I Love Hamster

The modern day pet hamster was first discovered in Syria in 1830. An Israeli Zoologist working in the Syrian desert brought the hamster back to his lab and was successful in breeding them. Later, in 1839 a British zoologist named George Waterhouse gave them their modern day name – the Golden Hamster. All common household pet hamsters are descendents of the Syrian desert hamsters.

Hamsters were shipped all over the world arriving in the United Kingdom in 1931 and later in the United States in 1938 for use in lab research. Hamsters are healthy, disease free animals and have the potential to have a new litter of babies nearly every month.

General Care Information

• Get the right equipment – cage, bedding, nesting materials, toys, water bottle, foood
• Provide a good variety of foods – in addition to hamster mix and hamster treats, provide fresh fruit and vegetables
• Clean their cages weekly
• Get regular checkups with the veterinarian
• Handle your hamster with care – wash your hands before and after handling your hamster

Handling your Hamster

Hamsters that are handled regularly, beginning when they are young, become docile friendly creatures. But beware, if a hamster feels he is being handled too rough, or if he is disturbed when resting or sleeping they can become aggressive. If the hamster becomes aggressive you can grab the hamster by the skin on the back of its neck to move it back to its cage. The next time you pick up your hamster you may want to try using gloves.

To pick up hamsters, follow these general guidelines:

• Cup your hands around the hamster and press your palms against it.
• To pick up on the back of the neck, cup your hand under the hamster’s rump and use your thumb and index and middle fingers to grab the loose skin on the neck.