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.
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