Page:The Golden Hamster Manual.djvu/44

 may be moved down to about 1½ in. from floor in any such propagation pen. Wheels of 6 or 7 inch diameter afford nearly as much value and require less space. Of course, in solid floor pens where floor litter is used the wheel must be high enough to clear such material for free turning. The screw or bolt mounting this wheel should be back about 8 to 9 in. from front end of partition to allow complete clearance of front C.S. It is an open question as to whether any exercise wheel requires more space than it is worth in a pen less than 10 in. wide. If one builds 12 in. widths, just to have wheels in pens, that involves more materials and more space. Generous use of climbing strips appears to serve adequately in propagation or breeding pens. Wheels are considered a novelty item for display cages or for large pens of weaned young. Try one or two wheels for a few weeks before going to a lot of trouble.

Metal may be used instead of wood in building any of these or similar pens. It is essential that a wood guard board or other device be employed for proper exercise of hamster teeth.

Those sellers of wood pens without front opening doors doubtless never heard of the guard board, which prevents young from falling out of the opened doors.

Regardless of the preference some builders may have for all solid-floor pens, the fact remains that a few pounds of excelsior will meet the nesting requirements of a number of hamsters in self-cleaning pens that might require a drayman to haul the shavings, etc., required to house the same animals in all solid-floor pens. Many laboratories are equipped with wire-floored pens and cages to avoid foreign substances on feet and fur of animals and prefer stock raised on self-cleaning floors. Who likes to handle an animal with filthy feet?

If a hamster tends to gnaw at any certain spot on the side of the pen, cover such spot with hdw. cl. or tin.

Hamsters seldom desire to nest or store food near the front door. If this does occur, lay a block of wood, 4x4 inches or larger, in such place until the hamster nests and stores food in rear of pen.

Cage paralysis may be caused by lack of exercise in pens with no climbing strips or in pens too short to permit running space, by lack of calcium in diet, by lack of vitamin D, or by contaminated food in pens without self-cleaning area.

The pen length has much to do with exercising runs of hamsters. Were it not for expense and space requirements, pens 28 or 30 inches long might be advised. However, 21 inches floor length appears to be fairly satisfactory from the standpoints of both pen cost and hamster health.

A short section of tree limb, preferably 3-forked or 4-forked and about 12 to 15 inches long, affords a lot of healthful exercise and gnawing for all grades of hamsters, sub-standard to exhibition. Just lay it on the pen floor with forked prongs toward the nest. Such tree limb, added to generous use of hdw. cl. climbing strips, will furnish all of the exercise hamsters may possibly need or use. It is strictly optional as to whether or not the caretaker so furnishes any of the pens. Growing weaned young derive special benefit from exercising aids of such a practical nature.