So
you're hanging out with your new friend and you have some
questions... let's see if we can help.
Some good
things to know...
1. Dwarf Hamsters are nocturnal- this means that they sleep during the day and are most active at night.
- it's important that you do not continually disturb the sleep of your hamsters during the day to play with them because they may be temperamental at that time.
2. Dwarf Hamsters don't always get along
- hamsters are solitary creatures, meaning that they are perfectly happy living on their own.
- however, hamsters can get along with each other if they were from the same litter or grow up together when they are babies.
- if you decide to house more than 1 hamster in a cage, do keep an eye out for their behaviour, any fighting should be a good sign to separate them (hamsters can die easily under stress).
3. Dwarf Hamsters need to be trained to be held
- if you want to be able to play with your hamster outside of their cage, it's important that you routinely have them get used to you by holding them every day.
- yes, you may get bitten the first few times but they will slowly warm to your touch.
- try not to alarm them by picking them up from behind when they are unaware, you can get their attention first and then grab them by the skin on the back of their neck (that's how mommy hamsters pick up baby hamsters).
4. Dwarf Hamsters
need to chew- hamsters need to chew on things because their teeth are continually growing even when their bodies are full grown.
- it's important to have chew toys or wooden sticks etc. for them to chew on so they are kept happy.
- watch out for hamsters chewing on cages - some cage materials may be bad for hamsters if chewed and ingested.
5. Dwarf Hamsters
require a clean environment
- as you'll know, hamsters will do their business wherever they want, so it's important to always keep the cage clean to minimize sickness for the hamster or to humans.
6. Dwarf Hamsters
will clean themselves
- no unfortunately they won't clean their cage for you but they will clean themselves.
- if you have a hamster, you'll quickly notice that they enjoy spending a lot of their time grooming themselves and cleaning themselves.
- don't try to wash your hamster in water, they will get sick and may die.