Syrian Hamster Research Paper

Pets play a major role in people’s lives today. A pet is a “domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship.” (Dictionary.com) Hamsters were brought into the U.S. about 85 years ago. They originated mostly in eastern Asia. “The Syrian hamster was the first to arrive in the United States in the late 1930s and gained popularity as a pet in the 1950s.” (Hamster Information, Hamster Care and Hamster Health) Hamsters are small, furry, animals with a short tail and legs. They have four tiny fingers and five tiny toes.

Hamsters are the best pets to have because they are easy to take care of. “Hamsters are generally low-maintenance and only require a reasonable amount of hamster supplies.” (Petco) Their cages are easy to take apart and clean. When

Hamsters love to play in their cages, in their toy balls, and in their running wheels. Keeping a hamster healthy is another cool thing about having them as a pet. To keep them healthy you can give them “chewing wood or twig to keep their teeth sharp.” (Bradford)

These animals are best for having pets because they are tiny. Live Science Contributor, Alina Bradford says, “The most common pet hamster, the Syrian hamster, also known as the teddy bear hamster or golden hamster, usually grows to about 6 inches (15.24 cm) long.” (Bradford) Their diet is not a major expense. They eat hamster food bought at local pet stores, but they also “eat seeds, grains, nuts, cracked corn, fruits, and vegetables.” (Bradford)

Two things about hamsters that are not so great are: they are nocturnal and produce offspring unlike any other animal. Nocturnal means they sleeps during the day and are awake at night but they do adjust to your schedule. Mixing females and males together is probably the worst thing you could do. According to Alina Bradford, “If you put two opposite gender hamsters into a cage together, the female will become pregnant very quickly. Their gestation period lasts 15 to 20 days.” After a hamster has their babies, it becomes very aggressive when it thinks they are at risk.