Buy Baby Hamster
A routine inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed that one PetSmart supplier reportedly allowed severely stressed hamsters to eat one another and left the remains of the deceased animals in cages.
buy baby hamster
Bedding depth should be between 8 and 12 inches. Hamsters will naturally urinate and defecate in a specific spot, and that area should be cleaned weekly. All the bedding should be replaced every six months or so, but a handful of used bedding should be retained to help the hamster feel secure.
Hamsters are crepuscular, meaning that they are active at dusk and dawn, spending daylight hours and nighttime in their nest. This can be frustrating for a guardian who wants to play with their companion during daytime hours. Waking a sleeping hamster can be stressful for them and can prompt them to act nervously or aggressively. There are valid reasons to wake a sleeping hamster, just as there are reasons to wake a sleeping human, such as to administer medicine or alter something potentially hazardous in their environment. Just wake them with care and caution!
And did you know that you can also adopt homeless hamsters from your local animal shelter? Many shelters and rescue groups have a wide variety of animals besides dogs and cats, including small pets like hamsters.
They may be easier to find than you might think. Many hamster breeders belong to local or regional clubs (or to less formal groups) with members that breed and show hamsters in a particular geographic area.
Start with small, independent pet stores in your area. They are more likely to buy their hamsters from local breeders that they know and trust. Some pet shop owners are also hobbyist breeders themselves.
Other signs of reputable hamster breeders are their knowledge about the specific types of hamsters they breed and their willingness to answer any of your questions. A good hamster breeder will also be a part of hamster clubs or associations, such as the National Hamster Council or California Hamster Association.
Hubba Hubba Hamstery is a small business located in Oregon with a mission to provide ethical alternatives to pet store hamsters. Interested customers have to go through an application process and pass the application in order to purchase a hamster.
This small business in Santa Cruz, California sells hamsters, rats, and chinchillas. The owner, Diane Kipnis, is a USDA Licensed Class A Breeder. She used to sell her small rodents to a large pet store chain until the chain ended its partnership to work with bigger vendors instead.
Today, we are a small hamstery giving adopters an ethical alternative to pet store hamsters which are sourced through rodent mills. We aim to give hamster parents the most accurate and up-to-date information to properly care for their furry friends. We breed healthy Syrian hamsters with excellent temperament and show-standard appearance.
Our hamsters have been regularly handled and go home litter box trained, with a pedigree certificate, life-long support and a gift bag of items we feel will help with the transition. As there are no other ethical hamster breeders in the Northwest, our foundation hamsters have been individually chosen from the best breeders around the world, then flown in to add to our bloodlines. We are incredibly grateful to be getting mentorship from Cheeks and Squeaks Hamsters and Strong Brew Hamstery.
A dwarf hamster is a group of several subspecies, specifically dealing with hamsters that are smaller than four inches long. They often have a lifespan of two to three years, though some live less than this. They are incredibly smart, and some subspecies hibernate through the winter months underground. If you want to take a little extra time with this furry pet, you may even learn how to train them to do different tricks.
The dwarf hamster is named for its incredibly small size, though their overall appearance changes from one species to the next. They typically only grow to be two to four inches long, but the smallest of them all is the Roborovski dwarf hamster (or the robo dwarf hamster) at just 1.5 to two inches long. The largest subspecies is the Chinese dwarf hamster at four inches long, though he is technically not considered a true dwarf because he can grow larger.
Other than times of mating, dwarf hamsters are rather solitary creatures. They go long and far to find their resources, and they protect it at all costs from other rodents in the area. They are quite shy unless they are regularly exposed to human contact.
Dwarf hamsters can be purchased as pets throughout the United States, but they exist naturally in the wild in Greece, Romania, Belgium, and northern regions in China. While they prefer to be in areas that are 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, they can go a little higher or lower without much issue.
When temperatures get colder, Roborovski dwarf hamsters often stay in their underground habitat as part of hibernation. They stockpile food in warmer months to prepare for this hibernation period. Russian dwarf hamsters and other types of dwarf hamsters are more accustomed to cold weather, so hibernation is unnecessary.
The typical diet of a dwarf hamster will largely consist of grains and pellets, which can be easily found in pet stores and grocery stores. It is safe to give them other nutrients like vegetables, fruits, grass hay, and grains, but the food offered in these pet stores is often all they need to be healthy.
Though the diet of a pet dwarf hamster primarily consists of pellets, seeds, and a few assorted vegetables, these animals may seek out insects in the wild. The eating habits are greatly varied because these hamsters have to be territorial to survive. However, avoid exposing your hamster to chocolate or caffeine as these substances are highly toxic.
Due to the frequent sale of dwarf hamsters as pets, experts believe that the total population is at least 57 million. Of that 57 million hamsters, approximately 11 million are kept as pets. The IUCN considers the dwarf hamsters to generally be of least concern.
Initially, these types of hamsters are rather shy, which means that you will have to learn how to train them to get used to handling. Experts recommend spending about 5 minutes a few times a day to hold the hamster until he acclimates to this activity. Over time, regular handling leads to a tamer and easier to hold pet.
Most hamster food from pet stores consists of seeds, dried fruits, and pellets. They also need constant access to clean water each day within a bowl or bottle. Though you can include vegetables, fruits, and grass hay, these additions are only needed in moderation.
Apart from the fact that they are both hamsters, spotting the differences between the two breeds is relatively easy. Both can have long or short-haired coats, which come in various colorations and markings.
Most Big chain pet stores sadly use something called a Rodent Mill. Rodent Mills are big warehouses that breed hamsters, gerbils, mice, rats and other rodents with very little care. The females will be bread to death, these places will contain the rodents in small, crowded and dirty boxes. The rodents will then start to become stressed due to the small crowded enclosures and this can possibly trigger health conditions alongside the poor breeding and genetics.
Sadly, some of the new baby hamsters may not make it to the pet store. There have been reports of hamsters and animals having conditions such as wet tail, skin conditions, neurological problems, brachycephalic and hydrocephalus. A Brachycephalic / hydrocephalus hamster could have various genetic problems, they can have a short squished-in face and brittle teeth and they would then need a special mushy diet. Some may have water on the brain that can cause a lot more problems.
In the video below Munchie rescues hamsters with deformities that are sold in pet stores. In the below video you will see a Brachycephalic hamster with a squished face purchased from Petco. The hamster can be seen at Timestamp 8:27.
Winter White hamsters are peaceful pocket pets that are fairly easy to tame with enough patience. Like most small pets, you should expect your hamster to be shy at first but once they learn that they can trust you, they should become more sociable. Most hamster owners have reported less biting from the Winter White hamster compared to other types of hamsters.
Luckily, there are cages designed for hamsters like the Lixit Savic Hamster Heaven or the Prevue Small Animal Home that are the perfect size for a White Dwarf hamster with minimal spacing between bars.
Once per week, you need to replace soiled bedding and wipe down the entire cage and accessories with hot, soapy water while your hamster plays in a safe and secure spot. Ensure that any products you use are safe for use around animals and to rinse thoroughly to be on the safe side.
You can find high-quality hamster food locally at most major pet stores. Popular brands include Oxbow Animal Health Hamster and Gerbil Fortified Food, Kaytee Fiesta Hamster Food, and Sunseed Company Vitakraft Dwarf Hamster Formula.
Otherwise you can offer your White Dwarf hamster a variety of fresh vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts, and seeds. Some popular choices of safe food include cucumbers, broccoli, cashews, oats, boiled eggs, and cooked plain chicken. Fruit should be offered sparingly due to its high sugar content, but you can be sure that your hamster will love apples, bananas, and grapes.
Common ailments affecting hamsters can include respiratory infections, a bacterial infection called Wet Tail, abscesses, and skin issues like mites. Additionally, their small size and squirmy nature make them highly susceptible to injuries from falls and squabbles between cage mates.
Hamsters reproduce at an astonishing rate: They're capable of producing litters as frequently as monthly. Hamsters can breed at just 3 weeks of age, which means your knowledgeable action is necessary to separate pups from their mother and put them into gender-specific housing groups as soon as they are weaned. Failure to do this can result in lots of unwanted hamster babies in a couple fortnights. 041b061a72