Page:The Golden Hamster Manual.djvu/68

 own behavior. Much individual handling, observation and care bring out notable traits peculiar to animals of such quality. Size is only one factor, but that is essential. Color and quality of fur, and sharp distinctions of individualistic behavior distinguish such animals from mass production specimens.

Males and females that are mistreated, severely injured fighting or falling, or are improperly fed, make poor breeders. The bred female fed forcing feed mixture assimilates elements that do much for the bone structure of herself and young during those important days and that reinforce her milk supply for her suckling young. As previously suggested, with large litters milk shortage may trouble her to the point of resorting to cannibalism which automatically makes her a discard. Hamsters like whole milk from either cows or goats, but it does not take the place of water. A real small jar, face cream or any other about 1 to 1$1/2$ inches wide and about 1 inch high, placed in her pen and milk furnished daily from about 3 days before birth of litter until young are about 15 days old may greatly help both mother and young. Adult hamsters vary greatly in amount used daily. Use of milk is optional.

If necessary to be away, with no one to care for the stock for 3 or 4 days, hamsters do fairly well with ample supply of stored food, provided water supply continues. Bottle and tube waterers are especially valuable during such periods. The best type of green foods for such absences are whole potatoes, whole carrots, etc. The animals eat into them only as needed, and moisture content stands up well. These are good water content foods for animals in shipment as well as when left without daily care.

Do not annoy mother by handling her young in her presence before they are old enough that she has ceased returning them to the nest. In her defensive haste to remove them from your seeming molestation, her sharp teeth may break their tender skin, draw blood, then she may eat such and others later, making her a discard. Undue disturbance by close-up presence of cats, pawing or barking dogs, or noisy guests, may at times lead to the same misfortune. Instinctive reactions of mature females is clear. When, placed in breeding male's pen, the instinct is either eating, fighting, or mating. One instinct rules each occasion. When you open her pen door, she responds with a definite instinct: eating, if you appear to be her friendly source of food supply; fighting, if she suspects you of endangering herself, her young, or her own food supply. For this reason, while rearing young, it is highly desirable that you help her to associate you only as her friendly supplier of food. If you feed her some, even if little, every time you open her pen door, she may become far more trustful than under indifferent treatment. It is disturbance and annoyance, rather than frequent attention, that really bothers the mother hamster. She relishes considerate attention after litter is approximately 4 days old so that young have ceased clinging to her mammae (nipples) as she leaves the nest. But, alarm or disturb her suddenly, during this critical early period, so that she rushes from nest too hurriedly to disengage the suckling young and you have a dangerous moment as shown in