Tameing a Hamster- A new pet

  While visiting one of my friends, my friend's brother showed me his hamster. He said I could hold it. it was hard to pick it up, and when I did, it squeaked, ran up my arm, jumped down, and ran. If the door to the bed room had not been closed, this could have ended in tragedy. But as it was we caught it fairly easily. This hamster was terrified.
   On craigslist I recently saw an add for a free hamster. The person giving it away claimed that it bit way too much to be held and now was "as much as I hate to do this" only suitable for snake food. This unfortunate hamster was agressive.
   If a hamster is terrified or "mean", it is not a very fun pet. It does not get exercise outside the cage and may not be given proper care. These hamsters are often given away.
  If you have a hamster like this, you may be surprised to hear that virtually all hamsters can become tame.
In this post I will write about how to tame a young hamster that you have just purchased.

1.    First of all, just totally leave the hamster alone for a few days. Do not try to pick it up, touch it, take it out of the cage, or lift up its "house".
2. Talk to your hamster and stick your hand in the cage. Do this every morning as soon as you can and also every evening before you go to bed for a few more days. DO NOT touch the hamster, but you can lift up the house.
3. Stick your hand palm up inside the cage with your hamster's favorite treat on your palm. Talk calmly to  your hamster. DO NOT wear gloves. You want the hamster to get used to your smell. Continue to do this until the hamster eats out of your hand.
4. When the hamster will eat out of your hand, begin petting it when it comes into your hand to get food. Again, don't wear gloves, and be very gentle.
5. When the hamster seems fairly calm when you pet it, you can pick it up. NEVER wear gloves or you will drop the hamster. Do not let it squirm out of your hand for at least 10 seconds. Every time you do this increase the time you hold it before setting it down and hand feed it treats. Hold your hands above the cage if your hamster squirms.
6. When you can hold your hamster for 1 minute with out it biting of squirming too much, you can let it run around in a safe room with the door shut, or place it in a ball.

Remember, the best time to hold your hamster is in the early morning and night. Do not wake up your hamster by picking it up or it will bite you. Do not drop the hamster if it bites.

In my next post I will tell you how to tame an aggressive hamster.

1. N

 

Most popular small animal names

Again, I don't know how old this list is, but the names still are popular.

1. Bandit
2. Gizmo
3. Thumper
4. Daisy
5. Smokey
6. Baby
7. Nibbles/ Nibbler
8. Oreo
9. Flower
10. Peanut 

And, yes, I'm none with "most popular pet names"!

What Small Animal Should You Get? Test

If you honestly answer these questions, you will know what rodent or other small mammal you should get. At the end of the test add up all the points to get your result.

1. How much time do you have for a pet per day? 
 A. 15-30 minutes (10 points)
 B. 30 minutes- 1 hour (20)
 C. Over 1 hour (30)


2. How much can you afford to spend on your pet when you get it?

 A. Under $30 (10)
 B. $30- $75  (20)
 C.  Over $75 (30)

3.  What size of a cage can you have?

A. Small enough to fit on a dresser or desk (15)
B. As big as it takes (30)


4. Will the pet live indoors?

A. Yes (15)
B. No (30)

5. How cuddly do you want your pet to be?

A. Cuddliness doesn't matter as long as it's tame enough to pick up (10)
B.  I want to be able to hold it easily (20)
C. I want it to big enough to sit in my lap for petting (30)


6. How will you exercise the pet?

A. Let it run around in a ball (10)
B. Let it run around free in a safe enclosed area (20)
C. Let it explore the house and/or fenced in yard or run or go for a walk on a leash (30)



If your score is under 80 get a.. hamster, gerbil, or mouse
If your score is between 80- 140 get a... rat, guinea pig, or dwarf rabbit
If your score is  over 140 get a... larger rabbit, ferret, or chinchilla
  



     

Exercize and Attention for Your Rodent, Rabbit, or Ferret.

Even though these animals may be rather small, they still need plenty of exercise! Since all of these animals are different, here are their basic requirements of time spent out of the cage.

Hamster, gerbil, mouse, rat: A half hour run outside the cage daily will be enough for these small creatures. Handle them every day or else they may lose their tameness. Be very careful not to let them escape! It is better to let them run in a ball around the house instead of letting them run free.

Guinea pig, rabbit: If possible, give a guinea pig or rabbit at least an hour of time outside of its cage. They love to be held and petted. They can go outside if the weather is right. They love to graze in a yard. Outdoors, a guinea pig or rabbit must be watched at all times, or else use a run. 

Chinchilla: At least half an hour of time outside of their cage. They also need attention and petting! They can only go outside in very mild weather.

Ferret: Ferrets should have an hour to run around each day, preferably more. They need lots of attention too. Never let a ferret outside of the house with out a leash on!

Hamsters

Hamsters are small, adorable, and cheap pets. Many people want a hamster after seeing just how cute they are.

This is a Syrian, or Golden hamster.

Hamsters can become rather tame, but if they are handled roughly they will bite. Of course, hamster bites aren't dangerous.

Hamsters, like all caged mammals, need regular time outside of their cage. Do not let a hamster run free in your house! They will get lost! Instead, put your hamster in a large plastic tub or a small pet playpen. Also, if you do not handle a tame hamster regularly, it will lose its tameness.

The most expensive item you'll buy when you get a hamster is its cage. This can be an aquarium (ten gallons for a Syrian or two dwarf hamsters) or a wire cage. They can also be kept in a plastic tub, if it has high enough sides. They really don't need too much space, though some people give them lots of cage space anyway.

This true hamster lover has some plastic and wire "Habitrail" cages as well as bin cages.

The most expensive part of hamster care is the bedding in its cage. If you want to save lots of money on hamster keeping, my blog has instructions for making your own small animal bedding. It looks like this:

Homemade paper bedding for your hamster!

Do not keep more that one Syrian hamster in one cage! They will fight to the death! Most of the time Dwarf hamsters can live together, with the notable exception of the Chinese Dwarf hamster.

If you go on vacation, regardless of what people on the Internet say, your hamster can be left alone for up to a week. My cousin's dwarf hamster did just fine home alone for a week.

If you are willing to dedicate the time to care for a hamster and give it regular exercise, (as well as making sure it cannot escape) you probably can keep a hamster. But especially young children should not keep hamsters, since they are likely to drop a hamster or let it escape.

Foster a Pet

Pet keeping can be expensive. Would you like to take a pet into your home - free? I have some questions and answers about fostering pets.

Where can I get pets to foster?  Animal shelters or Humane Societies will probably have pets to foster.

What pets can I foster? The animals that are usually fostered are dogs, cats, rodents, rabbits, ferrets, or birds.

You may be able to foster puppies to young to be adopted, like these puppies, along with the litter's mother.

What are some problems with fostering? Eventually you will have to give the pet to someone else. This can be sad, especially if you have had the animal for several months.You will probably also have to pay for some pet keeping costs.

What will the shelter pay for? The shelter will probably cover the following: food, vet bills, and litter (if needed.) If you go on vacation, you can often just return the animal to the shelter, saving you the cost of a pet sitter.

What will I pay for? You will probably have to pay for a cage or kennel, bed (for a dog or cat), and toys.

How can I foster a pet? Anywhere from days to months.Some animals never get adopted. Sometimes the shelter will take the animal back after a while, but you might be able to foster it again later. If someone decides to adopt the pet you are fostering, you will have to, of course, give it to them. then you can foster another pet!

Fostering a pet is a great idea. A house is a much better place for a pet then a shelter. (If you haven't already done so, check out my post A Trip to the Humane Society) I personally would like to foster small birds and small mammals.

Some Really Cute Pets!

Most people think that their pet is "Soooooo cute", but these animals are just unbelievably adorable!

About the Zookeeper

My name is...The Zookeeper.

I am 11 years old. I’ve loved animals all my life and I got my first pets when I was nine.

I do not have a dog or cat – yet - but I currently own three adorable animals: a budgie named Kiki and two baby turtles named Yertle and Myrtle. I also volunteer with cats at a rescue. I have kept numerous reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. I love to write and take pictures so I decided to write a blog all about animals!



I know a lot about animals from personal experience with my pets and with those belonging to others. I also read books and do research online.

On this blog you will find:

Videos about animals
Pictures of various animals
Informative articles
Tips for pet keepers
Money saving ideas
And more!

If you have pets (or love them) this is the perfect place to find out more about animals of all kinds!