Teddy hamsters are extremely popular pets, which are primarily conspicuous by their long fur.
Thanks to their tame character, they are a great choice for children.
Which special features you have to consider when keeping and caring for a Teddy Hamster and how you can do justice to the gentle character of the animal, you will learn here.
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The character of a Teddy Hamster
The teddy hamster or angora hamster is the long-haired variant of the golden hamster.
He is extremely popular among rodent keepers and is also very suitable for beginners: It can be tamed quickly and shows itself trustworthy in a short time even with little effort.
Nevertheless, he prefers to be kept alone, because he gets along with conspecifics of the opposite sex only during the mating season.
Females only allow males in their territory at this time. After that, if necessary, they will be expelled, even by force.
If you want to keep more than one Teddy Hamster, you should buy separate cages and not place them too close to each other. Because already a too small distance and the constant proximity to other conspecifics can represent a stress factor.
Nevertheless, you can have a lot of fun with a Teddy Hamster: He is very active, likes to learn and moves a lot. This will make it possible for you to keep offering him new facilities and activity toys and even teach him little tricks.
The right attitude
When it comes to the cage for your Teddy Hamster, the bigger the better.
A large floor space and several floors help to give your animal as much room to move as possible. At the same time, it gives you the option of always refurnishing the hamster home.
– a sand bath – climbing facilities – hiding places for food – sleeping house
This way, your pet is kept busy in a species-appropriate way, feels safe and is kept busy. That makes it happier and more content.
The life expectancy of a Teddy Hamster
With a life expectancy of two to three years, the teddy hamsters are unfortunately not very old. They become sexually mature already with few weeks. Can already show the first signs of age at one and a half years of age. This includes for example a lower mobility. So that the slackening of the own fur care.
This is how you should care for a Teddy Hamster
Because of the long fur you should accustom your Teddy Hamster from the beginning to the fact that he accepts a care by you. The hairs collect dirt, hold moisture longer and can become matted.
You have to be prepared for this.
If your hamster has diarrhea, for example, the fur sticks together and can irritate or dry the skin and close the anus. Wounds, fly maggots and also the prevention of defecation then represent possible risks.
In addition, the long fur hairs can also close the digestive tract internally. Because hamsters are clean animals, which clean themselves frequently in the day. Ingest hairs that can accumulate in the stomach and intestines and develop into solids.
These in turn can cause intestinal obstruction.
Since the Teddy hamsters are so small and already badly tolerate anesthesia, the necessary operation is hardly feasible and associated with a high risk.
This is true even if the intestinal obstruction is noticed in time.
For these reasons you should brush and comb your pet from the beginning in any case. Hereby it gets used to the fur care and experiences this among other things as stroking or feels this at least not as a stress.
Attention: For you it means however more expenditure than with a short-haired hamster.
In addition, the skin of Angora hamsters is worse to the touch and visible. Checks for injuries, parasites or skin diseases and changes are therefore not so easy and require more time and habituation.
You have to be prepared for this, too, because already an advanced mite infestation or an infected scratch can cause considerable problems and are difficult to treat due to their size.
The color spectrum
Teddy hamsters are found in light and dark colors, mixed forms, with patterns and in different hair lengths. They can have different markings. The fur may change color slightly over time.
However, the most common are the wild color of the golden hamster and pure beige teddy hamsters.
If you are interested in a special color, we have a tip: Ask specifically for the parents!
For crossbreeding of other breeds is not uncommon in hamsters. For example, the color can also indicate that a "wilder" breed was crossed and thus also behavior and susceptibility to disease are different.
If nobody can answer this question in a pet store, you should rather choose a teddy hamster from a breeder. The character can then be better assessed. Also the genetic predisposition with regard to diseases is easier to track.
This is also not a guarantee that your hamster will grow old in good health, but the risk of this happening is smaller.
Frequently asked questions
When are teddy hamsters fully grown?
At the age of three to four months the Teddy Hamsters have reached an adult size. However, they continue to grow a few millimeters until the end of their life. The happens inconspicuously.
Due to malnutrition or a very small cage, growth can also be delayed.
Over 18 centimeters in the length the animals do not reach however.
When are Teddy hamsters awake?
Teddy hamsters belong to the crepuscular animals.
This means that they wake up in the evening and have several phases of activity during the night. They can travel several miles per night to forage for food, groom their fur, and defend their territory.
When kept as a pet, however, this means that they can significantly disturb your sleep.
Therefore, they should not be kept in the bedroom.
In addition, you must avoid being exposed to disturbances during the day. Because even the otherwise peaceful Teddy Hamster can become aggressive or nervous and anxious due to lack of sleep.
Caution: please do not try to make your hamster diurnal.
What do Teddy hamsters like to eat best?
A mixture of roughage, seeds, grains and animal protein is ideal.
Pay attention to the fact that your Teddy Hamster has to work for his food. This keeps him busy at the same time. Is better utilized.
How much may a teddy hamster weigh?
This depends on the size.
Since it can grow up to 18 centimeters long, it can also weigh up to 200 grams. An animal only 12 centimeters long, on the other hand, should be much lighter.
However, when determining obesity, the body shape and muscles are especially important clues.
A tight body with ribs that can be felt well is healthy.
On the other hand, if the spine sticks out or the hip bones protrude, the animal is too thin. A bloated belly or barely noticeable ribs are also warning signs. Indicate either disease or obesity.