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Hamsters are very willingly kept in homes as companion animals. However, despite this, very hard to find reliable information on the requirements associated with the maintenance of these rodents. However, this does not change the fact that accommodation for a hamster must meet its normal physiological and behavioral needs, including resting, nesting, grooming, exploration, climbing, hiding, digging, searching, storing and chewing food. In order to check whether the level of public knowledge about keeping hamsters and their needs is adequate to the popularity of these rodents and whether it is sufficient to provide them with appropriate conditions in an average amateur breeding farm, a questionnaire survey was used in which as many as 80.3% of the respondents admitted to having or owning a hamster, and when asked about the appropriate size of the cage, they preferred larger sizes such as 80 x 40 cm (34.7%) or 90 x 45 cm (25.1%). However, noting that housing in small cages causes chronic stress in hamsters, the rule of thumb should be: the bigger the better. As many as 619 (80.1%) respondents state that a good amount of litter significantly improves hamster welfare. It has been proven that at least 40 cm of bedding really increases the level of hamster welfare. In addition, the absolute majority of respondents stated that the satisfaction of behavioral needs affects (22.6%) or is even dependent on hamster welfare (69.7%).The results obtained from the survey data highlight the need for new studies that would provide the opportunity to update the knowledge already available and correct unclear guidelines related to hamster housing. This would allow us to optimize the conditions of keeping hamsters in amateur breeding conditions and ensure their good or even high welfare.
hamsters, welfare, environmental enrichment, chomiki, dobrostan, wzbogacenia środowiskowe
hamsters, welfare, environmental enrichment, chomiki, dobrostan, wzbogacenia środowiskowe
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