When you first bring your hamster home, he may be a little nervous, perhaps even distressed. The way you handle him from the start can make a big difference in the way he reacts to his new home. Also pay attention to his reaction to certain surroundings and actions. My children have cared for numerous hamsters, some that came from delicate situations. Help soothe your hamster's transition into a new home by using some of the methods we had success with in multiple cases.
Give the hamster time to get used to you. When you first bring your hamster home, you may immediately want to interact. But keep in mind that may be the exact opposite of what your hamster has in mind. It doesn't mean he hates you. He just needs time to adjust. Soothe him by granting that adjustment. Wait a few days before handling the hamster. Approach your hamster slowly to ease his fears. Start out with a gloved hand at first. Place your hand into the cage and leave it there a few minutes at a time each day. Eventually the hamster will come up to you and may even start sitting in your hand on purpose. Never feed your hamster food from your hand, unless your goal is to create a biting habit. After a while, once your hamster used to you, the glove probably won't be needed. Provide a hideaway. Your hamster needs to have one or more places to hide inside his cage. Being hidden can be soothing, especially during a transition. One of our hamsters enjoys his edible log for this purpose. The other likes a small wooden house, as well as his enclosed hamster wheel. No matter what you choose, be sure it is safe for hamsters. It also should be something the hamster can fully fit inside when he needs to retreat. This helps calm the hamster down when he is nervous or scared. Keep familiar items in your hamster's cage. If you are just switching your hamster to a new cage within the same home, transfer some of his favorite items into the new cage. We recently switched cages for one of our hamsters and he felt soothed by his favorite log and food dish. Though we switched out some items, we kept those two things to ease his transition. He was very happy in the new cage and is adjusting well. At first he would sniff the new items and test them out. Then, he would retreat to his log for a little while. That helped him feel secure. If you are just bringing your hamster home for the first time, you may not be able to use items from the previous habitat. Purchasing similar items is the second best option. *The author is not a licensed veterinarian. Always ask your veterinarian for the best advice specific to your hamster. **I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network
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If you bought your hamster's cage at the pet store, you may get it set up at home and discover it isn't as big as you'd like it to be. So how do you solve that issue? Perhaps you did buy a large cage but it has a second floor that's pretty high off the ground. Should your hamster's cage have a second level?
A second level could give a hamster more room. The bigger the cage, the more room your hamster will have to run around and play. This is always a good thing. Some people find that adding a second floor is a simple way to give the hamsters more room because it will take up less space in the house than a longer cage would. Hamsters also enjoy climbing. So a second floor may give them the best of both worlds. Syrian hamsters will especially need a great deal of room. Dwarf hamsters don't need as much space. But they still need the freedom to roam. Hamsters have a poor sense of depth perception. Their vision is not great and they are known to walk right off an edge. If your hamster does this on a second level, it could cause serious injury. Think about your hamster's habits. When held, is your hamster running all over you not really paying attention to the varied heights? If so, most likely the same will occur with a second level cage. A second level may be safe if height is limited. With proper bedding underneath and no more than six inches between the first and second level, another floor could be safe for your hamster. When thinking of adding additional floors, keep the same safety precautions in mind. If you add a third floor, fourth floor, and so on, consider how far your hammie can fall from each level. One solution to that issue is to section off each floor from the previous one and provide only tunnels for the hamster to travel through for each level. How large is your hamster's main area? If your hamster's main area is already large, a second floor may not be necessary. Just be sure your hamster has plenty of toys and an exercise wheel and ball. On the other hand, if the space is compact, adding the second floor may be the best option for your hamster. You can create this floor yourself by attaching a wire cage atop an aquarium filled with bedding. There are also cages for sale that feature a second floor. But be careful to choose one with appropriate bar sizing for your hamster's size and breed. Should my hamster's cage have a second level? It really depends on each unique situation. Ideally, large and small hamsters should all have plenty of space. Beyond that, each hamster's needs will vary. With you hamster in mind and with the help of a licensed vet, you should be able to tell what's best for your hamster. *Always contact a licensed veterinarian for the health of your animals. The information above is not meant to replace the advice of a qualified professional and is derived solely from the author's own personal experiences. You're holding your guinea pig, who squeezes closer to you and it sounds like he is purring. But only cats purr, right? Do guinea pigs purr? Yes, they most certainly do emit a purring sound. But is it really a purr and what does it mean? Is your guinea pig happy, sad, angry, or otherwise when he makes this noise? I had guinea pigs as a child and so have my own kids.
Do guinea pigs purr? Yes. Guinea pigs do in fact purr. They may do it when you are holding them. They might also do it when eating carrots or their favorite treat. The purring could be directed at an object, another guinea pig, or even you. One child's science fair project actually proved an expert wrong regarding the guinea pig purr. The expert believed that only cats have a 'true' purr, which is not true in our experience. All of our guinea pigs have always made the purring sound. What does it mean when my guinea pig purrs? This can actually mean several things. The most common meaning of a guinea pig purr is happiness. But that is not always the case. It can also indicate fear, fright, and more. Deciphering each purr requires being attentive to your pet, as well as listening to the length and pitch of the purr. Which guinea pig purrs are a good sign? If your guinea pig's purr sounds long and deep, he is likely very content and comfortable. Our guinea pig usually does this when someone holds him close and talks to him. Happy purrs are not always long. But they are generally accompanied by overall calmness, such as posture and attitude. Pay attention to what else your guinea pig is doing while he purrs like this. Which purrs should I worry about? Short and possibly higher-pitched purring noises could be a sign of pain or fright. These are not good. Higher voice pitches while purring can be an indicator of being annoyed. If your guinea pig is doing this toward you, leave him alone for a while. If it's toward another guinea pig, separate them until they've both had time to settle down. Guinea pigs like attention from each other and even from you. But sometimes they also need to be alone. How can I make my guinea pig purr? The best way to entice purrs from your guinea pig is to keep him happy. Stroke his ears. Pet his back softly. Talk gently to him often and hold him close. Give him treats as recommended. But most of all, just show him you love him and he will do the same in return, which may result in purring. *I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network Has your guinea pig been eating his droppings? Are you sure that is actually what he's doing? Do guinea pigs eat their poop? Some animals, such as guinea pigs, partake in coprophagy either unhealthily or as part of their regular nutrition regimen. Should your guinea pig be eating his poop? If not, can you prevent guinea pigs from doing this?
Do guinea pigs really eat their own poop? Yes. In a way, guinea pigs do eat a substance that is extracted the same way as their poop. But they do not actually eat their poop, per se. Guinea pigs need to eat their food twice before it is fully digested. Therefore, the substance they are eating should be thought of as a nutritional pellet. Plus, it's just easier on the ears to say your guinea pig is eating nutrition pellets, rather than referring to it as poop. Eating one's own fecal matter is called coprophagy. What is coprophagy? As explained above, coprophagy is the act of eating one's own excrement. Many animals practice this. For some, like the guinea pig, it is normal and healthy. Many animals actually need to digest their food twice in order to benefit from the nutrients. Therefore, do not be alarmed if you see your guinea pig doing this. How much coprophagy is normal? Generally, a guinea pig will not eat anymore of these pellets than is necessary. A general rule is to make sure your guinea pig is also eating his regular diet and drinking fresh water. Coprophagy helps your guinea pig digest the rest of the food in the diet. If a guinea pig is not doing this regularly, a deficiency in protein and other nutrients may occur. While guinea pig food includes nutritional pellets, the pellets consumed during coprophagy are better for your pet's health. Can I prevent coprophagy in my guinea pig? It is natural and necessary for your guinea pig to partake in coprophagy. In one study, guinea pigs who were prevented from partaking in coprophagy suffered nutritionally. This was true , even with those guinea pigs being fed commercial pellets. Therefore, unless your vet recommends it (generally in an extreme case), you should never try to stop your pet from eating pelleted excrement. If you do need to prevent your guinea pig from doing this, your veterinarian will advise you on what to do based on your guinea pig's individual needs. What happens if my guinea pig does not eat his own pellets? Eating the pellets (or poop) is vital to your guinea pig's health. If your guinea pig does not show signs of doing this, it is best to see an appropriately licensed animal care professional. Your pet's veterinarian will be able to tell you how to help your guinea pig meet nutritional needs , as well as any other steps you can take. *I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network
by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
Is your hamster extra special? Of course! Do you want to show your hamster some extra love by providing treats? Which should you use? Store bought or homemade? Depending on the type of treat, we like to give our hamsters mainly homemade treats. But there are a few store bought treats we prefer as well. So, which ones are best for your hamster? Vanity treats may contain little nutrition. Just like store-bought treats for humans can be bad, the same can be true with hamster treats. Those colorful small animal treats packaged to mock assorted human treats could be very bad for your little critter. Remember that the more colorful the treat, the more dyes were likely used to create it. Also consider the texture. Is the substance natural? Sure these treats may smell and look good. But are they really the best choice for your hamster? Watch the ingredients. The only ingredients that should be in your hamster's treats are those that come from nature. There is no reason to give hamsters chemical or sugar-induced treats. Not all hamsters have the same dietary needs. Ask your vet for a list of foods that are appropriate for your hamster. Read the labels of store-bought treats. Also watch what you put into homemade treats. Any treat containing anything other than what's on that list should be avoided. Fruity treats may sound good, but could be bad. Especially avoid sugar, even in some fruits, if you have dwarf hamsters. Fruit should be limited to an occasional treat in many hamsters. But dwarf hamsters are most susceptible to diabetes. There are only certain fruits that dwarf hamsters should have access to and those should only be given on a limited basis. Many store-bought hamster treats contain fruit ingredients that could be dangerous to your pet. Can my hamster have hay? Timothy and alfalfa are common hays given as treats to small animals. Should hamsters have hay? Yes. Hay is safe for most hamsters. Though again, you should consult with your hamster's vet for proper nutrition geared toward that animal. Each animal has its own needs. Obviously in this instance, store-bought hay as a treat makes more sense than growing and drying it yourself. Small animals do not consume enough for harvesting your own to make sense. Stick to natural-looking treats. One rule of thumb that we always follow with both homemade and store-bought treats is sticking to authentic snacks. If we go store-bought, our hamsters will get things like natural trail mix formulated for hamster diets, dried vegetables, and other things that are not altered. Store-bought does not necessarily mean a treat is bad. But when you are not hand-picking each ingredient yourself, you just need to be more cautious for the health and safety of your pet. *Information herein is based on the author's personal experiences as a hamster owner and is not meant to replace the advice of a professional. Always consult an appropriately-licensed animal care specialist for the health of your animals. *I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network
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