We recently got an additional member to our family- a Dwarf Hamster, named Frederic (not my idea!). He's a really cute Winter White Russian. Other types of Dwarf Hamsters are Campbells Dwarf Russian, The Chinese Hamster and The Roborovski Hamser.

As you could probably guess from their names, Dwarf hamsters originally come from China, Russia and Mongolia. They have been domesticated since the 1970's, except for the Roborovski Hamster, which only came to pet stores in the 90's.

Fresh food for your hamster

Our hamster is on a staple diet of a mixed seed meal from the pet shop, but I wanted to know what else I could give the little guy to eat, while making sure he isn't given anything that could be harmful to him.

Hamster Friendly Foods

• Asparagus
  
  
• Apple (no seeds)
  
  
• Banana
  
  
• Bean Sprouts
  
  
• Blackberries
  
  
• Broccoli
  
  
• Cabbage (small quantities)
  
  
• Grapes (no seeds)
  
  
• Lettuce (small quantities)
  
  
• Celery
  
  
• Cucumber
  
  
• Melon
  
  
• Raspberries (the leaves are good for diarrhea)
  
  
• Corn
  
  
• Green beans
  
  
• Spinach
  
  
• Sweet potatoe (cooked)
  
  
• Peas
  
  
• Bran flakes and Corn flakes
  
  
• Crickets
  
  
• Mealworms
  
  
• Eggs (boiled or scrambled)
  
  
• Brown rice (cooked)
  
  
• Sunflower seeds
  
  
• Popcorn (plain, no salt)
  
  

And what to NOT give your hamster

• Avocado
  
  
• Pototoe (raw)
  
  
• Beans (raw)
  
  
• Almonds
  
  
• Citrus fruit
  
  
• Garlic
  
  
• Chocolate
  
  
• Onions
  
  
• Sweets and junk food
  
  
• Salty food
  
  

Dwarf hamsters are prone to Diabetes so it's important to keep the sweet foods away from them. Also, too many green vegetables can be bad for them, so once a week should be plenty for them.

Handling your Hamster

When buying your hamster, be sure to find out how old the hamsters are. Ours was 2-3 weeks old when we got him. One reason to try and get a younger hamster is that they have a rather short lifespan (an average of 2 years), but the main reason was to make handling easier.

Some of the hamsters we looked at were already eight months old, and seemed much more likely to bite as they were rarely handled. In fact, the person showing us the hamsters was scared to pick them up, and his hands even started shaking a bit! This same person however has no problem handling snakes! Considering these particular hamsters were more likely to bite than snakes, we got our little hammy somewhere else!

Dwarf hamsters need to be held regulary, as unlike other hamsters, they can lose their 'tameness' so to speak. If your hamster bites, just remember that he's usually on other animals menu, and he may very well think you want to eat him! Just be patient, let him get used to your smell and sounds, and he will start to learn that your not a threat. Bribery also works wonders! Offering him treats from your hand will also help him realise that your not going to do him any harm. Another tip for handling your hamster is wash your hands before picking him up so you don't smell like a tasty treat. Hamsters don't have great eyesight, so smell is quite important. This next bit of advice might sound obvious, but make sure there arn't any predators around (like a cat or dog), when holding your hamster, as, if your other four-legged friend makes an attempt to get a bite to eat, or your hamsters simply gets a scare, he's very likely to give you a nasty bite!

Hamster Homes

Cage Type vs Plastic Home

The cage type of home is good from the point of view that there is plenty of ventilation and cleaning is easy. You also get all plastic cages, which I don't like as there is not enough ventilaion. All living creatures need some fresh air, but what bothers me the most about the all plastic cages, is that it is potentially dangerous for your pet on hot summer days.

We opted for a cage that has a mix of plastic and metal bars. To me this is the best of both worlds, as there is sufficient air flow, and they get to have fun running up and down the plastic tubes, which also runs on the outside of the cage, affording them more space on the inside. Our hamster cage also has the wheel on the outside, it came with the food bowl, water bottle, sleep area already attatched... the only other things we neded for him was food and sawdust. On a final note about cages, avoid getting one that is round or oval because this could disorientate them.




A word about sawdust

When choosing sawdust, it's better to get the thicker shavings. The finer shavings can be inhaled by Dwarf hamsters, and it can also cause eye infections.

I hope you find this guide helpful, and that you enjoy your happy, healthy hamster.

Tags & Keywords : dwarf,hamster,care,handling,food,housing