The Russian hamster is the most commonly sold variety of dwarf hamster today. As a result, there are thousands of homes that have a pet of this type and wonder how to take care of a Russian hamster. The first thing you should know is that taking care of a Russian hamster is very simple. As with all hamster species, we are dealing with very calm and very sociable animals and, without a doubt, you will be happy to know that Russian hamsters are the most docile variety of these animals.
Russian hamsters are a perfect pet as they require very little care. However, this fact should not lead you to think that you can completely disregard their care since they require minimal care that you must ensure you comply with. Therefore they are a perfect pet for the smallest of the house because little by little it allows them to take on responsibilities and learn to take care of other living beings. If you want to know more about how to care for a Russian hamster, pay close attention to what follows.
What do you need to take care of a Russian hamster?
- To Russian hamster
- To cage
- Hamster food
- Toilet
Instructions for caring for a Russian hamster
- The first thing you should do once you have acquired your hamster is to buy a cage and condition it. The cage should be clean and large enough for the hamster to move freely. This aspect should not worry you since these pets have a very small size, a cage large enough for them will not take up much space in your home.
- Place the cage in a well-ventilated place with some light, but make sure that the cage does not receive direct light since, in this way; the hamsters could suffer from sunstroke.
- Clean the cage very well every week. Hamsters are very clean animals and they need their cage to be very clean. To do this, use soap and water since a disinfectant of another type could be harmful to the health of your pets. As soon as the cage is dry, introduce enough sawdust inside.
- Remember that they are nocturnal animals. For this reason they will be asleep most of the day and very active at night. You should not disturb him during the day as doing so will disturb his sleeping patterns.
- As for food, you should feed it with specific food for hamsters. You can find it at any pet store so you shouldn’t worry. It is also convenient that a couple of times a week you feed it with some fruit and vegetables. You must make sure that you give them very small amounts of these foods. Russian hamsters love fruit but you must make sure to give them a small amount as they could otherwise develop diabetes.
- Remember that hamsters need a lot of water. Make sure that the water tank has enough reserves and change it every day so that your hamsters have fresh water every day.
- Play with them. Russian hamsters are very social and friendly animals. However, you should make sure to play with them during the afternoon or at night. Don’t wake them up to play with you.
- Take it to the vet regularly to ensure that your pet’s health is optimal.
Tips for caring for a Russian hamster
- If you want to have two pets and do not want more, it is recommended that you acquire two Russian hamsters of the same sex. If you acquire a male and a female, the most normal thing is that they end up breeding and since the gestation period is very fast (barely two weeks) and the female is in heat every few days, it is very likely that your family of hamsters will grow very quickly and without any kind of control.
- If you have children at home you can allow them to take the hamster out of its cage without problems. They are very affectionate, sociable and very docile animals, so you should not fear that they may harm them. However, you should supervise all their games since the small size of the hamster can cause them to get lost or hurt, something that we must try to avoid at all costs.
