Golden hamsters sleep during the day. Are very active at night. This can be loud to. Going here. Hamster cages therefore do not belong in bedrooms or children's rooms.
Golden hamsters are rather gruff loners. Unlike many other pets, it is good to keep them alone in a cage.
Golden hamsters do not like much physical contact. If they feel disturbed, they can bite, z.B. Children carry them around. Want to pet. Observing golden hamsters in detail, however, can be very exciting. Golden hamsters need to dig. Be able to occupy themselves in a variety of ways. Otherwise they develop disturbed behaviors, such as shaking and biting at bars.
The legally prescribed cage size for golden hamsters of 0.18 m² (z.B. 30 x 60 cm) are just the absolute minimum. As gold hamster cages or terrariums, closed containers of at least half a square meter of floor space and half a meter in height are recommended. Sufficient fresh air supply must be ensured.
The cage or terrarium must be littered with wood shavings, hay and straw to a depth of at least 15 centimeters. However, a bedding of about 30 to 80 centimeters deep is better. In this way, the golden hamsters can live out their natural digging behavior and create "underground" burrows Create chambers. Here the nocturnal animals spend the day.
Various shelters made of wood or cork, climbing branches, a sand bath, nesting material and a drinking vessel complete the furnishings.
Hamsters are very clean animals. They set up their own toilet corner in the cage. It must be cleaned daily. At least once a month the entire bedding should be replaced.
Health
With daily observation, any changes are noticeable. If a golden hamster is sick, its fur will appear shaggy and dull. A smeared anal opening, inflamed eyes, a runny nose or an unsteady, wobbly gait can also be signs of illness. Possible causes are too high humidity, damp or infrequently changed bedding, constant disturbance of the day's rest.
Sick golden hamsters need to be seen by a veterinarian.be treated.
Social contact
Golden hamsters are solitary animals and should therefore be kept individually. A pair can usually not be kept together permanently any more than siblings can. Since animals in a cage or terrarium cannot escape from each other, there is a risk that they will injure or even kill each other.
Other hamster species available in pet stores, such as Dsungarian dwarf hamsters or Chinese striped hamsters, on the other hand, can be lived in family groups.
Exercise and occupation
So that the hamster is not bored in the cage, furnishings such as climbing branches should be regularly renewed. Branches of willows, hazel bushes or fruit trees can be offered to it to nibble and climb on. A handful of grass or leaves fills the cage with new smells that stimulate the hamster.
In search of food, hamsters walk through the desert for hours at night. They should also be able to live out this urge to move in a cage, z.B. in a suitable hamster wheel.
Hamster wheel
Experts differ on the question of whether a hamster wheel is useful and healthy for the golden hamster. Some refuse hamster wheels because they believe that it causes the hamster to become addicted to continuous cycling. However, a study financed by the BLV came to a different conclusion. In the study, hamsters that had the opportunity to run in a wheel were healthier than others. They showed less disturbed behavior, such as shaking and biting cage bars. Hamsters that had a wheel available were also significantly stronger and healthier than others. From this one can cautiously conclude that a hamster wheel, which is large enough (diameter 30 cm) and has a closed running surface, offers a quite meaningful and healthy possibility, in order to satisfy the natural movement urge.
Food and water
As desert dwellers, golden hamsters are not picky about food. In addition to hay and straw, special grain mixtures are suitable for hamsters, which should also contain animal proteins. Fruits and vegetables, such as apples, berries, carrots, millet cobs or nuts can supplement the range.
A golden hamster does not need much water. Nevertheless, you must always offer him fresh water – preferably in a self-drinking bottle, which is attached to the wall of the cage or terrarium.
Breeding
Female hamsters can raise a litter of up to 14 young 10 times a year. Young male golden hamsters become sexually mature at 3 weeks of age and can then father more young with their mother and sisters. In order not to set such a multiplication flood in motion in the first place, one is advised against own breeding attempts.
The animal protection ordinance obliges all animal keepers to take measures to prevent excessive breeding of animals.
Since golden hamsters are usually kept singly, prevention is simple: just avoid adding a mate to it. As an inveterate loner, he will not miss this one.