Coming from a large subfamily of rodents, the Chinese hamster is the most widely used as a pet throughout the world due to its small size and easy care. Read on to learn all about the Chinese Hamster.
Source
The Chinese Hamster comes, as its name suggests, from the deserts of northeast China and Mongolia. This breed of hamster was first domesticated in 1919 and its history began as a laboratory animal. Years later, the Chinese hamster was replaced by breeds that were easier to care for and that was when it became popular as a pet.
Physical appearance
It is an elongated and thin rodent that has a small prehensile tail of 1 centimeter. It has a certain resemblance to the common mouse, although it measures about 10 or 12 centimeters at most, thus weighing about 35 or 50 grams.
The dark eyes, open ears and innocent gaze make the Chinese hamster a prized pet. They present a certain sexual dimorphism since the male is usually larger than the female and has somewhat unbalanced testicles for his small body.
The Chinese hamster is usually two-colored, reddish brown or grayish brown, although black and white specimens appear very rarely. We observe lines on the upper parts of the body as well as a black stripe from the forehead along the spine, ending in the tail.
Behaviour
The Chinese hamster, once domesticated is an ideal pet that will not hesitate to climb on our hands or sleeves and thus enjoy our caresses and caresses. They are very intelligent and playful animals that enjoy contact with their owner.
They are somewhat unpredictable towards members of their own species as they can become territorial as they are used to being solitary animals (it is not advisable to join groups that are not of the same sex). We must be careful if we keep large groups as aggression or disputes may occur.
Feeding
In the market you will find many products from different brands that include assorted seeds to feed your Chinese hamster. Its content should include oats, wheat, corn, rice and barley. They should be foods rich in fiber and low in fat.
You can add to their diet fruits and vegetables such as cucumber, tomatoes, zucchini, spinach or lentils as well as apples, pears, bananas or peaches. You can also add small amounts of dried fruit such as hazelnuts, walnuts or peanuts. In the case of children, pregnant women, nursing mothers or the elderly, we can include oatmeal with milk in their diet.
In the wild it feeds on grasses, shoots and seeds and even insects.
Habitat
Chinese hamsters are very active animals and therefore they must have a cage of at least 50 x 35 x 30 centimeters. His great love of climbing leads us to look for a two-story cage, use hanging toys, a wide wheel and even a path so he can have fun when we are not with him.
Diseases
Below we offer you a list of the most common diseases of the Chinese hamster:
- Tumors: As your hamster ages, it is likely that your hamster will suffer from the appearance of tumors.
- Cannibalism: If our Chinese hamster suffers from protein deficiencies, it can resort to cannibalism with its own babies or with members of its own habitat.
- Fleas and lice: We do not have to worry especially about the appearance of these insects if you live indoors.
- Paralysis of hind legs: If it has suffered a significant fall, the hamster may show paralysis of its hind legs due to shock although it normally regains mobility after rest.
- Pneumonia: If your hamster is exposed to strong drafts or low temperatures, it may be suffering from pneumonia, which you can identify by nosebleeds. Provide a warm and relaxed environment for recovery.
- Fractures: After suffering a blow or a fall our hamster can fracture a bone. Normally in a period of 2 - 3 weeks it usually heals by itself.
- Diabetes: Very common if we don't feed it correctly, it can also appear due to hereditary causes.
