![]() Still, to be happy and well-adjusted, your hamster should receive daily handling and interaction. Hamsters are fairly independent and can entertain themselves for extended periods of time, provided their housing is properly enriched with toys, bedding, and opportunities for burrowing and climbing. ![]() Wire cage, aquarium, or modular habitatĪre you prepared to spend several hundred dollars a year on your new friend, not including veterinary costs, if your hamster develops a chronic condition like diabetes or requires emergency treatment? Time requirements.The initial purchase of equipment and supplies is likely to include: ![]() The adoption fee or purchase price for a hamster is typically small, but there are startup costs and ongoing needs to anticipate. Dwarf hamsters, on the other hand, may be able to live together if introduced properly. A female who gives birth may kill and eat their babies if disturbed, and allowing hamsters to breed is not recommended. Hamsters will fight and inflict serious injuries to each other if housed in the same quarters, so each must have their own separate space. Syrian hamsters are solitary, territorial animals who must have their own space in which to live. However, it can be transmitted from a pregnant mother to their unborn child and can produce severe illness in people with compromised immune systems. In healthy adults, this virus causes flu-like symptoms or no symptoms at all. Hamsters have been known to carry a virus called Lymphocytic choriomeningitis. Salmonella can also seriously sicken a person who's already in a weakened state from other health conditions. However, it can produce more severe problems if a pregnant woman passes it to their unborn child. Hamsters can carry salmonella, an intestinal bacteria that causes short but intense bouts of sickness in healthy adults. Although rare, hamsters have been known to carry Lymphocytic choriomeningitis, a virus that can seriously sicken young children. Children under 5 are particularly vulnerable to the effects of salmonella, a type of intestinal bacteria that hamsters can carry. Young children are also at greater risk for zoonotic diseases (diseases that are can be passed from animals to humans) because of their undeveloped immune systems and because of their tendency for close contact with pets without proper hand-washing. Young children who lack fine motor control and self-restraint may inadvertently drop a hamster, squeeze them, or scare them into biting. The motor skills of children under 8 are usually not refined enough to make a hamster feel comfortable being handled. Hamsters require a gentle touch and may be easily startled by sudden movement and loud noises. Therefore, hamsters need to be handled only with adult supervision by children under 8 years old. A hamster awakened suddenly from a nap during the day may bite. However, just when it's time for your child to go to sleep, it's time for a hamster to wake up. But if you're a night owl, a hamster could be the perfect companion when you're burning the midnight oil! Children and hamstersīecause of their small size, hamsters are often purchased as pets for children who want to play with them during the day. If you work a graveyard shift and are looking for furry companionship during the day, hamsters are bound to frustrate your expectations. If you're a light sleeper who is disturbed by the smallest of sounds, a squeaking wheel at 2 a.m. Hamsters are nocturnal, which means they will be most active at night. Small animals like hamsters are often mistreated and forced into deplorable conditions when they're bred for pet stores to sell - look for a local rescue first when you're considering adopting a hamster, and skip the pet stores. Learn More About Hamsters Try to adopt first A great starter pet, right? Not at all! Here are some important questions to consider before you dive headlong into a relationship. After all, these little guys are the picture of cuteness: small, round, furry, and inquisitive. ![]() It can be tempting to acquire a hamster on impulse.
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