Features of the lifestyle and behavior of the Djungarian hamster at home

Pets are human constant companions. Many children want to have a pet. If a child happens to be left at home alone, so that he does not feel lonely and not be alone. The hamster is quite common as a pet. Rodents have lived alongside humans since ancient times. On the one hand, they spoiled crops and grain reserves and spread diseases. On the other hand...And this is where the fun begins. A Djungarian hamster has settled in my home. The friendliest of all. I am writing this work so that everyone who gets acquainted with it will learn more about our little brothers. I will surprise you with my knowledge about hamsters. I can also give recommendations on any issues from my experience with a hamster. Even though a hamster’s life is short (they live for about 2 years), it’s so nice to have a creature so joyful and friendly living in your room.

Hamsters belong to the order of rodents, the family Hamsteriformes, and the subfamily Khomyakov. In Russia, the most common species found are the large and very aggressive common hamster and the small gray hamster. The Syrian hamster (golden) is usually kept as pets; sometimes smaller hamsters belonging to the genus of bobwhites are kept: the Roborovsky hamster (sizes do not exceed 7-9 cm) and the Djungarian hamster. The short-tailed Djungarian hamster is no more than 10 cm long, but looks massive due to its large head, thick neck and short legs. The hamster has cheek pouches in which the animal stores the collected food for some time. His fur is long, thick and soft. The homeland of Djungarian hamsters is the steppe and desert regions of Western Siberia (Novosibirsk region) and Central Asia (Eastern Kazakhstan, Khakassia). In terms of breadth of distribution, numbers and diversity of habitats, rodents have no equal. Today there are about 1,700 species, which is 40% of all mammal species. And every year, more and more are discovered - mainly in little-explored tropical areas. Elusive rodent. In 1929, a new species of rodent, found only here, was discovered on Mount Roraima. This Roraima hamster is the only mammal endemic to the tepui known to science. The second time he was found only 60 years later, so he remains the rarest among mouse-like rodents. Tepuis (table mountains that in some places rise 1,500 meters above the rain forest and are inhabited by amazing animals and plants) are so inaccessible that even now, when expeditions travel by helicopter to sky-high heights, the study of the animal world of these mountains is just beginning. In nature, there is an aquatic rodent - a lover of swimming, and at the same time - a predator - a fish-eating hamster that lives in the equatorial part of South America and feeds on various aquatic animals.

Historical information

The hamster's triumphant march as a domestic and experimental animal is quite unique in the animal world. In 1839, the English naturalist George Waterhausen discovered this animal near the Syrian city of Aleppo and named his discovery the golden hamster. After that, for almost a hundred years nothing was heard about the cute animal, and only in 1930, Aharoni, a professor of zoology at the University of Jerusalem, who was in Syria with his students on an expedition, came across a hamster burrow in which there was a female and eight cubs. They took the mother and her offspring with them, but, unfortunately, five cubs died on the way. The remaining three hamsters multiplied so quickly that by the end of the year there were already about three hundred of them. The animals received their official scientific name: the average hamster. The animals quickly got used to life in a cage, did not require much care and were very fertile, so they were first used as laboratory animals for medical experiments. They later became beloved pets, first in America and, after 1945, in Europe. For example, in Germany there are currently approximately a million hamsters.

Keeping a hamster at home

What does my pet need? The owner's attention, periodic walks around the apartment and the presence of various objects in the cage that can be manipulated: sticks, ladders, shelters, wheels, toys. My hamster has a cage made of metal rods. Pusha is very inquisitive and active, loves to climb. Therefore, in the cage there is a ladder, a plastic wheel in which the hamster spins no worse than a squirrel. The hamster's home has a plastic house. The pet’s entire property is lined with sawdust, and to build a nest, I place paper handkerchiefs in the cage. My client has a wooden block for grinding down her teeth, which are constantly growing. I change sawdust once a week. Djungarians produce very little urine and it smells faint. On the advice of a salesperson at a pet store, to solve the problem of odor in the apartment, we placed a small glass jar, turned on its side, in the cage and splashed some water into it for the first time. The hamster should use it as a toilet. This doesn't always work out for my Pusha, but I feel like she's trying. The hamster cage is not close to the batteries. The animal is also very sensitive to drafts and can easily catch a cold. According to the advice given in the literature, I follow the conditions for placing the cage for a comfortable stay for the hamster. You cannot install the cage on the balcony or take it out into bright sunlight, as the animal quickly overheats, which threatens its death. The optimal thermal regime is 21 - 25 degrees, but since Djungarian hamsters are resistant to cold, they can easily tolerate a drop in temperature to 0 degrees.

Feeding

Almost all rodents are prone to overeating, so you should never give him more food than he needs for the day. In order for the animal to be strong and healthy, it needs to eat at least 7–15 grams of grain per day. First of all, according to literary sources, as well as from the experience of our friends who have a hamster, I found out the diet of my ward. My Pusha is a rodent - an omnivore, but her main “dish” is a mixture of different grains. Feeding my fat-cheeked Pusha is not difficult: she is a very unpretentious eater. Its main food is a mixture of oats and wheat with sunflower seeds. I also offer Pusha rolled oats, barley, and corn. The pet store sells ready-made mixtures for hamsters. My hamster also does not refuse bread soaked in milk, cereals, vegetables and fruits. You can give apples, pears, banana, tomato, cucumbers, lettuce, dandelion leaves, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin. Not allowed - potatoes, cabbage, garlic, onions, citrus fruits, exotic fruits. You should not give your hamster fruit seeds, as they contain dangerous acid. Twice a week I feed Pusha protein foods - boiled chicken without salt, a boiled chicken egg, low-fat cottage cheese. Sometimes I spoon-feed meat baby food. You should not feed your hamster salty (cheese is very harmful), spicy, fatty or sweet foods (1,3,5,8,11). Pusha is very fond of the briquettes of pressed mineral supplements purchased at the pet store, on which she grinds her teeth and at the same time receives the necessary vitamins. Usually, during meals, my little hostess diligently stuffs her cheek pouches with provisions, which she drags in this manner into the house. Sometimes the animal, it seems to me, carries luggage equal to half its weight. Then, very funny, with the help of her front paws, she frees her cheeks - the bins and hurries for the next portion. As a result, the remains of uneaten supplies accumulate in the house and spoil. I check the nest periodically and throw away excess food. Based on the results of a study of the hamster's diet, I decided to determine his food preferences in order to use this knowledge in the future to train the hamster.