Five wasn't enough!

[KittieBoo]

I wasn't really looking for a new addition but i went to P@H for wood shavings, spotted this beauty and left with him.

IMG_4060.jpg

He is called Gabriel II and is a Russian Dwarf. He is so tame already, he happily sits and sniffs me, taking everything in his stride. He is the first dwarf i have ever owned as all of my hamsters up to him have been Syrians. Is there anything I need to do differently with him?

Thank you!

[kyrilliondaemon]

Er... Smaller toys, smaller bar spacing... Apart from that you should be fine
Oh and he'll be a hybrid so it might be worth watching the sugar in his treats but as long as you don't overdo the sugary stuff he'll probably be fine

It is definetly worth researching before you bring a new pet home in future though, e.g if you'd fallen for a robo you'd have been in for a shock lol

[Skeever]

What kind of shock?

[kyrilliondaemon]

Skeever, have you seen how fast robos are compared to others? Or their habit of getting through smaller gaps than you'd expect or leaping from hands then reappearing under fridges or taking hours to retrieve...? Infact let me rephrase that, have you ever seen a robo?

Getting a pair without research might have been a better example though

[Thin Lizzy]

Congrats kittieboo on your new addition Russian dwarf Gabriel he's gorgeous!
Dwarf hamsters diet is important, you don't want him getting diabetes.
You've had syrians always, like myself. My next hammie will be a dwarf, been in P@H a short while back spoke to a couple of staff and bought book.
How old is Gabriel?

[cypher]

Awww what a little gem congrats, he really is gorgeous
The difference is basically what the others have said, they do like lots of space but with plenty of hideouts too, not too much open space, bar spacing as kyrill says & a sugar free diet.

[KittieBoo]

Oh I'm glad you told me there was a risk of diabetics just so I can always give him veg instead of a little fruit aswell.

I'm not sure exactly how old he is but I would say about 9 to 11 weeks.

[XRubyRoseX]

Congratulations on your new hamster! As others have said it's mainly to do with sizing on bars etc, also dwarf hamsters are not the best climbers so things with multiple levels and platforms with ladders and ramps aren't great for them, but I've found all my dwarf hamsters can climb up onto bendy bridges turned into ladders. Also since they're small some Syrian sized toys might be too big or too heavy for them to use. Just watch the sugar intake and everything should be fine! Oh and dwarf hamsters appreciate if their food is in smaller pieces rather then big biscuits or pellets as some find them harder to eat (mine won't eat any big biscuits I have to break them up for my hams but then I think mine are just fussy). Enjoy your new dwarf

[Truffle]

Congrates Aw, he's just gorgeous.