How to keep a silver fox hamster? A detailed guide to raising them for beginners

Silver fox hamsters look very attractive and are not very expensive, so many people bring them home for their beautiful appearance. Feeding them some fruit, vegetables and mixed grains daily is fine. Since fruits and vegetables have a very high water content and hamsters have rather weak intestines, the amount of these foods must be controlled, otherwise they will die of diarrhea. Let's take a look below at how to keep a silver fox hamster!

Raising environment for silver fox hamsters

The most suitable temperature for silver fox hamsters is 20-28°C. Avoid places in direct sunlight or exposed to strong drafts, but make sure there is ventilation and air flow. Do not place them too close to the TV, stereo or computer; hamsters can hear sounds humans cannot, so radiation and noise should be avoided. In summer it is best not to use an air conditioner, because turning it off when you go out and on again when you come in will make the indoor temperature difference too great; hamsters are very sensitive to temperature and easily catch cold. In winter do not keep them outdoors, as hamsters will hibernate when it is too cold. Spread more bedding such as wood shavings, and provide a wooden or grass hut for warmth. Or give more paper napkins so the hamster can build its own nest. The simplest method is to put the whole cage into a cardboard box or plastic box, but pay attention to ventilation.

Raising facilities for silver fox hamsters

1. Cage: In summer please use a ventilated wire cage, or a half-wire half-plastic cage, such as an outdoor cage. In winter pay attention to keeping the hamster warm; an all-plastic cage is more suitable for winter.

2. Food bowl: Most cages come with a food bowl. If you need to buy one yourself, ordinary small containers will do, as long as they are not easily knocked over and the edges are not too high, otherwise the hamster cannot climb in. Commonly used containers: glass ashtray, soy sauce dish, various small bowls, microwave box; current price 3-10 yuan.

3. Water bottle: Most cages come with a water bottle, and it is best to install one when DIY-ing, because hamsters need to drink water. The general design of a water bottle has a stainless steel ball at the front; when buying, test whether it leaks. Never just use a bowl to hold water, because the hamster will wet its fur when drinking, or go in to swim, and easily catch cold and get sick. If you really do not have one, feed the hamster more vegetables and fruits.

4. Toilet: A general plastic box with cat litter in it makes a fairly simple toilet. Take out the clumped cat litter every day or replace it all, depending on personal hygiene habits. Hamsters raised by clean people also tend to be cleaner.

5. Bath house: Some hamsters will bathe in cat litter in the toilet; although not hygienic, this is a hamster's preference, and at this point a bath house is no longer needed. But some hamsters are very clean, and the owner should buy it a bath house, put in bath sand and let the hamster roll around and dig to its heart's content. The bath sand should be disinfected; you can also wash fine sand yourself, disinfect and dry it in the microwave, and mix in talcum powder to make bath sand. It is best not to use talcum powder directly, because it is too irritating and easily hurts the hamster's eyes.

6. Running wheel: Most cages come with a running wheel, because wild hamsters run 20 km a day, so appropriate exercise is very important for hamsters. Without enough exercise, hamsters will be too stressed and will fight each other, bite the cage and so on. So a careful owner should give the hamster a running wheel. At the same time, because owners nowadays give hamsters very good nutrition, hamsters are often overweight, which easily leads to cardiovascular disease, so even a hamster should have a normal, healthy figure. When buying, note that you should choose a running wheel with no gaps, so the hamster is not easily injured. Current price 10-80 yuan.

7. Wood shavings: As cage bedding, many materials can be used, but most people choose wood shavings because they are relatively clean and easy to get. When using paper bedding, note that you should not use printed paper; the ink is toxic and the hamster will be poisoned.

8. Chew stone/chew stick: A hamster's teeth keep growing, so a chew stick is needed to wear down teeth that are too long.

9. Hut: Huts come in ceramic, wooden, grass and plastic versions; hamsters like them all, because hamsters are animals that love to dig burrows and live in them. If conditions allow, you should give the hamster a hut; current price 10-45 yuan.

Food choices for silver fox hamsters

1. Edible foods

① Qingjiang vegetables, carrots, pumpkin (green and yellow vegetables are best), 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 of the high sugar content), chicken feed, dove feed, small bird feed, wheat, corn, millet, etc.

② Plants: clover, dandelion, kudzu, plantain

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

2. Harmful foods

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

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

③ Plants: narcissus, tulip, morning glory, rhododendron, orchid, calamus, 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 Mealworms: very high in protein, the finest of 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 eating.

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

④ Nutritional water: sold everywhere on the market, price varies from 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 0.5 cc at a time, and please keep it in the refrigerator.

⑦ Small animal milk replacer: most stores selling hamster supplies have it; mix 1 packet with 10 cc of water. Hamsters drink little, so please adjust the amount yourself, and it must be finished immediately.

Note: Silver fox hamsters must not be fed human food; too much salt and heavy seasoning will increase the burden on the hamster's body. Please store feed and snacks in sealed jars; they can be placed in the refrigerator. Discard any food that breeds insects or ants. Do not feed too much fruit and vegetables at one time, as this easily causes diarrhea and death. Most fruits and vegetables contain pesticides; please wash them with clean water, wipe them dry and then feed.