Stuff i need to know

[SarahJ]

Sadly all 3 of my mice girls have passed over to the bridge which has left with me with a spare cage.

I was thinking about getting a russian, but i have no idea on how to look after them.

I know every type of hamster needs to be looked after in a different way even if it is just little things like different food.

What should i know about these little guys before i get one?

Thanks

[SarahJ]

Oh i just noticed there is 2 different types! whats the differents between them?

Sorry has you can tell i have no clue about them!

[Hope]

the 2 different types are winter white, and campbells. These have been breed toghter for years thus creating the imfamous hybrids. Any dwarf bought from a pet shop is likey to be hybrid, if you go through a good breeder you will get a pure. Breeding the two together is frowned on in the 'breeders world', due to grater health complications arising. It is an imovite subject that I have very limited knowledge of so I will leave it for someone else to expalin fully.

Is it just one that you are looking for?? Or would you keep a pair?? I *think* I am right in saying that Campbells do better in paris or groups than winterwhites.

One of them most important things is to limit their sugar intake - avoid ideally, as they are very prone to diabeties.

I dont know very much about them to be honest - hopefully someone will be along that can explain the differences to you more. I just have little Bozza who is a hybrid and is no trouble to look after. He is much less demanding than Phoebe and is quite happy to do his own thing most of the time. I feed him on Harry Hamster and he has a wheel but he doesnt use it much, he enjoys ball time though and will happily trundle around for 20 minutes. He sleeps most of the time and is not really very active. He loves his sandbath, and really gets in there and has a good roll around in it, he loves to dig too, much more so than Phoebe does.

This is just what I have noticed, but as I say Boris is a hybrid, so will be a bit different.

[annie81]

i got my two from pet shops as well...so they were hybrids as well i guess. i kept both as singles in a cage each and they can live happily on their own. if you get a pair you have to prepare for fighting and you might need to split them up at one point. my first russian dwarf was a noisy little character who came out of his nest every time somebody came into the room...my second one doenst care about people at all. he doesnt even want to get out of his cage to get a proper run. as you can see/read their characters can be quite different

i have a syrian now as well and i have to say that there is not really a difference in caring for them. i feed my dwarf a dwarf hamster mix and keep an eye on her sugar intake. hope mentioned diabetes already. but apart from that everything is more or less the same...free ranging-time, sandbath, exercise wheel...

have you thought about a roborovski as well or do you definitely want a campbell/winter white??

[SarahJ]

Thanks Hope,

I am not sure if to get a pair or not as i didnt know if they could live in pairs/groups.

awwww your little one sounds cute i would love to see him roll around in his sand bath.
My Robo (Billy) doesnt really do alot in his sand bath

[Hope]

I have some photos somewhere of him digging like loon!! I will try and find them! If you do get a pair from pet shop or breeder you must have another cage on standby incase you need to separate them - the fights can get quite nasty.

[fluffymunchkins]

yep your right hope, campbells do much better in pairs or groups

On the subject of hybrids, Treo is a hybrid and it goes to say that the breeding of hybrids causes things like missing limbs. (Treo only has 3 legs from birth in case you don't know)

Differences - winterwhites are bigger and come in less colour varities.
Winterwhites can be kept in a cage with 1cm bar spacing and campbells need about 8mm bar spacing.

they are great fun and their chubby looks will never fail to amuse you

[Katty_Sheldon]

I know campbells are really better if you want a pair, but even they might have to be separated into two different cages in time. I personally recommend only one hamster, that way you are sure. They get used to being solitary in time quite all right and if they have a good cage they wont be bored.
I never had a syrian, just two times male winter white. I recommend winter white because i heard robovski are even smaller/faster/.
They are so cute! Go for it! Just dont give them so many treats and sunflower seeds and fat/sugary stuff, they get FAT so easily!

[SarahJ]

aw Thanks all, glad to know their not to different to look after, i will have to try and find some breeders then or any which need recuscing.

I already have a Robo called Billy he is such a funny hamster.