It's solitary for hamsters

I HOPE you have all enjoyed your Christmas and New Year festivities. I certainly have. One of the most pleasing aspects has been the generosity of everyone who has contributed to our 'Give a Stray a Christmas Dinner' appeal.

A big thank you must go to Mrs Veronica Waldron of Thatto Heath who wrote to me to say that she was unable to get down to the shop, and took the trouble to send a cheque, to buy some tins of pet food. We will be continuing our collections until the end of January and already we have surpassed last year's total. Thank you everyone.

It is also gratifying to note that most of the pets we sold this year were bought after Christmas day, when they would receive more individual attention, to help them settle down in their new surroundings. Hamsters topped the list once again, with tropical fish coming a close second.

Hamsters are one of the most popular pets kept by children and are relatively easy to look after but there are some problems. We can examine some of them in this week's article.

Hamsters were first bred in Syria in 1930 from one male and two females, which were discovered in the wild. Every pet hamster we know today was bred from this trio.

Unlike rats and mice, hamsters are solitary creatures. Two or more should not be kept together as they are likely to fight. They can live quite happily together from up to ten weeks but once maturity arrives they will sometimes fight, even to the death.

A hamster, being semi-nocturnal, will sleep most of the day and becomes more active as evening approaches. This can present problems to mothers who are anxious to get young children to bed. Hamsters respond well to attention, and must be held and stroked every day. When left to themselves they can become aggressive and may deliver a painful bite to carelessly pointed fingers. Like all rodents, hamsters need to chew and so a stainless steel wire cage or a well designed plastic one with no edges to gnaw on are ideal. Avoid the cheap wire cages which become tarnished and could cause digestive upsets or cuts around the mouth. The cage should be escape proof, roomy and should contain a sleeping compartment for privacy. An internal wheel will provide your hamster with all the exercise he needs. Hamster playballs are useful for providing exercise but should not be used for more than ten minutes at a time. Any longer and he could become overheated and exhausted. Feeding bowls should be pottery or stainless steel. Plastic dishes soon become ruined by sharp teeth.

Sawdust or wood flakes should be used as a floor covering and a safe bedding should be provided, in preference to the cheaper nylon type. The nylon strands can become entangled around the hamsters legs. They are not digestible and if swallowed can cause a blockage in the digestive tract. Avoid using straw as this can cause eye damage in the confines of a cage.

Hamsters should be fed mixed grains each day. Vegetables and fruit should be fed sparingly and any excess should be removed before it become stale. Water should be available at all times and the bottle should have a steel tip to prevent chewing. Include a mineral stone which will keep teeth sharp and in good condition, and provide essential minerals and trace elements normally available in the wild. A wide variety of treats are also available and make a welcome break from the same ration each day.

Older hamsters should be kept in an even, comfortable temperature. If the temperature falls below five degrees C. the hamster may be induced to hibernate and appear to be dead. Before you perform the last burial rites try warming the body. This should be done slowly and gently. A hair dryer or slightly warm hot water bottle can prove useful. It should take about half an hour to wake him up. Conversely if your hamster is too hot, say over 25 degrees C. it will again appear dead. Gently lowering the temperature and rubbing his fur should wake him up. This is known as 'sleepers disease' and is most common when hamsters are kept behind glass, in direct summer sunlight, or over a radiator, or near a fire in winter.

They make delightful pets because they are very clean creatures, which take up very little space in the home, and are cheap to feed. Their life expectancy is between two and a half and three years. Children can benefit enormously from owning a hamster if they are encouraged to take over the cleaning and daily feeding. It will help them to develop a real sense of responsibility.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.