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Intro:
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| New hamsters or gerbils shouldn't be added to an established group unless both the old and new animals are still young. If the established animals are mature, the new animals will usually be picked on and bitten, while if the new animals are mature, they might fight with the younger, current group. Although a gerbil bite will rarely break the skin, a hamster bite can. If this happens, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water, apply some disinfectant and forget about it. They don't carry any diseases that can harm you. A good way of capturing an escaped animal is to take some bedding and food (include a carrot or sliced apple), place them in a deep bucket, then put the bucket in the area where you think the animal might be. Add a ramp (a piece of wood, some pillows, or a stairway made of books) from the floor to the top of the bucket. The hamster or gerbil will climb up, drop in to get the food and won't be able to get out. Never pick up a gerbil by the end of its tail. If you have to grasp the tail, hold it at the base. |
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Hamsters and gerbils completely depend on you to take care of all aspects of their lives, so it's important to know what they need: Feeding. For the first few weeks, give them the packaged food (follow package instructions), and add a supplement of fresh foods (cut up carrots, beets, and radishes into chunks) two to three times a week. Once they get used to this diet, scale back on the packaged food so the meals are half packaged, half fresh. Remove any uneaten fresh food pieces before they rot. Change the water daily. Cleaning. For hamsters, scoop out the corner (or corners) of bedding they chose for their bathroom area daily (a kitty litter scoop works well). Change the bedding completely every ten days or so. Gerbils, although more indiscriminate, go to the bathroom less than hamsters, so change the bedding every two weeks or so, depending on how many animals you have. If you provided a bathroom area for your gerbils, and they're using it, then clean the area daily. Taming and handling. It'll take a little while for both animals to get used to being handled (you'll probably receive a few bites at first), but the more you do it on a regular basis, the more trusting and comfortable they'll be. For a gerbil, tap the cage if it's asleep, then put your hand inside to let it familiarize itself with your scent. Repeat this a few times until the animal feels secure enough to climb onto your hand. When it does, you can pick it up out of the cage. Note: gerbils are great jumpers, and they can sometimes become startled when picked up abruptly, so always handle the animal in an enclosed area, and be sure it trusts you before carrying it high above the ground. When you're done, place the animal back onto the bedding (never drop the gerbil or it won't trust your handling). Because of their temperament, hamsters take a little more patience to tame. The best time to handle them is in the evening, after they've woken up from a day's sleep. (Never pick up a sleeping hamster--it will bite.) If the hamster is still asleep in the evening, tap the cage to wake it up. It will come out of its nest and see who's there. Put your hand in the cage and see if it will be petted. If it rolls on it's back and squeaks, it wants to be left alone. If not, pet if for a few minutes and give it a treat. After a few sessions, it should be comfortable enough to let you pick it up, which you can do by cupping it in your hand. Hamsters are slower than gerbils, so feel free to let it roam around in your lap, or in an enclosed area. Once you become familiar with either animals' temperaments (and they become familiar with yours) you'll notice more unique aspects of their personalities and habits, and you'll have made your first friends in the rodent world. -end- 
All steps at once (printable version) |
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Tend the animal
