health and technology

IconTop Stories

Choosing Dwarf Hamsters As Household Pets

By Shelly Major


Choosing a pet for your home or family is an important decision. Adding an animal to a household creates a change in the balance of energy to which you and your family are accustomed. Many people become charmed with the novelty of owning a dog or a cat, but do not realize that these are very dependent animals which require a lifestyle adaptation on the part of their owners and fellow household members. For first time pet owners, or lovers of small animals, dwarf hamsters make excellent pets.

Dwarf hamsters originally descended from the northern regions China and Russia. Native adaptations to the cold winter climate seem impossible for such tiny and delicate creatures, but they are a determined little species when it comes to survival.

Dwarf hamsters retain their white under belly even though they lose their winter white backs in captivity. When the temperature is retained at a stable condition, molting is minimal.

Dwarf hamsters belong to the species group Phodopus. They are incredibly small in size, only two to five inches in length. Although male hamsters tend to be bigger than their female companions, captive animals are difficult to determine on this factor. Captivity determines size more than gender. Combined housing is possible when housemates are placed young and heterosexually.

It is sometimes difficult to determine the gender of tiny creatures. Female hamsters have eight nipples on their belly and genitals that are closely placed together. Their male counterparts are slightly larger and display a protruding scrotum on their rear end. Sexual maturity occurs within months of birth.

Multiple pet housing is not recommended for newly acquainted mature animals. In order to achieve successful cohabitation, only place pets that have been together since infancy together. They should also be the same gender unless it is a breeding cycle.

Feeding your new pet is a simple process if you use packaged food sold in most supply stores. It is important to limit treats such as grapes, raisins, and bananas which are high in sugar and can cause liver and kidney failure. Clean water from an appropriate water bottle is also necessary to maintain proper health.




About the Author:



 
 
 

Post a Comment