Q. My hamster is hiding his food. This is problem?
A. This is not a problem at all. Your hamster must hide his food. The correct term is actually called "accumulation." (In fact, the word "hamster" comes from an Old Germanic word meaning "to accumulate.") In the wild, hamsters live in deserts and other simply dry areas where food is usually not enough. Thus, as soon as they eat what they need, they take as much as they can to restore their burrows (houses) for storage. That way, when they cannot find any food outside the food, they can eat the food they store inside.
Q. I just bought a hamster in a new plastic house, and my hamster chewed it. How can I stop this from this?
A. Chewing is normal behavior for hamsters. Chewing in your plastic house is not a problem, except that you may have to buy a new house at some point. Interestingly, hamster teeth continue to grow throughout their life, just like your nails and nails continue to grow. You and I should cut our nails regularly. Similarly, in order for a hamster to keep its teeth at a normal level, it must digest things. This is called "nibbling," and this is completely normal behavior. In fact, you must provide your hamster with pieces of unfinished wood, branches of fruit trees, and other toys so that it has things to chew on.
Q. My hamster has black spots on each hip. And the hair grows there in different ways. Do I need to take a hamster from a vet?
A. These dark spots with thick hair are perfectly normal. They are called sebaceous glands. Your hamster uses them to create his own cologne! The smell compresses potential helpers. It also serves as a warning to other hamsters to stay away from its territory.
Q. My dwarf hamster often pulls his belly on the ground as if it were an itch. What's happening?
A. Dwarf hamsters have an additional smell of glands on their abdomen - right where you expect their navel to be. When your hamster rubs his belly on the ground, he marks the area with his scent.
Q. My dwarf hamster spends a lot of time rubbing his face and cleaning his body. Is that compulsive?
A. In fact, your hamster reports that he is happy and pleased. A hamster who feels safe and content will often sit down - quite often.
Q. My dwarf hamster has no tail. Did it fall?
A. The tails of most dwarf hamsters are so small that you can barely see them. The exception is the Chinese dwarf hamster, which has a noticeable tenacious tail. This means that he can wrap his tail around things to help him balance and hold. The Syrian hamster is not a gnome, but a very common pet - has a bit of a tail nut.
