Hamster Care Requirements

Writen by Michael Russell

Hamsters are the most popular rodents kept as pets. They are extremely easy to tame and take care of and are relatively inexpensive animals. Hamsters are a suitable pet for almost any household; children can even keep them!

There are many different types of hamsters: large, small, patterned, solid colored, longhaired and shorthaired. The most popular hamster is the Syrian. It is the largest variety and comes in either longhaired or shorthaired. The longhaired Syrian hamster is often called the "Teddy bear hamster". There is even a hairless Syrian! It also comes in many colors such as golden brown, white, cinnamon, cream, rust, gray, lilac, honey, yellow and black. An adult Syrian hamster reaches a length of six to eight inches.

The next most common hamster is the Dwarf Russian. It only reaches a length of three and a half to four and a half inches. The smallest hamster is the Roborovski. It is only two inches when full grown. The main difference between the Syrian hamster and other hamster species is that Syrian hamsters must be kept alone and the other species can be kept in groups. If Syrian hamsters are kept together, they will fight and can become seriously injured or even killed. You must keep only one Syrian in a cage.

You can buy hamsters at a pet shop or from a breeder. Make sure that the place you get it from spends lots of time with the hamsters and that they keep males and females separate. Hamsters can breed at a very young age so if you get a female hamster from a place that does not separate the males and females then you will probably be getting a pregnant hamster.

The hamster itself is usually very cheap. The cage and accessories make it more expensive. There are many types of hamster cages available at pet stores. Just make sure you get a cage enough space for the hamster to exercise and explore. The cage should also have a wheel in it so the hamster can get the activity it needs. When you get the cage, do not put it in direct sun or in a drafty place.

You will need to put shavings on the floor of the cage. Do not use cedar shavings because they contain oils that can hurt the hamster. Good materials for the shavings include pine, aspen, paper, or pulp. Your hamster will make its bed from the shavings so make sure you put enough in the cage for that.

There are many other types of accessories that you can buy for your hamster. Try to give some things made out of wood so your hamster will have something to chew on. This is good for their teeth. You will also need to provide food and water at all times. A water bottle works best for water because it will not be tipped over or get dirty like a water bowl will. There are many types of hamster food mixes that you can feed to your hamster. Just make sure that it is available all the time.

Once a week you should thoroughly clean the cage and change out the bedding. Make sure you clean all the toys and accessories as well. Rinse the cage completely so that no soap residue is left behind.

If you do these simple things, this will keep your hamster happy and healthy. They are very fun animals to watch and play with. They will surely keep you entertained!

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Pet Care

Cat Chat

Writen by Kenneth C. Hoffman

Through the years we have raised lots of cats. Their main value is

the fact that they accept your love without giving up their own

personality. Many a sour mood has been transformed into a happier

one in the presence of a cat.

Once we had three cats at one time. Sassy was the loner, a one

person cat, and that person was my 11 year old daughter, Yvonne. It

didn't matter that we were the ones who fed her, let her in at

night, and petted her. Sassy always made a bee line for Yvonne,

slept on her bed all night and took any and all kinds of abuse

(friendly) to be with her. Yvonne had a habit of flinging herself to

the other side when sleeping. It was a funny sight to see Sassy

flying through the air, claws gripping the blanket as Yvonne flipped

over.

Mocha boasted of being half Siamese. She was on the small side and

would stay in my lap forever, keeping me company all evening. She

was not too smart, but clean to fault. except for a case of bad

breath. I was often teased that she picked me to like.

Gypsy, a tricolor 'lucky' cat was the good-matured slob. She ate too

much, liked to spend her days in the street, never cleaned herself,

and purred so loudly we had to throw her out of our bedroom so we

could sleep. One day Gypsy was eating (she always had to be first),

when Mocha sauntered by, suddenly veering toward Gypsy's rear end. A

good sniff with opened mouth and a facial sneer confirmed what we

already knew, that Gypsy didn't smell too good. Before Mocha left in

disgust, she gave Gypsy a healthy swat on the behind, getting an

angry hiss in return. Our efforts a giving Gypsy a bath had to be

done quickly without giving her a clue as to what would happen. Even

so, many a hall wallpaper was sprayed in the race to the bathtub.

One year, a four foot snowstorm covered the house and patio from

roof to ground with fifteen foot drifts. We were extremely worried

when after three days, none of our beloved cats came home. The food

we set out was untouched and not a meow answered our calls. On the

fifth day, while gazing at the unbroken expanse of white, a black

paw emerged from a drift near the house. All three cats were safe

although slightly emaciated.

After these gems passed away, we acquired a big-eyed tiger named

Shatzie (Little treasure in German). She was the smartest cat of

all, very independent, but loving all the same. She so abhorred

walking on a leash that my efforts at walking her resulted in a

sideways cat sliding on the grass. She always wanted to be with us

in the room and hated to be by herself. If we ever tried to close

the door to keep her out, she would simply jump up, turn the knob,

and let herself in. She could perform this feat even if the door

opened in!

Now we have SassyII, a wonderful cat who attached herself to my

wife, Marianne. Sassy follows her around all day, helping with the

laundry, cleaning, etc. When Marianne is sleeping, Sassy is by the

side of her second choice with one ear bent toward the computer

keys. The only bad habit she has is biting. These are love bites

while playing, but they can hurt! Someday I'm gonna bite her back.

Retired in New Jersey with our cat, Sassy.

Housebreaking A Puppy

Writen by Zahid Sindhu

You absolutely love your new addition to your family. Cute, cuddly, and he tickles you with his wet nose! You have a brand new puppy. As the excitement wears off you may be wondering the most effective method for housebreaking your new family member. This article will examine some ways effectively to housebreak your puppy.

If you have not done so already, it is important to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for your puppy to have a complete examination. If he is in ill health in anyway this can affect the success you have at housebreaking him. It is important to take care of any illnesses that he may have before you begin housebreaking your puppy. You want your puppy's diet to be reliable with a high-quality dry puppy food. As tempting as it may be you should avoid feeding your puppy table scraps and if you prefer canned dog food remember that this type of food can loosen his stool, which will increase the difficulty of housebreaking him/her.

While you are attempting to housebreak your puppy, you will need to keep close eye on him. You may crate train him or keep him confined in a small space with newspapers, in necessary. It will only take a small amount of time for your puppy to have a house-soiling accident. Some signals to watch for when your puppy is ready to go outside is when they start sniffing the floor, walking in circles, or suddenly running out of sight. When you see this behavior, it is time to take them outdoors. You do not want to leave your puppy alone for extended periods of time. They need a balance of companionship and exercise. If you leave your puppy alone for extensive amounts of time this can be very detrimental to your puppy and can sabotage your efforts at housebreaking along with contributing to numerous other behavioral problems.

In the beginning phase of training, keep a journal of the times your puppy urinates and defecates. Note the intervals in between elimination. This will give you an idea of when to take him outside and will lessen the accidents that occur within the home. Puppies normally need to urinate shortly after they eat, drink water, play, chew, or sleep (quite frequently until they learn to control their bladder). For the majority of puppies over ten weeks old that means you should be prepared to take them outside no less than five to ten times per day. When you are taking your puppy for a walk, you should not come back in until they have either urinated or defecated outside. Yes, they will want to sniff, run, and jump – this is normal – but you are also teaching them that outside is where they urinate. Something to remember, puppies are smart, and if it happens to be cold or they simply do not want to be outside they will tinkle a little bit and want to go in. Do not give in to this (even if you are cold) remain outside until they have fully eliminated the bladder. As soon as your puppy eliminates outdoors offer him generous praise and a special treat.

Praising your puppy is an excellent behavior modification tool and works great for housebreaking (along with those treats). Choose a trigger word when you take him out such as, "potty," "business," or another word of your choosing. Say this word when you take him outdoors and while you want him to eliminate. Repeat this word when he is done and you are going inside for a treat. Delayed praise is ineffective and will not yield the results you are looking for.

You may find that your puppy prefers certain surfaces to eliminate on, such as rugs. When you notice this keep your puppy away from these areas until he has learned the appropriate place to eliminate.

Zahid N. Sindhu is a dog enthusiast who, after noticing the lack of an online resource for dog lovers in Pakistan, decided to launch http://www.DogsPK.com The site features a comprehensive list of breeds, breeders, veterinarians and online classifieds. The site also has a forum where people meet to discuss their canine friends.