Which cage for a Dwarf Hamster?
When you purchase a Dwarf hamster, whether it is a Chinese, Robo (Roborovski dwarf) Campbells or Winter White dwarf (collectively, and incorrectly called 'Russian Hamsters' or 'Russian dwarfs') you must choose a cage that suits your pets needs, always bearing in mind its small size. In this case, many modular cages, such as Rotastak cages, may not be suitable because dwarf varieties, and Chinese Hamsters, can struggle to climb up steep tubes. Inserting a ladder commonly used in mouse cages, can help, but it is not ideal.
Top Tip! Make sure that you hang water bottles within easy reach, and that they are easy to use. Choose a cage that has maximum floor space, hamsters are ground-dwellers after all!
Watch out for wire cages, small dwarfs can squeeze out of tiny gaps, and therefore cages with no wire, or narrow wire bars are best, a general rule is less than 1 cm in width. With this in mind, you may wish to consider the following cages for your pet.
Savic Rody - a tank-style cage which is great because it has no wire bars, but make sure that you keep it out of direct sunlight and in a well ventilated area.
Ferplast Duna Fun - a very spacious cage, perfect for a single dwarf or chinese hamster
Ferplast - follow the same advice as a Savic Rody
Bin cage - this is a DIY cage made from plastic storage tubs that you can buy in many shops such as B&Q, Staples and IKEA. You will need to cut a square out of the lid and attach some wire mesh, which will allow ventilation. You can attach water bottles by using velcro strips. Bin cages are often cheaper and larger than commercial cages, and are a popluar alternative.
For more homemade cages please example 1 and example 2.
Top Tip! Make sure that you hang water bottles within easy reach, and that they are easy to use. Choose a cage that has maximum floor space, hamsters are ground-dwellers after all!
Watch out for wire cages, small dwarfs can squeeze out of tiny gaps, and therefore cages with no wire, or narrow wire bars are best, a general rule is less than 1 cm in width. With this in mind, you may wish to consider the following cages for your pet.
Savic Rody - a tank-style cage which is great because it has no wire bars, but make sure that you keep it out of direct sunlight and in a well ventilated area.
Ferplast Duna Fun - a very spacious cage, perfect for a single dwarf or chinese hamster
Ferplast - follow the same advice as a Savic Rody
Bin cage - this is a DIY cage made from plastic storage tubs that you can buy in many shops such as B&Q, Staples and IKEA. You will need to cut a square out of the lid and attach some wire mesh, which will allow ventilation. You can attach water bottles by using velcro strips. Bin cages are often cheaper and larger than commercial cages, and are a popluar alternative.
For more homemade cages please example 1 and example 2.
Sand Baths
Left - Max, a Roborovski Male rolls in his bath.
Dwarf Hamsters especially love to dig and roll in sand, and therefore should have a sand bath available 24/7. It is great to watch an enthusiastic dwarf bathing! and you will notice a difference in your pet's coat as a hamster with a sand bath will often have a clean and shiny coat. Supplying a sand bath is easy, you can use a clean ice cream tub (shallow!) or tuppa ware style tub, or even a dog or rabbit feeding bowl! You can buy Children's Play Pit Sand very cheaply from most DIY stores, and you can use it straight away, but if you want to be 100% sure that there is no bacteria lurking, then you can pour some sand onto a baking tray, and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 45 minutes, before allowing it to cool completely, and giving it to your hamster.
Another alternative is to use Chincilla sand, the best brand is Supreme, Chincilla Sand, which pours from a cardboard carton. It must be sand, if you purchase Chincilla dust you can cause respiratory illness in your hamster. Chincillas have a thin layer of skin inside their nose which acts as a filter for dust, hamsters do not have this so any dust breathed in will enter and irritate the lungs.
Dwarf Hamsters especially love to dig and roll in sand, and therefore should have a sand bath available 24/7. It is great to watch an enthusiastic dwarf bathing! and you will notice a difference in your pet's coat as a hamster with a sand bath will often have a clean and shiny coat. Supplying a sand bath is easy, you can use a clean ice cream tub (shallow!) or tuppa ware style tub, or even a dog or rabbit feeding bowl! You can buy Children's Play Pit Sand very cheaply from most DIY stores, and you can use it straight away, but if you want to be 100% sure that there is no bacteria lurking, then you can pour some sand onto a baking tray, and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 45 minutes, before allowing it to cool completely, and giving it to your hamster.
Another alternative is to use Chincilla sand, the best brand is Supreme, Chincilla Sand, which pours from a cardboard carton. It must be sand, if you purchase Chincilla dust you can cause respiratory illness in your hamster. Chincillas have a thin layer of skin inside their nose which acts as a filter for dust, hamsters do not have this so any dust breathed in will enter and irritate the lungs.
Exercise Ball
Many Dwarf hamsters will enjoy a short run in an exercise ball. Make sure you purchase a ball that is suitable for your pet's small size, a syrian size ball is no good, your hamster won't be able to move it! Allow your pet 20-30 minutes per session, and always allow them to go back into their cage after this, so that they can have a drink and something to eat if they need to.
If your hamster squirms and resists the ball, do not force it to go in. Some hamsters do not like being in an enclosed space. If your hamster parks the ball and continues to chew, assume that your pet has had enough and remove it from the ball. Chewing the ball can lead to broken teeth and escapes, so it is best to allow your hamster to return to the cage.
If your hamster squirms and resists the ball, do not force it to go in. Some hamsters do not like being in an enclosed space. If your hamster parks the ball and continues to chew, assume that your pet has had enough and remove it from the ball. Chewing the ball can lead to broken teeth and escapes, so it is best to allow your hamster to return to the cage.
Wheels
Roborovski, Campbells, Winter White and Chinese Hamsters love to run in a wheel, and will run the equivilent of a marathon in one night! A good wheel for a dwarf or Chinese hamster is the 6.5 inch Silent Spinner, (seen in the image below, and as good as its name), although the Junior Wodent Wheel and Karlie Wonderlan wheels are also very good!
Housing Multiple Hamsters
Many Pet shops will sell 'Russian Hamsters' and Chinese hamsters in pairs, and occasionally groups. It is important to realise that as with all animal groups, there will be an Alpha hamster (one dominant one). You may see fights and chases, and submissive behaviour, such as same sex animals mounting each other. It is possible for pairs or groups to live together, but it is rare. To try and make it work, buy the largest cage you can, with no levels or modular units, (Rotastak and Ovo is a big No!), as it is possible for your pets to get territorial and claim one part of the cage as their own. An open plan living arrangement can help deter this behaviour. Make sure that you have two of everything in the cage (or more if you have more hamsters), 2 wheels, 2 bottles, 2 houses, 2 toys and so on. This will also help prevent the dominant animal from claiming these things, and stopping the other(s) from drinking and exercising. With dwarf groups, it is important to avoid the use of a food bowl, instead, scatter the food around the cage, not only will this encourage natural foraging behaviour, it will prevent the dominant hamster from claiming the food bowl as its own, thus depriving the other(s). These are some measures that you can take to ensure peaceful living, but it is no guarantee and in most cases, the hamsters will need to be split up and live in their own cage, so bear this in mind when you purchase your pets, you may need to set some funds aside for additional cages. The golden rule is, if blood is drawn, then they must be seperated immediately and can never be reintroduced.
Beds and Bedding
Dwarf hamsters may sleep in a plastic house, igloo or similar, but they may choose to build their own nest instead, and turn their house into a store or a potty! However, be aware of condensation build up in a plastic house, and drill ventilation holes if required. Some Terracotta alternatives are more breathable.
You can line the cage with newspaper (soy ink) and kiln-dried wood flakes (unscented) which are available in most pet shops. For nesting material, always use a soluable paper-based option, simple, plain white toilet roll is perfect, such as Super Market Value Toilet Roll or Carefresh. Avoid fluffy cotton wool type bedding (unless it is made from natural fibres) as this can be fatal if swallowed.
You can line the cage with newspaper (soy ink) and kiln-dried wood flakes (unscented) which are available in most pet shops. For nesting material, always use a soluable paper-based option, simple, plain white toilet roll is perfect, such as Super Market Value Toilet Roll or Carefresh. Avoid fluffy cotton wool type bedding (unless it is made from natural fibres) as this can be fatal if swallowed.
Toys
There are many toys available to purchase for your pet. It is important to consider how safe they are for your hamster, for example, wicker balls and chews may puncture a hamster's delicate cheek pouch, or a rope toy may not be edible and dangerous if swallowed. Paper and cardboard are safe chews, such as toilet roll tubes (as long as it was plain, unscented toilet paper!) and hamsters enjoy having things to climb on and hide in, so old jars and boxes make great obstacles.
Tubes and see-saw toys are popular with many hamsters, and it is important to provide something for your pet to gnaw on. Your hamster's teeth will grow continuously, so to keep them trim provide a solid edible chew (see the Food page) or a wooden block, like a log bridge, tunnel or see-saw.
Tubes and see-saw toys are popular with many hamsters, and it is important to provide something for your pet to gnaw on. Your hamster's teeth will grow continuously, so to keep them trim provide a solid edible chew (see the Food page) or a wooden block, like a log bridge, tunnel or see-saw.