Dwarf hamster help?

Question

i'm looking to get a dwarf hamster, and was wondering what the necessities were.

also, i might want two, but don't know how the reaction would go?

if so, girl-girl? girl-boy? boy-boy?

thankssss.

Answer 1

Dwarf hamsters can live in groups in the same cage, however make it only boy-boy (males together) or girl-girl (females together). If you put a male and female in the same cage, they will mate and the female will give birth to babies. This is strongly not advisable until you are experienced in taking care of pregnant hamsters which is not the case since you are asking for advice in this column :-). So definitely go only for two males or two females.

Dwarf hamsters are very friendly and cute pets but there are certain rules you must know to handle them and take care of them. If you have any more questions, feel free to post here or email me and I can help you out with your queries.

The basic necessities you need when you bring the dwarfs home are as follows -

Dwarf hamster cage

Hamster water bottle and food cup (these normally come with the cage itself)

Bedding - use only aspen shavings, anything else would cause allergy, You can also use untreated toilet paper mixed with the shavings for their beddings.

Hamster Feed - this is a commerical mix that contains all the nutrients the hamsters need and should be given as their main diet

Hamster chew sticks - for them to chew and gnaw to control their growing teeth

Hamster exercise wheel - if one is not there included in the cage

Hamster balls - for the hamsters to exercise.

Remember the following -

Hamsters are naturally inquistive creatures, so try to have a cage with tunnels for them to play

If you are buying a wire cage, make sure the gaps in the wires are not too wide, dwarfs can easily squeeze through small gaps.

Handle hamsters gently and carefully, when they come in newly to your house, they will get scared by new surroundings, so give them time to get used to their new surroundings and then handle them.

Pick up a book on hamsters and read thoroughly before you go and get your hamster so that you are confident about how you deal with them. Remember a great hamster pet is one that is treated well.

All the best and hope you get your pet dwarf soon!

Answer 2

well ok first you need a cage, food, toys, make sure you get a water bottle stuff to chew on like little wooden blocks, treats, bedding, wheel, might want a ball so it can run around your house ok but if you want two um you could get two cages if you dont want to risk them fighting and hurting each other but if you want them to interact i would probably get two girls but im not sure i have only had 1 and he was a boy but most importantly give them alot of attention ok i hope this helps!!!! :)

Answer 3

they came live together

Answer 4

The main concern is cash... and this goes for all animals:

Once you bring them home, you need to have the money for any possible vet visits and procedures, which means at least 300 in an account somewhere. If you can't afford the vet account, don't bring the hamsters home until you can. This account shouldn't include the cage/tank, food, bedding, toys, treats, hideouts, etc. Vets only. Also, make sure you have a small animal or exotics vet in your area willing to take your new hamsters as patients before you bring them home. It would be like you moving to a state with no doctors, you know? :]

I don't have experience personally with dwarf hamsters (I'm a gerbil mom), but I can tell you a same s*x pair or trio is preferred. Like gerbils, DWARF hamsters live in groups in the wild. Syrians don't. They will be adorable to watch sleep on top of one another, and groom each other.

If you get a girl and a boy from the same store at the same time, chances are they are brother and sister, and once THEY breed-which they will, they don't know any better- they will have babies with possible defects, or stillbirth. Then, IMMEDIATELY after those babies are born, they will mate again... more inbred babies. Then the first babies will be old enough to inbreed with their siblings, making things worse... You get the picture.

Anyway, here's a basic list:

1) Cage with tiny, TINY spaces between bars. Even better is a tank, 10 gallon will do, any larger is good. Then, they don't have a route to escape.

2) Bedding. No cedar- EVER!- it causes liver damage and respiratory infections. Pine is iffy, it depends on how it is treated. Aspen shavings, or Carefresh are recommended.

3) Food and water bottle. Formulated for hamsters. Brown's Encore is kind of "off" in nutrition, so I would avoid it, or mix it with something like Nutriphase. Water bottle can clip to cage, or suction cup/hang over the tank edge.

3) Hideout. Hamsters are prey animals, meaning they need a place to hide and feel secure. Plastic igloos may be chewed up, but wooden houses/castles are great places to hide.

4) Treats. It could be as simple as pulling the sunflower seeds out of the food mix, but you will want to have something to hand tame the hamsters with.

5) Literature. Even if it is only the pamphlet they give you when you pick them up, something to read up on is always good.

6) Wheel! Mesh or solid running surface, so as not to catch little feet. Hamsters love to run. Many people are against hamster balls. I am one of them.

7) Bath SAND. Not dust, dust can cause respiratory problems, too. Chinchilla SAND is great. Put a little saucer or bowl or cup down, fill it with sand, watch them roll around like they are having a seizure. Hilarious, they get clean. Pull it out after 15 minutes or so, or it will become the potty.

8) Mineral chews and wooden chew toys. Both are optional, but the more your hamster has to chew on, the less likely his teeth will become overgrown and the vet will have to trim them. Saves money is the long run!

There's a basic list, you can modify by doing some research on Google.

Good luck with the hamsters!

Answer 5

ok well if you want to have more hamsters get a girl and boy. but i just had a cage a wheel bowl for food bottle for water and a few wodden toys inside. and i let mine get in this ball and roll around for a little while each day.

Answer 6

Id say dwarf hamsters are like normal hamsters.  I've had both.  Dwarf hamsters are a little smaller though, which is why I like the normal ones better, heh.  dont get girl-boy unless youre planning to breed them :PP

and you should really only get 1, but I have two and they live in the same cage and they're doing fine... they';re girl-girl but to be on the safe side id only get 1.

p.s.  its not my fault that i have 2 living together, my mom got the 2nd one because it was the last in the cage and i was not there.  also she thinks they're soo cute :P