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Old 02-23-2018, 03:00 PM   #1
Brianh96
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Question new to dwarf hamsters , help

hey all ,
im planning on getting a dwarf hamster in the future but i dont know the first thing about them, i know there is multiple species of dwarf hamsters but i dont know the difference between them all . i already have a syrian hamster but i know having a dwarf it completly different. what do you feed them, what cant you feed them and everything inbetween.
due to the fact that syrians need to be kept alone im wanting to get multiple dwarfs , possibly 4 so that they can be social and be all together.

i just dont wanna go and get them whilst not knowing how to properly take care of them.

as much info that i can get the better .

thankyou all :]
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Old 02-23-2018, 05:31 PM   #2
dumplingthedwarf
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Default Re: new to dwarf hamsters , help

I always watch and keep up with ErinsAnimals on YouTube! She answers all of your questions and more, as well. AprilsAnimals is also another informative and entertaining channel.
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Old 02-23-2018, 07:03 PM   #3
Pebbles82
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Default Re: new to dwarf hamsters , help

Hi. Keeping multiple dwarfs, or even a pair, isn't usually recommended for a first time owner - it's better to just get one

Although they can live together in pairs or trios (not usually more than four I think) it is not straightforward. A cage would need very careful setting up to avoid areas where they could get territorial and fighting start to occur.

It is very common for pairs to need separating due to squabbling starting. A squabble one day and a fight to the death the next day - or serious maiming. It's not impossible but it does happen a lot. So you need to have another cage available. If you had a pair you'd need one spare cage - if you had four you may end up with four cages with one dwarf hamster in each!

To keep them in pairs or groups they need one of everything each. So for a pair it would be two houses, two (or even three) wheels, to water bottles, food bowls. Houses need to have more than one entrance. And no levels or platforms in the cage. No long lengths of tubes or small tubes where the entrance can get blocked. If there is a platform, one can "claim" it and get territorial and fighting break out. Likewise if only one house entrance or a tube entrance, one could block it from the other or trap them inside.

You would need a good sized cage to fit things in and still have enough floorspace. Four a group it would need to be quite a large cage and a lot of houses and wheels.

Some people do manage to keep a pair together for a long time successfully, but rarely do they end up being together for life.

Any pairs or groups can only be siblings who have lived together from birth. So a pair of sisters or a pair of brothers eg. And you need to check the sex carefully as many people get a pair and then find out they have a boy and a girl and one is pregnant. Pet shops aren't always that great at sexing them.

Anyway - not saying you shouldn't get a pair, but just to be aware of the complications and additional cage set up issues. I have a robo and really wanted a pair, but in thinking about setting up the cage I wasn't going to be happy with the layout and with only having one I have been able to give a much better layout with a platform and no worries about the items in the cage. As it happened there was only one left from the litter so it made the decision for me!

Species: There are Russian Dwarf hamsters and Roborovskis. Roborovskis are the smallest ones - about 2 to 3 inches long and very fast. They are often viewed as a pet to watch more than handle, although some people do manage to tame them. Russian dwarf hamsters are two different species - Winter Whites and Campbells. But in pet shops they will all be hybrids of those two species. So it may be sold as a winter white or a campbell, or look like a winter white or campbell, but it will be a hybrid with genetics from both. They do make lovely pets but you need to be aware that hybrids can be prone to diabetes and so diet needs to looked at carefully. Not too difficult though. There are specific dwarf hamster mixes that are sugar free.

You can get a dwarf hamster from a breeder and get a pure winter white or campbells and know it's background. If you look on the National Hamster Council website you can find the breeders in your region. Sometimes it's hard to find a breeder available with a litter when you want one.

Unless you particularly want a Roborovski, then one Russian dwarf hamster can be a nice thing and a fairly straightforward start into dwarf hamster ownerhship.

Oh I missed out Chinese Hamsters. They have a bit of a tail. Chinese hamster owners on here seem quite sold on them! You're not likely to find one in a pet shop easily and there aren't many breeders. They can be very shy I believe.

I think if I was looking for a dwarf hamster, I'd start looking at pet rescues. There are often many that need rehoming - not necessarily old ones either. I personally don't like the idea of getting a dwarf hamster from a pet shop and encouraging the bad breeding practices. And although a rescue hamster most likely came from a pet shop in the first place, they have been rescued and need a home.

Not sure how far this is from you - this rescue is in the Wirral - I looked on here when I was looking last year but ended up adopting from an unwanted litter nearer home.

Gives you an idea of the kind of range and background of rescued hamsters.

https://hamsterhavenhamsterrescue.we...-adoption.html

There is also Austin's Hamster Haven in Doncaster which may be nearer you.

They currently have a couple of russian dwarf hamsters for adoption - there's usually info on each of them as you read down the page. They would tell you everything you wanted to know about dwarf hamster care as well if you wanted to adopt from them

https://www.facebook.com/Austinshams...78485642453437

Alternatively, if you look on Gumtree there are often people advertising babies from unexpected litters.
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Old 02-23-2018, 11:02 PM   #4
cypher
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Default Re: new to dwarf hamsters , help

I agree that if you're completely new to dwarf hamsters then it's far better to begin with just one, once you have some experience of your chosen species then you might want to consider keeping a pair or group in the future but it is challenging & all species are very happy to live alone, being kept in pairs of groups isn't natural for them & doesn't really offer them any benefits over living alone, it can be very stressful for them if they fall out & many pairs or groups do as they begin to mature which means you always have to be . prepared with a cage for each hamster as this can happen quickly.
Only Russians & Robos can be kept together, Chinese hams are solitary.
I would do some research into each species as they are all different & that way you will have more idea of which is most suitable for you.
Probably the easiest dwarf for a first time owner is a Russian, from a pet shop that would be a Russian hybrid as they don't sell pure Winter White of Campbell's hamsters.
Although small most dwarf hamster still require a good size cage, they tend to be active little hams & most enjoy digging & burrowing, probably more than many Syrians do they also need a sand bath which isn't always essential for syrians, a dwarf specific diet is important too.

ETA I forgot to say that those few who have kept pairs of groups successfully have found that they do better in smaller cages, in a smaller cage they're less likely to become territorial & claim space as their own leading to fights, if you have a single ham you can use a larger a cage which allows an individual ham much more space for enrichment.
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Last edited by cypher; 02-24-2018 at 02:01 AM.
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Old 02-24-2018, 02:58 AM   #5
Pebbles82
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Default Re: new to dwarf hamsters , help

I have heard so many things about cage sizes for groups - it sounds like a balance to have enough space - but not a really large space they could become territorial over, or too small a space they could get on top of each other and squabble. Oak Farm roborovski's recommends something like a 90cm tank for a group (although that is for robos). For a pair I'd have thought an 80cm cage would be fine, but I think some people have found something like a duna multy (70cm) ok. That may depend on which wheels and houses you have (eg how big they are).
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Old 02-24-2018, 03:14 AM   #6
cypher
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Default Re: new to dwarf hamsters , help

It's a bit of a conundrum really! I have trouble fitting everything one ham needs into an 80cm cage & can't really imagine trying to get all the things a group or pair needs into that size or smaller!
I've seen a lot of different suggestions for cage size too but not all from people who do actually keep pairs successfully, those tend to be on the smaller side.
I guess you would need to use either silent spinner or the P@H silent spinner look alike type wheels as nothing bigger would really work in a small cage & maybe stick to home made cardboard box houses.
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Old 02-24-2018, 04:06 PM   #7
Brianh96
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Default Re: new to dwarf hamsters , help

thankyou everyone for the helpful advice from the looks of it i will more than likely get just 1 or maybe 2 at the very most. all the hamsters i have owned have been from pets@home , so i think ile be going for a private breeder else wear this time. ive have friends who have Chinese hamsters and they look so adorable and make great pets so from the looks of it ile be getting one of them. I will be using the 100cm Barney cage to house the little guy/girl, i have checked the bar spacing and they are small enough for even the smallest of hammys. Also can you give me a list of the differences in diet for a dwarf as aposed to syrians .
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Old 02-24-2018, 10:25 PM   #8
cypher
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Default Re: new to dwarf hamsters , help

The Barney is a great cage but you will need to be careful how you set it up if you get a Russian hamster, they tend to climb the bars & just fall off! Chinese hams are much more agile but you still need to give some careful consideration to avoid any potential fall risks.
Dwarf hamster food generally has a lot more small seeds than syrian foods do, it's a much more natural diet for them & they love their little seeds!
There aren't that many good dwarf mixes in the UK but Burgess dwarf hamster harvest & Bunny dwarf hamsterdream expert are both fine.
Chinese, Russian hybrids & Campbell's Russian hams are all prone to diabetes so you need to avoid any sweet treats & feed a good dwarf specific mix.
Chinese hamsters are adorable, they can be a bit timid at first but with a little patience do make the most wonderful pets, they love lots of hideouts & probably love to dig & burrow more than any other species so lots of deep substrate!
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Last edited by cypher; 02-24-2018 at 11:10 PM.
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Old 02-25-2018, 12:01 PM   #9
Brianh96
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Default Re: new to dwarf hamsters , help

Quote:
Originally Posted by cypher View Post
The Barney is a great cage but you will need to be careful how you set it up if you get a Russian hamster, they tend to climb the bars & just fall off! Chinese hams are much more agile but you still need to give some careful consideration to avoid any potential fall risks.
Dwarf hamster food generally has a lot more small seeds than syrian foods do, it's a much more natural diet for them & they love their little seeds!
There aren't that many good dwarf mixes in the UK but Burgess dwarf hamster harvest & Bunny dwarf hamsterdream expert are both fine.
Chinese, Russian hybrids & Campbell's Russian hams are all prone to diabetes so you need to avoid any sweet treats & feed a good dwarf specific mix.
Chinese hamsters are adorable, they can be a bit timid at first but with a little patience do make the most wonderful pets, they love lots of hideouts & probably love to dig & burrow more than any other species so lots of deep substrate!

great , thankyou for the info. it helps a bunch
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