Tell me about Chinese hamsters :)

Liz47 · 09-09-2013, 03:17 AM

I'm afraid to say I never used to be a fan of these hammies...

but I've never actually met one in real life until college although I've only held one once when I had to bathe some wounds from fighting

But I now have a slight obsession with them haha, although I don't really know anything about them, what are there temperaments generally like? I've read they are usually quite shy? Also diet wise do they eat the same food as other dwarfes, and need a low sugar diet? What cages are best for them and do they like digging rather than climbing? Also anything else that's important with them, and any particular do's and don'ts? Feel free to add pics/stories of your chinese hams

Scampi16 · 09-09-2013, 04:03 AM

I have two Chinese hamsters.
They are best to live alone.
They are extremely shy.
They love to dig/burrow so need very deep substrate.
They do like to climb but I believe climb as in wooden toys, branches etc rather than cage bars.
i have mine in a Zoozone 1 each, these are good cages for them but they need meshing at the top (one of mine escaped due to me putting off meshing the second cage when I had to split them up), a zoozone 2 would be even better. i believe they are best suited to this type of cage rather than barred cages but they can live in barred cages as long as the bar spaceing is 8mm or less.
They are prone to diabetes so shouldn't be given sugary treats like honey covered seed sticks or choc drops, I don't take anything out of their mix (ie corn/peas etc) and give same mix as my other hamsters, just no sugary treats, they do love small seeds and millet sprays / budgie seed sticks.
They are very friendly despite rumours of them being nasty, they will sit on you and just cuddle up or will run up your arm playing and clinging on to you.
I find mine to get up earlier than my syrian (now they are used to me being around and certain noises) before they only got uo really late after everyone had gone to bed and all was very quite in my flat.

i forgot to say that they may seem plain in colour (unless you get a dom spot) but they are super cute!!!

Scampi16 · 09-09-2013, 04:35 AM

These were my early set ups for my Chinese hamsters, they have been changed since with new toys/better layout since these photos but I haven't uploaded the pictures yet.
As previously mentioned they are both zoozone 1's.
the pink one is Yin's cage and the blue one is Yang's cage.

Liz47 · 09-09-2013, 12:44 PM

Aw they are very cute, thankyou for the pics and information

Babycakes · 10-10-2013, 12:51 PM

My Chinese is the tamest and nicest natured out of all my 6 speices, I would defo urge u to consider one, they are very gentle and mine isn't shy either c

paula_dolphins · 10-10-2013, 01:55 PM

I first started off with 2 chinese boys, Miles and Dusky dominant spot and normal, my first ever hamsters! they lived together but then fought and had to be seperated, they were very friendly and loved to climb, they also adored their wheel! sadly Dusky did develop diabetes and passed just before his 2nd birthday and Miles followed two months after. They loved nothing better than to snuggle in my hair!
I now have 4 Chinese hamsters, Dash, normal, he is 1 this month, he is very shy and we don't see a lot of other than a quick dash (hence his name) from one side of his house to another! he does like to sit on my arm or cling to my hand!

next is Thunder and Lightening, normal and dominant, brothers who currently live together, they love to climb up all over their cage and through the tunnels and are very fast but still very friendly.
And last but not least is Lillie, my first girl chinese hamster, infact the first I have seen not in a picture! I personally think she is very pretty too as although dominant spot she is a lot more white than grey, she loves her wheel and is always awake, she also likes attention and comes to the door to say hi and have a cuddle, she also has the longest tail of them all!!!