About Dwarf Hamsters

History

These hamsters are relatively new to the pet market compared to the Syrian. The Chinese hamster out of the four main types of dwarfs was the first to be discovered back in 1919 from China and Mongolia. Campbell's, Winter Whites and Roborovski are more recent. With the help of Percy Parlow Campbell's were introduced to the public in the 1970's. Winter Whites and Roborovski were later introduced in 1978, these are the rarer type of hamsters still to this day.

General Care

Unlike Syrians dwarfs can be kept in pairs or groups. You must make sure that the hamsters you buy are the same sex or you could end up with a whole family of hamsters. They are very sociable animals and should live in at least a pair so they don't become lonely. Make sure the pair you buy are from the same cage or litter. If not it can lead to the hamsters fighting and becoming hurt. Dwarfs from different litters can be introduced but it is not always successful.

Dwarfs when kept in groups will sometimes play fight, you can sometimes hear them squeek as they do this. They do this to find out who is the most dominant of the group. This is usually nothing to worry about but sometimes fighting can become severe. If you see any blood then they must be seperated immediately and live in seperate cages so they don't become injured.

Dwarfs are a lot smaller than syrians so they are not ideal for young children because of their small nature and fastness. Especially Roborovski as they are very fast hamsters and almost impossible to catch or hold. Like Syrians a dwarfs cage should be cleaned weekly along with fresh food and water daily.

Types of Dwarf Hamsters >>