You’ve finally made the plunge! You have got yourself your dream pet, the cute and furry little hamster.

You stood at that pet shop for ages convincing everyone around you, that the adorable creature staring at you from behind the cage was the perfect pet for you. That cage has finally made itself to your home. You wake up everyday with it next to you in the cage and bid it goodnight before you go to sleep, wishing it dreams of hamster heaven. In fact you have already named that furry creature and he is one of your best buds.

Once the excitement sets in, it is only natural to go overboard with feeding them titbits of everything you eat and cuddling them close. While the latter is not exactly harmful, the former is quite dangerous for your friend, as hamsters tend to have sensitive stomachs.

So, what should you feed your hamster? Definitely not that Mars bar that you love, or that delicious chocolate pudding that everyone must simply taste. Some might be even wondering if they are feeding their treasured pet the right thing. Not to worry, here are a few dietary specifications that could help your hamster lead a healthy life.

Water

Water is really important, so make sure your pet hamster always has a supply of clean water to drink. The best choice would be to get a water bottle attached to the cage for your hamster. The bottle should typically require very little suction so that your pet hamster can drink water with ease. If it isn’t possible, just place the water in a wide bowl which is easily accessible to it. Remember, they don’t possess the dexterous hands that we humans have. Make sure that you regularly replenish the bottle or bowl with clean water so that your hamster never goes thirsty. It would be advisable to wash the bottle at least once a week to ensure that dirt does not accumulate.

Food

When in the wild, hamsters are great burrowers and forage for seeds, fruits and nuts and store it underground to munch on. A very peculiar feature of hamsters is their cheek pouches. Hamsters have cheek pouches in which they store the food they forage for. In fact, when these cheeks are full, the size of its head can even become twice its original size. So don’t be surprised if you find your hamsters cheeks bulging or that the food that you placed has vanished into thin air!

So what exactly should you feed your pet hamster once you have brought it home?

There are many commercial feeds and pellets available a pet stores, produced having these dietary restrictions in mind. It is a safe option to grab these from a nearby pet store so that your pet gets the necessary nourishment it requires. Ensure that the commercial feed is suitable for your hamster breed. A tablespoon of commercial feed a day would be sufficient for your pet hamster.

Treats

It is just natural to want to treat your pet hamster and you will find a large variety of very attractive treats for your hamster in a local pet store. Anyone would like a little variety in their meals and so would your pet hamster. Treats would typically be fruits and nuts and even seed mixes. Moreover treats would be an excellent way to entice your pet hamster if it is a poor eater.

You don’t necessary have to buy the treats for your pet hamster. Apart from the commercial treats, you could feed your hamster a few fruits and vegetables. Some good fruits for the hamster would include apples, pears, bananas. Carrot, cauliflower, lettuce and broccoli would be vegetables that it would enjoy munching.

Feeding your hamster small quantity of your leftovers isn’t a bad idea too, but make sure it isn’t too spicy that it would cause digestive trouble to it. Some leftovers which your hamster would love are bread, eggs (hard-boiled or scrambled), boiled rice, tomatoes, yoghurt, peanuts and even cottage cheese! Just make sure that you don’t feed too much of these treats. It is entirely possible for your hamster to become obese if it overeats, and no one likes a hamster that finds it difficult to lift itself up.

There are a few treats that should be avoided at all costs when feeding your hamster! Sticky treats, junk food, chocolate, garlic and onion are unhealthy and not suitable for your furry pal. In fact sticky food could get caught in your hamster’s cheek pouch and could cause quite a lot of harm. Sugar based treats are a no-no as hamsters are susceptible to diabetes.

There will be an urge that most pet owners tend to have, to feed your pet just that little bit extra in your enthusiasm to make it happy. However much you want to do it, resist the temptation! Hamsters are prone to diarrhoea if fed too much and you definitely don’t want to see your pet suffer and cleaning the mess could be quite a smelly ordeal.

A good balanced vegetarian diet will ensure that your hamster stays fit as a fiddle.

Now that you know what to feed your pet and how to take care of it, you and your hamster are going to have a wonderful and healthy time together as best pals.

And remember; don’t feed your hamster any ham!

The post Don’t Feed your Hamster any Ham appeared first on Pet Attack.

Small rodents are adorable but selecting one of them can be tricky. They are considered to be as favourites by the familes. Different rodents have varied requirements for social interaction, time and space. I am telling you about the most common rodents that are kept in households and afterwards, you can decide if one if these adorable creatures is the right companion for you.
1. HAMSTERS :- 

They are cute creatures having an average life – span of 2-3 years. Usually, the adult hamsters are 6 inches tall and their cages should be 12 inches tall ( 12 x 18 ) which is twice the size of hamsters. They are very active and loves to exercise so if you are going to get one, then make sure to buy a wheel for running too.
If they are not handled carefully, then it can become defensive and might bite too, so be careful before giving it to younger children. Children of under 8 years of age should not allowed to handle this pet and children over 8 years of age must always be supervised by adults.
2. GERBILS :-

The average life – span of gerbils are 2 – 3 years. Their body length is about four inches and a furry tail which is as long as the length of their body. They are very engrossing creatures and fitted for mostly all the families. They rarely bite so you need not to worry about your children but do not leave them alone with it in order to be safe. Sometimes, gerbils are mistaken for rats or mice but they actually behave and look different from them. You can provide a lot of things for climbing such as wood pieces, ladders or platforms. You van actually be entertained by watching them play. They should not be kept alone in the cage, you can put another gerbil in the cage of the same sex. They starts breeding from three months of age and can produce 5 – 10 babies in every 24 days so its better if you keep the same sex of gerbils in the cage.

3. GUINEA PIGS :-

Their average life – span is usually five to seven years. These are the perfect starter for those older kids who knows enough proper handling techniques of pet as they rarely bite. They are very social animals and if you put another guinea pigs, they might become great friends and will play, from which you can be entertained. However keeping the same sex of guinea pigs together is not recommended. Try to buy a bigger cage for it, but not too big. Also keep away the cage from hot temperatures, otherwise it can cause a heatstroke. If you think he is sick, immediately take him to the vet, symptoms can include – sneezing, coughing, diarrhea, or inactive.
4. MICE :-

These creatures live on an average of one to two years. Most of the people thinks that mice are very ordinary creatures, I guess they have never seen mice playing as they are very playful and curious creatures and you can be relaxed by watching them play.
They are independent creatures and do not need you to entertain themselves but they can entertain you very well! But they DO need your affection and love. If you have a younger child then do not let him to handle mouse without your supervision. Mice love to explore everything around their surroundings instead of just sitting on the lap.
5. RATS :-

They are very affectionate, clean and intelligent animals, they can easily bond with human – beings almost in the same way that dogs do. Children, too can play with rats but under adult supervision but children must be taught how to handle animals as they are not toys and must be treated with respect.
You can get a wire cage for them as it suited besr for them because they enjoy climbing and the wire cage is ventilated enough.
6. CHINCHILLAS :-

They are very attractive rodents and their body length is generally about ten inches with a long five – inches tail. They can make wonderful pets for people who knows how to handle these creatures properly. They can bite if they feel threatened or scared. They do not like noise around their surroundings and can be stressed by too much of noise so you should keep the noise volume minimum as much as possible. Their cages should be large enough as they enjoys running and playing.

Owning and caring of a rodent can be of great fun but it is a big commitment and respondibility in terms of finances, care, affection and time. Before buying rats, ask yourself whether you can care for them properly for probably more than two years or not. They are not like toys, you have to handle them carefully, also do not let your children to handle them without your supervision, If you are ready for caring and handling properly these creatures then go for it!

The post List of Rodents that Make Good Pets! appeared first on Pet Attack.