HAMSTER/GERBIL CARE

These animals are good for people who aren’t around much during the day since they become active in the evening.

Housing:
Small aquariums, wire cages, HabiTrails and other cages specially designed for little creatures. Make sure you have a secure lid to prevent escaping. They should also be housed away from a drafty area and kept clean and dry to prevent illness.

Accessories:
Hamsters and gerbils love to explore so it’s good to have all sorts of fun things in their tank like wooden ladders, wooden houses, paper towel tubes, etc. They also need a water bottle, food dish and an exercise ball or wheel.

Bedding:
There are a lot of safer bedding choices on the market now. Carefresh or recycled newspaper will work best because these types of bedding are completely non-allergenic. NEVER use cedar or pine; they are very allergic to it. If using hemp or aspen, just make sure they aren’t sneezing from it as some hamsters and gerbils are more sensitive than others.

Food:
Hamsters and gerbils thrive on a variety of foods. Primarily they should eat hamster/gerbil food found at a pet store. This contains a lot of the grains and seeds they need to eat. You can also add some canary or parakeet seed to their food. There are a lot of snack foods they enjoy, but don’t give too much!

Here’s the basic formula for a balanced hamster diet (gerbils are very similar and would benefit from this diet as well):
1. Proteins – for growth and tissue building, especially in young hamsters or pregnant/nursing moms - barley, beans, corn, nuts, oats, peas, wheat, hardboiled egg (occasionally), mealworms
2. Carbohydrates and Fats – for energy and warmth, but don’t give too much! – carbs: sugar, yeast, potato, milk (cottage cheese, yogurt), fat + carbs: barley, oats, wheat, corn
3. Vitamins – (healthy only in small amounts) don’t give too much! – can be added to their water
4. Minerals – (healthy only in small amounts) milk, vegetables, green foods, grains
5. Water – bottles are better than dishes for so many reasons – provide fresh clean water at all times
Snacks: Veggies (dandelion leaves and flowers, carrots, potato, celery, beans, peas, spinach, sweet potato, turnips, watercress, young grass, kale, marrow/squash, zucchini, corn, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli)
Fruits: strawberries, apples and bananas, grapes, pears, peaches.
Cereal that is unsweetened, like Cheerios, and also dry pasta. You can also put a dog biscuit, monkey biscuit or dry dog food in the cage once a week for them to gnaw on.

Just remember, hamsters obsess with eating and can stockpile the food if you give them more than they can eat right away. This will not be pleasant for you, especially if not found before it has started to rot. Gerbils don’t obsess over eating quite as much but try not to overfeed anyway. J

[If you have a dwarf hamster, there are some foods you should avoid. They’re a little different and should not have certain foods such as carrots, apples or bananas.]

[Gerbils should not have too many sunflower seeds because of their fat content. It’s best to pick most of the seeds out of their food and save them for treats instead.]

Things that you should NOT feed ANY hamster or gerbil: lettuce, buttercups, chocolate, garlic, onions, rabbit food with any antibiotic ingredients, raw kidney beans, sweets or toffees, canned/frozen vegetables, anything cooked.

Average Life Span:
2-4 years.

Handling Your Hamster or Gerbil:
What NOT to do (the seven rules):

Never pull it out of a deep sleep

Never press it hard, squeeze it, or pinch it

If it avoids your hand, squeaks, or growls, leave it alone. It is warning you.

Never try to touch it when it is lying on its back & showing its teeth. This is a defensive posture it takes when feeling threatened.

Never pull hamsters apart that are fighting without leather or heavy-duty gloves.

Never pick an adult hamster up by the scruff of its neck. It usually defends against this by spraying a stream of urine.

Never press hard with your hand or trap it between your fingers. It will defend against this because it will have thought a predator has grabbed it.



The BEST way to handle your hamster or gerbil:
Grasp the hamster with one hand, lift it gently and put your other hand under it to support it. Once it gets used to you, as you hold it put one hand over it to make a “warm, dimly lit cave” to feel secure in.
Children should hold a hamster with both hands close to their chest for extra security. They should also be sitting so if the hamster jumps or is dropped it doesn’t fall from a big height and get really hurt.



Common Illness:
Wet-tail, also known as diarrhea, is one common ailment among hamsters. Symptoms are lethargy and damp area around the anus. It can be caused by foods like iceberg lettuce, or it can be due to illness. You can treat wet-tail with an antibiotic found at your local pet store called “Dri-Tail”. If caught soon enough it can be taken care of relatively quickly, but we recommend a vet checkup just to be sure your hamster or gerbil is doing well.

ENJOY YOUR NEW PET!!
For more info visit: www.agsgerbils.org or www.hamstercare.co.uk



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