Many of us are for some reason deprivedthe opportunity to have a cat or dog in the house. And after all, often the desire to acquire such a pet becomes just an idea of fix. Especially if it is difficult to implement or something prevents it. That's when we remember that not only dogs and cats are able to play the role of domesticated and domesticated brothers of our smaller ones. In addition to these (such already native for the person!) Pets in our houses live hamsters and ferrets, guinea pigs and turtles, different birds and fish. However, caring for many of these alternative pets (for example, for aquarium fish) requires special knowledge, and for others it is necessary to create special conditions of keeping (ferrets, birds). But there is an excellent way out - to start literally a pocket tame animal (warm, funny and even clever). As you already guessed, this animal is a hamster. Moreover, the content and feeding of hamsters does not cause difficulties, but care for them is very simple. 
Conditions for keeping hamsters
We note at once that some special conditionsa hamster is not required - its content is quite problem-free. The only thing you need to buy is a cage or an aquarium, since the free movement of a hamster in an apartment is fraught with various unpleasant consequences. Firstly, a hamster can be accidentally crushed, and secondly, it can easily gnaw a hole in the furniture and equip itself with a nest in a closet or in a chest of drawers. The undoubted plus of the aquarium - there will be less garbage around the hamster's habitat. In addition, for this you can use even cracked or broken on one side of the aquarium. Cracks should be covered with oil paint, as the glass hamster can putty on the glass. Broken glass is taken out and tightens the formed emptiness by a metal grid. But still it is better to buy a special cage - a low, medium-sized, but spacious. Wooden cells for keeping hamsters are not suitable, since the animal can bite the rods. The cell must be metallic, but not copper. In any case, the aquarium or cage should be large enough that the hamster could equip its dwelling. These animals equip themselves with a nest for recreation, a storehouse for storing supplies and a vestibule for dispatch of need. A healthy and active animal is constantly engaged in putting things in order in their house, replenishing their stores in the pantry and constantly improving the nest. To the hamster was easier to cope with their tasks, put in a cage small pieces of cloth, soft paper and pieces of cardboard. In addition, place in a cage a wooden box with an inlet or an upside-down clay flower pot. From the edge of the pot, you also need to make a hole to enter the improvised house. By the way, such ready-made houses can be purchased at a pet store. The hamster's pantry is another indispensable attribute of the hamster's life. In the wild, these bins provide a comfortable and well-fed life of hamsters throughout the year. In captivity, these animals instinctively continue to stuff pantries, although there is no real need for them. Nevertheless, your hamster necessarily equips itself with a storage for stocks. Moreover, he will continually replenish it, hiding most of the food received and even begging the hosts for food. When cleaning a hamster's house, you should try not to destroy and not to empty such a storehouse. Otherwise, the animal can experience real stress. After the repeated loss of his treasured barn, the hamster will stuff his cheeks with food and run nervously around the cage, not daring to hide supplies to another place and not believing in the reliability of the new storage. So try not to disturb the hamster, removing the cage and not destroying its pantry. Hamsters are clean animals. Unlike the same birds contained in the cage, hamsters do not crochet anywhere, but allocate a separate place in the cage for the toilet. By the way, the homemade hamster owes its fecundity to the fame of a foul-smelling animal. But if at least once a week to clean the cage, and once a month to disinfect and deodorize the place that the hamster took away under the toilet, there will be no smell coming from the cage. For a comfortable existence and health, the hamster needs to move. Since its habitat is limited, it is desirable to equip the cell with a special wheel. A finished wheel for a hamster, again, can be purchased at a pet store. You can make a wheel and yourself from a spool of spinning, two plywood wheels and wooden twigs. Wood chips, hay or special filler are poured on the floor. They put a drinker and a feeding bowl. That, strictly speaking, and all the necessary conditions for the comfortable existence of this little animal. Agree that the hassle will not bring you much trouble. Well, that he lived in your house very much at ease and happy, a hamster, naturally, you need to properly feed and care for him. 
Feeding hamsters
Hamsters are considered very unpretentious in eatinganimals. Some owners generally feed their hamsters by eating themselves. However, this is harmful for the hamster. First, an unbalanced diet and improper feeding shortens the life of animals and has a bad effect on health. And secondly, some products can cause indigestion, provoke various acute and chronic diseases and even cause the death of the animal. The basis of the ration of a homemade hamster should be cereals - they must be given to the animal daily. The norm of a grain mix for an adult hamster varies from one to three teaspoons a day and depends on the size of the animal. The cereal mixture must contain wheat grains, sunflower seeds, oats, nuts and peas. It is from these components that ready mixtures for hamsters are composed. In addition, the hamster should be given juicy food - fruits, vegetables and greens (carrots, apples, cucumbers, pumpkin, bananas, corn, zucchini, pears, dill, celery, parsley). Supplementation of the diet should be and animal protein: boiled meat, fish, cottage cheese and eggs. Fruits, greens and vegetables are given to hamsters every day, but protein foods only once a week. And in one feeding the hamster should receive only one protein product. It is undesirable (but sometimes possible) to feed the hamster with ready-made grain mixtures for birds, bread, potatoes, persimmons and drops. But any spices, fried foods, milk, citrus, melon and watermelon, sugar and honey, cabbage, garlic and onions are certainly harmful to hamsters and can cause irreparable harm to the health of rodents.
Care for hamsters
Strangely enough, but behind these miniaturepets also need to look after. So, for example, long-haired hamsters need to be combed daily or at least every other day. And special attention should be paid to the tummy and the hind legs of the animal, where the wool rolls and is spoiled by excrement. It is not necessary to comb the short-haired hamsters, but dirt must be removed from the fur. Clean hamsters dry or moistened with a soft brush, and they are only bathed in exceptional cases. If you are determined to bathe your pet, then use a shampoo for washing and make sure that soap and water do not get into the ears, eyes and spout of the animal. And in any case, do not wash the hamster with soap. The hamsters are constantly growing teeth, and if the animal does not get enough solid food, overgrown incisors can injure the tongue, lips and gums of the hamster. To prevent this from happening, let the hamster be able to chew any wooden and rubber objects. And if the teeth are still too tall, then contact the veterinary clinic for the solution of this problem. If your hamster moves enough, then the claws on its paws will grind. However, the content of the hamster in a cage without a wheel, as well as the weakened health and insufficient activity of old animals, cause the growth of too long claws. They can grow so much that they start to stop the animal from walking. In this case, the claws are neatly trimmed with a manicure scissors. So, a spacious and properly equipped cage, a balanced diet and minimal but necessary care will make your pet's life comfortable and long. In gratitude for good care, the hamster will delight you with an excellent appetite, amusing behavior and its funny habits. It's very interesting to watch these farm animals. Yes, and just hold in the palm of this warm shaggy little lump is always nice - and stress will lift, and the mood will improve. Believe that the hamster is guided not only by instincts. He is able to experience and manifest various emotions and even affection for man. Be careful and attentive to this kid. Remember that you are responsible for the one you tamed. We advise you to read:
