Golden Hamsters are small rodents regularly found as pets in various parts of the world. These small critters are inexpensive and relatively easy to care for, so they’re popular as first-time pets, especially for children. While caring for a hamster is easier than for other animals, it does require some research, as these creatures still have specific needs.
A Golden Hamster’s enclosure should have burrowing space, a hide-out, and interactive activities. For diet, offer balanced commercial pellet food, fruits, and veggies. Offer nuts, grains, and insects as treats, and always provide fresh water. Also, gnawing blocks help keep the teeth short.
This article explains all you need to know about Golden Hamsters, including their natural habitat, diet, and life expectancy. It also covers what you’ll need to know to get started caring for a Golden Hamster, including its enclosure requirements, food, vet care, and precautions to consider. Read on to learn more.
Everything You Need To Know About Golden Hamsters
Golden hamsters have long been one of the most popular animals kept as pets and used as laboratory animals for research.
These creatures are medium-sized, weighing approximately 3.5 to 4.4 ounces (100 to 125 grams) and stretching between 5 to 5.3 inches (13 to 13.5 centimeters) long. Like all other hamster species, the Golden Hamster features small, round eyes, large ears (in proportion to its head), and a tiny tail.
The species receives its name from its golden-brown colored fur. On some Golden Hamsters, the golden-brown hue transitions to white or gray along the underside of the belly. Others may feature a dark stripe or patch on the head or along the cheeks.
The Golden Hamster’s Native Habitat
The natural habitat of the Golden Hamster is in the Middle East, particularly Syria. However, the species has been spotted in Turkey. These critters prefer burrowing in savannas or grasslands.
Long ago, people suspected that Golden Hamsters lived exclusively in the Aleppinian Plateau and the surrounding spaces up to 984 feet (300 meters) in elevation. However, the range of the species has changed over the years. Today, they’re often seen scurrying along in agricultural spaces, with burrows regularly found in legume fields.
The area of Syria where Golden Hamsters reside has two temperature extremes. During the day, temperatures are very hot and dry, ranging from 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 37.8 degrees Celsius). At night, temperatures become much cooler, averaging around 43 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit (6 to 15 degrees Celsius).
Winters are also quite cool, averaging around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) with some precipitation.
The Golden Hamster’s Diet
Golden Hamsters are omnivores; they eat both plant and animal matter. However, the animal matter consumed by these critters consists mainly of insects.
Some foods that Golden Hamsters commonly eat in the wild include:
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Grains
- Ants
- Flies
- Roaches
- Wasps
Golden Hamster Life Expectancy
Golden Hamsters have many natural predators in the wild, including owls and snakes. When the critters are first born, they rely entirely on their mother for care, as they’re deaf, blind, and completely bare (without fur). It isn’t until they’re a month old that they can care for themselves. As such, a hamster’s life expectancy in the wild is shorter than in captivity.
In the wild, the species has a lifespan of around two or three years. In captivity, they may live longer. There have been reports of some hamster species living four years or more. Golden Hamsters are known to live longer than dwarf hamsters.
Caring for Golden Hamsters
Here are the basic requirements of caring for these cuddly creatures.
Setting Up an Enclosure
Before you bring home your Golden Hamster, set up an enclosure that meets its needs. Three primary enclosure types are available, each with advantages and drawbacks: wire, plastic, and glass.
Enclosure Type
Since hamsters are natural burrowers, it’s best to opt for a cage with a deep base where you can add deep layers of bedding or substrate. For this reason, most hamster owners opt for a deep plastic base with a wire top.
Aquarium enclosures also work well for this purpose but usually are more costly. Plastic enclosures also work and are the least expensive option; however, many hamster owners find the plastic material tends to hold onto odors and stains, and some hamsters can chew through the material.
Enclosure Size
Some people keep their hamsters in an enclosure as small as 37 square inches (239 square centimeters). While not ideal, this can work if the hamster receives daily activity outside the cage. This includes running in a large playpen or wandering around the house in a hamster ball.
Ideally, a hampster should have at least 450 square inches (2,903 square centimeters) of space, roughly the size of a 38-gallon (144-liter) aquarium. These dimensions allow you to create multiple “stations” for your hamster to explore.
Choosing a Bedding/Substrate
There are various types of substrate for hamsters to choose from, such as:
- Wood Shavings
- Paper
- Hemp
- Hay
- Moss
Tip: Use multiple types of substrates to create different environments in your Golden Hamster’s enclosure. Note that paper bedding is the only type of substrate that supports burrowing, so it’s best to include a deep area of a paper substrate to encourage this natural behavior.
If the enclosure is large enough, you can also create “digging stations” using loose coconut fiber. These areas allow your Golden Hamsters to dig, satisfying a primal urge.
Avoid beddings with synthetic colors or fragrances, as your hamster may react to the ingredients found in these products.
Choosing Hide-Outs, Activities, and More
Once you’ve selected a suitable enclosure and substrate, it’s time to choose which items to include in the cage to keep your hamster comfortable and entertained.
Offer Nest Boxes/Sleeping Areas
Nest boxes are sleeping areas for your Golden Hamster. These can be anything from hollowed-out halved coconut shells to premade houses purchased from your local pet store. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy — just a special hide-out for your hamster to sleep without being bothered by the daily happenings around your home. Besides, hamsters are nocturnal, so they’re usually in a deep slumber while you’re busy around the house.
Provide Boredom Busting Activities
In the wild, Golden Hamsters forage for food from dusk to dawn, traveling up to eight miles per night in search of treats for storage. As such, you should offer plenty of activities to accommodate this natural desire for movement. That includes a running wheel, interactive toys, obstacle courses, ladders, and more. You can even occasionally hide treats or food pellets throughout the enclosure to mimic your hamster’s natural environment.
Include Gnawing Blocks
A hamster’s teeth never stop growing. As such, your Golden Hamster needs items that it can safely chew to help grind down those teeth and keep them at a safe length, such as:
- Wooden Gnawing Blocks
- Soft Wood Sticks
- Dried Alfalfa Cubes
- Lava Blocks
If you don’t provide safe chewing objects for your hamster, its teeth could grow too long, leading to many problems, including issues with eating and drinking.
Feeding Your Golden Hamster
Since Golden Hamsters are omnivorous, you should offer a diet of both plant and animal products. Most of the diet should include a well-balanced commercial pellet blend from your local pet store. You can also supplement fruits, vegetables, and herbs, such as:
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Apples
- Bananas
- Pears
- Grapes
- Basil
- Parsley
Feel free to offer the occasional treat, such as nuts, a piece of a hardboiled egg, or some insects, like locusts, crickets, mealworms, and waxworms. You can purchase live or dried versions of these insects or larvae at your local pet store.
Finally, hamsters need constant access to clean, fresh water. Change the water daily in a hanging water bottle or a bowl. Bowls are preferred, as they provide unobstructed drinking water and a more comfortable drinking position for your Golden Hamster.
Obtaining Vet Care
Although your Golden Hamster doesn’t require any annual vaccinations, it’s crucial to visit an exotic veterinarian at least annually (biannually is ideal). Annual checkups usually involve a fecal examination for parasites and a standard physical exam to check the eyes, ears, teeth, and other parts of the body.
Precautions To Take When Owning a Golden Hamster
Avoid Sharing Hamster Enclosures
Golden Hamsters are solitary by nature. They don’t reside together in burrows, even among family members. Once the young are old enough to be independent, they leave the burrow. In fact, Golden Hamsters are so territorial that they maintain incredible distances from one another in the wild. The minimum distance recorded between two hamsters in Syria was 387 feet (118 meters) apart.
As such, you must maintain this level of solitude in captivity. Attempting to introduce or force two Golden Hamsters to coexist may create a potentially dangerous situation for one or both hamsters. Aggressive behavior is common among these highly territorial rodents, manifesting as teeth chattering, mounting, or biting. Fights could lead to injury or death.
Although some hamster owners claim to have experienced success when introducing two Golden Hamsters in one enclosure, it’s still not recommended. If the two are living together, they shouldn’t be left unattended, as it’s highly unpredictable when things could go sour.
Avoid Hamster Pregnancies
Golden Hamsters reach sexual maturity when they become independent from their mothers, usually around one month of age. At that time, females could become pregnant and have their own litter.
Female Golden Hamsters have one of the shortest gestation periods of all terrestrial mammals, around 16 days. They typically give birth to 8 to 12 “pups,” with an average of 9, and can give birth as often as once per month.
Without the financial means and space to create nine separate hamster enclosures and care for nine hamsters (not including the mother and father), preventing hamster pregnancies by separating males and females is essential.
Note: If a female hamster feels she doesn’t have enough space, food, or water to care for her young, she may “cull” the litter by eating some of the pups to put less strain on the available resources. This cannibalistic behavior is observed in situations of stress and can also occur if humans become overly involved in caring for the pups.
Final Thoughts
Golden Hamsters are inexpensive pets that are relatively easy to care for. Aside from regularly cleaning out the enclosure, providing food, and ensuring access to clean water, they only require a little attention. If you want a docile, easily-handled hamster, you must also practice regular handling and interaction. Otherwise, Golden Hamsters are fine wandering around alone and enjoying themselves.