How to Keep a Syrian Hamster? Detailed Guide to Care Methods and Precautions

The Syrian hamster is a type of hamster, native to Syria, Lebanon, Israel and other places. It was only officially classified as a pet after being introduced to the United States in 1938. In the 1990s it was introduced and bred in places such as Jiande, Zhejiang, China. It has a rather bad-tempered personality, with brownish-yellow fur, some with brown spots or white fur. It has strong adaptability and can be kept in all regions. Now let's take a look at how to keep Syrian hamsters!

Syrian Hamster Keeping Environment

The most suitable temperature for a Syrian hamster's life is 20-28°C. Avoid direct sunlight or direct exposure to strong drafts, but be sure to keep good ventilation. Do not keep it too close to a TV, stereo or computer; Syrian hamsters can hear sounds that humans cannot, so radiation and noise should be avoided. In summer, it is best not to turn on the air conditioner, because turning the air conditioner on and off will cause too great a temperature difference indoors, and Syrian hamsters are very sensitive to temperature and easily catch colds. Spread more bedding materials such as wood shavings, provide the hamster with a wooden or straw hut for warmth, or give more cotton so the hamster can build its own nest; absorbent cotton will do, and natural cotton is best. The simplest method is to put the whole cage into a cardboard box or plastic box, but pay attention to ventilation. Do not use items woven from cotton thread as a nest. Hamsters will make cotton items into a hut or quilt and then burrow inside to sleep, but because of this, some unbroken cotton threads will wrap around their ankles or other body parts. Some wrap around the neck, which in dangerous cases can cause the hamster to suffocate to death. Therefore do not put any woven thread items in.

Syrian Hamster Keeping Equipment

1. Cage: In summer, please use a ventilated wire cage, or a half-wire half-plastic cage, such as a wild cage. In winter, pay attention to keeping warm; an all-plastic cage is more suitable for winter. Do not use wire mesh for the cage bottom, as Syrian hamsters are prone to fractures and injuries from it.

2. Food bowl: Most cages come with a food bowl. If you need to buy one yourself, generally any small container can be chosen, as long as it is not easily tipped over and its edges are not too high, otherwise the Syrian hamster cannot climb in. Commonly used containers include glass ashtrays, soy sauce dishes, various small bowls, microwave containers, etc.

3. Water dispenser: Most cages come with a water dispenser, because Syrian hamsters need to drink water. The front end of a water dispenser is generally designed with a stainless steel ball; when buying, pay attention to testing whether it leaks. Never just use a bowl to hold water, because when a Syrian hamster drinks it will get its fur wet, or go in to swim, and it easily catches a chill and gets sick.

4. Toilet: An ordinary plastic box with wood pellets in it is a fairly simple toilet. Take out the wood pellets every day to clean or replace them all, because some Syrian hamsters will eat cat litter, and cat litter contains swelling agents; accidental ingestion can easily cause them to die from overeating.

5. Running wheel: Most cages come with a running wheel, because a wild Syrian hamster needs to run 20 kilometers a day and can run 3000 laps on a running wheel each night. So an appropriate amount of exercise is very important for Syrian hamsters. Without enough exercise, Syrian hamsters will be overly stressed and bite the cage, so a careful owner should give the Syrian hamster a running wheel. When buying, pay attention: you should choose a running wheel with no gaps, so the Syrian hamster is less likely to get injured. If the Syrian hamster's body size is relatively large, you generally need to buy another running wheel, and the diameter of the running wheel should be above 17 cm.

6. Chewing stone/chewing stick: A Syrian hamster's teeth will keep growing, so a chewing stick is needed to wear down overly long teeth.

7. Hut: Huts come in ceramic, wooden, straw and plastic types, and Syrian hamsters like them all, because Syrian hamsters are animals that love to burrow and live in holes. If conditions permit, you should provide the Syrian hamster with a small hut.

8. Bedding: For short-haired Syrian hamsters, wood shavings can be used as bedding; for long-haired Syrian hamsters, the best bedding is corn cob + pasture grass. Although a few long-haired Syrian hamsters will not get their fur stuck to wood shavings when young or after adulthood, it is not worth using wood shavings. In addition, Syrian hamsters can use the toilet by themselves; they are very clean. So it is best to use corn cob for the toilet; wood shavings are too light, cannot serve as toilet bedding, and are also easily carried away as warmth material. In winter, Timothy grass + corn cob + cotton or paper towels (kitchen paper towels) can be used; it is very warm. For females, wood shavings can be used, because female long-haired Syrian hamsters are short-haired. When using paper bedding, pay attention: do not choose printed paper, because toxic ink will poison the Syrian hamster.

Syrian Hamster Food Choices

1. Edible foods

① Qingjiang vegetables, carrots, pumpkin (green and yellow vegetables are preferable), sunflower seeds, peanuts, walnuts, pine nuts (do not give too many; 2 per week is best), apples, strawberries, cherries, bananas, grapes (do not give too many because they contain a lot of sugar), chicken feed, dove feed, small bird feed, wheat, corn, millet, etc.

② Plant types: clover, dandelion, kudzu, plantain

③ Animal protein: beef, chicken, boiled egg white, yogurt drink, breadworms, pet dried small fish, goat milk

2. Harmful foods

① Fruits: almonds, plums, loquats, peaches, honey peaches, apple seeds (will cause heart paralysis, gastrointestinal disorders, difficulty breathing)

② Vegetables: onions, scallion leaves (will destroy blood components), garlic, ginger, chives, celery (too stimulating), leaves and stems of tomatoes and potatoes

③ Plants: narcissus, tulips, morning glory, rhododendron, orchids, acorus, hyacinth, ferns, cyclamen, hydrangea, balloon flower, fern types, iris

④ Others: human snacks, biscuits, chocolate, coffee (these two foods will cause heart paralysis), alcohol, milk

3. Supplement series

① Breadworms: protein is very high; they are the holy grail among supplements. Please do not feed too many in a day.

② Dried small fish: contain calcium and animal protein; for older hamsters they can be ground into powder for consumption.

③ Nutritional paste: available on the market, with two flavors: deep-sea fish oil and cherry.

④ Nutritional water: sold everywhere on the market, price 100 to 150.

⑤ Glucose water: glucose can be bought at a pharmacy; mix with boiled water at 1:10 and feed. It can increase appetite.

⑥ Artificial baby puree: available in supermarkets; feed about 0.5cc at a time, and please store in the refrigerator.

⑦ Small animal milk replacer: most stores selling hamster supplies have it. One packet is mixed with 10cc of water. Hamsters drink little, so please adjust the amount yourself; it must be finished immediately after drinking.

Note: Syrian hamsters are forbidden to be fed human food. Too high salt content and too heavy seasoning will increase the hamster's bodily burden. Please store feed and snacks in sealed jars, and they can be placed in the refrigerator. Discard food that breeds insects or ants. As for fruits and vegetables, please do not feed too much at one time, as it easily causes diarrhea and death. Most fruits and vegetables contain pesticides; please wash them with clean water, wipe them dry, and then feed.