Select Page

Caring For A Dwarf Hamster


Before adopting a robo dwarf hamster because it sounds like the hamster version of the terminator, new pet hamster parents might want to learn the various choices available when it comes to dwarf hamsters.

All pets have needs when it comes to food, water, cleanliness, and social activity.

Popular choices are the Russian dwarf hamster, the Chinese dwarf hamster, and the aforementioned Robo dwarf hamster.


What Are Dwarf Hamsters?


There are two kinds of dwarf hamsters : the real ones and the "fake" ones. There are misconceptions about what dwarf hamsters are; they're not just miniature hamsters. They actually are a specific kind of animal.

Then there are hamsters that have similar size to dwarf hamsters and are often wrongfully named. However, that doesn't make them any less adorable!

Even pet stores that have dwarf hamsters for sale might use these misleading names simply because of their popularity - or because they have a hard time telling them apart too.

Dwarf Hamsters Are

  • small

  • nocturnal

  • active

  • omnivores

  • relatively friendly

Some dwarf hamsters, but not all, are

  • allergic to strong-scented bedding

  • unlikely to want to be picked up


Russian Dwarf Hamsters


No, a russian dwarf hamster does not drink vodka

The Russian dwarf hamster features a dark stripe along the skin where the spin should be. They love to exercise for a few days, and then take a break for a few days. Since they are most active at night, it can be a little annoying to hear a spinning wheel when trying to sleep. 

russian dwarf hamster

Plastic wheels, which are less likely to rust and are easier to maintain, can help reduce noise. Of course, worst comes to worst, the wheel can be taken out of the cage for the night. If the habitat has other ways to exercise, such as tunnels to run around in, the hamster can still get the fun he needs and you can get your sleep.

Russian dwarf hamsters live only 1 to 2 years. They are great if you don't want a long commitment, but it also means heartache comes so much sooner. These are the dwarf hamsters that can find strong-scented bedding, such as oak or some pines, to be deadly. Most beddings designated for hamsters will not contain these materials. However, if you're still not certain, paper towels or toilet tissue can make perfectly fine alternatives.

Other Names

  • Campbell's Dwarf Hamster


Caring For A Dwarf Hamster


Don't Purchase Dwarf Hamsters For Sale Without Some Help First!

Dwarf hamsters aren't any more difficult to take care of than regular hamsters. Like all hamsters they need:

  • Hamster-approved bedding

  • A cage or habitat

  • Food

  • Water

  • Wheels, tunnels, and other toys

  • Chew sticks

  • A hideaway to sleep privately in


Further Tips: Cleaning


To clean the cage, place your furry friend in a safe environment such as an alternate cage or an exercise wheel. With your pet out of the way, proceed to remove all of the bedding.

Spray down the entire environment including walls, ramps, wheels, tunnels (if possible) with an animal-safe cleaner.

Wipe down the spray. Put new bedding back in and put all of the clean accessories, such as the wheel, back in. Lastly, let your little pet back in his room.

Want to learn what are the best hamster cages?


Further Tips: Food and Water


If you are giving pellet food, you can usually give food every other day. However, if the bowl is dirty - especially from poop - you may have to change every day.

Thankfully, dwarf hamsters don't usually do that, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Water needs to be changed everyday, especially if you don't trust your town's tap water.

To do this, empty out the bottle and use a bottle scrubber to take away any algae buildup. Once clean, fill it with fresh water.

infographic-what can my hamster eat

 


Further Tips: Toilet Training


Even hamsters can learn to use a litter! They have small litter pans for hamsters. Of course, training takes time; the hamster doesn't know what it's for, after all.

Using a scooper or other similar device, grab some of your pet's poo and place it within the litter pan so that eventually your pet understands what it's for.

If you are cleaning the cage, make sure to put aside some old poo for this purpose before emptying out the entire bedding.


Robo Dwarf Hamsters


The new robot invasion as led by the first robo dwarf hamster?

Robo is short for Roborovski. Robo dwarf hamsters are the smallest dwarf hamsters, which makes them the smallest hamsters currently recorded. They are lucky to reach 3 inches in length!

These hamsters are very friendly in the sense that they don't usually bite. However, they're also unfriendly in the sense that they don't easily trust humans.

So while you don't have to worry about you or your family members being bit, it's unlikely the hamster will want to be picked up and will constantly run away.

This can actually lead to some fun and, if done on a recurring basis, can lead to the hamster understanding that you are not chasing with intent to harm. 

It might take a few months of dedicated interaction, but eventually the hamster might just grow to like you enough to at least allow being petted.

Despite this, they can be a little picky. They aren't big fans of store pellet food for hamsters; they'd rather have fresh food such as vegetables, insects, worms, seeds - anything but pellets actually!

Robo dwarf hamsters live from one to three years.

Other Names

  • Roborovski Dwarf Hamster

  • Roborovskii Dwarf Hamster


Siberian Dwarf Hamsters


Brr, it's cold in here, the russian dwarf hamsters need to adapt....

Commonly mistaken for Russian Dwarf Hamsters, these are actually a separate type of hamster altogether. The reason for the mistake is that both Siberian and Russian dwarf hamsters have that same stripe feature along the back of their spine. They can share many of the same colorings. 

robo dwarf hamster

Also, they are just as active and as nocturnal. However, when it gets cold, suddenly it's easier to tell the difference. The Siberian dwarf hamsters will develop white-colored fur when the temperature drops. In a way, it's almost like the Siberian dwarf hamsters are cold-evolved versions of the Russian ones.

Since Siberian dwarf hamsters are used to cold, they do have some behavior that is different. When it gets too cold for them, they start to curl up to keep warmth better. However, this is a temporary solution. If your siberian dwarf hamster is constantly doing this, it means the habitat is too cold and it's time to put it in a warmer location. Cold temperatures are harmful to any rodent, even ones that are adapted for it.

Siberian dwarf hamsters live longer than their Russian cousins. Like the robos, they live 1 to 3 years.

Other Names

  • Russian Winter White Dwarf Hamster

  • Djungarian Dwarf Hamster


Chinese Dwarf Hamsters


...And a chinese dwarf hamster doesn't eat pork fried rice

Chinese dwarf hamsters aren't "real" dwarf hamsters. They don't belong to the only 3 official dwarf hamster races. However, many other hamsters are considered 'dwarf' because of their size. The Chinese 'dwarf' hamster is one of the most popular of these such races. Some people think they're just smaller version of Chinese Hamsters, while others consider them different races completely.

Chinese dwarf hamsters are just as easy to take care of as regular dwarf hamsters and do not need any special treatment.

Other Names

  • Striped Dwarf Hamster