A steppe inhabitant, as well as a very cute and funny animal - the Djungarian hamster, is one of the most popular domestic rodents. And this is not at all surprising, because this baby will bring joy to the whole family, and especially children, with her cute antics.

Another significant advantage is that it takes minimal time and effort to care for and maintain a pet.

But you should not take this lightly, as this can negatively affect the health of the hamster. Therefore, you need to know all the nuances and features of keeping a Djungarian hamster at home.

Also in the article you can get acquainted with another type of pets

Habitat of the Djungarian hamster in nature

Djungarian hamster prefers to live on gravelly or sandy soil. Their habitat is quite extensive. This type of rodent can be seen in the semi-deserts of Central and Central Asia and North-East Kazakhstan. Or even in Northeast Mongolia.

They dig holes where minimal amount vegetation, without branching passages, have a pair of chambers.

In winter, molting occurs, then they change their fur to a lighter shade, in order to make it easier to camouflage themselves from predatory animals.

Appearance of the Djungarian hamster

This rodent grows up to 10 cm, and its weight is approximately 50 grams. The body is oval, under which the paws and small tail are practically invisible. The head is wide and has high-set ears. The eyes are beady, black and convex, less often red (albinos).

The coat is quite soft and thick. The coat color is usually gray-brown, but there are other colors, for example:

It has its own business card - a black stripe of fur runs along the back and ends on the very muzzle of the hamster. It is worth noting that the feet of the little chubby creature are also covered with hair, which is where the name of the genus itself comes from.

Characteristics of the Djungarian hamster

Of all the domestic dwarf rodents, the dwarf has the least aggressive character. For example, they don't bite as much as Campbell's hamsters.
and are calmer than Roborovsky's hamsters.
More often than not, the owners watch them, but if you can tame your pet, the baby will happily go into your arms and fall asleep while being petted.

After puberty, it is advisable to place them alone in a cage. An exception may be if you place two hamsters that have been around since they were born. Conflicts may arise with a stranger.
But you can give them time to get used to it if you put two of them in a cage with a partition in the middle, and after a while remove it. Also, you shouldn’t be angry with them for making noise at night, since Djungarians are nocturnal and prefer to sleep during the day.

Housing for hamsters at home

For a house, a cage with narrow partitions is suitable, through which the hamster cannot crawl through. However, they are not stupid, because they are capable of watching you open the cage for a long period, and one morning you suddenly discover that the cage is empty. If this happens to you, then you should not get upset right away and look for your pet in two ways:

1. You should look for your pet under furniture that is low on the floor, because they instinctively strive for closed places - there are fewer dangers there. Hamsters are also attracted to paper and cardboard, so if there is a cluster of them somewhere on the floor, then most likely they are there.
2. The second method is much simpler. You will need complete darkness in the room, then freeze and listen to the rustling on the floor, most likely your pet has climbed out onto an open surface. Don't miss the moment and seize it.

Now let's go back to home improvement. For an ideal place for a rodent to live, a glass aquarium is suitable, the length of which is about 100 cm and the height of 40 cm.

You should also place a shelter in the aquarium, that is, a small house or cave. They can be purchased at a pet store. There the hamsters will be able to rest during the day, hiding from the light.

Take care of physical activity animal, for this you should install a play area, such as a running wheel or rope bridges. Thus, the baby will not be bored and his life will become much more active, which will have a beneficial effect on his health.

There are also special walking balls for hamsters in which you can let him run around on your floor.

Wood or corn filler 3cm wide should be laid on the bottom of the aquarium or cage. In addition to this, you can put paper towel or hay.

Branches of fruit trees, mineral or soy stones are suitable for grinding down cloves.

Nutrition and care of the Djungarian hamster

This type of rodent, like others, is omnivorous, but this does not mean that they can be fed with everything.

They are inclined to excess weight. Obesity can shorten an already short life. Therefore, the hamster's diet must be balanced.

The main type of food is grain crops; pet stores sell special kits for hamsters. They contain almost the entire list of vitamins that they need. Do not buy food for other rodents, because their diet may differ significantly.

It is worth diluting the animal’s diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables, but there are exceptions, which we will talk about later.

Once a week, give the dzhungarik protein food: egg yolk, pieces of lean fish or chicken fillet.

Categorically prohibited foods for hamsters:

• Sausages, pasta, bread;
• Cow's milk, as well as butter, sour cream, cream, etc.;
• Sorrel, mint;
• From fruits - pineapples, kiwi, avocado, cherries, citrus fruits, pomegranate, apricots, persimmons;
• Vegetables – onions, garlic, cabbage;
• Watermelon melon;
• Mushrooms;
• Salty and sweet (chocolate, cookies, chips, etc.)

If you accidentally fed something from the forbidden list to your pet, don’t worry, nothing will happen to him at one time. However, with regular use, negative consequences may occur.

Regarding drinking, it is worth noting that due to the fact that these rodents lived in conditions where there was no constant access to water, they drink little. But a drinking bowl is still necessary. Don't forget to check the freshness of the water every day.

You should clean your dwarf's home at least once a week. They themselves are quite clean and do not give off an unpleasant odor if they are cleaned regularly.

Reproduction of Djungarian hamsters

In their natural habitat, these rodents breed from March and end in September inclusive. But under home conditions they can breed for a whole year.

Pregnancy takes place over a period of three weeks. Due to the fact that their life expectancy is short, a female can give birth to 5 to 8 babies at a time. They develop quickly, after a week the first fur appears, and after that they open their eyes.

After three weeks after birth, the female should be separated from the babies. They are already completely independent.

It is important to know that until this moment a person is prohibited from touching them, since someone else’s smell can drive the mother away from the offspring or even lead to her eating them.

Djungarian hamsters live an average of three years. Although they can even live up to 4 years under particularly comfortable living conditions.

Where can I buy an animal?

You can buy it in almost every pet store Djungarian hamster. The cost averages 300 -500 rubles.

Djungarians are very common among domestic animals in Russia. Reading the reviews of the owners, we can conclude that they are friendly and funny.
However, in order for this animal to please you and your children, do not show aggression towards it. The hamster may stop trusting the person and also show aggressive behavior towards you.

And remember - we are responsible for those we have tamed!

The Djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) is a small rodent from the Hamster family, the genus Hairy-footed. Quite a popular pet to keep at home. This is due not only to its cute appearance and funny behavior, but also to its ease of care and minimum space taken up. In the wild, these animals live in the Eastern Caucasus, Asia and Western Siberia. They prefer to settle on rocky steppe territory with limited vegetation.

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Habitat

These tiny furry creatures in nature live mainly in steppes and semi-deserts. They got their name according to the place of their initial discovery - the province of Dzungaria, in northwestern China. They are also called Sungur hamsters. These animals are loners. They dig holes in the ground on their own, with great length and at a depth of up to one and a half meters, with many labyrinths and compartments. Such dwellings usually have up to 6 entrances and exits.

They lead a nocturnal lifestyle, starting active activity as soon as the sun sets: they build houses, look for food and make food reserves for the winter. The animals' diet is dominated by plant foods: shoots, grass, seeds, berries. They also eat insects. Every day they have to travel more than one kilometer in search of food. On desert plains they are very vulnerable to various predators. However, nature itself has endowed them with a camouflage color, which allows them to avoid early death.

Description

Djungarian hamsters look cute, with a pointed muzzle and small ears. Regardless of gender, the average body length is 9–12 cm with a weight of 40–65 g. The coat is short, thick and uniform. The abdomen is of a lighter tone than the other parts. The back is predominantly dark gray or brown in color. White spots are observed on the paws and the inside of the ears. Distinctive feature This type of hamster has a solid black stripe along its entire ridge.

Domestic hamsters are slightly different from their free-ranging counterparts. This is expressed in a greater variety of fur colors. The most common ones are presented in the table:

Name	Description	Photo
Standard	Brown-gray background and white belly
Sapphire	Main color - gray-blue, snow-white belly
Pearl	Matte white color with alternating gray inclusions
Mandarin	Cover of a solid orange-cream shade

There are no blacks or albinos. Wild representatives have a light coat color in summer, and a whitish tint appears in winter.

To determine the sex of an animal, you need to turn it belly up. The female has two closely spaced holes in the lower part. In the male, the anal passage is located far from the urethra.




Often the problem with keeping Djungarians at home is their short lifespan. On average it does not exceed three years. There are exceptions, but they are rare. Although in the wild, many animals do not live that long, due to the many dangers around.

It is not recommended to house two individuals in one cage, regardless of gender. Since these are strict “territorials”, they do not tolerate one of their own being nearby. This inevitably leads to aggression and constant clashes. As a result, the animal falls into a stressful state, which has a detrimental effect on health. Even if you purchase several hamsters for the purpose of breeding, you should place them separately.

The first step is to choose a cage where the new pet will spend most of its time. It should be as comfortably furnished as possible and spacious enough. The best option- this is a galvanized cage measuring 30 by 50 cm or a special plexiglass container. Internal filling:

1. 1. Litter. Fine sand or pressed sawdust, medium fraction. Both materials absorb excess moisture well and absorb foreign odors. It is unacceptable to use cotton wool, rags, paper napkins, or newspapers.
2. 2. Toilet. Purchase a special tray for small rodents, into which moisture- and odor-absorbing filler is poured.
3. 3. Branches, driftwood, plant roots. Serve as manholes for a pleasant pastime.
4. 4. House. It is necessary for the pet to rest, this is a place where he can hide from prying eyes. You can buy ready-made ones or make them yourself from wood.
5. 5. Wheel. Designed for rodents to run, which gives them great pleasure.

For supporting physical fitness Hamsters need to travel several kilometers every day. Doing this in captivity is problematic. Therefore, the wheel will be the ideal way out of the situation. But letting your pet out for free walks around the apartment is dangerous. Either he will escape and may get lost and die, or he will be crushed due to his small size. True, there are special walking balls in which the hamster will be safe to run outside his home.

The pet store has a wide range of different accessories for entertaining hamsters: ladders, tunnels, sections. Just don’t buy too many of them and clutter up the space. Be sure to have a drinking bowl and feeder inside. Pure water necessary constantly, in free access. They change it daily. The recommended sizes of the drinker are 50 ml, the feeders are 4–10 cm in diameter.

It is not advisable to place dwarfs in cramped aquariums with high walls. Then there is a lack of oxygen, which causes stress in the hamsters and worsens their well-being.

A mineral stone must be placed inside to grind down the teeth. An alternative would be any twigs from trees, with the exception of cherry and apricot ones.



Care and hygiene

Mandatory measures for caring for dzhungarikas include daily cleaning of the cage, which helps to avoid the appearance of a specific odor in the room. General washing and changing of toilet filler is carried out once a week. During this procedure, the hamster is transplanted into a special box or carrier.

The filler is not completely changed, some is left so that the hamster does not lose his bearings. Do not use chemicals for cleaning. A soap solution is ideal. From inside, they remove all the garbage and food supplies that the animal managed to hide in corners and other hidden places. However, the nest should not be destroyed.

Djungarian hamsters are not bathed, as water procedures will be another shock for them. They are able to take care of their fur on their own. For hygiene purposes, it is recommended to place a container with sifted sand inside, in which they like to tumble.

It is important to initially correctly position the pet’s housing, so as not to move it in the future and not to injure the animal’s vulnerable psyche. You cannot place the cage on the floor, under straight lines. Sun rays, near batteries and various household appliances, in a draft.

Feeding

It is ideal to feed such pets with ready-made food mixtures, where the emphasis is on the grain component.

You just need to supplement your diet with natural food. The pet's menu should include:

• fresh and boiled vegetables;
• fruits;
• greenery;
• berries;
• cereals;
• sprouted grain;
• nuts other than almonds;
• homemade crackers;
• carob fruits.

Twice a week the animals are fed protein foods: boiled egg, cottage cheese, natural yogurt, boiled fish and chicken meat. Any new product is introduced gradually, observing the body's reaction. If a hamster develops diarrhea, this component is excluded from the menu.

Adults have a two-time diet. Pregnant females and babies are fed 4–5 times a day.

The following products are prohibited:

• shoots of coniferous trees;
• potato;
• onion and garlic;
• tomato tops;
• citrus;
• melon, watermelon;
• almond;
• sausages;
• salty and smoked foods;
• chocolate, ice cream.

When purchasing specialized mixes for dwarfs at a pet store, you should avoid those intended for large rodents. This is due to the difference in composition, which can cause harm. Do not overfeed, which leads to obesity. Remains of food are immediately removed, otherwise the hamster will quickly move them to some hidden place.

Taming

Djungarians are independent by nature and are not too eager to communicate. In order for the animal not to bite and behave calmly in your arms, you will have to be patient and time. It is necessary to pay attention to your pet every day, establishing close contact. It will not be possible to tame once and for all. If you do not contact him for at least a week, then the wildness returns and you will have to start all over again.

Since the animal is accustomed to being awake at night, it is better not to disturb it again during the day. But at night you have to endure its increased activity. It is at this time that they begin to chew something, run in a wheel, rustle with paper. Therefore, it is recommended to place the cage away from the master bedroom.

When you bring a small pet into your home, you need to give it time to adapt to new conditions. Usually 2–3 days are enough. Then they carefully begin to pick him up. If a dzhungarik begins to rush around the cage at the sight of a hand reaching out to him, it is better to postpone the event and not traumatize the psyche of the ward.

It should be remembered that animals are very sensitive to external stimuli: bright light, loud sounds, sudden temperature changes. As a result, they become very frightened and quickly run wild, not wanting to make contact with humans for a long time.

Health

Most diseases in pet hamsters are caused by inappropriate care, which causes extreme stress. Extremely undesirable:

• cell movement;
• changes in sleep and wakefulness patterns;
• long trip;
• adding another hamster.

If unmotivated aggression, ulcers on the body, rapid breathing, apathy, baldness, loss of appetite and loose stools occur, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.

The most common diseases of dzhungarikas, their symptoms and recommended actions for the owner:

Problems	Symptom	Help
Viral infection, cold	Sneezes, coughs, is inactive	There is no treatment as such, but they try to ensure peace and introduce more fruits and vegetables into the diet. Serve with warm milk. The cage is removed away from drafts
Injuries: fractures, dislocations, sprains	Excessively mobile animals can be injured when falling or as a result of careless handling. Symptoms: deformed limbs, impaired gait	It is impossible to fix a broken leg or tail, so they ensure the hamster is kept in peace. They are fed food with a high calcium content (greens, sesame seeds, nuts, sunflower seeds). All traumatic attractions are temporarily removed from the cage. Usually bones heal in 10–14 days
Intestinal disorder	Loose stools or constipation, loss of appetite, exhaustion. Occurs against the background of individual intolerance to a food product	Reviewing the diet. For diarrhea give sticky rice, for constipation - vegetable oil(1–2 drops)
Conjunctivitis	Sticky eyelids	Rinse eyes with saline solution
Cataract	The pupil becomes gray and the lens becomes cloudy	Cannot be treated
Dental trauma	Refusal to eat	Examine your teeth. It happens that long incisors become the cause of loss of appetite. You can trim them with regular nail clippers, but it’s better to trust a specialist to do this.
Eczema, dermatophytosis and other skin diseases	Hair falls out in clumps, skin peels off	Contact the veterinarian
Fleas, ticks	The hamster is itching, there are wounds and red spots on the body	Use special lotions and aerosols as prescribed by your doctor.

Reproduction

Djungarian hamsters, even in captivity, are quite fertile and are able to reproduce at any time of the year. Females at least four months old are selected for mating. Males mature a month earlier. Pregnancy lasts about 3 weeks. At this time, the expectant mother is switched to a more expanded diet, which includes:

• dry granulated food;
• protein foods: boiled chicken, eggs, cottage cheese.

Prepare the cage for the mother and offspring in advance - disinfect inner space and accessories. Newborns are fed breast milk for the first 3 weeks.

You cannot pick up the cubs at this time. Otherwise, the female will smell someone else's scent and eat them.

Already on the fifth day, babies stop squeaking and become calmer. On the seventh day, the first fluff on the body begins to appear. They move around the cage on the tenth day. By this time, you can pour some kind of non-rough food on the bottom, which they will be able to eat on their own. Hearing and vision appear 1.5-2 weeks after birth. At one month of age, it is permissible to transplant them separately.

Djungarians are capable of reproducing high-quality offspring provided they are crossed only with Campbell hamsters. The lifespan of such hamsters usually does not exceed 1.5 years.

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is a small rodent from the hamster family, which, due to its complete absence of odors, its cleanliness and ease of keeping, is considered a popular pet.

The growth of such pets up to 5 cm and weight up to 45 grams. This type of rodent has hairy feet, a dark stripe on the back, usually gray, and a very short tail, which is often practically invisible when the animal is sitting. The fur is distinguished by significant white patches.

The Djungarian hamster has a pointed muzzle, small ears, and its digital tubercles are hidden under thick hair that covers the soles of its paws. The body length of an adult is up to ten centimeters. The rodent's belly is light, and its back is ocher-gray or brownish-gray in color. The paws of this rodent white, the ears are white on the inside, and a narrow black stripe runs along its ridge. In nature, in summer, hamsters have a predominant grayish color, and in winter, their fur becomes white with a silvery-white tint. Djungarian hamsters are especially active at night Times of Day, and their burrows have a nesting chamber, several holes and entrances. The lifespan of the Djungarian hamster is three years.

This species is distributed throughout the dry steppes and semi-deserts of the south of Western Siberia, Eastern Kazakhstan, and Khakassia.

Keeping and caring for the Djungarian hamster

Cage for a hamster
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Djungarian hamsters are easy to keep at home and do not require careful care. True, compared to them they are more unpretentious. For example, a cage for a Djungarian hamster should be quite spacious, since the animals are very mobile. The Djungarian hamster also needs a chalk stone to grind down its teeth. When feeding such pets, it is necessary to take into account their predisposition to diabetes mellitus, therefore, it is better to exclude or limit foods rich in monosaccharides, such as vegetables, fruits and honey.

It is not recommended to keep more than one Djungarian hamster in a cage, as these hamsters are very territorial and show aggression towards each other in a confined space. When kept together, Djungarian hamsters live in a state of permanent stress, and in fights they can injure each other, even killing each other.

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The main component of the Djungarian hamster's diet is grain food, in addition to which it is recommended to give crunchy treats, which not only give him pleasure, but also bring great benefit by grinding down his constantly growing incisors. In addition to solid food, the animals' diet should include apples, raspberries, pears and carrots.

It is recommended to feed the Djungarian hamster no more than twice a day in the morning and evening time. In this case, the pet must be given such an amount of food that the rodent can leave a small part of it for the next day. This is explained by the fact that the need for food depends on the individual properties of his body. It is strictly forbidden to include citrus fruits, sunflower seeds and nuts in the Djungarian hamster's diet, the consumption of which will have a very bad effect on his health.

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Bedding, which can be used as fine sand or pressed sawdust of the middle fraction, absorbs moisture well and perfectly absorbs odors. It is strictly forbidden to use cotton wool, napkins, rags and newspapers as bedding.

A special toilet for small rodents with absorbent material, which is used as a filler

Holes, which can be roots, branches and tubes

A house that can be attached to the wall of the cage

A wheel with transverse protrusions and a bottom without a grid, which is selected taking into account the size of the pet

A drinking bowl with a volume of fifty milliliters, the water in which is recommended to be changed daily

A feeder with a width of three to ten centimeters, which must be selected taking into account the size of the rodent

It is not recommended to keep Djungarian hamsters in narrow aquariums with high walls, because the air inside them is poorly ventilated, and bacteria will begin to multiply on their sweaty walls, which will negatively affect the health of the rodent.

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Domesticated Djungarian hamsters often differ from wild ones in color. But all Djungarian hamsters have a narrow dark stripe on their back. The following types of color are distinguished: 1. standard - brownish-gray, white belly, 2. sapphire - gray-bluish, white belly, 3. pearl - matte white with gray intervals, 2. mandarin - reddish-cream...

These hamsters have a seasonal adaptation: in winter they molt, and their fur becomes almost completely white, the gray patches disappear, leaving only a stripe on the back. Molting largely depends on the light regime of the day. With a short day length, the hamster changes color in 6 weeks. This process is driven by the production of melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland.

Djungarian hamster - reproduction

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Djungarian hamsters reproduce well, their litters are larger than those of the Syrian hamster, but it is better for the animals to live alone at home, since living together can cause them confusion and aggression. Typically, a litter of Djungarian hamsters has from 1 to 11 cubs, which are fed with mother's milk for nineteen days.

IN natural environment habitat Djungarian hamsters breed from March to September; in captivity they breed all year round. A month after birth, they must be separated and separated by gender. Puberty begins at 4-6 weeks, but there are opinions that this early pregnancy may be dangerous for the female. It is recommended to start mating at 4 months. Gestation period is 18-22 days. A pregnant female should be provided with calm, comfortable living conditions, since in case of stress, the female can kill and eat her offspring. The female can also show aggression towards the male. The female is ready for fertilization within 24 hours after birth.

Of all the hairy-footed hamsters, Djungarian hamsters can form viable hybrids only with Campbell's hamsters. Although hybrids of Djungarian hamsters and Campbell's hamsters are very suitable for living at home, obtaining them should not be encouraged, since hybrids often have problems with reproduction and often produce non-viable offspring. Therefore, when breeding hamsters, it is important to ensure that both hamsters are Djungarian hamsters. If you take good care of them, they will live a long time.

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Before giving birth, it is recommended to completely disinfect the cage, and use a one-story house for childbirth. It is forbidden to stroke, touch or touch newborn young animals with your hands, because the female hamster, sensing a foreign odor, may eat her offspring. During pregnancy, as well as feeding young animals, it is necessary to separately and in small quantities include protein foods in the female’s diet, which may include boiled chicken meat, boiled egg yolk, and low-fat cottage cheese.

The sex of a dwarf at the age of at least 3 - 4 weeks, and these are the ones usually sold in pet stores, is diagnosed quite simply. First of all, place the hamster with its back on your palm so that you can hold it with your thumb. top part Djungarian torso. At the same time, the back of the pet is in a free position, and you can easily see the sexual characteristics of the rodent with the help of your second hand. Make sure that the hamster is not in pain, do not squeeze his fragile body too much, be careful. Having caught a moment of relative calm, take a look at the hamster's genitals. If there is a distance of 0.5-1 cm between them and the anus, and a formed gland similar to a navel is clearly visible in the center of the abdomen, then this is a male. If the distance between the anus and the genitals is insignificant, and the gland is almost invisible, then your Djungarian hamster is a girl. In addition, female Djungarians can be distinguished by 2 rows of papillae running from the hamster’s chest to the lower abdomen.

Djungarian hamster - diseases

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Injuries Djungarians usually get it when they fall or other unfortunate circumstances while running. The main symptoms are curvature of the limbs and problems in moving the pet. The rodent's condition may be accompanied by shock. You should show the jungarik to a veterinarian, who will give recommendations for recovery depending on the severity of the injury.

If your dwarf sniffles and sneezes, and its activity is significantly reduced, it is likely that your beloved pet has been exposed to viral infection. The principle of such diseases is no different from human ailments, so the virus can easily be transmitted from a person to a dzhungarik, and vice versa. There is no treatment as such, but try to provide your rodent with fresh vegetables and fruits. This will improve his immunity and speed up the healing process.

If your pet's eyelids are stuck together, a bacterial infection may have developed into conjunctivitis. As a treatment, it is recommended to gently rinse the eyes of the dzhungarika with salted water. If your rodent's pupil area gray, and the lens of the eye is quite cloudy, perhaps a hamster cataract. Typically, this disease of the Djungarians manifests itself in old age and cannot be treated. Just accept your beloved pet for who he is.

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Your rodent's sudden refusal to eat any food may be due to injury. teeth. Check to see if your Djungarian hamster's incisors are broken off. In addition, there are cases when the dzhungarik is hampered by its too long teeth. In such situations, you should straighten your pet's teeth. It is best to have your hamster's incisors trimmed by a qualified veterinarian.

If your dwarf's skin is peeling or hair is falling out, it is quite possible that these are symptoms of diseases such as dermatophytosis or eczema. Typically, these diseases are associated with constant stress Djungarian hamster or allergy to something new in the rodent cage. You should seek help from a veterinarian. He will prescribe you the courses of antibiotics necessary for your pet’s recovery.

If your hamster is constantly scratching itself, and has a lot of wounds and red spots on its body, your hamster is probably living with lice or mites. In this case, it is recommended to contact a veterinarian and find out which lotion or aerosol is suitable for your dwarf and will not harm its health. Do not use medical products unless you are sure they are safe for use on rodents.

Severe diarrhea, accompanied by copious discharge with a very unpleasant odor, loud bubbling in the hamster’s stomach are signs of intestinal diseases. Bacterial infections of this kind can be easily cured with the help of special medications. Be sure to seek help from a veterinarian.

The Djungarian hamster is a small rodent, its size does not exceed 10 cm, the average individual reaches 5-7 cm in height, and its weight ranges between 50 grams. The animal's fur is very beautiful and tends to change color depending on the season of the year. Their distinctive feature from other breeds of hamsters is a dark stripe along the ridge. The fur itself is variegated with light patches; this feature allows them to camouflage themselves as much as possible from predatory animals in the wild.

Djungarian hamster

The color of domestic jungarians can be:

• tangerine;
• pearly;
• sapphire;
• black;
• standard (gray-brown).

Most often in winter, rodents are subject to molting; the animals shed their old fur and become white with their characteristic dark stripe on the back.

Unlike other breeds of hamsters, Djungarian hamsters are absolutely not smelly. They are clean, and if you regularly sanitize your home, you can prevent the appearance of an unpleasant odor. Djungarians become attached to their owners, willingly go into their arms and can spend some time on a person’s lap.

However, this does not mean at all that an animal can be made into a toy for small child. They can also be quite timid and do not like loud noise. It is worth noting that the dwarf is active at night; it is worth coming to terms with this feature, or placing the cage in such a way that its night life does not interfere with the sleep of its owners.

Necessary purchases. Djungarian hamsters, although small, are capable of very active defense of their territory. Based on this fact, you cannot buy two hamsters and put them in one, even a large cage. Regular fights and the struggle for survival and food production will lead to the death of animals.

The first purchase after purchasing an animal will be a spacious cage. The larger its size, the more comfortable the pet will feel; the minimum size of its home should be 50x30 cm. This amount of space will be enough for it to live and play. If you choose a cage with bars located horizontally, the hamster will be able to climb on them, giving him extra exercise. If you do not provide the animal with the necessary space to move, run and play, it will simply die. The cage can also be two or three tiers.

The Djungarian hamster's home must be equipped with the following equipment:

1. A house for privacy.
2. Drinking bowl;
3. Feeder;
4. A container for “bathing”;
5. Sports (game) equipment;

Since Djungarian hamsters are timid, they need security, so in order for them to be able to retire and hide in a cage, they need a small house. These structures are sold in pet stores; they can be made of various materials: wood, plastic, ceramics, cardboard. Cardboard houses are not so practical; ceramic and wooden products would be preferable. The higher the practicality of a small shelter, the higher its price. Plastic houses combine both reliability and comparative cheapness, and therefore are more popular among buyers.

The high mobility of the Djungarian dog was mentioned above, therefore, to maintain this feature of the breed, its cage must be equipped with sports equipment. These can be running wheels, labyrinths, rope bridges, ladders. When choosing a wheel, you should carefully inspect it. It is advisable that the structure does not contain holes, otherwise the animal’s leg may get stuck, which can lead to fractures or dislocations of the pet’s limbs.

Too large a wheel radius can cause a curvature of the rodent’s spine, so the equipment must match its size; don’t be shy about asking a pet store consultant for advice. Equipping the cage with play elements will help the pet spend time actively and cheerfully, which is important for a loving owner.

A food trough may not actually be needed; hamsters do not eat from a bowl, and most often love to turn it upside down, scattering the contents. The bowl is only needed to put food on it, and then the hamster will take it to its bins. A ceramic feeder is preferable - it is heavier and more difficult for a small rodent to move and turn over than a plastic one. When choosing a drinking bowl, you should know that they are different.

You should not take a simple bowl for these purposes; the hamster will easily turn it over and wet the filler. An excellent solution for cages is automatic drinkers with a nipple design. Its device is quite simple - water is poured into a plastic container, at the bottom there is a special long metal spout with a valve, when the animal wants to drink, it presses on it and gets water for itself. The advantage of such a device is that it is easy to attach to the cage, the water does not overflow and does not become dirty. Djungarians cannot be bathed in water, but they need to keep their fur clean. Therefore, as needed, you need to place a bathing container with clean sand in the cage.

Cage filler is vital for an animal. You can buy special sawdust for hamsters at a pet store, or you can use fillers made from wood, corn, or cellulose. You can dilute the filler with paper napkins, toilet paper, it is necessary for rodents to make nests. You should not use cotton wool and padding polyester as filler; rodents will clog their cheeks with it and may choke, and the material sticks to the animal’s limbs and contributes to poor circulation in them.

Basic care

Caring for Djungarian hamsters

The most important thing in caring for a Djungarian hamster is to provide comfortable living and feeding conditions. Therefore, the issue of placing a cage with a rodent must be given Special attention. Animals do not like noise, so you should not arrange their home next to a TV, computer or other source of loud sounds. A place near a heating radiator is also not the best option for a pet. To avoid the development of diseases, it is impossible to place the cage in places where drafts occur. Direct sunlight is undesirable for hamsters.

Djungarian hamsters are very clean animals, so they are easy to care for. The animal itself does not exude unpleasant odors, and the cage needs to be cleaned on average once every three days, with the filler replaced once a week. Cleaning should begin with transplanting the hamster into safe place where he cannot escape, such as a jar or portable container. Next, you can start cleaning up items. It is worth noting that all the dirty filler cannot be removed; a small part of it must be left. It is necessary to wash the cage monthly using laundry soap. The sawdust must be poured out, the tray washed and dried, then a new layer of warm bedding must be poured.

In order for a rodent to sharpen its teeth, it is necessary to place a wooden stick in the cage; mineral rock is also suitable for the same purpose. To clean the fur, you should give your hamster a “bath day” as needed. You can determine when it’s time to clean the fur by its appearance. If the fur has lost its shine and pellets have formed, you need to take a bathing container and pour clean sand into it, and put your pet in it. While wallowing in the sand, the hamster will clean its fur.

Optimal nutrition

The average life expectancy of dzhungariks is 3 years. Mature animals lead a sedentary lifestyle and practically do not move. To ensure full functioning, a rodent requires a balanced diet. It is necessary to accustom the animal to take food in one place in the cage, and not to drag it around its entire perimeter. For these purposes, both the feeder and the drinker are installed in one corner. The Djungarian hamster is omnivorous, but this does not mean that it can be fed from “its own plate.” The animal is prone to rapid obesity, and this fact negatively affects its health.

When creating a diet for a hamster, you need to understand that it should not differ significantly from what they eat in the wild. The best and easiest option is to buy food at a pet store. Special food for dwarf animals is balanced and additionally supplied with vitamins and microelements necessary for the growth and health of the animal. Most often, purchased food contains corn, sunflower seeds, nuts, oats, and peas.

Nutrition of Djungarian hamsters

In addition, hamsters love to feast on vegetables:

• zucchini;
• carrots;
• cucumbers;
• tomatoes;
• lettuce leaves.

Cabbage, garlic and onions are absolutely not suitable for Djungarians. You can also supplement your pet’s diet with fruits: peaches, apples, bananas, apricots. It is advisable not to offer citrus fruits.

Rodents need to diversify their cereal diet with protein foods. Once a week, the hamster needs to be offered meat, about 2-4 small pieces. It could be boiled chicken. Low-fat cottage cheese and boiled chicken eggs are also suitable as protein. In the summer, it would be nice to pamper the dzhungarik with juicy greens, such as dandelions, nettles, clover, plantain, and parsley. It is better to avoid sorrel and mint as treats for your pet.

In mint - essential oils, and sorrel is too sour, which the hamster may not like. It is important to know that you should not add salt, spices, baked goods, pasta, or sausages to the food of Djungarian hamsters. Fried and sweet foods are also prohibited. A serving of a healthy adult rodent should be no more than 2.5 tablespoons of prepared food. The hamster eats up to 2 times a day, and also hides food behind its cheeks, so it will not be hungry.

Diseases

Pets get sick, and this fact cannot but upset the owner. Djungarian hamsters are also susceptible to various kinds of diseases. An alarming signal of the development of the disease can be deviations in the animal’s normal behavior. For example, refusal to eat, immobility, excessive solitude, changes in bowel movements and other signs. The first step is to visit a veterinarian to diagnose and prescribe treatment for your pet.

The main diseases of dzhungarik can be classified into groups:

1. Mechanical damage.
2. Colds.
3. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
4. Eye diseases.
5. Problems with wool.
6. Dental diseases.
7. Oncological diseases and neoplasms.

The activity of hamsters can often lead to various injuries to organs or limbs. Often in their short life, fractures and dislocations of the legs from a fall or excessive love from the owner. You can understand that an animal has suffered a mechanical injury by uncharacteristic behavior or visually. The injured leg may be deformed, the hamster may have difficulty moving, will not eat, and will be inactive - all of which means that he may be in pain.

Signs of colds in Djungarians are sneezing, runny nose and low mobility. You should know that a hamster can catch a disease from the owners of the house, or catch a cold in a draft. The animal should be treated with warm milk, heating the bedding and moving the cage to warm place. Additional treatment is prescribed by a veterinarian. Sticky eyelids in a hamster are a sign of an eye disease. It could be conjunctivitis or another infection.

Wash the animal's eyes with tea leaves or saline solution. Cataract is clouding of the lens, often found among Dzungarians in mature age. Unfortunately, this disease in rodents cannot be cured.

Dental problems often plague Djungarian hamsters. If your pet refuses to eat, his teeth may be bothering him. It is necessary to examine the oral cavity; perhaps the incisors have grown too long or the animal has been injured. In any case, it is better to take him to the vet.

And for oral hygiene and teeth grinding, there should always be a wooden stick or mineral pebble in the cage. If a dwarf's fur is falling out, he may be sick. He may have eczema or allergic reaction for food or filler. A course of antibiotics will help cure the animal.

Organ diseases gastrointestinal tract are not uncommon in the life of Djungarian hamsters. Signs of the disease are diarrhea, gurgling in the stomach, foul-smelling discharge. Infections of bacterial etiology are treated with antibiotics, so in this case the solution is a direct route to the veterinarian. Djungarians are highly susceptible to the development of cancer and neoplasms. Only an experienced veterinarian can make an accurate diagnosis.

Djungarians breed throughout the year. A female hamster gives birth to from 1 to 10 babies of various colors. The gestation period is 3 weeks. The youngest female can be 4 months old, and she can become pregnant a day after giving birth. It is better to remove the male immediately after the birth of the offspring, otherwise there will be fights. But a new mother needs peace and comfort. Their life is short, so all important processes occur rapidly in Djungarians.

Dwarf Djungarian hamsters (in narrow circles known as “Russian” hamsters) are an ideal solution for those who do not want to risk the establishment large specimens from the hamster family. In addition, they are very popular among children due to the fact that they lead an active lifestyle almost at any time and quickly get used to their hands (however, they also lose the habit just as quickly).

So, what do you need to know to keep such hamsters at home? Firstly, you must understand that the “jungarik” is a family hamster and he definitely needs a husband/wife. Keeping a hamster alone, although possible, is not recommended. Alone and without affection from the owner, he can run wild. The degree of wildness of a Djungarian hamster can reach such a level that you simply physically cannot give it a bowl of food or replace water - the hamster simply jumps on your hand and bites it until it bleeds.

If you are not sure that you will pay attention to your hamster every day, buy a pair. It is advisable that these are young hamsters, full of strength and capable of quick adaptation.

Hamsters love it when it's dry. And it's not hot. Dry and not hot. Follow these rules when choosing a place where they will live. A table that does not receive direct sunlight is ideal for this. You can place hamsters either in a cage or in an aquarium. An aquarium, by the way, is the most relevant, because dwarf Djungarian hamsters are very smart and within a month or two they can understand how you open the cage. On own experience I will say that this is very unpleasant: every night my hamster opened the latch of the cage and ran around the room. Young animals are having fun in the feeder. As you can see, they are no worse off in an aquarium than in a cage.

If your hamsters run away, know that they are where the paper or cardboard is. If you don’t have paper products anywhere on the floor, look under the bed, sofa and other furniture attributes with a low leg. There are more easy way searching for escaped Djungarian hamsters: turn off the lights and wait for them to crawl out. Within two to five minutes they begin to rustle and will probably run out onto the open surface. This is where you catch them.

Now let’s talk directly about the conditions in which the Dzungarians should live. The surface on which they run should be filled with sawdust. With their help, they can “build” a nest for themselves and begin to give birth. Paper should be used only if purchasing sawdust was impossible. A good option There will be a house installed, which is made from clay and sold in pet stores at a low price. This way they can sleep peacefully during the day, not paying attention to the light.

Caring owners will definitely provide the dzhungarika with space for entertainment - a running wheel and ladders for climbing the wall will make your pet’s life much more fun than without them.

Hamsters' feeder should be replenished once a day, just like their water. By the way, you can either buy food for Djungarian hamsters in stores or make it yourself. It is important to understand that without a good diet, the hamster will begin to fade. So, if you make the mixture yourself, you should use the following elements:

• Corn cobs;
• Cereal cobs;
• Sunflower seeds (not salted)
• Fruit and vegetable complex (sometimes give cabbage, apples, etc.);
• Legumes.

Hamsters do not mind eating beans and peas, but it is not advisable to give them in large quantities. You should also take into account that the mixtures in stores are not so expensive; a mixture for 100 rubles will last you at least two to four weeks (depending on the number of hamsters).

The care cycle for Djungarian hamsters also includes cleaning their cage and hygiene procedures. The cage should be cleaned at least once a week to prevent moisture and bad smell. This is why I previously recommended sawdust instead of paper: sawdust absorbs moisture better and is easier to remove (paper shrinks strongly and forms a smelly layer that is difficult to pull out). There are often cases when hamsters “go to the toilet” in the same place. This can be a corner that is not occupied by toys or a house, and also located at a decent distance from them. In this case, you can completely change the sawdust every one and a half to two weeks, cleaning only the toilet sector once a week.

Djungarian hamsters are very afraid of drafts and colds. Because of this, it is strictly forbidden to bathe them in water. Instead, you can install sand baths for them, in which they themselves will clean the skin whenever they please. If you want to take part in bathing your hamster, then use a decoction of wormwood. This is one of the few liquids that can be safely used to wash your hamster.

Caring for Djungarian hamsters in “non-standard” situations

Is your hamster acting strange? This is not yet a reason to ring the bells and call the doctor! There are several hackneyed cases that occur among a good portion of Djungarian hamster owners. We will consider them.

The hamster sleeps all day and all night. What to do?

Of course, the Djungarian hamster cannot sleep around the clock. If you bought a single hamster, then there is a high probability of stress. Also, an insufficiently varied diet leads to a decrease in activity: for example, you cannot feed him only seeds. Cereals are an essential part of the Djungarian hamster's diet. It could also be that he got sick. Most likely he was blown away.

One hamster is aggressive. Why?

The female hamster is quite often aggressive towards the male. This means that she is ready to give birth to small hamsters. In this case, there is no need to get scared and separate them, everything is fine. It’s another matter when the male is aggressive. This can only be caused by the presence of the younger generation of hamsters in the same cage with the old hamster - father/grandfather, etc. If young hamsters are not separated from old ones, the oldest one can become very aggressive. My oldest hamster went crazy and started biting all the hamsters until they bled. We had to separate him from the others. Unfortunately, this madness did not stop and he lived alone for the rest of his life.

First, she needs peace of mind. Try not to touch the house with the children in which she gave birth (if you have a house, she will give birth there). Do not touch newborns with your hands, otherwise the female will become incredibly aggressive. If she is poorly fed or exposed to stress (separation from offspring, holding babies), she can kill and eat them. The male should not be separated from the offspring - he will not do anything with them, just like with the female.