Dwarf Hamster Care

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Dwarf Hamsters are a type of rodents in the Cricetidae family. They are commonly considered to be desert animals because they originate from North Africa. Two of the most common types of hamsters, Campbell’s dwarf and Winter White Dwarf, live on average 3–4 years though some may live as long as 9 years while others succumb to cancer and die before reaching 40 weeks old.

How to take care of a Dwarf Hamster

Dwarf Hamster Care – Food and Water

The best way to feed your hamster is crickets, worms, or small mealworms (also known as superworms) according to scientific research at Uppsala University in Sweden. Some dwarf hamsters enjoy a treat of a slice of banana or apple.

Dwarf hamsters, like many other animals, need to have access to water. They are able to drink from a bottle with a special ball on top of the nipple so that they can easily push it into their mouths without getting their paws wet, though sometimes they will still bite the ball as it enters their mouths.

If you have a dwarf hamster who does not seem to like water, you can try putting food colouring in the water for variation and occasionally try wetting small parts of their cage and letting them lick the water off the cage bars etc.

When Dwarf Hamsters get Sick

Unfortunately, Dwarf hamsters sometimes get ill and die for no apparent reason. One way you can try to increase the chances of your hammy living a long life is to try giving it a treat called ‘Pill Pockets.’ These treats are also known as ‘pills’ because one side of them has an opening that fits perfectly over many different sized medicine capsules. They are very easy to find in pet stores. They are about the same size as a normal hamster treat, so they just double up as another treat!

One way that you can tell if your hamster is sick is if it has a runny nose and you have noticed a white or yellow clumpy substance stuck in the fur around its nose. This is not usually something to worry about, and it can easily be removed by wiping it away with some tissue paper, but if this becomes more severe then you may need to take your hamster to the vet.

Playing with your Dwarf Hamster

Like most animals, hamsters love to play. A fun game for you and your hamster to try is called “hide-and-seek”. This game works like this:

Get a pair of big, fluffy slippers or a thick towel and let your hamster hide in there as you are putting it into the cage. You will have one minute to find it before it runs out of air. After taking your hamster out you can do the same again! Hamsters love this game! Dwarf hamsters also like playing with toilet paper rolls and tubes.

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