Hamsters are known for taking care of themselves, they do not need special maintenance and care.
However, if you want to keep a long-haired Syrian hamster, then the story is a little different because these hamsters require more attention and care.
How to care for a long-haired hamster?
Long-haired hamsters require more care as they can more often have problems with infections, wet tails, and other diseases.
In order to successfully care for hamsters with long hair, it is necessary to pay attention to their diet, to have excellent conditions in the cage, and not to be subjected to stress and other things.
In today’s article, you will learn how to care for long-haired hamsters and similar questions related to the topic.
How to care for a long-haired hamster?
In order to properly and successfully take care of a long-haired hamster, you need to know the changes that happen to them and how to react promptly.
It is necessary to find out in time if something is wrong with a long-haired hamster so that you can help him.
You should pay attention to the following main factors:
- body weight
- The appearance of the fur
- The behavior of the long-haired hamster
- stress
These four factors are the most important in order to properly care for the health of long-haired hamsters, so let’s read in more detail about each of them.
Body weight
According to the body weight of the long-haired hamster, you will know if your pet is healthy with a normal weight.
It is necessary to weigh your pet once a week to know if everything is fine with him.
You can check the body weight by touching its body, and you should not feel bones, because if you feel bones then the hamster is too weak.
You can use a kitchen scale to measure the body weight of the hamsters, and you can directly put the hamster on the scale if it is tame and sitting still.
If your long-haired Syrian hamster does not want to sit still, then first put it in a bowl or container, and then weigh it on the kitchen scale, of course subtract the weight of the container.
A normal weight for hamsters is determined by a formula or they should weigh less than one ounce for every inch of length.
For example, if the length of your long-haired Syrian hamster is 6 inches or 15 cm in length then its weight should be around 4 oz or 110 grams.
Hamsters that weigh more than normal are prone to disease, while hamsters that weigh less than normal do not have the proper intake of enough nutrients.
The appearance of fur
When taking care of hamsters with long hair, you should pay attention to the appearance of their fur, which can tell you whether you are taking care of them properly or not.
When hamsters have healthy fur, it is noticeable because the fur is soft to the touch and has a nice appearance.
Whereas if the fur has tangles, and looks very frosty and dark then something is wrong with your pet.
If there is a lot of feces from the hamster on the fur or baldness is noticed in certain places, then the hamster obviously has health problems.
If you notice that the hamster has droppings on the back of the body or on the belly then it may mean that it has a wet tail.
If you notice that baldness appears in some places, then it means that your pet has skin diseases or internal diseases of some organs.
When the hamster’s fur is without a shine and is not soft to the touch, then it is probably a question of an insufficiently healthy diet or a lack of nutrients.
The behavior of the long-haired hamster
The longer you keep your long-hair hamster, the easier it is for you to know when something is wrong with it.
For example, if you notice that there are certain changes in his behavior, maybe he doesn’t eat enough, or he doesn’t sleep regularly, then this is an indication that something is wrong with him.
Hamsters can’t talk, but their actions are the best way to tell you when something is wrong.
Stress
Stress affects the health of long-haired hamsters, and therefore you must make sure that they always have good conditions in the cage and the environment that surrounds them.
If you notice that the hamster is nervous and constantly wants to escape from the cage, and bites the bars, then obviously you are not taking enough care of it.
Stress can be for several reasons such as:
- loud noise
- unknown people around him
- other pets such as cats or dogs
Hamsters need a calm environment and silence so that they can be comfortable and feel happy, without stress.
If you take proper care of your pet then you will quickly notice that he will no longer be so nervous and will not be constantly looking for a way to escape from the cage.
Hamsters have a natural instinct to try to escape from the cage, but when they are happy such thoughts will decrease.
Do long-haired hamsters require a special diet?
Long-haired Syrian hamsters do not require any special diet, it should be the same as for all other hamsters. It is best to provide a balanced diet with commercial pellets that have no more than 20% fat and 20% protein.
The rest of the diet should be with occasional treats of fruits and vegetables, but the main food should always be pellets.
You should be careful not to give them sticky fruits that can stick to their fur and attract insects and other bugs to their cage.
Sticky foods such as bananas can also cause their fur to be tangled and messy, which will only annoy your pets.
How do you maintain the fur of long-haired hamsters?
In hamsters with long hair, more care is needed to maintain their fur, while in other hamsters with short hair, maintenance is much easier and simpler.
It is very important to have a sand bath as it helps maintain the fur of longhair hamsters.
When the hamsters get dirty in the sand bath they then reduce the excess oils that accumulate on the fur. After using the sand bath, the hamster will have soft and clean fur that will not tangle.
In addition to sand baths, you can also use brushing for hair on hamsters, as this will also help maintain and care for their fur.
What are the health problems in long-haired hamsters?
Long-haired hamsters are prone to a condition called wet tail.
A wet tail appears as a consequence of Proliferative Ileitis, and it can be fatal for hamsters, that is, the hamster can die in a few days if it is not treated promptly by a veterinarian.
Proliferative Ileitis occurs as a result of the creation of an excessive amount of Lawson’s bacteria in the small intestine of hamsters.
At the same time, there is inflammation and the appearance of diarrhea, which can be seen on the wet and matted fur on the back of the hamster’s body.
What is the ideal temperature for long-haired hamsters?
Long-haired hamsters should be kept at a similar temperature as all other hamsters, ideally between 65 and 78 F.
If the temperature in the room is less than 65 F, then this can cause reduced activity, while if the temperature is below 40 F, then the hamsters will begin to hibernate.
On the other hand, the temperature must not be higher than 85 F, because then it will be too hot for them since they have long hair, and heat stroke and other health complications can easily occur.
Do long-haired hamsters like to be held?
Whether you have a long-haired hamster or any other breed of hamster, you should know that hamsters generally don’t like to be held very much.
Hamsters never sit still, if you take them in your hands you will have to constantly transfer them from one hand to another, otherwise, they will jump and may get hurt if they fall from a great height.
Some hamsters like to be held and sit still, but these are exceptions because they are still very active and energetic animals.
It is rare to see a long-haired hamster cuddling with its owners, so don’t expect your pet to sit still and want to be petted like a cat.
However, the more you keep the hamster in a calmer environment, without stress, and with comfort, the greater the chances of taming it so that it allows you to hold it and possibly pet it.
Do long-haired hamsters require a companion to live with?
Long hair hamsters should not live in a pair because they are descendants of Syrian hamsters which we know have always liked to live alone in their cage.
Long-haired hamsters do not need another hamster to feel cozy and comfortable in their cage, it is enough to have enough toys, exercise wheel, and other objects to feel happy.
Keeping two long-haired hamsters in the same cage can lead to fights and misunderstandings, so it’s better for them to live alone.
What size should the cage be for long-haired hamsters?
Long-haired Syrian hamsters should have a cage that is at least 6 inches tall.
The size of the cage space should be 20 x 31 for them to feel comfortable and cozy in their space.
However, if you are able, you should provide them with as large a cage as you can because research shows that the bigger the cage, the less stress in hamsters.
Do long-haired hamsters require special bedding?
Long-haired hamsters do not require special bedding, but we still recommend using paper-based bedding.
Do not use wood shavings as they will cause their fur to become matted and tangled.
Soft paper-based bedding is safe for longhair hamsters and will not stick to their fur.
What is the lifespan of long-haired hamsters?
Since long-haired hamsters are descendants of Syrian hamsters, they live for about 2 years, or maybe a little more if you take care of them and provide them with proper nutrition and a comfortable living space.
The lifespan of Long-haired Syrian hamsters depends on several factors:
- the state of health
- genetic factors
- The quality of the diet
- The size of the cage
- the environment that surrounds them, i.e. stress
The lifespan of Longhair hamsters in the wild is unknown, as this breed of hamsters was first bred in captivity and there is no information on how long they live out in the wild.
Diet is one of the most important factors that can extend or shorten the lifespan of long-haired hamsters.
A diet of healthy nutrients will certainly extend their lifespan as much as possible but don’t expect them to live too long.
Stress is also an important factor, because the more stress a long-haired hamster has, the more it will get sick, and its chances to live long are reduced.
Diseases can reduce their life span, so we should take care as much as we can for long-haired hamsters and regularly take them to the vet if they have health problems.
Even if they do not show any problems, it is necessary to have a regular check-up or twice a year to have an examination by a veterinarian.
This is important because hamsters hide health problems and sometimes we will not be able to notice that they have any problem and disease.
What do you need to know about long-haired hamsters?
Long-haired hamsters are actually Syrian hamsters because long hair occurs only in this breed of hamsters.
Long-haired hamsters are a genetic mutation of Syrian hamsters, and the fur in male hamsters is longer than in female hamsters.
Often, many pet stores sell these hamsters under a different name, such as:
- Siberian long-haired hamster
- Long-haired dwarf hamster
However, no matter what name they sell them under, the truth is that long-haired hamsters are Syrian hamsters.
Long-haired Syrian Hamsters can’t tell at first that they have long hair, it is visible after they grow to 3-4 inches in size.
Should You Keep a Male or Female Syrian Long-haired Hamster?
If you want to keep a hamster with long hair, then male Syrian hamsters are a better choice because their fur is bigger and more expressive.
Male long-haired hamsters are calmer to keep, while female ones are much more aggressive and it will be more difficult to tame them.
Female long-haired hamsters smell more than male hamsters because they come into heat every 4 days, releasing pheromones to attract male hamsters that smell unpleasant.
Read more: Why Are Hamsters Scratching So Much? Let’s Find Out
Can I trim my Long-Haired Hamster’s fur during the warm season?
Long-haired hamsters may have more problems with their body temperature in the summer. Their hair will create even more heat, and you may be wondering if you should trim their fur.
You can trim their fur, but you have to be very careful and you shouldn’t use a clipper, you need to do the trimming with strings.
But you need to be very careful not to hurt them, and be careful not to cut off their ears or tail.
After trimming the long-hair hamster’s fur, it is necessary to brush their fur well so that there are no hairs left that can then be swallowed.
If you trim their fur it will grow back, but it may not look the same as before.
Read more: Can Bathing Kill My Hamster? Let’s Discover
Conclusion
Long-haired hamsters require the same care as all other breeds of hamsters, only their fur requires more sand baths to maintain their hygiene.
Long-haired hamsters need a healthy diet, less stress, a large cage, and of course enough care on our part to be able to say that we take care of them properly.
The fur of male long-haired hamsters is longer than that of female hamsters.
If you want, you can trim their fur in the summer, but you must be careful not to injure them, especially in the area around the ears and tail.
Long-haired hamsters look very beautiful because of their fur but therefore require a little more care and attention from their owners.
Read more: How Long Should We Let The Hamsters Out of The Cage?
