an additional source of protein (especially in winter), milk, low-fat cottage cheese, hard cheese, and a boiled egg are suitable for your hamster. It will be useful sometimes to give the hamster wheat and rye bread.

You can get special vitamins for hamsters at the pet store, but your hamster can only eat a certain type of vitamin, and your job is to notice which supplement he likes the most. Also in stores you can buy "mineral tablets" for hamsters, containing vitamins and minerals and at the same time being an excellent "sharpener" for teeth.

In pet stores, you can buy a variety of vitamin supplements designed specifically for hamsters, however, with a vitamin-rich diet, such supplements are unnecessary and can only be added to hamster food at a certain period (late autumn, winter and early spring).

However, it would be useful sprinkle your hamster's food several times a week with a vitamin-calcium mineralized mixture containing calcium and other beneficial substances in the recommended doses.

Complex vitamins intended for humans are not suitable for hamsters and should never be given!

An overdose of vitamins for hamsters is just as harmful as for humans, therefore, no matter how much you love your pet and take care of him, try to save him from overeating, even with very healthy food.

It is almost impossible to derive an ideal feed rate for a hamster, because the need for this animal in food depends on the age, size, individual characteristics, and also on the ambient temperature.

The main thing is that your hamster has a balanced diet with ingredients that do not contain excess fats and other substances that hamsters naturally do not need.

You should give your hamster enough food per day to leave a little bit left over the next day. However, in any case, you are obliged to check what foods the hamster refuses, how much food and drink he has left, how much stock he has in his “mink”.

Aqua vitae
"Wild" hamsters are inhabitants of deserts and steppes. Under natural conditions, the possibility of drinking clean water is limited.

The body of these animals is designed in such a way that they get the necessary moisture from vegetables and other green food.

The opinions of experts regarding the need for water for the nutrition of hamsters are strongly divided: some believe that water should always be with him, while others are sure that water leads to intestinal upset and hamsters get enough fluid from fruits, herbs and vegetables.

As the hamster lives with you, you yourself must determine how much water he needs. To do this, just hang a drinker in a cage or put in a corner a small bowl with a little warm, necessarily boiled or filtered water.

Female hamsters are especially in need of water during pregnancy and feeding young offspring, so be sure to ensure that your female always has clean warm (25-30 ° C) water.

Some ignorant people not only provide their hamsters with plenty of water, but also manage to occasionally bathe cute animals. In no case should this be done, hamster hair from water procedures will not improve.

Chapter 5
How long do they live
Hamsters have a short lifespan. On average, in captivity, it is about 2–2.5 years, but under good conditions, a hamster can live 3 or even 4 years, and may die a few days after purchase. It all depends on the health of the hamster, on the conditions in which it was kept before the purchase, how well it endured the transportation and how quickly it adapted to new living conditions. So if you want your hamster to live as long as possible, try to buy a healthy hamster.

Transportation is also important for the health and later life of the hamster. It is best to transport it in a cage covered with some kind of cloth. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the cage does not sway too much, otherwise the hamster may hit its head or simply become ill. If there is no cage, then the hamster can be transported in the hands. It is best to put it in your bosom or in your pocket (best inside). Then the hamster will think that he is in a mink, and will not feel the danger. But it is best to carry out transportation in special shipping boxes made of transparent synthetic material with a mesh lid and comfortable handles. In the future, this box can be used as a spare house for the hamster while cleaning is carried out in its cage. It is best to place this box in a dark place so that the hamster is not frightened by the objects around him and does not get stressed out of it. If you are transporting during the cold season, make sure that your hamster is not cold or windy. These animals are extremely susceptible to cold, because in the wild they are used to living in hot deserts. Therefore, the slightest draft can undermine the health of the hamster.

The age of your hamster at the time of purchase will also affect the lifespan of your hamster. Therefore, try not to take too old a hamster, so that he does not die six months after his purchase.

Too young a hamster should not be bought either. Remember that kids learn a lot from their parents. If a hamster is taken away from its mother early, it can die quickly because it has not yet learned to eat on its own. The average age of a hamster depends on its breed. So, for example, Roborovsky hamsters live 3-3.5 years. The Russian dwarf hamster lives very little - about 1.5–2 years. Syrian hamsters can live an average of 2–2.5 years. But any hamster can live longer than its allotted time if it is provided with appropriate care. Therefore, it is better to purchase Syrian and Russian dwarf hamsters, because they are less whimsical and do not require particularly careful care. And we do not recommend you to start Roborovsky or Chinese hamsters, especially if you are just a beginner hamster breeder. These hamsters are very picky and need special care that only an experienced hamster breeder can provide.

It is believed that the optimum temperature for keeping a hamster is 20-22°C above zero, although some experts say that the temperature of keeping a hamster must be at least 18°C, otherwise the hamster may hibernate.

Possible dangers
If you have just brought your pet into the apartment, give him some time to get used to the new environment and his home. After a few days, you will notice that the hamster is no longer afraid to walk around his cage, even doing it with pleasure. You should also not constantly strive to take it in your arms. Accustom him to you gradually, it is best to do this through food.

Hamsters are small animals, so they feel uncomfortable in a large apartment. You should not let your hamster out for a walk if you notice that he is afraid of the surrounding area. He will definitely want to hide somewhere where he will be more comfortable, and most likely he will come across some kind of danger. Walking around the apartment is fraught with a very great danger for the hamster, especially if you do not follow him. Hamsters skillfully and quickly climb cabinets, tables, curtains. But they become extremely awkward when they have to go down. Therefore, most often they simply fall and injure their spine.

Hamsters live in minks, so they will look for something resembling minks in the apartment. They often wander into all sorts of cracks and holes that are not at all suitable for hamsters to visit. This causes hamsters to get stuck in them.

Here is a list of items that pose a danger to a hamster's life:

- indoor plants, especially those that are considered poisonous, such as geranium, ivy, cactus; letting the hamster go for a walk, make sure so that he does not come across them, because he will definitely decide to try what they are;

– electrical appliances, wires and sockets; they must be out of the reach of the hamster so that he does not start to gnaw on the wires;

- vessels with water, jugs, aquariums should be tightly closed;

— textiles such as carpets, fabric wallpapers and soft shoes; hamsters equip their holes with scraps of cloth, and these products contain paint and other chemical elements that can be dangerous to the health of a hamster;

- if you have a cat or a dog, make sure that the hamster does not come into contact with them, especially if they show aggression towards him;

- watch where you sit or where you step while your pet is walking around the apartment.

Hamsters are afraid of heights because they spend all their time on the ground and are not used to high altitudes. Therefore, if you take it in your arms, do not forget about it. He may be so frightened that he wants to break free, and he may fall and hurt himself.

For example, hamsters such as the Roborovsky and Dzungarian hamsters do not have a sense of height at all. Therefore, when walking on a table or other height, they can simply fall down and hurt themselves.

To pick up a hamster, the best and most correct way is to use the so-called "grip", where your fingers wrap around the hamster's body and close on his tummy. You can also lift it by the hair on the scruff of the neck. But this is recommended only for experienced people, because with such a grip it is very easy to injure the hamster or he