E-mail me, and it might be posted on Hammyland's FAQ's.
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 31/00
