The hamster is an animal of the rodent family whose small size makes it a good pet for people with little space, and the Russian variety is often particularly easy to care for, if you know how to care for it.
The Basic care of a Russian hamster has to do with feeding, cleaning, spaces and basic attention with which in our site we know that your furry will be able to develop and grow in a he althy way. Read on and offer your new partner everything he needs!
Russian Hamster Basics
This rodent usually measures a maximum of 10 centimeters, and has a soft fur whose colors mix brown and gray with black stripes on the back and sides, being white on the abdomen. On the other hand, being a variety of hamster from Russia, it is capable of surviving in temperatures down to minus 25 degrees centigrade, and is characterized by being an easy-care animal, with a calm temperamentthat tends to get along with others of the same species and even with different pets.
As for his habits, spends most of the day sleeping, so we recommend placing him in a quiet area of the House. Your Russian hamster will be more active at night, a time that you should take advantage of to attend to it, play with it and give it affection.
Your life expectancy is a maximum of two years.
Prepare your space
Ideally, set up a cage that is large enough for your Russian hamster to be comfortable. It is not recommended that you leave it loose around the house unattended, as it will easily get lost or could be accidentally crushed or injured. Prepare a fenced space in your home and let him run around for a while each day to get better exercise.
The cage should be kept in a place with sufficient ventilation and away from direct sunlight Inside it, you should place sawdust so that relieve yourself, as well as containers for food and water. Likewise, do not forget to introduce the typical plastic wheel, preferring one that does not have slits to prevent its small legs from getting stuck. You will also need a calcium tablet that will help you gnaw, because the Russian hamster's teeth do not stop growing and you need to wear them down constantly to avoid he alth problems or hurt yourself with them.
To provide the best care for your Russian hamster, take it out of the cage daily to play with it and give it some cuddles. Otherwise, it might go wild and try to bite you.
Russian Hamster Feeding
It is recommended to buy in pet stores the processed food formulated for Russian hamsters, and supplement this diet with somevegetables, fruits and raw vegetables in small amounts several times a week. If you do not know which are the most suitable, in this article we detail the best fruits and vegetables for hamsters.
We recommend giving him corn, apple, seeds, broccoli and nuts. All this must be perfectly washed, peeled and chopped into small pieces. When feeding your Russian hamster, never give it treats or sweet food, as it could develop diabetes; you can't taste lettuce either, as it gives you diarrhea.
Russian Hamster Hygiene
To continue with the care of the Russian hamster, cleaning the animal's cage is crucial to avoid bacterial diseases and infections. A deep cleaning of the cage and the accessories that are inside it is recommended once a week, with a mild detergent that has little odour. Also, everything should be completely dry when finished.
The solid animal waste should be removed every day to keep the sawdust clean, which should be completely changed once a week approximately. Regarding sawdust, it is better to look for something that is not cedar or pine, since the strong smell can cause respiratory diseases in the Russian hamster. For more information, don't miss our article in which we tell you what the most common diseases of hamsters are.
On the other hand, food and water containers should be cleaned every day, especially when you put fresh raw food. In this sense, another basic care of the Russian hamster is that it should never have an empty water container.
And to finish with hygiene, the Russian hamster itself also needs to groom itself, for which you will need to purchase a special type of litter which is used for chinchillas, or plain beach sand. Your little rodent will dive and roll in it, leaving its fur clean and shiny. If you notice that your little rodent is dirtier than normal, you can choose to bathe it yourself. To do this, we advise you to consult our article "How to bathe a hamster?".
Russian Hamster Reproduction and Breeding
If you want to have two hamsters, we recommend not to mix male and female in the same cage if you don't want them to reproduce, because They can have up to five litters each year. Gestation lasts a maximum of 21 days.
At birth the pups weigh only two grams, and after a week of life they stop feeding on mother's milk to start consuming solids. They reach full independence four weeks after birth.
If you have a newborn litter of hamsters, you should separate them in a cage with the mother, as the male may eat them while they are defenseless. Therefore, if you do not have the appropriate knowledge, we do not recommend breeding the Russian hamster.
Provide the basic care to your Russian hamster and start enjoying his company! And if you have any questions, don't forget to leave your comment!
