Honey love

Laura Harrison of Rubery introduces her hamster.

Hi, my name’s Laura, I’m 17 years old and I have a pet Syrian hamster called Honey. I’ve had her for about six months. She’s the third hamster I’ve had, after still having no luck in getting a pet dog as my mom can’t afford it.

“A hamster is it, I’m afraid!” she said to me. I was excited because I couldn’t wait for another little animal to come into our home.

As I peered into the glass cages at the pet shop, lots of little furry faces with sniffling noses peered up at me, blinking slowly trying to wake up. I found it cute. Suddenly, a tiny little shiny golden face emerged and pushed its way out of the bedding. The second I saw her I fell in love with her little face.

After trying to make the ride home as smooth as possible, I set up her cage with everything she’d need, and after a few days she seemed to settle in, just like all my other hamsters had.

It took a few days for her to become less jumpy, and as the weeks went on she’d climb over my hands – she still is an inquisitive little creature, often getting herself into awkward situations and precarious places in her cage, hanging off the bars on the roof, or sitting on top of her wheel.

She loves fresh fruit and veg such as apples, grapes and especially sweet corn. I have to watch out though, as hamsters are hoarders and will keep food in their nests hidden away for long periods of time, so I have to check regularly to make sure the food hasn’t gone off and will make her ill.

When I first had her I would gently handle her every day to get her familiar with being stroked or gently picked up. She is very tame now and happy to be picked up, stroked or to walk over my hands, from one hand to the other! She has a hamster ball which lets her exercise safely outside her cage.

Hamsters are great pets – they need food (I buy hamster food from the pet shop) fresh veggies, fresh water and to be cleaned out once a week. Honey’s cage has a comfy layer of wood shavings and some fluffy material which she makes her nest out of.

I love my hamster; she’s so adorable to watch and play with, and she’s the ideal pet as she is asleep and doesn’t need care when I’m at college, and comes out at night when I’m back home. She is an inexpensive pet, clean and easy to care for.

She must be kept on her own as her breed will fight if put with other hamsters. Syrian hamsters have a life expectancy of two years and I think they are wonderful pets.

Jessica Russell of Townsend Vets offers some hamster tips:

Hamsters are usually very good first pets for children. The life expectancy of a hamster is anywhere between one and three years.

They become mature at six weeks old so it is important to separate males and females after this age to avoid unwanted pups. If your female hamster does have a litter, it is very important not to disturb or handle the pups until they are at least five days old as the female may become stressed and sometimes will eat the young to protect them.

It is best to keep your hamster in a secure cage, such as an aquarium with a mesh lid, a plastic cage with connecting tunnels or a conventional hamster cage (wire with plastic base). They should be provided with a nest box with plenty of hay or paper to use as bedding, and the cage should have a deep layer of wood shavings.

Hamsters have large cheek pouches, used to store and conceal food. They are omnivores, but it is best to feed them on a commercial hamster mix from a pet shop, supplemented with fruit, vegetables and nuts. Fresh water should always be provided, usually from a water bottle with a sipper tube.

Hamsters should be handled carefully and calmly, lifted in the palm of cupped hands and not startled, or they may become scared and bite.

Hamsters are nocturnal by nature but can be habituated to wake during the day, and can be placed in an exercise ball to explore safely. It is important to ensure the lid is fitted correctly and that the hamster is supervised at all times; it should be allowed to roam away from other pets and stairs.

Common problems that hamsters experience include: dental disease, diarrhoea, fur loss, respiratory infection (coughing, sneezing or discharge from the eyes and nose), and hormonal disorders (starting to drink a lot more or urinate more).

If your hamster starts to show any of these symptoms then it is important to take them to your vet.

Townsend Veterinary Practice
168 Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove,
B61 0HB Tel: 01527 831616

95 New Road, Rubery, B45 9JR
Tel: 0121 453 5828
https://www.townsendveterinarypractice.co.uk 
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