One of the most popular, but at the same time short-lived pets is a hamster. Cute crumbs that always run somewhere seem to be in a hurry to live. And this is no accident, because on average hamsters live about two years, and with good maintenance they can live up to three. Any owner who has chosen this cute animal for maintenance will almost inevitably face his death. So what standards should you follow in order for your pet to live a long and happy life? And what if the hamster is dead?
Possible reasons
We can distinguish the main causes of death of hamsters:
- Poor conditions.
- Poor and improper nutrition.
- Diseases and untimely treatment by a veterinarian.
- Old age.
Correct content
First, we will figure out how to properly keep a hamster, because poor conditions can lead to death.
If you want to arrange ideal living conditions for your pet, do not seek the advice of pet sellers and consultants. Often these people do not have a specialized education and are interested in helping out as much money as possible for goods, even if in the end they can cost your pet life.
To maintain a hamster’s health, it’s important to choose the right cage. A tall cage is dangerous because hamsters love to climb rods under the roof and fall from there, seriously injuring themselves.
The cage should be spacious. Minimum bottom dimensions:
- for dwarf species - 50 * 30 cm;
- for Syrian hamsters - 60 * 40 cm.
The minimum size means that it is desirable to take a cell along the bottom more, but not less.
Equally important is the running wheel of the correct size:
- for a dwarf hamster wheel diameter - from 16 cm;
- for a Syrian hamster - from 18 cm.
You should not take two hamsters with the motivation "so that one is not bored." Hamsters are territorial animals. It is likely that in one day instead of two getting along pets you will see a bloody massacre with a fatal outcome. This applies to heterosexual and same-sex hamsters.
Do not engage in uncontrolled breeding of hamsters. Pregnancy seriously reduces the life of the female, and in some cases can lead to the death of her and the babies. Hamsters are famous for the fact that they can eat their offspring.
Hamsters can not be bathed in water. They need special sand for swimming.
Proper nutrition
In the windows of pet stores a wide variety of food for rodents. However, despite the labels, not all of them are equally useful. Cheap feeds are not suitable for hamsters - they are usually of poor quality, improperly balanced, do not contain all the necessary substances and vitamins. Cases were recorded when poison was found in the feed for rodents, which caused the death of pets.
For normal life, hamsters need a balanced dry food. It should include cereals, plant seeds, herbs and flowers, as well as protein supplements in the form of dried insects.
It is important to give hamsters the permitted vegetables and fruits. You can feed hamsters with cucumber, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, turnips, radishes. Types of hamsters that do not have a predisposition to diabetes can be given pumpkin, carrots, fruits and dried fruits.
It is forbidden to give onions, white cabbage, sorrel.
Hamster Injury
Hamsters are fragile animals, and therefore there is a high risk of getting all kinds of injuries in the process of life.
Hamsters often get injured and fractured. The reason for this is high cells with floors consisting of rods. Also, running wheels with a large mesh can become a cause of a limb fracture - the hamster's foot can become stuck in the wheel while running, and the result will be a fracture or clipping of the limb. Vata or tissue in the cell carries a great danger. A small paw can become entangled in the fibers and dry out, as a result of which the hamster will bite it.
Great danger are walking balls. They are strictly contraindicated for hamsters. When running in a ball, the hamster may suffocate, overheat, or be injured.
The cause of serious injuries are fights of hamsters, which are kept together.
Frequent are eye injuries due to sharp objects or slivers.
Another danger for the hamster is other pets: cats and dogs. It is important to install the cage where other animals cannot reach it. Often cats and dogs drop their cages or hamsters claw out hammers through bars.
Hamsters do not feel heights, and therefore are not afraid of it. There are frequent cases when a hamster jumps to the floor from his hands, resulting in serious injury.
Hamster disease
In order to avoid the irreparable in time and consult a veterinarian, it is worth knowing what the hamsters are sick with.
As a result of constant running in a small running wheel, the hamster has a curvature of the spine, internal organs are displaced. The animal is sick and dies.
It is recorded that life in a small cage can cause a hamster to refuse hind legs. Small cells have a deplorable effect on the mental state of the hamster and can cause inappropriate behavior and more serious diseases.
When using a coniferous filler in a cage, the hamster may have an allergy. For keeping the hamster, it is worth using corn flakes, sawdust of fruit trees and cellulose filler. Needles are poison. It can cause respiratory diseases.
Hamsters are very afraid of drafts and cold, they are prone to colds. It is highly recommended that you do not take the hamster out to the street or let go of the grass. In addition, “free” the hamster may well catch parasites.
Common in hamsters, especially in the elderly, are benign and malignant tumors. The reason for their appearance may well be poor-quality feed. Any tumor formed in the hamster will not resolve itself, and the pet must be shown to the veterinarian.
Campbell's hamsters are prone to diabetes, and therefore they must be kept on a special diet - do not give sweet vegetables and fruits, exclude corn from the diet. As a result of crossing Campbell and Dzungarian hamsters, it is now difficult to find clean lines Dzungar hamsters in pet stores, which means that many of them are also prone to diabetes. And therefore, if you are definitely not sure about the purity of the blood of your dzhungarik, it is advisable to feed him in accordance with a special diet.
Any changes in the health of the hamster should not go unnoticed. If the hamster has any secretions, tumors, his limbs are damaged or hair falls out - these are direct indications to refer the animal to the veterinarian. Do not drag out, because every minute can count.
How to care for an old hamster
Due to the short life span, even at the age of two, a hamster can be considered old. You need to be prepared that old age in hamsters is accompanied by many diseases, and the elderly hamster needs special care. It is important to know how hamsters die of old age.
In older hamsters, vision usually deteriorates and they become blind. The hair falls off, the teeth fall out, and the hamster can no longer gnaw dry food. Failures of the extremities and the appearance of tumors are possible. The hamster becomes less active, sleeps more often.
Elderly hamsters need to be fed boiled cereals, give baby food. Do not drag the old hamster in his arms - you need to provide him with maximum comfort and peace.
How to understand that a hamster is dying:
- The hamster has become less active and is constantly sleeping in the house.
- Eats nothing.
- Coat fell and eyes turned sour.
- Visible discharge from jaws or nose.
- Hamster pissing for himself.
- Loose stool.
Hibernation. How to determine it and not bury the hamster alive?
This moment may come unexpectedly. If your hamster suddenly died, do not rush to bury it. Often in social networks, you can stumble upon stories about how a dead hamster came to life. This is not mysticism, and the reason is understandable: hamsters have the ability to hibernate, which can be mistaken for the death of an animal.
Under inappropriate conditions, low indoor temperature or lack of food, the hamster can temporarily slow down the vital processes in his body. His breathing and palpitations slow down so that they become almost invisible.
What to do if a hamster dies? If the hamster lies motionless and does not show signs of life, you must carefully watch him. The hamster, which is in hibernation, breathes, albeit very slowly, and this can be seen with the naked eye. You should feel the hamster - if it is already numb, the conclusion is disappointing. If the hamster is soft to the touch, you should try to feel his heartbeat. It should be borne in mind that the hamster’s hibernation does not last long, and if after a couple of days your pet did not wake up, then, unfortunately, it is worth recognizing him dead. In any case, if you have any doubts about the death of the hamster, you should take it to the veterinarian so that the doctor makes a final conclusion.
Where and how to bury a hamster
Even when kept in the best conditions, it is still impossible to avoid the death of a pet. What to do if a hamster is dead?
The first and most common option is a funeral. It is necessary to wrap the hamster in a cloth, and then put it in a small box. It is good if your city has a specialized cemetery for pets, but in today's realities this is rare. It is worth choosing a place with soft earth, where people do not go, and dig a deep hole. After the box is buried, you need to tamp the ground and it is advisable to put a few stones on top so that the animals do not tear the grave.
If the hamster died in the winter, digging up the grave will be more difficult due to the frozen ground. In this case, an ax or crowbar will help. You can bury a hamster near the heating main - there the land does not freeze even in winter.
The second option can be considered cremation. It is worth contacting the veterinary clinics of your city and find out if they provide this service. Of course, this option is preferable, but not all veterinary clinics have the necessary equipment.
What to say to the child
The death of a pet is always a big blow for the whole family, and children are especially sensitive to this. Parents may feel confused, not knowing what to do if the hamster died.
How to convey the news of the death of a pet to a child depends on the age of the baby and on whether the parents explained to him what death is. However, you should not hide from the child the fact of the death of the animal, because in any case he will have to face death in the future. It must be remembered that at such a difficult moment, the child needs special attention of the parents. Do not leave the baby alone with your grief - you need to talk a lot with him and provide moral support. Do not scold if the child temporarily spoils grades at school. It takes time to survive grief. No need to immediately get another animal to replace the old one. Anyway, the new pet will be completely different in character and habits, which is why it is important to completely say goodbye to the dead hamster mentally.
What to do after
After the death of the hamster, it is important to disinfect all the accessories that were in his cage, as well as the cage itself. If you are about to start another hamster, it is important to completely kill the smell of the past owner. It is necessary to determine the cause of the death of the pet in order to avoid fatal mistakes in the future.
If you take responsibility and start a hamster, you must provide him with comfortable living conditions. Do not forget: your pet is just a page from your life for you, but for you it is a whole life. Take care and love your pet so you don’t regret anything when the time comes for parting.