Which pet to choose if you have no time to walk the dog and are not ready to share your apartment with a cat? Take a closer look at small rodents. For example, a hamster can be an excellent companion and does not require complicated care. This animal does not have high intelligence, but it has a touching appearance. With a good attitude and small tricks, he can be taught to carry out a number of commands and educated manually. How to play with a hamster, what can you teach a pet?
The perfect home for your beloved Homa
Purchasing a pet is a serious, responsible step. It is advisable to start with the arrangement of housing for the animal. And only when everything is ready, you can go for the hamster himself - to the pet store or to the selected breeder. For the content of small rodents, cells from 60x40 cm in size (along the bottom) are suitable. The hamster's dwelling can be one-story or have several tiers. This animal is quite mobile and curious. During your wakefulness, your pet will never sit still. What is needed to keep a hamster in order to place it in its cage? If the height allows, make a shelf (or several) and a ladder to it. There must be a house in the cage. All types of rodents need shelter, where they will feel safe. Be sure to get a drinker and feeder. Very often hamsters are afraid to start because of an unpleasant smell. You can solve this problem by teaching your pet to cope with a small need in a certain place. Those who want to try to teach the hamster good manners will have to purchase a special toilet for small rodents.
Cage Playground
Even the most loving and responsible owner cannot stay with his pet around the clock. The hamster’s cage should be a comfortable home for him, not a prison. Care should be taken to properly equip the gaming area. The classic version is a running wheel. This simulator is made in various sizes. It’s worth buying a wheel for a specific animal, taking into account the breed’s characteristic dimensions and the individual hamster’s constitution. Tunnels and entire labyrinths are also sold in pet stores. Such designs are made of durable plastic and safe materials edible for animals.
Choose to your taste, taking into account the area of the existing cell. Do not be afraid that with a lot of entertainment the pet will lose interest in the owner. Give the animal time to get comfortable, watch it, and you will understand how to play with the hamster. The peculiarity of rodents is their natural curiosity. Quickly enough, the hamster will learn all the toys available in the cage and will be interested in the outside world and its inhabitants.
Adaptation and taming of the hamster after purchase
Moving to a new home is a huge stress for a hamster. In the early days, the cage should be placed in a calm place, if possible, ensure peace and quiet in the selected room. Keep your bowls and drinkers full. But trying to communicate with a new family member is not worth it. Give your hamster time to get used to the new sounds and smells of your house. Think for now how to name a boy hamster or girl. If you plan to try to teach your pet to respond to a call, choose a short and simple name. About a week after moving you can try to make friends with a hamster. To start, try to feed the animal from the hand.
Be patient and be prepared for the fact that far from the first attempt, the pet will dare to take the proposed treat from the outstretched palm. When the hamster will feel confident in the new house, you can try to pick it up. At this stage, it is important to follow the rule of the golden mean. Do not sharply grab the animal and pick it up if it is clearly resisting. But you should not be afraid and refuse tactile contact at all, otherwise your pet will grow wild and will never be given in hand.
Can a hamster learn his name?
How can you play with a Dzungarian hamster if he does not show a clear interest in the owner? It is important to understand that the intelligence of these animals is quite limited. The hamster gets used to the environment. But he will never reach for a certain person like, for example, a dog or a cat. There are, of course, quite quick-witted animals that can learn something on their own. However, this is rather the exception to the rule - the geniuses of the rodent world. The hamster is not able to remember and recognize the name given to him. But you can teach the animal to respond to the nickname. Everything is very simple: treat the pet with a treat, clearly pronouncing his name with invocative intonation. First bring the treat directly to the hamster and allow it to be taken immediately, then stretch it from a distance. Thus, the pet will develop a reflex that after the owner pronounces a certain word (his name), a treat awaits him. Very soon, your hamster will start to run out of the house at the call.
Simple tricks
There are many options for playing with a hamster, using gastronomic treats as a motivation. You can try to learn some simple command. For example, to teach a hamster to stand on its hind legs and wait for a reward. The team must be accompanied by a sound signal. Let it be the banal word "Stand!". The execution algorithm is simple: the owner shows a treat, pronounces the selected word, brings a treat over the head of the pet. When the hamster stands on its hind legs, it receives a reward.
Walks on hands and in the apartment
Soon enough after moving to a new house, the hamster will be interested in everything that is outside his cage. We strongly do not recommend releasing the animal directly to the floor, it can run away and hide. How to tame a hamster to sit on the hands and neck of a person? Only practice will help in this matter. Regularly pick up the animal in the moments when he himself is active. Try to put it on your shoulder, but be careful. Remember, hamsters are very fragile animals and they cannot jump high. If the animal accidentally falls off your arm or shoulder, it can be seriously injured. How to play with a Syrian hamster if he is constantly trying to escape from his hands? In the pet shop you can buy a special area for walking small rodents around the apartment. This accessory is made of transparent plastic. It has air vents and a door. Everything is very simple: put the hamster inside, and he, running as if in a wheel, moves around the apartment. In this case, the animal can not get lost and injured.
Training a hamster in the toilet
Hamsters are sometimes called the most smelling rodents. Indeed, the urine of animals has a pronounced unpleasant odor. You can prevent its spread throughout the apartment only by changing the entire litter in the cage daily. But in fact, these animals are quite easily accustomed to relieve their natural needs in one place. Observe the natural behavior of your pet. If the hamster has already chosen a certain angle, just put a special toilet there. You can help the animal to determine: put already wet sawdust in the tray. Most likely, the smell will tell the hamster what to do in this place. As filler for the toilet, it is best to use sawdust or sand. Shake and rinse the tray regularly, and then your conversation with a furry friend will not overshadow the unpleasant smell. Now you know how to play with a hamster and train it to the toilet. We wish you success in raising your new pet!