Rescue Tail / They Rule the Night
The night is yours if you’re a hamster. All good things happen once darkness falls. The night is long as you eat, drink, explore, and travel your small world on a hamster wheel. Once daylight hits, you head for bed and sleep the day away until nighttime returns when you begin again. While this might not sound like the best life on the planet to most of us, it describes a pretty common life of most hamsters.
Hamsters are low-maintenance companions with a lot to offer their human caregivers if expectations and lifestyles are a good match.
Hamsters are nocturnal members of the rodent family. There are many different breeds of hamsters. Syrians are larger and probably the most popular breed. Unlike mice and rats, many hamsters prefer to live alone as adults. Syrians are especially territorial by nature as adults and will fight with other hamsters so they do best when living as solitary animals.
The same often applies to Chinese hamsters. When it comes to friendliness towards people, the breed of hamster influences their personality and behavior, but how they are treated also has a great influence. Syrians are often the most friendly but will become defensive biters if not handled appropriately. This is why hamsters are not the best pets for small children UNLESS adults take the responsibility for the care and handling of them. Hamsters are considered exotic pets so any medical care needs to be provided by a hamster-savvy, exotics veterinarian. Hamsters’ health needs are very different than those of a cat or dog.
Hamsters are small and fragile, and because they are prey animals, they are frightened easily. But with time, patience, and consistent gentle handling, they can become friendly and interactive. Hamsters don’t ask a lot of their people, yet they can provide hours of entertainment and even affection once a bond of trust has been built. Because they are nocturnal, they can make great companions for “night owls” or those who work late night shifts. Hamsters can be very enjoyable company!
Currently both the Key West and Marathon shelter have hamsters available for adoption. We encourage anyone interested to learn more about hamster care, health, and housing at https://erinshamsters.wixsite.
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