Hamster Facts Archives - Page 2 of 3

50 Hamster Care Tips & Facts

June 13, 2013 By Sarah Yee 2 Comments

Looking for hamster care tips? robohammys and budgiesonline101 have created a very informative video packed with plenty of hamster care tips and facts for hamster owners. Below is Part 1 by robohammys:

Many of the points mentioned in the above video are important things that new hamster owners may not be aware of. For example, pet shops may carry pine, cedar, or scented bedding but these are actually unhealthy for your pet because they contain harmful chemicals. These chemicals can cause respiratory problems in dwarf hamsters and other small animals.

And here’s part 2 by budgiesonline101

If you’ve enjoyed their videos, be sure to check out there channels here and here.

Hamster Weight & Weighing Guide

May 22, 2013 By Sarah Yee 14 Comments

What is the average hamster weight?

If you’ve weighed your hamster (if you haven’t, check out the instructions at the bottom), you probably want to know whether it’s too heavy or light compared to other hammies. So here’s a list of average hamster weights. The weight ranges are from the book Hamsters A to Z which also contains plenty of helpful information on hamsters and dwarf hamsters.

Note: These are adult hamster weights.

Syrian hamster weight: 5oz – 7oz (140g – 200g)

Dwarf hamster weights

Winter White dwarf hamster: 1.5oz – 2 oz (40g – 60g)
Campbell’s dwarf hamster: same as above
Note: the two species of hamsters are also commonly referred to as Russian dwarf hamsters or Siberian hamsters

Roborovski dwarf hamster: 1oz – 1.5oz (25g – 40g)

Chinese hamster: 1.5oz – 1.8oz (40g – 50g)

My dwarf hamsters’ weights

I weighed my hamsters today. The winter white dwarf hamsters are still under two months old (as of May 2013) so they’re not fully grown yet. Their weights are 31 grams (Oatmeal) and 25 grams (Flaxseed). My Roborovskis are fully-grown but their sizes are so different! I don’t have their exact ages because I got them from the pet shop. Ichigo is 40grams and Blueberry is slightly underweight at just 24grams.

How to weigh your hamster

If you’re wondering how to weigh your hamster, this is a short guide that will hopefully help you. As we all know, hamsters aren’t particularly keen on staying put in a single place. Of course, if you have an exceptionally tame hamster, you might not think the same, but a hamster (especially if it’s a Robo dwarf hamster!) would likely prefer running about than standing on a weighing scale for you to record how heavy it is.

Why weigh your hamster?

It’s a good idea to weigh your hamster regularly so you can spot any excessive weight loss and deal with it. Sometimes, hamsters lose weight quickly when they get sick, or if their teeth is overgrown and they can’t eat. If you’ve just changed your hamster’s food, it’s also good to track its weight so you can be sure it’s eating properly and not just hiding all the new food somewhere because it doesn’t like it.

Guide to weighing your hamster

Digital scale
You want to use one that’s for weighing postal items or kitchen ingredients. I use this kitchen scale which is under $10 if you get it from Amazon.
Small cardboard box or container
This is for putting your hamster in. I’ve found that my hamsters tend to stay in the house/box so I get enough time to record their weight. If I place them on the scale directly, they just walk off it immediately >.>
Treats or sunflower seeds
If your hamster doesn’t stay in the box or if you can’t find a box, put some treats or sunflower seeds on the scale to get them to stay on it longer. Remember to take into account the weight of the treats. A few sunflower seeds usually don’t weigh anything unless you’re using very large ones.
Your hamster
This is pretty self-explanatory ^^

What I do is put a few sunflower seeds in the box or container and weigh it first. Then, I lure my hamster into the box and weigh the box + hamster together. Subtract the weight of the box from the total weight and you’re done!

Thank you for reading and if you’ve found this post helpful or interesting, please share us with your friends! ^_^

Fancy Russian Dwarf Hamster 101

April 22, 2013 By Sarah Yee 10 Comments

You’ve probably heard or seen the term “fancy russian dwarf hamster” especially if you do your shopping at pet stores like PetSmart. Fancy Russian dwarf hamsters are not a different species of dwarf hamsters. Rather, they are just a marketing term used to described Russian dwarf hamsters (sometimes also referred to as Siberian hamsters) that are not the normal or Agouti color (black-brown with a dark grey stripe) or have different coat-types or patterns. There are only two species of Russian dwarf hamsters — the Campbell’s dwarf hamster and the Winter White dwarf hamster — and they are able to interbreed. A fancy Russian dwarf hamster is usually one of these species (more commonly the Campbell’s dwarf hamster as it comes in more colors) or a hybrid of the two.

Fancy Russian Dwarf Hamster Colors and Patterns

Below are some pictures of different colors of fancy Russian dwarf hamsters. Most of these are Campbell’s dwarf hamsters unless they are specifically referred to as Winter White. However, it is difficult to identify the actual species because of a lot of crossbreeding so some of these hamsters may be hybrids. You probably won’t know for sure unless you got the hamster from a breeder who knows exactly the genetic lines of her stock.

Note: This is not the full list of available “fancy” russian dwarf hamster colors and patterns, for a more complete table but without pictures, see this. Where the owner has labeled a hamster, we’ll use the species provided. Otherwise, it won’t be specified.

Black Dwarf Hamster

Source: this olx.sg sale listing

Opal Campbell’s Dwarf Hamster

Source: Miss Shari on Flickr

Lilac Dwarf Hamster

Source: Miss Shari on Flickr

Pearl Winter White

Source: Wikimedia Commons Jpbarrass at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], from Wikimedia Commons

Pearl Puddings (Hybrids)

Source: Sean’s Mandarin/Pudding Blog

Mottled (Pattern) Campbell’s Dwarf Hamster

Source: Dwarf Hamsters as Pets

Siberian Dwarf Hamster

April 3, 2013 By Sarah Yee 2 Comments

The “Siberian hamster” is two different species

The terms “Siberian hamster” and “Siberian dwarf hamster” are just another name for the either of the two Russian dwarf hamsters, the Campbell’s dwarf hamster or the Winter White dwarf hamster. Both of these dwarf hamsters can be found in parts of Siberia and that is why they are sometimes referred to as Siberian hamster. All the information in this blog is suitable for Siberian hamsters as they are also dwarf hamsters.

Although they look very similar, the Winter White and Campbell’s dwarf hamsters are actually different hamster species. Despite being different species, they can interbreed and create hybrid offspring. However, this does not happen in the wild though because the two species of hamsters would normally ignore each other or fight.

Siberian hamsters are difficult to tell apart

In case you were wondering what a Siberian hamster looks like, this is a normal winter white:

siberian hamster - winter white dwarf hamster

credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Primek_bed.JPG

And the one below is supposed to be a normal Campbell’s dwarf hamster (according to the owner)

By Alexander theo redgrave (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Kind of similar, aren’t they? Most people are not able to tell them apart and this is a reason why hybrids are often created — because uninformed pet owners and pet shops breed them without knowing that they are different! If you have a Siberian hamster that has different colors, you might want to refer to this table to see which type your Siberian hamster is likely to be.

Hybrids of the two Siberian hamster species create problems

Creating hybrids of these two Siberian hamsters can cause many problems. For one, the Campbell’s dwarf hamster is larger than the Winter White so if they are bred and the female hamster is a Winter White, the hamster babies would be too big for her to give birth to and the female hamster would die.

Another reason is that hybrids are more prone to diseases and genetic problems. They also tend to die earlier than the purebred dwarf hamsters.

Sadly, even with these problems, some people crossbreed the two Siberian hamsters because the hybrids can have attractive colors. If you care about your dwarf hamsters, don’t buy hybrids and never breed Siberian hamsters when you are not sure which species they are.

Do Dwarf Hamsters Bite?

March 16, 2013 By Sarah Yee 59 Comments

Do dwarf hamsters bite? This is a common question by potential hamster owners or parents looking to get their kids a new pet hamster. The short answer is yes. However, it is not common and dwarf hamsters rarely bite without reason. Also, dwarf hamsters are more likely to nibble than to inflict a real bite that draws blood. Since neither nibbling nor biting is ideal, we’ll refer to them both as biting in this article. The following explains why dwarf hamsters bite and the ways you can stop a dwarf hamster from biting.

Why do dwarf hamsters bite?

The hamster is startled
A sleeping hamster or one that is unaware of your presence may react by biting if you try to pick it up suddenly.
The hamster sees you as a threat
Hamsters are territorial and may see you as an invader if you poke your finger into their cage. If you are reaching for your hamster from above, it may also regard you as a predator and bite in defense.
The hamster is frightened
Are you holding your hamster too tightly? It may frighten your hamster and cause it to bite.
Your hand or fingers smell of food
Hamsters have highly sensitive noses and if you’re handling your hamster right after touching food, it may mistaken your fingers for food and start nibbling on it.
It also depends on the hamster’s personality
Some hamsters are more prone to biting than others. My two robo dwarf hamsters, Ichigo and Blueberry, have vastly different personalities. Ichigo has never bitten me under any circumstances but Blueberry has a tendency to nibble on anything that’s put near his face.

Here’s Blueberry the robo dwarf hamster biting at my glove:

How to stop a dwarf hamster from biting

Wash your hands before handling the hamster
Alert a hamster to your presence by putting your hand slowly in front of it and letting the hamster sniff your hand before attempting to pick it up
If your hamster is territorial, try playing with it outside the cage in a neutral area
If your hamster looks scared or takes on a defensive stance, leave it alone for a while instead of trying to interact with it
If a hamster tends to nibble, put on gloves before interacting with it

Training your dwarf hamster not to bite

According to the book Hamsterlopaedia, “reprimanding” your hamster by giving it a light tap on the nose and saying “No!” can teach your hamster that biting is unacceptable and may stop this bad behavior.

But here’s a different tip left by a reader, “cms”:

You should never ever hit a hamster for biting you. Not even a little bop on the nose. They should never see your hands as something that gives punishment, only treats and love. The first time you bop a hamster, they won’t ever forget. Try lightly blowing on their face (not hard enough to scare them) it will let them know that they aren’t supposed to do it without making them afraid of that big looming hand. If you strike them for biting, you’re only reinforcing the fear that caused the bite in the first place.

Do You Need a Hamster Wheel for Your Dwarf Hamster?

March 14, 2013 By Sarah Yee 4 Comments

Do you need a hamster wheel for your dwarf hamster or even any other hamster? The short answer is yes! Hamsters are active little creatures that need plenty of exercise. A hamster wheel is not just an accessory for your cage, but a necessary item for the health and wellness of your pet hamster. Robo dwarf hamsters, for example, have been known to travel up to a distance of 4 human marathons every night. That is about 100 miles and plenty of running. In a cage or tank, your pet hamster can only get all that running if you provide it with a hamster wheel.

How to pick a good hamster wheel

A good hamster wheel should be a solid one without rungs. The gaps between the rungs are dangerous and may cause your dwarf hamster to break a limb if they fall though it while running at high speed.

The hamster wheel should also produce little or no sound. If your cage is in your bedroom, you don’t want to get a squeaky wheel because your hamster(s) will be running on it all night.

The wheel should be an appropriate size. Larger may not always be better and your dwarf hamster may struggle running in a wheel that’s too big for it. A 6.5″ wheel is a good size.

Do you need a standing wheel or one that’s attached to your cage? Be sure to get the right one. Some hamster wheels are attachable to cages but cannot stand on their own. If there isn’t a place for you to attach the wheel, make sure you get one with a stand.

The Super Pet Hamster Silent Spinner 6 1/2 Inch Exercise Wheel is a hamster wheel that meets the above requirements.

Here’s another video of my white face robo dwarf hamsters, Ichigo and Blueberry running on their wheels. Sorry about the video quality! This was my first ever attempt at a video.

Here’s a Vine video of Ichigo running on his wheel. You can check out the rest of our Vines here.