Hamster - how much in this word. A little rodent that brings a lot of positive emotions. The Dzungarian hamster can be watched closely. Very funny animal.
This is all very healthy, but we should not forget about the right diet for the baby. How can I feed a Dzungarian hamster? Let's talk about pet nutrition in this article.
Who is a dzhungarik?
Before we talk about how to feed the Dzungarian hamster correctly, let's find out how it differs from the Syrian one.
First, the size. Unlike the Syrian counterpart, the dzhungarik is small. His height is about 10 cm, and the weight does not reach 50 grams. On average, the weight category of this rodent is 30 grams.
Secondly, the hamster of the Dzungarian breed has a specific color. This baby has brownish-gray hair and two dark stripes on its back. A similar color is a classic for the breed.
The third difference between the Dzhungarik and the Syrian is the length of the coat. Syrian hamsters are most often long-haired. Although there are shorthair representatives of this species. Jungar wool is short and soft.
The fourth point is character. Syrian rodents are more phlegmatic. They are calm and slow. Looking at a hamster of the Dzungarian breed, it seems that it works on batteries. Dzhungariki are very mobile. They can run about 40 km in one night.
Unlike the Syrian brothers, the Dzungars are more distrustful of people. You can tame them, this is a fact. But taming will require much more effort.
Content
How can I feed a Dzungarian hamster? We will definitely talk about this. But a little lower. Now consider how to properly maintain a tiny pet.
It is worth starting with a cell. Its minimum size is 50 * 30 cm. It would seem that such a small rodent and such a large cage. Where to him? The thing is that in the wild, the representative of this breed of hamsters either sleeps, or is in motion. As mentioned above, the dzhungarik is able to run about 40 km per night. In addition, he is very thrifty. And "secrets" with food can be found in different places. Therefore, such a pet needs a spacious cage. So that he can move freely in it. And so that the hamster calmly fulfills its needs in creating reserves of provisions.
What should be in the cage? The wheel is the foundation of the basics. Preferably iron made with a fine mesh. Plastic won't do. Due to the fact that it was made not in the form of a fine mesh, but in strips with a fairly wide distance between each other.
House for the rodent. Wooden - it is more reliable. Even if the hamster tastes its shelter, it will not bring much trouble. Unlike a plastic house test for a hamster tooth.
You can buy a hammock for your pet in the form of a tunnel. Firstly, there he will be warmer than in the house. Secondly, the hammock is soft, and, accordingly, the pet will be more comfortable. However, with all the advantages of a hammock, a jungle is quite capable of chewing it.
Mandatory drinker. Special, for rodents. You can purchase the simplest and cheapest, the main thing is a convenient mount.
A bowl, or better, two. One for special food, the second - for all sorts of goodies that should be given periodically to the hamster.
Filler. Here it is better not to skimp, but to buy corn. He is not an allergen, even if the rodent wants to try it, he will not recover and will not clog his own stomach. Corn filler is an excellent store for odors. It can be changed once a week.
Why is sawdust worse? They start to smell in just two days. And they can cause allergies in the pet.
Wood filler is not the best option. It begins to break down under the influence of moisture. And at the same time, it “throws out” harmful substances into the cell that are toxic to rodents. A significant role is played by the fact that such a filler is solid. Calluses will appear on the small, delicate legs of the jungarik (corns, as they are sometimes called).
Care
How to care for a small but restless pet? Now we will talk about this in detail.
Cell cleaning should be carried out regularly. If the owner uses corn filler, the dzhungarik’s home is cleaned once a week. If the filler for the cell is sawdust or wood filler, then the disinfection is carried out every three days.
How to clean? Very simple. We remove the old filler, the cage is thoroughly washed with hot water and some detergent, wipe it dry. All leftovers are removed from the house, the drinking bowl and bowls are washed and wiped. Fresh filler is poured into the dry cage, the house, equipment and tenant are returned to the place.
Water in the drinker changes every day.
They feed the Dzungarian hamster twice a day. An evening portion may be a little more in the morning.
Diet number 1. Feed
So we got to one of the main questions: how can we feed the Dzungarian hamster? The basis of its nutrition is food for hamsters. We focus on what exactly is for hamsters. The composition of feed for rodents varies. For rats, one, for guinea pigs - another, for hamsters a third.
How to choose a feed? Do not buy food economy class. They do not have any vegetables or fruits that are necessary for the pet. And a lot of garbage, coupled with a lack of nutrients. Such food is relatively cheap, which can be seen from the prefix "economy". But its quality is poor.
Mid-priced feeds can be relatively good. They contain dried fruit, a balanced grain mix, necessary for a hamster.
Ready-made food for premium rodents is expensive. But she is really of high quality. The composition of such feeds includes only natural ingredients. Vegetables and fruits, sometimes dried pieces of meat and seafood.
How can I feed the Dzungar hamsters, a list of allowed products will be given below. For convenience, the food that you can offer your pet is divided into subsections.
In addition to feed
How can I feed Dzungar hamsters, except for food? When planning a meal for a small pet, the owner should include fresh vegetables and fruits, herbs, protein, nuts. All this will be described in detail below.
Allowed vegetables, fruits and berries
For convenience, the fruits and vegetables included in the rodent's diet under the word "can" are shown in the table.
| Vegetables | Pumpkin | A tomato | Cucumber | Carrot | Squash | Zucchini | Broccoli | Fresh peas | Celery | Chickpeas | Chinese cabbage | Beet |
| Fruit | Pear | Apple | Plum | Apricot | Peach | Melon | Raisins | Dried apricots | Banana chips | Dried apples | Dried Pears | |
As for the berries, they are not listed in the table due to the fact that they are quite few. These are currants, gooseberries ripe and not sour, sweet cherries, raspberries and strawberries.
Cereals and seeds
How to feed the Dzhungar hamsters: a list of cereals and seeds, which you can safely treat your pet, is presented below:
- Rice is dry.
- Oats
- Lentils
- Buckwheat.
- Beans
- Beans
- Peas.
- Sunflower seeds.
- Pumpkin seeds.
- Melon seeds.
Protein component of the menu
How to feed the Dzungarian hamster at home, except for specialized feeds and the above products? The animal must necessarily include protein in the menu. Giving products containing it is recommended no more than twice a week.
What to offer a small pet?
- Boiled chicken, without skin, salt and spices.
- Boiled fish is low-fat.
- Shrimp peeled.
- Fat-free cottage cheese.
- Kefir fat free.
- Yogurt without additives, low fat.
- Boiled chicken or quail eggs.
- Flour worm (purchased at a pet store).
- Occasionally, you can treat your baby with boiled beef meat.
Hamster Treats
What to feed the Dzungarian hamster at home, we figured out. And how can you pamper baby - pet? As a treat, drying is suitable - babies, without sugar and additives. You can offer the rodent a little dry cracker. Treats are given no more than once a week.
Tree leaves
This is not a typo. Hamsters enjoy eating leaves of the following tree species:
- Oak.
- Willow.
- Maple.
- Ash.
- Walnut.
- Birch tree.
- Cherry.
- Apple tree.
- Pear.
Is it possible to feed grass of the Dzungarian hamsters? A treat in the form of washed dandelion leaves and nettle scalded with boiling water is quite acceptable.
Supplements for young and old animals
How to feed a small Dzungarian hamster? Baby food, both vegetable and meat, is necessarily added to the main diet. Porridge cooked on water, or cereals soaked in water.
With diarrhea and for old hamsters, boiled rice will be beneficial. With constipation, be sure to add a little vegetable oil to the food.
Forbidden food
What can not feed the Dzungarian hamsters? The following products should never be offered to them:
- Cheese. It strikes the rodent's liver and pancreas.
- Raw potatoes can cause poisoning in the hamster. The high starch content in it does not contribute to the fact that this vegetable is included in the menu.
- Persimmon. Leads to constipation.
- White bread. In addition to the starch content, it contains food bleaches. This is irreparable harm to the body of a small pet.
- Brazil nut. Too heavy food for the dzungarik.
- Salt, sugar, spices. No explanation is needed here. These seasonings are not very useful to people, what can we say about rodents.
- Butter. Very greasy product.
- Citrus. Vitamin C is too high.
- Cherry and apricot kernels. They can cause severe poisoning. Until the death of the hamster.
- Sausages and sausages. Pure poison, even for humans.
- Sour cream. Very fatty foods that can cause pathological changes in the rodent's pancreas.
- Fatty, fried, salty, smoked. Comments are redundant.
- Mushrooms. Heavy food.
- Honey. Too sweet.
- Juices and carbonated drinks. Very high sugar content.
- Sweets including chocolate and ice cream. Sugar strike on the body of a rodent.
- White cabbage. It causes fermentation in the intestines. This leads to the death of the hamster.
- Rye bread. It can lead to intestinal obstruction.
- Watermelon is a source of pesticides. Its use by a rodent in food can cause death.
- Sorrel. Increased acidity in the product.
- Mint. It tastes very bitter.
This list must be remembered and not violated in order to avoid problems with the digestive system of the pet or the worst option - death.
Summarize
What do we need to remember from this comprehensive article? The most basic aspects:
- The Dzungarian hamster is small, but very mobile. Therefore, the minimum cell size for it is 50 * 30 cm.
- The cage should be equipped with a metal and mesh wheel.
- General cleaning is carried out either once a week, or once every three days - depending on the filler used.
- The drinker should be clean water constantly.
- Dzhungarika is fed twice a day. The evening portion is larger than the morning.
- A hamster's diet is dry food, fruits, vegetables, berries, herbs, protein products.
- Food from the forbidden list should not be given to a pet.
- With good care, the average life expectancy of a Dzungarian hamster is 2.5-3 years.
Conclusion
We examined the question of how to feed the Dzungarian hamster. Summing up, I would like to note that the list of allowed products is very extensive. And all of them are quite affordable. The better the rodent's nutrition, care and maintenance, the longer it will please its owner. The health of the animal depends on nutrition and purity in the cage, we must not forget about this. Regular cleaning, a balanced diet, and the hamster will not receive a whole bunch of diseases, significantly shortening his already short life.