Dwarf Hamsters

[Pikaia]

Hi all,

I have been thinking about getting a same sex pair of dwarf hamsters. I'm still debating, but I have a couple of questions.

I was going to house them in the same room as my chinchillas. Their cage would either be an aquarium or something similiar. I don't want bars on the cages, because I know they are so small and can escape. Do I need to have a quarantine period where I keep them in a seperate room away from the chinchillas? They won't be in contact with the chins at all, but I didn't know if I should follow the same rules as when you get another chinchilla. Also, the chins room is usually around 67-69 in the summer. Is this okay for dwarfs? In the winter it falls to around 63-66. Would this be too cold?

Do any of you dwarf owners have a good site for reliable information?

Thanks in advance

 

[rapgar]

We have chins and dwarf hamsters. We've always kept them seperate, not sure if they can be together or not. The hamster are in the finished basement and it's always cooler down there (65-75) year round with a dehumidifier running too. They are very social(more so than golden hamsters) and we've owned at least 8 over the years. The only real disadvantage to the dwarf hamsters is the short lifespan. They typically only live 1 1/2 -2 years. They are wonderful, but it's sad to watch them age and finally fall asleep and pass. My 12 and 10 year old daughters love them, play, change their cages, feed and etc. It's been a good life lesson for them but each passing and new hamster has been wonderful for everyone. They never bite and like chins, look for human interaction.
Hope this helps! rapgar

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

I think I read somewhere that dwarfs can be kept in same sex pairs but syrian hamsters can not because they will fight. Maybe someone has a link to a hamster forum? I babysat a girl over the summer and she had a dwarf. He (I'm pretty sure it was a he; I tried to sex him for a month but he never stood still) was pretty tame. If he wanted back in his cage or didn't want to be held he would let you know by biting you. (From what I've read this isn't uncommon with dwarfs) He was a little fur ball of energy and boy was he fast. One day I hope to get a syrian. They're bigger so their easier to handle and are supposed to be more calm. But I think like most animals this all depends on the animal itself. Before you get one see which ones seem the most social.

 

[rapgar]

The dozen or so dwarfs we've had over the last 10 years have all been super friendly and never bitten. We have, until this round, kept same sex(usually female) in a cage together. We've always gotten siblings at the same time. We also start them very young as again, their lifespan is so short. They love to run and will do so on any wheel about 22 out of 24 hours! They are not quiet about running. We use the same pine bedding as we use with the chin pan for the dwarf cage, so we aren't doubling up on purchases. They are fast, but my daughters frequently have them out, doing mazes or just crawling on the sofa. We have not had, or have friends had, friendly syrians.

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

Found a forum )
http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/index.php?act=idx
I think this is where I did a little research on them also.
rapgar- I'm sorry if I made you upset. I wasn't saying dwarfs are bad at all. They are so much fun to handle and watch. I just based what I said off my experience and research. Hamsters are like any other animal meaning they all have unique personalities. Some will bite and some will not. I'm surprised you have not had any friendly syrians; all the research I've done says they are easier to handle because their energy levels are lower and they are better for beginners than dwarfs because of that. http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=9060&st=15
I guess different people will have different experiences. I love making mazes for them ) We have made them out of toilet paper rolls, paper towl rolls, and old carboard boxes. It's really entertaining to watch them explore )

 

[Dragonflye]

I had dwarf hamsters a while back, more than I expected due to an error at the sheter. I kept most of the babies and found that the females were all fine in same sex pairs. The males began fighting when they were a few months old and I had to separate them.

I love dwarf hammies. They are quick, so a bit harder to handle, mine were not biters. They are super cute and fun to watch.