Angora hamsters are little furries in the house. Proper care of the Angora hamster: information about the features of the breed Black Angora hamster

Hamsters are one of the most popular pets. Such success is explained by their unpretentiousness in care and nutrition, a small occupied area, and the absence of the need to walk a pet daily. The rodent will feel great even in a small apartment, because all he needs is a well-equipped cage where you can eat, sleep and play.

IN Lately Angora hamsters are especially popular. These cute fluffy creatures immediately attract attention. Many people think that it is separate but it is not. Long-haired animals are just a variety. The fact is that fluffy rodents with different colors are often born in nature, but they do not survive because they are not adapted to their natural habitat.

The Angora hamster appeared only when animals began to be bred in captivity. Breeders were able to save long-haired representatives, with further crossings it was possible to create not only a natural yellowish color, but also cream, white, black, silver, tortoiseshell. angora hamsters have long hair: in females it reaches 2 cm, and in males 5 cm, so caring for them is slightly different from keeping ordinary rodents.

There must be a house in the cage where they could hide and rest. Since the coat is long, Angora hamsters will not be able to run in a regular wheel: the diameter of the toy must be at least 20 cm. The bedding is also characterized by some features. Ordinary sawdust will constantly get tangled and interfere with the rodent. It is best to use wood pellets.

Some owners believe that a fluffy coat needs frequent washing, but in no case should you bathe a hamster, because he can catch a cold. From time to time, long hair needs to be combed and tangled objects pulled out of it. Angora hamsters are able to take care of their own appearance. You can put them in a bath with sand for bathing, where they will clean themselves.

If you really want to get several Angora hamsters at once, then all of them must be kept in separate cages, because they don’t like neighbors: even in wild nature rodents settle from each other at a distance of about 100 m. In order for the skin to always be beautiful, you need to give the animal vitamins and balanced food. The Angora hamster is very demanding on food. A photo of this rodent will not leave anyone indifferent, but in order to have such a handsome man at home, you need to stock up on grain, fruits and vegetables.

Hamsters are very fond of oats, corn, millet, flax. Plants and vegetables must be juicy. The pet will be very happy with apples, bananas, zucchini, lettuce, carrots, pumpkins, tomatoes, pears. should be only of animal origin: kefir, low-fat cottage cheese, boiled chicken meat. Do not give potatoes, garlic, cabbage, onions, citrus fruits and other exotic vegetables and fruits. The hamster's food should always be fresh, then he will live a long life and will not get sick.

The Angora hamster is a species Syrian breed with long hair. Usually, only males of the subspecies are called that, whose hair reaches 5 cm. In females, it does not grow longer than 2 cm. It is this feature that makes pets everyone's favorites. In the wild, they are not found, because their color does not allow camouflage.

In addition to long hair, angorikas are characterized by large cheeks, lack of a tail and small front paws. Their height does not exceed 12 cm, and their weight adult is approximately 180 grams.

How long do Angora hamsters live and their cost?

Hamsters of this breed live for about three years. If the owners follow the rules of care and maintenance, the life of rodents increases by another year.

An Angora hamster costs in Russia from 200 to 350 rubles - it all depends on the place of purchase of the animal. But the purchase is not the final expense item. For normal and comfortable living conditions, he will need not only a cage, but also auxiliary accessories: a wheel, a feeder, a drinking bowl, a toilet, etc.

Before purchasing a rodent, make sure that it is healthy.

Status signs are:

• Smooth and shiny skin without bald patches.
• No discharge from the nose or eyes.
• active behavior without obvious signs overexcitation.

Animal conditions

Reproduction and life expectancy of Angora hamsters directly depends on right conditions keeping animals. It is important to know that it is forbidden to keep several same-sex rodents of this breed in one cage. They do not tolerate neighborhood and therefore fights for the territory with serious injuries cannot be avoided.

Subspecies features:

• He quickly gets used to the house and the toilet, gets along well with children and almost does not make noise at night.
• Rarely gets sick with proper care.
• Clean and unpretentious in food.

Despite this, there are some difficulties:

• This breed of rodent is prone to the appearance overweight that adversely affect health. Therefore, it is necessary to control the portions of food and install simulators in his home.
• Nocturnal - during daylight hours they sleep or hide in the house.
• It can hibernate if the temperature in the room drops below 10 0 C. Be careful not to overcool the Angorika.

The Angora hamster, whose photo can be found on the Internet, gnaws on furniture, shoes, wires and everything it can reach, because its teeth are constantly growing. In this regard, it is necessary to control its behavior outside the cell.

Rodent dwelling requirements

The dwelling is installed in a place remote from heating appliances, drafts and direct sun rays. Make sure that curtains or wallpaper do not come into contact with the cage - otherwise you risk their integrity. The Angora hamster's cage is filled with twigs and obligatory mineral stones, on which he grinds his teeth.

The floor is covered with a special granular filler (cat cannot be used). A place to rest is a plastic house, the floor of which is covered with paper, cloth or hay. You can not use cotton wool as a heater, especially if you are breeding animals - small paws and newborn cubs get confused in it.

For supporting physical form Angorica, install additional ladders, running wheels, hammocks or tunnels in the cage. Choose a wheel for Angora hamsters at least 20 cm in diameter so that the fluffy does not get tangled in its own fur.

Provided that your animal is accustomed to the tray, you will have to clean it twice a week and it will not take much time, because this breed is very clean. The animal is removed from the cage, the latter is washed under running water using special cleaning products.

Grooming and bathing

Long hair can cause a lot of trouble for the owners and discomfort for the animals themselves. It must be combed out, simultaneously taking out tangled particles of food and waste. For this, the usual Toothbrush. To make the wool less dirty, you need to use wood pellets instead of sawdust to fill the floor of the cage.

Important! It is forbidden to bathe animals - this leads them to stress, inflammation and colds. Instead of water, put a small container with ordinary river sand in their dwelling so that Angara hamsters can clean their coats on their own.

Feeding the Angora Hamster

Since the species of rodents in question was bred artificially, their nutrition should be as balanced as possible and contain as much protein food as possible.

The correct diet of animals consists of:

• Fiber. Daily oats, flax or millet.
• Animal proteins (every 2-3 days). Poultry meat and dairy products.
• Vegetable proteins (nuts, vegetables, berries and fruits) - every day.

It is desirable to feed angorika with special grain mixtures, which can be purchased at any pet store at an affordable cost. Their range is large, so before buying hamster food, study the photos and information about the composition, as well as reviews on the Internet.

Make sure that household fluffies do not stockpile food - sour foods can poison them. Bones must be removed from fruits before feeding - the acid they contain is the most dangerous poison for Angora hamsters.

Animals should not be given food containing dyes or preservatives. Besides:

• Sweet, smoked, pickled, canned and salted.
• Watermelons, almonds and exotic fruits.
• Sorrel.

After eating chips or salted peanuts, the animal will not die, but stomach problems are guaranteed. If you want Angora hamsters to live as long as possible, follow these rules.

reproduction

Angora hamsters reach reproductive age at 1.5 months. You can mate representatives of different breeds, you need to select partners by weight, size and immediately plant a male - a pregnant female becomes very aggressive and can cripple or kill her "spouse".

Newly made mothers can eat their offspring - this is due to a lack of protein in the body. To preserve the offspring, feed pregnant hamsters heavily with chicken meat, milk and egg whites. In addition, you should not take newborns in your hands - someone else's smell will turn the mother away from the children and the offspring will die.

Hamster health and possible diseases- it's all in your hands. Try to make these cute animals please you for more than one year. Care will return with boundless love and trust.

The Angora hamster is a long-haired variety of the common Syrian hamster. It got its name due to the shaggy wool, reminiscent of hairline angora goat or rabbit. In wildlife, such animals usually do not survive due to their inability to live - it is difficult to hide from the enemy without having a standard yellow-sand coat color.

Fortunately, in captivity, individuals can easily exist. Angoras were first bred in the United States in 1972. The subspecies is characterized by a huge variety of colors - white, gray, black, tortoiseshell, spotted, silver, cream and many others.

Only males are rightly called Angora hamsters, since in females the length of the hair rarely exceeds 2 cm, and only in the male it can reach 5 cm. Outwardly, it looks very cute, which is why fluffy hamsters so attract attention and especially like children.

Distinctive features of the subspecies, except for long hair:

• The absence of a tail.
• Large cheeks.
• Miniature delicate front paws.
• The size of an adult is about 10 - 12 cm.
• Weight - no more than 180 grams.

Before purchasing a hamster, make sure that none of the family members are allergic to hamster hair, cage fillers and other materials that are used in keeping the rodent.

Characteristics of angora hamsters

This subspecies is not much different from other hamsters. In everyday life, he is quite unpretentious and clean. Angora hamsters live for about 2 - 3 years, with strict observance of all necessary conditions contents can live up to a maximum of 4 years. Geographically, the species is distributed in Central Asia, North and South America.

The cost of an Angora hamster in Russia is on average 200 - 350 rubles, depending on the region and place of purchase (pet store, bird market). Since hamsters breed easily and quickly, and the offspring need to be attached somewhere, it is quite possible to receive an animal as a gift or for a symbolic price from acquaintances and friends. But the expenses will not end there, because the hamster will definitely need a cage, food and various accessories: simulators, a drinking bowl and a feeder, a bath for bathing.

Advantages of keeping a subspecies:

• Almost silent and undemanding to the conditions - you need a small area for maintenance, little food, you can teach to go to the toilet in a special tray.
• He gets along well with children, calmly treats touching and excessive manifestations of affection.
• It quickly becomes tame and can be trained.
• Easily breeds in captivity.
• Very clean and disease resistant.
• Affordable price.
• An excellent pet for a beginner breeder or children from a year old.

Content Difficulties:

• He is prone to obesity, so he needs exercise equipment and a balanced diet.
• Requires the acquisition of certain content attributes: chalk stone, drinker, cage, bath, wheel.
• Leads a nocturnal lifestyle, can hibernate.
• It gnaws on wires, furniture, shoes, and therefore requires being in a cage or aquarium.
• In the absence of regular cleaning, the cage becomes a source of an unpleasant odor.
• Can't stand neighbors. If you plan to keep a second rodent, you need a second cage.

Usually rodents hibernate when the temperature drops to 10 degrees. Such situations should be avoided. If, nevertheless, the hamster fell asleep, warm it with the warmth of your own hands as soon as possible.

Cage, feeder and other attributes

Your hamster will definitely need a cage with a closed top. Preferably metal, but not copper. The optimal area is 30x40 cm, height is about 30 cm. It is better to purchase a cage with small horizontal rods so that the pet cannot squeeze through them, gnaw through them, but at the same time it was possible to climb on them. The living space is filled with pieces of wood, twigs, on which you can grind constantly growing teeth. The floor is covered with a special filler, wood pellets, sawdust or coarse sand. In addition to the cage, the hamster can be kept in an aquarium or terrarium with a closed mesh top.

The cage must be installed on a hill, away from heaters and direct sunlight. Eliminate drafts, but ensure a constant supply fresh air. Make sure that your pet is not afraid of pets such as dogs or cats. The walls of the cage should not come into contact with curtains or other fabrics or wallpaper, anything that the hamster can reach and gnaw on. In addition, the hamster will need a toilet - a special filler sold in pet stores, which is poured into the corner of the cage. You can pour it not directly into the corner, but on a flat, easy-to-clean tray.

As a nest, a plywood or plastic house is usually used, the bottom of which is covered with soft material: hay, down, pieces of fur, paper or cloth. It is better not to use cotton wool, especially if you are planning offspring: the paws of a hamster or cubs can get confused. Newspapers will not work either: printing ink is quite harmful to rodents.

Hamsters in nature are constantly in motion, so they are always in great shape. Care and maintenance of the Angora hamster at home almost exclude any activity: there is no need to get food, movements are limited to the territory of the cage, there is no need to escape from enemies. Therefore, the pet needs simulators for the implementation of increased activity. The best way- running wheel You can purchase additional ladders, tunnels, hammocks, shelves-floors.

The wheel for the Angora must be larger than for other species: at least 20 cm, otherwise the rodent will get tangled in its own fur while running. Choose a wheel with a solid surface to avoid injury to the legs. Additionally, you can purchase a walking ball, in which it is convenient to let your pet walk around the apartment.

The more simulators there are in the habitat and the more often the situation changes there, the more active, and therefore healthier your pet will be and, accordingly, will live longer.

It is better to buy a small drinker - the hamster drinks little, especially with enough juicy food. But the water needs to be changed regularly. Any easy-to-clean container will work as a feeder. small size. There should be two feeders - for dry and wet food.

The last but very important cage accessory is a mineral (chalky) stone. It is designed for grinding teeth. Without this, your pet's teeth may grow back in a way that interferes with his life.

Cell cleaning

Hamsters are very clean creatures, so cleaning should be done regularly. If your pet relieves himself in a tray, then cleaning will take about two times a week and will take only 10 minutes. First, remove the rodent from the cage - transplant it into a carrier, into the hands of children, into a walking ball, in extreme cases, into a jar with a small amount of food at the bottom.

Then the hamster housing must be freed from all accessories, washed warm water and dry. Chemicals do not use for washing. If the cage is heavily soiled, purchase special agent for cleaning. Be sure to wash the feeders, drinker, tray, wheel and everything else. Sift pellets or other filler from the cage tray, discard the garbage, rinse and dry.

So that the pet does not experience stress when returning to housing where there is no "native smell" left, leave a little filler from the dirty cage unwashed and sprinkle it on the floor at the end of the cleaning.

Hair care

The maintenance of Angora hamsters can overshadow hair care a little. It is quite long and shaggy, so it needs to be combed regularly, clearing tangled particles of food and debris.

For the procedure, a regular toothbrush is suitable. If desired, you can purchase a special cleaning powder. To make the wool less dirty, it is better to use wood pellets instead of sawdust, which is usually used to line the floor of the cage.

Bathing

Bathing in the generally accepted sense of the word homka will not be needed. Little of, water procedures your pet is contraindicated. He can easily catch a cold and die from it. The rodent washes almost like a cat - with its tongue and paws. He also cleans his fur in a container of sand. You can purchase a special filler, for example, for chinchillas or other rodents, or use ordinary river sand.

Feeding the Angora Hamster

How to feed an Angora hamster is one of the main and most important issues content. Since the subspecies was bred in captivity, it is extremely important for him balanced diet with enough vitamins. The basis of the diet is:

You can give your hamster:

• Cereals and dry fruit mixes from pet stores specifically for rodents.
• Hamster treats from the same store - cereal and grass sticks, pellets, biscuits and cookies, rings and crackers.
• Seeds in a small amount (pumpkin, melon, sunflower).
• Egg white (once a week).
• Apples, pears, grapes, bananas, apricots are the most beloved by rodents, but other non-forbidden fruits can also be given.
• Tomatoes, pumpkin, carrots and other vegetables that are not on the list of prohibited foods.
• Berries - raspberries and strawberries (in small quantities).
• Cereals without sugar (for example, for children).
• Fat-free yoghurts without additives and preservatives.
• Greens - dandelion leaves, plantain, clover, dill, parsley, lettuce, celery).
• Meal worms (once every 10 days).

Fruits should be thoroughly pitted. Fruit acid, which is found in fruit pits, is deadly to rodents.

Prohibited Products:

• Citrus.
• Onion and garlic.
• Cabbage.
• Potatoes.
• Exotic fruits.
• Watermelon.
• Pasta.
• Mushrooms.
• Sorrel.
• Persimmon.
• Almond.
• Sweet.
• Salty.
• Smoked.
• Marinated.
• Canned food.
• Food from the human table.

Reproduction and care of offspring

The hamster will not tolerate the neighborhood with other rodents of the same sex, so another cage is needed for the second pet. It is also not recommended to settle a male with a female. You will not have time to distribute numerous offspring. Hamsters, including the Angora, have the shortest gestation period of all mammals - only 14 to 20 days. Females give birth at a time from 4 to 18 (!) Hamsters. At the age of 1.5 months, individuals are already ready to reproduce offspring. In this case, the female can bring several litters per year.

You can mate mixed breed hamsters, but it is better to pick up a pair with about the same size. This is due to the fact that a pregnant female becomes very belligerent and can easily injure, and in the case of its small size, even kill the father of her own children. Therefore, the male who has done his job is immediately placed in another cage. If he is outwardly friendly, still do not leave him with the female. Often the male destroys the nest with the babies and can bite or eat them.

Some features of reproduction:

• It is easier to get offspring from young hamoks than from older ones.
• Angoras can have both long-haired and short-haired hamsters.
• It is impossible to predict the color of future children.
• Females often eat part or all of the offspring. Experts attribute this to a lack of protein foods in the mother's body. Therefore, a few days before giving birth, feed your hamster intensively chicken meat and egg white. You can give milk.

In the first week after birth, it is strictly forbidden to take hamsters in your hands. The female can eat the cubs, on the skin of which the smell of human hands has been preserved.

Diseases

Most often, the health of Angora and other hamsters suffers from the following diseases:

• Diarrhea (diarrhea) - the cause is usually the consumption of excessive amounts of raw vegetables.
• Constipation - associated with a lack of water and the abuse of dry food.
• Cold and flu.
• Infectious diseases of the kidneys and bladder.
• "Wet tail" is contagious and very dangerous disease characterized by diarrhea rectal bleeding, disheveled and wet hair in the abdomen and tail.
• Fractures and bites from other hamsters.
• Demodicosis (mites).
• Prolapse of the rectum (the result of diarrhea or constipation).
• Interity.
• Cystitis.
• Inflammation of the cheek pouches - usually as a result of damage to the epithelium with sharp objects.
• Lymphocytic choriomeningitis - hamsters get sick up to 3 months.
• Baldness and deprivation.

These amazing creatures actually have the right to be proud of their hair. In the photo, the Angora hamster looks like he is a disheveled fat rodent with a touching expression on his face. But, if the hamster gets wet, you can immediately see how small it really is. Although it is impossible to wet and generally bathe hamsters of this breed, these sissies are very prone to colds.

The long coat of the Angora hamster needs to be groomed daily.

Otherwise, the Angora variety of hamsters is not much different from the Syrian:

• average life span - two years;
• low mobility in adulthood;
• passion for climbing the walls and ceiling of the cage;
• intelligence and curiosity.

Males have fluffy hairs much longer than females. So, boys can boast of wool 5 cm long, while in girls it reaches no more than 2 cm. The coat color is mostly peach-golden, although there are angora with black or red stripes.

Long hair is both a joy for the owner and a special responsibility. Hamsters will need to be cared for daily. If the pet is not combed soft brush, the wool will become tangled and become dirty, ugly. So that the baby can take care of himself, put a bath with clean sand in the cage.

For a long-haired hamster to be comfortable, he needs to provide special conditions content:

• instead of wood shavings, it is better to fill the bottom of the cage with pressed wood pellets;
• the running wheel should be large, at least 20 cm in diameter, as the Angora breed is very large;
• The stomach of a hamster of this breed is very sensitive, so you need to pay special attention to nutrition.

Include boiled meat, real cottage cheese, fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals in your pet's diet. He especially loves flaxseeds, oats and corn, loves pumpkin and eggplant. You can’t feed the animal from your table, give him citrus fruits, onions, cheese and potatoes.

This fluffy hamster is somewhat reminiscent of a small fur toy. Why is it called angora? All because of his fluffiness. In fact, the only difference between the Syrian and Angora hamster is the quantity and quality of the coat.

IN natural conditions cubs are born in one litter, both with long and short hair.

However, individuals with long hair rarely survived in nature. When these fluffies began to be bred at home, they took root very well.

Breeders chose only long-haired individuals and thus tried to consolidate this feature. I must say that in males the length of the fur is more than 5 cm, but in females the fur coat is 2 times shorter.

Angora hamster care and maintenance

The third feature is that the pet's coat must be carefully monitored and combed periodically in order to pull out various kinds of debris and at the same time clean it from dirt.

You can’t bathe a pet, they can quickly catch a cold and get sick. If the pet often gets dirty, put a bath of sand in the cage, he will take care of the cleanliness of his fur.
Angora hamsters, like other species of these animals, do not tolerate "neighbors", so it is better to start one individual.
What to feed a hamster?
There is no particular difference between feeding the Angora, Dzungarian or Syrian hamsters no. The main rule is that the diet should be varied and balanced. It is best to purchase ready-made food and mineral supplements from pet stores. As a treat, you can give pieces of fresh fruits and vegetables.
I must say that hamsters are very fond of flax seeds, oats, millet, corn. Succulent plants are also very loved by these little animals. Carrots, apples and pears are favorite treats.

From protein products, you can give low-fat cottage cheese, kefir, boiled chicken meat. The remains of protein food cannot be left for a long time, the food may disappear, and the animal may be seriously poisoned. In no case should you give hamsters citrus fruits, fruit seeds, onions, garlic, potatoes and cabbage.

These are the main features of the content of the Angora hamster. May your pet always be healthy and give you a lot of joy!

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