ROBOROVSKI DWARF HAMSTERS AS PETS
The Roborovski dwarf hamster makes a good pet for adults and older children. Their needs are few and they are easy to care for.
Roborovski dwarf hamsters, are very fast and can be hard to hold onto, plus these little guys can JUMP a foot, or more, straight up. The Roborovski dwarf hamster is generally active both during the day and at night. They are quite active little guys that enjoy a variety of things to do in their cage, including ramps, tubes shelves, etc. Watching these guys on the go is quite enjoyable. With proper care a Roborovski dwarf hamster will usually live 3-3 1/2 years.
SIZE
They can grow to be on average 4.5 cm long - roughly the length of an adult human thumb - Roborovskis can easily squeeze through the bars of a standard hamster cage, and so careful consideration needs to be given to housing. The gaps between bars should be approximately 7 mm in width. First-time owners are advised to inquire of pet shop owners or breeders as to the suitability of cages. The best cage for a roborovski hamster is a small, tight-barred open cage. Also, cotton should never be put in their cage, there is a high chance they will choke on it.
HOUSING
A glass or plastic aquarium is best for the Roborovski's as they can usually squeeze out of most wire cages. Care should be taken if the cage has multiple levels, as the levels are usually made out of wire and a hamster can easily be hurt if its leg falls through the wire. It might be a good idea to attach cardboard to the wire shelves to protect their legs. The cardboard will need replacing occasionally. The tubes are a neat attachment for kids to watch their hamster running from place to place. Unfortunately, the tubes can be difficult to clean. The all-plastic cages have a very big drawback - poor ventilation. Without adequate air circulation the humidity level rises inside these plastic cages and they start "sweating".
Place your hamster cage in a spot that is away from drafts and direct sunlight. The drafts will chill them and they can easily be overheated in direct sunlight. This is especially true of the plastic cages as they can heat up and cook the poor hamster, just as fast as your car does on a sunny day.
DIET
A good quality rodent mix that has a variety of small seeds and grains in it, and is low on sunflower is good for hamsters. Hamsters can get quite fat on a diet that is high in sunflower. They can also be given rodent blocks as part of the diet. Some rodent blocks consider themselves as a "complete diet" for hamsters. There are a couple of problems with this. First, the blocks are boring and they so not fulfill the hamsters need to collect and store a variety of foods. Second, if they can't figure out a complete diet for humans, then how can they honestly say they have a complete diet for hamsters. The hamster should also get, on the occasion, hay, apple, carrot, broccoli, yam or dandelion. All of these should be fed in small amounts and only as a treat, too much green stuff can give them the runs.
The hamsters diet should be supplemented with a mineral stone as well as with a good quality vitamin supplement.
The Roborovski dwarf hamster makes a good pet for adults and older children. Their needs are few and they are easy to care for.
Roborovski dwarf hamsters, are very fast and can be hard to hold onto, plus these little guys can JUMP a foot, or more, straight up. The Roborovski dwarf hamster is generally active both during the day and at night. They are quite active little guys that enjoy a variety of things to do in their cage, including ramps, tubes shelves, etc. Watching these guys on the go is quite enjoyable. With proper care a Roborovski dwarf hamster will usually live 3-3 1/2 years.
SIZE
They can grow to be on average 4.5 cm long - roughly the length of an adult human thumb - Roborovskis can easily squeeze through the bars of a standard hamster cage, and so careful consideration needs to be given to housing. The gaps between bars should be approximately 7 mm in width. First-time owners are advised to inquire of pet shop owners or breeders as to the suitability of cages. The best cage for a roborovski hamster is a small, tight-barred open cage. Also, cotton should never be put in their cage, there is a high chance they will choke on it.
HOUSING
A glass or plastic aquarium is best for the Roborovski's as they can usually squeeze out of most wire cages. Care should be taken if the cage has multiple levels, as the levels are usually made out of wire and a hamster can easily be hurt if its leg falls through the wire. It might be a good idea to attach cardboard to the wire shelves to protect their legs. The cardboard will need replacing occasionally. The tubes are a neat attachment for kids to watch their hamster running from place to place. Unfortunately, the tubes can be difficult to clean. The all-plastic cages have a very big drawback - poor ventilation. Without adequate air circulation the humidity level rises inside these plastic cages and they start "sweating".
Place your hamster cage in a spot that is away from drafts and direct sunlight. The drafts will chill them and they can easily be overheated in direct sunlight. This is especially true of the plastic cages as they can heat up and cook the poor hamster, just as fast as your car does on a sunny day.
DIET
A good quality rodent mix that has a variety of small seeds and grains in it, and is low on sunflower is good for hamsters. Hamsters can get quite fat on a diet that is high in sunflower. They can also be given rodent blocks as part of the diet. Some rodent blocks consider themselves as a "complete diet" for hamsters. There are a couple of problems with this. First, the blocks are boring and they so not fulfill the hamsters need to collect and store a variety of foods. Second, if they can't figure out a complete diet for humans, then how can they honestly say they have a complete diet for hamsters. The hamster should also get, on the occasion, hay, apple, carrot, broccoli, yam or dandelion. All of these should be fed in small amounts and only as a treat, too much green stuff can give them the runs.
The hamsters diet should be supplemented with a mineral stone as well as with a good quality vitamin supplement.
