Dwarf Hamster Care

Preparing for your brand new little buddy begins with a decision. What kind of hamster do you want? Which hamster is best for you and your family? Do you want a Syrian hamster or a Dwarf hamster?These three questions sum up exactly what you will have to do. Deciding on a hamster is not a easy thing to do. There are pro's and con's to adopting both. But if you are on the fence, then allow me to push you toward the dwarf hamster side.

I know it may sound kind of biased, but I prefer the dwarf hamster. The reason is because there are so many more things that you can do with the dwarf hamster that you can't do with the Syrian hamster. For starters, if you want to have more than one hamster, you can't have two Syrian hamsters in the same cage. Why? Because they will kill each other!

Syrian hamsters are very territorial and will kill another hamster if put in it's cage. As a matter of fact, they are so territorial that after mating, both male and female Syrian hamsters have to be separated or they will start to fight! Talk about a crazy relationship! As you can see, this is something that you will NOT have to worry about with a dwarf hamster.

You can put two dwarf hamsters in the same cage at the same time with no problems! As a matter of fact, it is recommended by the experts of the pet field that you buy two dwarf hamsters at the same time. This is because in the wild dwarf hamsters live in a large community with other dwarf hamsters.

There is one drawback to adopting a dwarf hamster. If you want to call it a drawback! If you decide to adopt a dwarf hamster, then you must make sure that if you are going to put them in a cage, then you have to make sure that the spaces between the cage's wire's are only about a quarter of an inch apart! This is because of the size of the dwarf hamster. Most cages designed for Syrian hamsters are too big for dwarf hamsters. Because of their size, a dwarf hamster can AND will, squeeze through the wire of the cage! This is a minor problem that can be solved by buying a 10 or 20-gallon fish tank instead of a cage!

Once you have decided on which hamster that you are going to buy, (hopefully it's the dwarf hamster...), then you have to make sure that you are able to support it's daily nutritional requirements. Your brand new hamster has some very interesting food habits, but the dwarf hamster diet is not that complicated. As with all pets, there are some things that you can and cannot feed your hamster.

Foods that you can feed your dwarf hamster.

1. Dwarf hamster mix

2. Dried fruits

3. Dried vegetables

4. Seeds

Foods that you cannot feed your dwarf hamster.

1. Sugary sweets

2. Cherries

3. Melons

4. Chocolate

This is a very basic list of the foods that you can and cannot feed your dwarf hamster. The foods that you should never give your dwarf hamster are in the sweets category. You should NEVER give them any sweets because of the dwarf hamster's predisposition to diabetes. You have to remember that because they are so small and the fact that they hoard most of their food in their jaws, you will not have to feed them a big amount of food.

But just as important as food is the water that you give your hamster. When you decide to give him or her water you have to decide whether or not to use a water bowl or a water bottle. The water bowl may be something that you might begin with, but after your little buddy knocks it over a few times and floods the cage, then a water bottle will be the preferred water delivery system.

When you first adopt your dwarf hamster, it will take some time for him or her to get to know you. Don't assume that just because you adopted this amazing creature, and you are feeding it everyday, that it will be eating out of you hand. A feat like that takes a little time. Your brand new hamster will first have to get to know you before he trusts you, and the only way to get him to know you is to play with him.

When you play with your dwarf hamster, you get to know him. You find out his likes and dislikes. And vice versa. He finds out your likes and dislikes! By playing I mean basically interacting with him. Offering him or her treats. Stretching a line of treats throughout the cage for him to eat. Doing these things, although they are little in nature, build trust with your hamster. He gets to know the kind of person that adopted him.

While you are doing these things, you have to talk to him. Talk to him in a very soft voice, and if he allows you to, pet him. Stroke his fur while you are offering him a treat. doing these things, coupled with the the power of the edible treat, will allow him to trust you, and eventually he will be eating out of your hand!

Dwarf hamster illnesses are a direct result of the foods that you feed them and the environment that they live in. If you have a dwarf hamster in a filthy cage, then expect them to be sick and stressed all the time. This stress will lead to an early death for them. The dwarf hamster's lifespan is only about 3 or 4 years so, you should try your best to extend it through making sure that their living quarters and their diet is the best that you can achieve.

As I mentioned earlier, the dwarf hamster has a predisposition to diabetes, so with that being said, feeding him or her sweets should be done at a minimum. Just like humans, if you eat to many sweets, you too will eventually develop diabetes. Try to keep your sweet treats to a minimum. Instead of giving your dwarf hamster sweet treats, give him dried fruits instead.

Some of the dwarf hamster illnesses include:

1. Diabetes

2. Common cold - Yes they can get the common cold, and in most cases you will hear them sneeze. It may sound cute but its very serious!

3. Abscesses- This can occur if your hamster is bitten or scratched by another. If you notice this, take them to the vet immediately. The vet will be able to determine if it is infected or not.

4. Allergic reactions- This can be from a variety of things. Your dwarf hamster can have an allergic reaction from the foods that you give him or from the bedding that is in his cage. Take him to the vet to determine the origin of the problem.