Pet Habitat South Africa

Dwarf Hamsters

Dwarf hamsters make great pets for all the family. But, because they’re so tiny, they suit older children extremely well. They’re inquisitive, gentle-natured and very energetic. Good things come in little packages, they say. Spot on for Dwarf hamsters. Dwarf Hamsters are nocturnal, so they’ll spend most of the day sleeping. But in the evening and at night, get ready – and let the fun begin. You’ll find the best way to care for your dwarf hamster in the following pet care pages. If you cannot find what you’re looking for, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to help.

Syrian Hamsters

A Syrian hamster (Latin name Mesocricetus auratus) makes a great pet for children and adults. They’re inquisitive, gentle-natured and very energetic. They’re also nocturnal, so they’ll spend most of the day sleeping. But in the evening and at night: the fun begins. If you cannot find what you’re looking for, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to help.

Choosing your Hamster

Hamsters make great family pets as they need very little space and are easy to look after, with either sex making an equally good pet. Long-haired or teddy bear hamsters are very cuddly, but require more care as they need regular grooming. Dwarf hamsters are very cute, but not all are suitable as children's pets. Russian and Roborovski hamsters tend to be friendlier and easier to handle.

Which one is for you?

There are 24 species of hamster, but only a few of these are kept as pets. The best known are Golden, or Syrian hamsters, but it is possible to find other types of hamsters in pet shops nowadays. There are many different colours and textures of hamster coat. Short-haired hamsters are the most common, but there are also long-haired hamsters, known as Teddy Bears because of their appearance. Satin hamsters' coats are short, but very smooth and shiny, while Rex Hamsters' coats are wavy. You can also buy dwarf hamsters, which are only around 7cm (3") long. These are very entertaining as they dart and leap around, but make sure to get a type, such as Russian, that is easy to handle.

Where should you buy your hamster?

You can buy hamsters from pet shops or local breeders. Wherever you buy yours from, make sure that it is in a large, clean cage and that the staff or breeders are knowledgeable, and the hamster is used to being handled. When you buy your hamster, it should be between four and eight weeks old. Hamsters are ready to leave their mum and are easiest to tame at this age.

Signs of a healthy hamster

The hamster is likely to be asleep when you visit your pet shop or local breeder. Once he has been awakened gently, he should be inquisitive.

A healthy hamster should have:

• Bright, clear, round eyes that are wide open and have no discharge
• Clean ears
• Shiny fur
• Clean bottom and tail
• Rounded body
• Clean nostrils and easy breathing

You may see a dark patch on each hip. These are the hamster's scent gland and are nothing to worry about

Syrian Hamster Companionship

Your Syrian hamster will enjoy contact with you, but won't get on with other Syrian hamsters. So no pairs or groups.

Fun and Frolics

Play, exploration and exercise are all vital to your Syrian hamster's happiness. So keep the cage interesting with plenty of toys to keep him busy in the night, while you're asleep. Tubes are good, wooden objects to gnaw on are ideal. A wheel is great, but make sure it's not too small - your hamster's back should not be curved when it's in use. Wheels are something to be wary of if your Syrian hamster is long-haired, as are any other toys which might trap his coat.

Outside their cage, a hamster ball is a great way to explore and exercise.

The Joy of Grooming

If your Syrian hamster is long-haired, daily grooming is important. But if not, regular grooming is still a good idea. It helps to strengthen the bond between you, and you can check for health problems.

Syrian Hamster Housing

Your Syrian hamster has lots of energy and needs a large cage with lots of room to race around in - in the wild they can easily do an 8 mile run. Ideally, the base should be plastic and the sides and roof wire. That gives plenty of opportunity for climbing, which your hamster will love to do.

Exploration is a popular pastime too. So a cage with different levels or compartments would be perfect. If the route from place to place is by tube, however, be careful. Syrian hamsters are twice the size of their Dwarf hamster cousins, and can easily get stuck if the tubes are too small.

You should create a separate sleeping area then cover the entire cage floor with wood shavings and put shredded paper on top. It's comfy and good for nesting. Don't use cedar or pine shavings, they can cause allergic reactions. Don't use man-made materials. And don't use straw - sharp edges can pierce your Syrian hamster's delicate cheek pouches.

Your hamster will want to set up a toilet area, a nesting area, an eating area, and a play area, so your cage will need to be big enough to accommodate all of this. It's important to keep the cage hygienic, so clean it thoroughly once a week. But clean the toilet area more often.

Outside is a no-go area for your pet Syrian hamster. Inside, the cage needs to be carefully positioned. A constant temperature is what you're aiming for: avoid direct sunlight, draughts and radiators. In very cold weather, provide more bedding or move the cage somewhere warmer. At temperatures below 10°C, your pet may hibernate, becoming very still. Don't panic. You can warm him up gently by holding him in your hands.

Finally, remember that a Syrian hamster has extremely sensitive hearing. So site the cage away from the TV, loudspeakers and household appliances.

In the wild, hamsters are omnivores. They’ll happily munch on grasses, seeds, plant roots and the occasional tasty creepy-crawly. Depending on your breed of hamster you will need a different food.

Supahamster Dwarf Hamster Harvest is an ideal replacement: a complete food containing small seeds and grains, wholesome peas and whole, dried mealworms for essential animal protein.

Supahamster Hamster Harvest is an ideal replacement: a complete food containing grains, nuts and delicious whole, dried mealworms for essential animal protein. Your pets will need solid food from as young as 7-10 days old.

Provide fresh food every day: around a tablespoon is plenty. It’s best served at your hamsters’ breakfast time – which is when they wake up in the evening. Use a ceramic bowl, which is more stable and gnaw-proof, and give fresh water daily in a bottle.

Syrian Hamster Handling

When your new Syrian hamster comes home for the first time, don't try to handle him immediately. Allow a couple of days for settling in. Chat away gently to get your pet used to the sound of your voice. It all helps.

When you think the right time has come, hold your hand in the cage so your Syrian hamster can smell you. It's a good idea to always wash your hands first, so you smell the same every time. Then they can recognise you more easily.

Your hamster may like to walk onto your hand, or you can scoop him up gently with two hands. Keep your hands over a table or sofa or close to the floor in case there's an escape attempt or they fall and hurt themselves.

The more you play with and handle your hamster, the better. Once tamed, your Syrian hamster should stay that way. Before you know it, he'll be so friendly you'll have him eating out of your hand - literally.

Waking your pet up to handle him is a very bad idea. You wouldn't like it, and nor will he. But unlike you, he may bite out of fear.

Never pick a Syrian hamster up by the scruff of the neck - it puts pressure on the head and may cause the eyes to pop out.

Exercise and Play

You can use treats and tidbits to help you to tame your hamster and win his trust. By feeding him with your hand, he will begin to associate you with nice things.

In the wild, hamsters forage for food and often run many miles each night. They don't have to do this in a habitat and so need other forms of exercise to keep them fit, healthy and happy and prevent them from getting overweight. The items in his home should provide your hamster with lots of opportunities to explore, climb and scramble in and out of holes and tunnels.

Hamster wheels

Hamster cages normally have a built-in wheel, so your hamster will enjoy running around in it and will run up to 6 to 8 kilometers a day.

Around the house

Once your hamster is tame enough to be handled, he will enjoy playing outside his home in your house. Make sure that the area you let your hamster explore is safe. Hamsters like to gnaw constantly so move electrical cables and houseplants, as these may be poisonous. Hamsters love climbing but if they fall, even from as low as one meter, they could seriously injure themselves, so don't let your hamster climb outside his home.

Keeping your Hamster's Home Clean

Hamsters are very clean animals and don't smell if their homes are cleaned regularly. They often go to the toilet in the same place each time, so this makes the job easier. Before you begin cleaning, put your hamster in a holding cage or Transport Unit. Because hamsters are territorial your hamster won't appreciate you moving his home around and so will get in your way or even nip at first if you don't take him out. He may also get scared from all of the commotion.

Daily cleaning tasks

Every day you should:
• Remove wet bedding and clean the toilet area
• Add fresh bedding
• Remove uneaten food, seed husks and left-over fruit and vegetables
• Wash the food bowl in hot, soapy water and then rinse and dry it thoroughly before refilling with food
• Empty, rinse and refill the water bottle, checking it for leaks and blockages

A thorough clean

Your hamster's home will need to be cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis. If you keep up your daily cleaning tasks, it will be fine to do a full clean every 14 days. You can usually leave the bedding and food hoard inside nests undisturbed for around four weeks, so only clean these out every other time, unless fresh fruit or vegetables are present, which should be thrown out.

Each time you fully clean his home, as well as doing daily cleaning tasks you should:

• Throw out most of the bedding
• Scrub the base and tubes with a pet-safe (not household) disinfectant and then rinse thoroughly.

So that your hamster feels comfortable when he returns to his home:

Save some of the unsoiled old bedding and put this with the fresh bedding so that it will still smell like his home.

Syrian Hamster Health

As with all animals, there are some common health problems that Syrian hamsters may suffer from. If you have any concerns, always go direct to your vet.

The weekly health check

Get into the habit of examining your pet carefully every week. It's a good idea to weigh him too. Make this a regular thing and you'll bond better with your pets. And you'll catch any problems early - your Syrian hamster is nocturnal, so health issues might not be so easy to spot.

General - check that your Syrian hamster's behaviour is normal - active and playful in the evening. Gauge how they walk, looking for limping, or signs of pain. A sick pet will be irritable and may bite more frequently.

Mouth and nose - the nose should be clean and dry - sneezing and runny nose are signs of cold or flu. Check to ensure that your pet's teeth haven't grown too long. See whether they're misaligned or chipped. Losing weight and loss of appetite could be a sign of dental problems.

Eyes - they should be bright, and not runny or watery - this could be a sign of an allergy or a cold.

Cheeks - check for lumps in the cheeks which may feel like an abscess. It is likely to be an impacted cheek pouch. The lump may be so large it may force the eye to close. The pouch will need to be emptied and rinsed, which can only be done by a vet.

Fur - check for patches of hair loss, which could be the result of rubbing against the cage or fur chewing. This can be a sign of boredom or the result of abrasive bedding. Hair loss is also linked to protein deficiency. Check for signs of itching combined with any hair loss - this could be a symptom of parasites or ringworm.

Nails - like their teeth, a Syrian hamster's nails grow continuously. Playing with wooden toys will keep them short, but check to make sure they're not overgrown. If they are, your vet will clip them safely.

Common health problems

Diarrhoea - Syrian hamsters are susceptible to diarrhoea, which can be caused by feeding too much green food, fruit or stress. Although fresh greens are important - if you don't feed enough your pet will become constipated - try and make sure the bulk of the diet is a good quality complete food, such as Supahamster Hamster Harvest.

Wet Tail - this is a bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhoea, and is mostly seen in young Syrian hamsters. It is characterised by a stickiness of the bottom and tail area, and your pet may appear as though it has stomach ache, by hunching itself up. Wet Tail is highly contagious so ensure you wash your hands and clean out the cage thoroughly.

Dental problems - as with all rodents, Syrian hamsters' teeth grow continuously, and can become overgrown unless care is taken to keep them ground down. Provide gnaw blocks, gnaw sticks or wooden toys for your pet to chew on. Try Excel Gnaw Sticks, which are great for good dental health.

Because of their small size, a Syrian hamster's health can quickly deteriorate if he becomes poorly. Urgent treatment by a vet must be sought if your pet displays any signs of being unwell.

Did You Know?

Did you know that hamsters sometimes put their babies in their cheek pouches to keep them safe if they feel threatened?

Did you know that hamsters have nerves at the base of their whiskers that sense the size of opening spaces?

Did you know that female hamsters are smellier than male hamsters?

Did you know that a hamster's heart beats 400 times a minute when active and only 4 times per minutes when hibernating?

Did you know that you should never give hamsters raw wood pieces to chew because they could splinter and cause damage to their digestive tract?

Did you know that a hamster will puff out their cheeks to scare off animals?

Did you know that a hamster's best sense is their smell?

Did you know that the normal color of a hamster's teeth is yellow?

Did you know that baby hamsters are called pups?

Did you know that hamsters can flatten their ribs? That's why they are so good at traveling in tubes.

Did you know that hamster's teeth constantly grow because they do not have roots?