Gerbils & Hamsters/My first hamster

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Expert: Heather S - 8/30/2009


Question

Kojak
Dear Heather,
This might not be the most important question on your list, but I just have a few things to ask about my first hamster. I've had 8 roborovski's and 8 gerbils in the last two years, and they've all been hyperactive and jumpy. I thought I could try something new and get a proper hamster. He was the only teddy bear in the shop, and is a mixture of orange-brown and white. His name is Kojak.
Despite what the pet shop said I took him out a lot last night, and even though he's qutie big only a small percentage of his size is actual hamster, the rest is fur.
1. How big do Teddy Bear's grow? Kojak is only just small enough to fit on one hand and he's between 8 and 12 weeks old.
2. Can you stop them from chewing the bars? I'm sure it's bad for his teeth, but he won't stop chewing.
3. Do I just wake him up when I want to play? I know he's nocturnal but I don't want to prod him to get him up in the day. Is there a nicer way of coaxing him out of his nest?
4. What do I have to look out for? What does Wet Tail look like and how is it caused?
5. How long might he live? I know this is quite a tender question to ask, and I know syrian's aren't famous for their lifespan, but if he really gets to be the size of the ones I saw on YouTube then it must take him more than a year to get there.

Thanks,
Becky
Ps: Yes, I will rate you afterwards.

Answer
1. Syrians will usually grow to be 6 inches long at least, and the girth depends on gender. Females tend to be bulkier then males overall, and long hair hamsters will look much thicker then a short hair. He should be fully grown and mature by 6 months of age.

2. Bar chewing is a common complaint with people who choose a bar cage instead of my recommendation, a glass aquarium. You can try giving him lots of other chew options inside his cage like hard food treats (vitakraft raviolos) or wooden toys that are made for hamsters to gnaw on safely. There's no guarantee he'll choose those over the bars. Some people use flavor deterrents that are meant for dogs and cats, but because they aren't meant for hamsters I don't recommend their use. Even citrus like lemon is not good for hamsters, but as a last resort if nothing else works and you can't switch to an aquarium, try rubbing a lemon wedge on the inside of the bars. Other then that it's just one of the many annoyances that can come with having a pet hamster.

3. Never, ever wake a sleeping hamster. Even though they are nocturnal and are sleeping during our day, we need to respect them and their quiet time. A hamster that's woken up will be more likely to bite, and become resentful of the hand that bothers it. How would you feel if someone gets you to wake up when you're sleeping and takes you from your bed, probably wouldn't like it too much right? I know it sounds harsh but unless the hamster is walking around and awake, it's not play time. You'll either have to catch it when it's up to use the bathroom or get a drink, or wait until it wakes up at night. If you keep it in a guest room where it doesn't get much noise or indoor light, usually as soon as you walk in the room and turn the lights on the hamster might get up. Also a hamster kept in this way will usually wake up earlier in the evening then a hamster kept in a noisy well lit bedroom.

4. Wet tail is caused by stress and overfeeding fresh foods that contain a lot of water. It might be temping to give a hamster a whole strawberry or a big leaf of lettuce, but you have to portion your treats to the hamster's size to keep it from getting sick. Don't give fresh food treats more then a few times a week, and keep them small and you should avoid wet tail no problem. It usually presents itself as a very moist underside, like the hamster is covered in pee constantly, or the bottom is covered in soft diarrhea. Without either of those it's not wet tail. As for other illnesses I can't really advise since all of my hamsters have been healthy, I've never had one with cancer or a broken limb. I would just watch out for unusual lumps or lesions.

5. Most hamsters will live to be at least 2-3 years old. Any younger and it likely didn't die of old age. I've personally never had a hamster live past 3 with the best care, but it's not to say it can't happen if you get the right hamster with all the right genetics.

Hope this helps!
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 9Clarity of Response = 9Politeness = 9
    CommentVery informative and quick.


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Heather S

Expertise

***PLEASE READ EVERYTHING BEFORE ASKING, IT WILL SAVE US BOTH TIME AND FRUSTRATION***

NO, NONE, ZERO, ABSOLUTELY ***NO DWARF OR GERBIL QUESTIONS*** I REPEAT NOOOO DWARF OR GERBIL QUESTIONS!I CAN'T answer them, even if I'm the only expert available. I specialize in SYRIAN HAMSTERS ONLY like black bears, goldens, teddies, and more. I'm an experienced breeder and raised hamsters for the past 10 years. I can help with how to buy your first, how to house and care for your hamster, nutrition, showing, and other general questions. I can help with most behavioral problems too. I am the longest running hamster expert on this page, since 2001.
***I WILL NOT answer questions regarding:

No Gerbil questions

No Dwarf hamster questions(Robo and Russian are dwarfs!!)

No Taming questions (too lengthy, too many excellent sites to consult first)

No Illness, Cause Of Death, or "My hamster is dying please help me" I can't fix your hamster. If your hamster has a broken leg PLEASE TAKE IT TO A VET don't bother asking a question to anyone because we obviously can't repair it, we don't like the animals to suffer. If you can't take the time to read this then I don't take the time to read your question and may write you a rude response because your too impatient to read!***

Experience

I have worked with hamsters all my life.

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