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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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