The Golden Hamster has the habit of storing food and hibernating. Hibernation usually occurs in the wild, while artificial breeding in warm rooms does not require hibernation. Golden Hamsters are currently mainly distributed in northern China, northwest China, and northeastern China. The fur quality is good and beautiful.
Chinese name: Golden Hamster
Alias: Five-eyebrow Hamster, Huangli stick, Spotted squirrel, Chipmunk
Kingdom: Animalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Native to: Northeast Asia, Hokkaido
Diet: Mostly herbivorous
Lifespan: 4-6 years
Body length: 14-16cm
Tail length: 13cm
The Golden Hamster is a type of squirrel, so don't mistake it for a mouse. Before keeping Golden Hamsters, we need to arrange their living environment. There is a significant difference in size between squirrels and mice, and the size of the cage is the key equipment for keeping Golden Hamsters. Below, let me describe in detail the arrangement of the living environment for Golden Hamsters.
Prepare a taller cage, preferably with a height of over 60cm. Try to choose a metal cage with gaps less than 1.2cm. Some Golden Hamsters can forcefully escape and injure themselves from cages with gaps larger than 1.2cm. Wooden or bamboo bird cages are easily gnawed through by Golden Hamsters, allowing them to escape. Avoid selecting cages with a grid-like bottom, as it can trap the hamster's feet and even break them. Some Golden Hamsters with impatient and timid personalities may even bite off their trapped foot in panic. In order to prevent insufficient exercise, you can prepare pedal boards, platforms, and jumping sticks in the cage for squirrels to play and exercise. As for swings and exercise wheels, not every Golden Hamster likes to use them, so they can be equipped as needed. If using an exercise wheel, it is recommended to use a plastic silent wheel to prevent tail injury.
Before early June, squirrels that are less than two months old need to be kept warm at night, especially in the northern regions where temperatures can get low. They should be provided with extra bedding at night, and the bedding should be changed in the morning. Ventilation should be ensured during the day. After the end of June, attention should be paid to preventing heatstroke and cooling down during the day, as heatstroke caused by high temperatures is also fatal to squirrels. Measures can be taken such as maintaining indoor air circulation, placing a few bottles of cold water in the cage during the day, and placing a piece of ceramic tile for the squirrel to lie on and cool down when it feels too hot. These measures can prevent heatstroke caused by high temperatures.
The exercise wheel is used for the hamster to exercise and play. There are standalone exercise wheels available on the market, as well as ones that come with cages. If purchasing a standalone wheel, be sure not to buy one with wire, as the feet of Golden Hamsters are susceptible to sprains.
The food bowl doesn't necessarily have to be specifically for Golden Hamsters. You can also use small dishes for humans. Just be careful not to tip them over. There have been cases where food bowls have tipped over and crushed young or nursing hamsters.
Squirrel lovers are recommended to keep golden hamsters. Golden hamsters are very sensitive to the smell of their surroundings, so it is best to frequently change their bedding to prevent them from feeling uncomfortable. However, when changing the bedding, be careful as the hamsters may escape. If they do escape, immediately grab their tails. However, hamster tails break easily and will not grow back once broken. Golden hamsters should be kept clean, but bathing is not necessary. Golden hamsters are clean animals and will self-clean most of the time. If you want to bathe a golden hamster, make sure you have a very strong bond of trust with them, and they will not try to escape when held in your hands. Otherwise, do not bathe a golden hamster. Golden hamsters are very afraid of water. Even if they are accustomed to being kept as pets, bathing can easily startle them and cause trust issues.
1. Tooth Overgrowth
The habit of consuming soft food for a long time prevents the teeth from being properly worn down, resulting in overgrowth. Excessive growth of teeth can harm the interior of the mouth and affect food intake. It can also cause gum decay, sinusitis, and other symptoms. This can lead to loose and falling teeth. Once the teeth on one side fall out, the teeth on the other side will also require regular trimming surgery due to the lack of normal wear. Early diagnosis can lead to early treatment.
2. Injuries Caused by Fighting
Squirrels have the habit of attacking weaker members of the group. Squirrels that appear healthy but are already seriously ill will be attacked by healthy squirrels. If these squirrels that were attacked and died are dissected, it will be found that they were already suffering from a serious illness. Additionally, weak squirrels are also easily targeted for attacks. When squirrels are found fighting, each squirrel should be separated in cages. Injured areas should be treated with antibiotics to prevent infection. For larger wounds, surgery may be required for suturing. Due to the possibility of cannibalism, weak squirrels should be isolated as early as possible.
3. Pneumonia
Squirrels are prone to pneumonia when subjected to excessive stress, excessive humidity, and poor air circulation. Symptoms such as cough, loss of appetite, and lethargy appear, followed by death. Common colds in humans can also be transmitted to squirrels, so special attention should be paid. Treatment with antibiotics is recommended.
4. Hypocalcemia
Female squirrels before and after giving birth are prone to this disease. It causes symptoms such as spasms, paralysis, and motor disorders due to a decrease in calcium concentration in the blood. Without timely calcium injections, there is a risk of death. Calcium supplements should be added to the diet of pregnant and nursing female squirrels as a preventive measure. Sunbathing is also important.
5. Rickets
Squirrels, like humans, can suffer from rickets. In addition to regularly supplementing calcium and active vitamin D, sunlight exposure is also essential. Artificial sun lamps work well, but improper ultraviolet wavelengths can cause serious burns, so it is best to consult a hospital before use.
6. Urethritis
Urethritis occurs when the urethra is infected by bacteria. Male squirrels may experience difficulty urinating due to swelling of the penis. The pain during urination can cause them to make painful cries. If these symptoms are observed, a urine examination should be conducted immediately, and appropriate antibiotic treatment should be administered.
7. Fractures
Squirrels may suffer fractures from improper jumps while playing indoors. Simple fractures can heal without surgery as long as the instructions from the hospital are followed. Squirrels do not tolerate anesthesia well, so surgery should be avoided if possible. However, if the spinal bones are affected, the prognosis may not be favorable.
If you want to raise a healthy and long-lived golden hamster, it is not only about providing them with a comfortable nest, but also about their diet. Many owners like to feed them human food to express their love for golden hamsters. Is this kind of feeding advisable? Below are some detailed explanations about feeding points for golden hamsters.
1. Main food
Golden hamsters are omnivorous animals and can eat almost anything, but their main food is various nuts.
2. Water
Golden hamsters can live without drinking water, but if they do drink, remember to use boiled water! It must be absolutely clean. Some owners feed them vegetables and fruits to obtain moisture! Because they are very small, a little bit of water is enough! They love to eat greens, so remember to wash the greens thoroughly and dry them in the wind. Baby bok choy and cabbage are also fine! But remember to wash them properly! Tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, and oranges can also be given to them.
3. About sunflower seeds
There are various types of seeds, such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and watermelon seeds, which golden hamsters love to eat.
Golden hamsters really like sunflower seeds, but sunflower seeds have a high fat content. Eating too many sunflower seeds can cause problems such as obesity, picky eating, and malnutrition. Therefore, sunflower seeds should only be given as snacks or non-essential items to enhance bonding. Do not feed too many, at most one or two seeds per meal. However, during winter, you can give them more to increase their calorie intake and help them survive the cold.
4. Foods that should not be eaten
Although golden hamsters are omnivorous animals, there are still things they cannot eat. Eating them can cause mild diarrhea or even death. Please be careful!!
1. Spicy foods
Such as chili peppers, green peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, and chives.
2. Peach, plum, apple cores, etc.
It is said that eating these can cause the heartbeat of golden hamsters to increase and may lead to symptoms like shock. The detailed reasons are not very clear, but it is better to believe they exist and be cautious. The above mentioned foods have a high potassium ion content, which can easily lead to rapid heartbeat and death if the hamsters eat too much.
3. Human food
Human food that has been cooked is oily and salty, which is harmful to the health of golden hamsters, especially meat dishes or other oily snacks. Avoid feeding them to golden hamsters!!
1. Fill a half pot of warm water, around 30-40 degrees. For the first bath, don't use shower gel, let the hamster get used to the feeling of being wet. In the future, it is recommended to use Johnson's baby bath series (HP neutral, non-irritating to the eyes) or other pet bathing products.
2. Put the Golden Hamster in a wire cage (pay attention to the water level, it should only cover half of the cage) and directly put it in the basin. Let it play around in the water (soak the pigsty). At this time, observe the hamster's reaction. If the hamster is not afraid of water, you can discard the cage. Hold the hamster with your left hand, partially immersed in the water, and use your right hand to massage and scratch it. 5 minutes is enough.
3. After the bath, gently remove the water from the hamster's body and tail. Then wrap the hamster in a towel and wipe it. Some hamsters may be more active and will run to their owners to rub off the water by themselves. In this case, either immediately grab them back or wait until they are done before changing clothes...
4. When the hamster is almost dry and no longer dripping, put it back in the small cage with a small towel underneath and place it in the sun for the hamster to tidy itself up (I personally do not recommend using a hairdryer, as the sound is too loud and may scare them). Pay attention to securing the door of the wire cage...
5. The hamster will continue to groom itself until its fur is dry, and then it can be let out of the cage.
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