Pet Care During the Sumatra Haze - Hamsters

As a pet owner, I am naturally worried about the health status of my 2 hamsters, Fly and Nami.

They seemed to be more lethargic during this period, dozing most of the time but will return to their energetic selves whenever they hear food being added to their food containers. But their appetite do not seemed to be as good as before.

Basically, I treat my hamsters as if they are human beings during this critical period and have resorted to bring them in their cages to whichever location we happened to be in the house. If I feel that the room is getting hot and stuffy, I am sure they will feel the same too. For instance, if we are in the study room with the air conditioner/air purifier switched on, we will lug them along. Fly and Nami will usually become more active, eg: roaming about in their cages, digging here and there. Generally, the ruckus can be quite loud especially when they are with us in the air conditioned master bedroom and we are sleeping =(

I have heard of cases whereby hamsters have passed away during this haze period which makes me and my partner even more worried.

Generally, I would recommend pet owners maintain a clean air environment by closing all windows and doors and switching on fans/air-conditioners. If you do not have any air conditioner and would like to keep the home cool, you can keep the toilet area constantly wet (tends to dry up within a few hours) or even mop the entire unit. The evaporation process can really bring down the temperature of your living environment.

Please also ensure a constant supply of fresh water for your pet to keep them hydrated. You can also offer them a small portion of vegetables/fruits if they do not seem to be taking in much fluid.

Hamster as a pet

For me, the main purpose of having a pet is for companionship. I love the thought of having a special one waiting to welcome me back home, no matter what happens. The first thing that I do upon entering the house is to check on my pet and spend some time interacting with it before continuing with other stuff. It helps in relieving stress and it is one activity that I really look forward to other than eating or sleeping. 

Source: http://i399.photobucket.com

When I was still living with my parents, I was lucky in the sense that they did not have violent objections to me and my siblings rearing any pets. As a matter of fact, the first pair of hamsters we had was a gift from my mother's friend. I could still vividly remember the Syrian hamsters waiting at their cages' entrance whenever they saw us walking past the cages. They were really intelligent and friendly animals and form a part of my fond childhood memories. After settling into my own place, it is only natural to include them as part of my family.    

Source: http://hamsterbungalow.com

Hamster actually means 'to hoard' in Swedish. It is considered a rodent albeit a cute fluffy one. To me, a hamster is like a miniature version of a dog except for the fact that it does not bark which is a major plus point. There are quite a number of neighbours in my estate who own dogs and the incessant barking/howling at various hours of the day drives me nuts. This is especially made worse by the fact that new flats in Singapore tends to be more densely packed these days. 

Source: hammieluvr.wordpress.com

Hamsters are intelligent animals which have a high standard of cleanliness and the effort required by owners to maintain their living area is rather low compared to other pets (as the cleaning area is the same as the cage area). Keeping a hamster does not require much space as long as there is sufficient space to place the cage. The size of the cage is very much dependent on the type of hamster. Another important point to note is that the costs involved in keeping a hamster is not high. Due to its small size, the amount of feed needed and all other consumables are rather low. This makes hamsters an ideal pet for people who have a budget constraint and yet desire to have the company of a pet.

Despite the above points highlighted, there are certain instances where hamsters might not be a ideal pet. Hamsters will not be suitable for young children due to their small size. In addition, hamsters are not for someone who wants a pet to keep you company in the daytime as they are nocturnal animals. Another point to consider is that hamsters have short lifespan of around 2 years. 

I hope the above will help any future hamster owners in making your choice!

DIY Mini Garden - Fresh supply of vegetables for hamsters

Bought some seeds from Horti Flora which is stocked at NTUC Fairprice with the intention of growing wheat grass for my hamsters which are really fond of vegetables.

Decided to make full use of these toy capsules which have tiny holes at the bottom as part of my basic germination kit. Have also placed trimmed pieces of filter bags at the bottom of the toy capsules which will prevent soil from falling out. I am trying to germinate the seeds (consisting of wheat grass, lemon balm and sage) by spreading them on wet cotton wool. 

Growing Wheat Grass 

These seeds started to sprout within a few days and I have transplanted them to organic soil. The growing rate of wheat grass is rather fast. Average growing height is around 1 cm per day. It has been 2 weeks since I first started and the hamsters are enjoying the end products.

Usually I will trim around 2 cm portion of wheat grass, soak it before 'presenting' to Fly or Nami. I would recommend hamster owners to give it a try. The whole experience is quite a breeze and quite fun to see Fly snatching the wheatgrass from my fingers and chomping down in great delight. Nami is not so fond of wheat grass though.

Wheat Grass