Where Do Hamsters Come From Before the Pet Store? | Hamsters’ Origin
Hamsters, with their fluffy, cuddly bodies and brilliant, beady eyesight are fun and low-maintenance pets. Where you buy your hamster and how you care for it are key to a happy, healthy pet.
But where do hamsters come from before the pet store in the first place?
Hamsters are native to Siberia, northern China, the Middle East, and Asia Minor. It is common for pet businesses to have a rescue organization affiliated to them, and the money raised from the adoption portion of these stores goes directly to the rescue organization.
They can adapt and thrive in the environment without cages, toys, wheels, or humans to provide them with attention and care.
Being so little and swift, it is almost hard to see one of these creatures in the wild.
Where Do Hamsters Come From?
Even the hamsters you keep at home, no matter what breed they are, have ancestors in the wild.
The natural populations of roughly 26 different species may be found in nations all throughout Asia and Europe, as well as the Middle East. To name only a few: the northern part of China; Greece; Romania; Belgium;
Where Do Hamsters Live in the Wilderness?
They like dry, warm places like sand dunes and desert edges. This is why Aleppo had the first hamsters.
Surprisingly, hamsters exist in deserts. Syrian hamsters and their relatives live in the wild in small numbers. Wild Hamsters thrive in both hot and cold conditions. Extreme temperatures make hamsters burrow.
These tiny fellas were tamed lately, but their popularity is rising. Let us look at hamster species and where they reside outside pet shops.
Hamster Habitat
Syria, Greece, Belgium, Romania, and northern China were the first to find wild hamsters. Hamsters like warm, dry places like:
Mountainous steppes
- Sand dunes
- Rockier areas
- Desert margins
These spots are great for building summer burrows. Hamsters sleep throughout the day. Poor vision means they travel by scent. Hamsters create a smell trail by brushing their backs on items as they pass. This helps them navigate by smell.
🐹 Reality: Can Hamsters Survive Out in the Wild? Know the Reality
Where Do Hamsters Live at Home?
Choosing a suitable cage is also essential for a hamster’s safety.
Syrian hamsters need a two-cubic-foot cage due to their increased size. More room is preferable for every kind of hamster since the cage will not become as filthy, and the hamster will not get bored and gnaw on the bars, Paul explained.
The cage’s bars should be close enough so your hamster can not escape, and the bottom should be sturdy, so their claws do not get trapped or broken. If unsure, keep the hamster in an aquarium.
Although hamsters are excellent at climbing up, they are not good at going down and may tumble. Cages with connected tubes may be attractive for hamsters if they can fit.
🐹 Read More: My Hamster Is Cold and Wobbly | What Can Be the Reasons?
Providing the correct bedding, food, water fountain, training toys, and ambient temperature can also assist. The UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital suggests these hamster supplies:
Bedding: Cedar and pine shavings might create health difficulties in hamsters.
Food: Feed your pet pellets plus carrots, squash, broccoli, cucumber, and spinach. Fruit and seeds are too sugary for hamsters to digest.
Water: Water should be attached to the cage or put inside. Each day, replace the water and wash the bottle or bowl.
Exercise toys: Exercise wheels allow hamsters to run, reduce boredom, and keep them engaged at night. Plastic hamster balls must be kept out of stairwells, bright sunlight, and other pets’ reach.
They are susceptible to heat stress because they lack sweat glands. In the summer, keep their cage around 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
🐹 Fact: Can Hamsters Survive Out in the Wild? Know the Reality
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where Do Pet Store Hamsters Come From?
Most pet retailers stock hamsters that were likely bred or raised in a pet factory. Instead of going to the pet shop, look for a hamster that requires a better home at an animal rescue center.
2. When Was The First Hamster Kept As A Pet?
Syria hamster domestication started in the late 17th century when naturalists classified the Syrian hamster, also called the golden hamster or Mesocricetus auratus. Scientists began using Syrian hamsters for experiments around 1930. This animal became a popular pet as a result of further domestication.
3. How Do Hamsters Get To Pet Stores?
Most pet retailers stock hamsters that were likely bred or raised in a pet factory. Instead of going to the pet shop, look for a hamster that needs a new home at an animal rescue center.
Conclusion
This is all you have to know: Where do hamsters come from before the pet store. A few new young hamsters may be unable to find their way inside a pet shop.
Wet tails, skin disorders, and neurological abnormalities (brachycephalic and hydrocephalic), among other diseases, have been reported in animals.
Snowy weather may force them underground if they can go deep enough to avoid being harmed by the cold or the heat.
Hamsters do not live as long in the wild because of the threats. As a pet, it may not be such a terrible idea.
