Buying a Hamster

Decision on buying a hamster should not be taken lightly. It should not be due to nurturing of some kind of whim prompting you to keep a pet. Hamsters are very delicate animals and should be taken proper care to maintain good health. Before buying a hamster make sure of the fact that you are committed to devote considerable amount of time to look after it throughout its life time. The following are some tips that you may take up for buying a healthy breed of the animal.

Buying a Hamster Tips

• While buying a hamster, make sure that the hamster you are buying is healthy. Before picking up a hamster keep a watch on all the hamsters. Select the one whose coat color appeals to you most. Do not buy the one that would try to bite you. The hamsters must be of good size and shape.

  1. The baby hamsters should not be too fat or thin.
  2. Purchase a hamster which has all its limbs. Hamsters with defective or no limbs must be not bought.
  3. The eyes should be clear and bright. Do not buy the hamster which is clouded or is moving frequently.
  4. Keep a note on whether the hamster can hear or not. Buy a hamster which has clean ears and responds to sound.
  5. The nose must not show up with discharges. Do not decide on buying a hamster that has running nose.
  6. You should also learn to groom your pet hamster well. You are required to comb them properly and must see that all the hairs including those below the tail are dry.

• If buying from a breeder make a point of having a look at the mother. Find whether the mother is of good health or not.

• Hamsters kept in groups often die fighting. Try to introduce one cage for a single hamster. Not all species of hamsters prefer to stay in groups. But you may keep the dwarf breed of hamsters together. But even while keeping two dwarf hamsters together make sure that the hamsters are from the same litter.

• You are recommended not to keep hamsters as pet for breeding. They become sexually matured at the age of two weeks. Keep males and females separately.

• Hamsters live up to the age of 2 to 3 years. So, to enjoy a longer companionship with your pet you are advised to buy them young. A young hamster is easier to tame than an old one.

• Though a hamster does not cost much but you have to spend a good amount of money for maintaining them. You have to arrange a separate cage for each hamster if the number of pets is more than one. You would have to keep bedding and food provisions. To keep your hamster clean make sure you wash the cage of your hamster on a regular basis.

• You should arrange for the location of the cage which would be far from the reach of cats and dogs. The hamsters are natural preys for predators.

• Many of your family members can have allergies because of the fur of the hamsters. So, while dealing with the hamsters it is recommended that you should be using gloves. In that case you may go for buying a hamster having short fur.

• There are varieties of breeds of hamsters. Buy the one which will suite you. Hamsters belonging to the breeds like Russian Campbell and dwarf hamsters are very agile and gay. It would be a great fun to watch them.

Hamsters are nocturnal animals and should not be disturbed in the day if they seem to be asleep. Children handling hamsters must be carried out under an adult’s supervision.