About Syrian Hamsters

History

The Syrian hamster was first found in the Mount Aleppo area of Syria in 1839. In 1880 James Skene brought the first lot of live Syrians to the United Kingdom where he bred them. But they didn't attract much interest so eventually they all died. In 1930 a scientist went out to Syria looking for these hamsters, where he found a mother and her eleven pups. But they started to have problems, one pup was killed by the mother and some escaped which left them with the mother and just three pups. These hamsters were bred and some years later found their way to a London Zoo where they were bred and then made their way into the british pet market in the 1940's.

General Care

Syrian hamsters are good for young children or first time hamster owners. These type of hamsters are solitary and so shouldn't be caged with another syrian from seven weeks of age. Doing so can eventually lead to the hamsters fighting and either becoming seriously injured or the death of one or both hamsters. Syrians can come in a variety of different colours in either short or long-haired. Long-haired syrians may require a little extra help with grooming and you can do this by brushing your hamster with a soft toothbrush. Hamsters are nocturnal creatures meaning that they sleep all day and get up late at night. So they are ideal for people who are at school or work during the day.

A hamster cage should be cleaned weekly, if not this can lead to the hamster becoming ill. Fresh food and water should be given everyday. Provide two teaspoons of food daily and any uneaten food should be thrown away.