What Is a Teddy Bear Hamster?

Teddy bear hamsters are so named because they resemble stuffed teddy bears. They're also known as long-haired, fancy or Angora hamsters. A type of Syrian hamster, teddy bear hamsters are mostly distinguishable by their long, soft golden coats. While female teddy bears have an extremely rich coat, males have longer coats that look like skirts covering the rear part of the body. Although both male and female coats are luxurious, the longer male coat is more distinguishable and draws the most attention.

  1. Size and Time Frame

    • Teddy bear hamsters are roughly five to seven inches long. However, their long coats make them appear somewhat larger. At as early as six weeks old females are able to reproduce and male teddy bears can father babies at an even younger age. They live an average of two to three years if they're cared for properly.

    Disease Symptoms and Health Problems

    • While a healthy hamster has a shiny smooth coat, a sick one typically has a spotted coat or exposed skin. Other symptoms are nasal discharge, sneezing, inflamed or dry eyes, red inflamed skin and long teeth or nails. Teddy bear hamsters are more prone to developing wet tail sickness than dwarf hamsters. Wet tail sickness, a bacterial imbalance in a hamster's intestine or stomach, can be caused by emotional upset. Other health concerns include mite infestation, diarrhea and overgrown teeth.

    Tips for Choosing a Teddy Bear Hamster

    • It's better to select a hamster that's about three to four weeks old because it's easier to hand tame young hamsters than older ones. When buying a hamster go as early as possible to make your selection because hamsters are nocturnal and usually found asleep later in the day.

    Grooming

    • Although teddy bear hamsters make ideal pets, caretakers should be willing to give extra care in grooming. Because they keep mostly clean themselves, they don't need bathing. However caretakers can use special hamster combs for grooming. Toothbrushes also help remove hairs. Older hamsters may need their toenails cut, preferably by a vet. Besides helping their pets be better groomed this serves as bonding time between pets and caretakers.

    Considerations

    • A teddy bear hamster's teeth grow constantly so it's hard for them to chew food. However, chewing and gnawing helps control the length of their teeth so it's easier for them to chew food. Therefore, caretakers need to always have chews in their cages. Also, because hamsters are nocturnal animals they should be kept out of bedrooms as their eating and playing disturbs sleep.

    Warnings

    • Don't use pine or cedar shavings as cage bedding as these materials can irritate a hamster's eyes, as well as mucous membranes of the throat, nose and lungs. Better materials for bedding include recycled paper, hay, paper towels or aspen shavings. Also, teddy bears prefer living alone, so each hamster needs its own cage.