Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Housing your Russian dwarf hamster
• Part 2 of 4: Feeding your Russian dwarf hamster
• Part 3 of 4: Enriching your Russian dwarf hamster's environment
• Part 4 of 4: Taking control of your Russian dwarf hamster
• Tips
• Warnings

Russian dwarf hamsters, also known as Campbelli dwarf hamsters, are related to the Syrian hamster. Although not as common as the Syrian hamster, Russian dwarf hamsters are becoming quite popular pets as they are easy and relatively inexpensive to maintain. Learning how to care for your Russian Dwarf Hamster will help give him a happy, healthy life and make it easier for you to befriend him.

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Part 1 of 4: Housing your Russian dwarf hamster

1. Choose a cage that is safe and easy to clean. A good cage for your hamster is one that will keep it safe and easy for you to clean. A wire cage for hamsters with a closed bottom is usually the best choice.
   • The distance between the bars of a cage must be less than 1.2 cm to prevent it from escaping. The bars should also be covered with a layer called PVC to prevent rusting.
   • Make sure the bottom of the cage is smooth. Your dwarf hamster's legs can get caught in a trellis base and possibly break. If you have a cage with a lattice bottom, cover the bottom with a smooth material, such as cardboard or a piece of laminate flooring (available at the hardware store).
   • Cages with colorful plastic tubes and tunnels are fun to look at, but can be very difficult to clean. In addition, your dwarf hamster can gnaw through the plastic.
   • Clean your hamster's cage and parts with hot water once a week. The floor covering must also be replaced with every cleaning.
   • Glass aquariums do not always have good air circulation, which can lead to a high concentration of ammonia in the cage, which can be deadly to your hamster. Clean the tank regularly to prevent ammonia build-up. Glass aquariums also lack proper ventilation and can quickly become too hot if placed in direct sunlight.
2. Choose a large cage. Just because your Russian dwarf hamster is small doesn't mean you should put it in a small cage. In fact, the bigger the cage the better. Your dwarf hamster's cage should be at least two feet long and 40 cm deep.
   • A larger cage is less likely to get dirty.
   • With a large cage at home, your dwarf hamster will be less likely to get bored or annoyed. When your dwarf hamster is satisfied, he will be less likely to engage in compulsive behaviors such as gnawing on bars, which is bad for him.
   • If you keep more than one dwarf hamster in the same cage, a large cage will keep them from becoming aggressive towards each other.
   • If you have chosen a glass tank to hold your dwarf hamster, it should have a capacity of at least 20 liters.
3. Cover the bottom of the cage with bedding. Ground cover has a number of advantages. It helps keep the cage clean by soaking up your hamster's urine. Ground cover also helps your hamster feel more at home.He will be able to forage and bury as much as he likes.
   • Pine sawdust can be a very comfortable bedding for your hamster.
   • Use no ground cover of cedar. Cedar oil can cause your hamster's down to fall out and dry out his skin. If his skin dries out, he can become dehydrated and become very sick.
4. Choose a good spot for your dwarf hamster's cage. Place your hamster's cage in a comfortable room (18 to 24 degrees Celsius) where the temperature remains constant and there are no drafts. Do not place the cage in that room near a heat source (such as stoves or windows with a lot of sunlight) - this can overheat the cage, especially if it is a glass aquarium.
   • A room that is too cold (below 15 degrees Celsius) can make your hamster very sluggish, possibly even hibernating.
   • Since hamsters like to play at night, your bedroom is not a good place for your hamster's cage. The noise of its activities can keep you from getting a good night's sleep.

Part 2 of 4: Feeding your Russian dwarf hamster

1. Choose a commercial food for your dwarf hamster. Russian dwarf hamsters eat the same as other hamsters. Hamster food is available in pellet form or as a seed mix. Your dwarf hamster should be fed either a tablespoon of pellets or one to two teaspoons of seed mix per day.
   • Pellets are very healthy and give your dwarf hamster something to gnaw on. Gnawing pellets will help your hamster keep its teeth filed short.
   • Be careful about feeding your dwarf hamster a seed mix - he may take and eat only the tastiest seeds from the mix, causing him to lack important nutrients.
   • Seed mixes are often also high in fat.
   • A good quality commercial hamster food should contain at least 15 to 20% protein. Read the ingredient label to find out how much protein is in the food.
2. Include fresh vegetables in your hamster's diet. Your dwarf hamster needs to eat more than just pellets and seed mixes. He should also be fed some fresh vegetables, which add variety and vitamins to his diet. Wash the vegetables thoroughly to remove pesticides. Give him fresh vegetables daily and make sure to remove the old pieces so they don't get moldy in the cage.
   • Leafy greens (spinach, romaine lettuce) are great additions to your dwarf hamster's diet. Other vegetables to feed your dwarf hamster include broccoli, cauliflower and cucumbers.
   • Add vegetables to your hamster's diet very slowly - no more than one small piece of vegetables once or twice a week. This will prevent him from getting diarrhea.
   • Build it up to feeding one small piece of vegetable once a day.
3. Include a source of protein in your dwarf hamster's diet. Protein is an important part of your dwarf hamster's balanced diet. Good sources of protein include cooked chicken or turkey, hard-boiled egg whites, and drained canned tuna.
   • Vegetarian protein sources include tofu, flaxseed, and roasted soybeans.
   • Add extra protein to your hamster's diet once a week.
   • Whichever source of protein you choose, feed it to your dwarf hamster in small amounts at a time.
4. Feed your dwarf hamster cereal. Whole grains (whole grain toast, cooked rice, cooked pasta, unsweetened cereal) make great healthy snacks for your dwarf hamster. Make sure the cooked rice or pasta has cooled completely before feeding it to him.
   • Crispy toast and cereal are also good for your dwarf hamster to gnaw on.
   • Just like the other foods, feed the grains to your dwarf hamster in small amounts.
5. Include treats in your dwarf hamster's diet. Sweets are also a great way to add variety to what your dwarf hamster eats every day. Commercial treats for hamsters are available at any pet store.
   • Your pet store can sell yogurt drops for your hamster. But these get fat very quickly, so your hamster shouldn't get them too often.
6. Avoid feeding your dwarf hamster certain foods. Russian dwarf hamsters are prone to developing diabetes, so high-sugar foods should be avoided. Other high-sugar foods that should be avoided include corn, white bread, and white rice.
   • Some foods - raisins, potatoes, onions, garlic, sprouts - are poisonous to dwarf hamsters and should be avoided.
7. Give your dwarf hamster fresh water. Your Russian dwarf hamster will need constant access to fresh water. Place a water bottle with a stem and ball spout in your hamster's cage and change the water every day. Secure the bottle to the side of his cage at a height where he can easily reach the spout with his mouth.
   • Do not put the water in a container. Your hamster will eventually turn its cage into a water ballet if it needs to drink water from a bowl.

Part 3 of 4: Enriching your Russian dwarf hamster's environment

1. Place toys in your dwarf hamster's cage. Environmental enrichment is an important way to keep your Russian Dwarf Hamster active both mentally and physically. The more enriched his environment, the happier and healthier he will be, and the easier it will be to tame and take control of him. Examples of toys are empty toilet paper rolls and kitchen rolls.
   • Plastic tubes are also great toys for your dwarf hamster. You can buy this at the pet store nearby. However, keep in mind that it can gnaw through the plastic - replace the tube if it is gnawed far enough to cause damage.
   • You can also make your own hamster toys. Examples of homemade toys are ladders, hamster houses and obstacle courses.
2. Hide his food. When it's time to feed your dwarf hamster, hide or sprinkle some of the food deep in its bedding or another object in its cage. This will encourage him to forage as he would in the wild.
   • You may find that your dwarf hamster will hide food in various places in its cage as a snack for later.
3. Give your dwarf hamster something to gnaw on. Gnawing not only helps keep your dwarf hamster busy, but it also keeps its teeth short. Your dwarf hamster likes to gnaw on wooden blocks. To add more fun, the blocks have holes on multiple sides for him to crawl through.
   • Your hamster can also gnaw on a bendable wooden toy, which is made of wooden sticks attached to each other. You can also bend this toy into different shapes to create walls, platforms and houses for your hamster to play on or in.
   • Give your dwarf hamster small, soft, bovine hide chews to gnaw on.
   • Dwarf hamsters also like to gnaw on mineral blocks, they can last a long time.
   • You can buy chew materials from your local pet store.
4. Provide your dwarf hamster with exercise material. Exercise helps your dwarf hamster stay in shape and stay mentally alert. A hamster wheel will allow him to get enough exercise in his cage. Make sure the hamster wheel is closed - your dwarf hamster can get stuck in bars with its paws, potentially breaking a leg.
   • If the hamster wheel starts to squeak after a while, smear it with Vaseline where it is needed.
   • A hamster ball will allow your hamster to move outside of its cage. Let him play in the ball for up to 30 minutes - not only will your hamster need a rest after 30 minutes, but he may also need some fresh air.
   • Have your dwarf hamster run in the hamster ball in different rooms, though never near stairs or open water, such as a pond.
   • Plastic flying saucers are also good for your hamster. He can run around on this just as he can on a hamster wheel.

Part 4 of 4: Taking control of your Russian dwarf hamster

1. Wash your hands. Clean hands will keep your dwarf hamster from biting you when you lift it. If your hands smell like food, he will actually see your hands as food and bite into them to taste it. Wash your hands with unscented soap before handling your dwarf hamster.
2. Make a bowl with your hands in his cage. Making a bowl with your hands allows you to support your dwarf hamster as you lift it. In addition, your dwarf hamster will likely walk on your hand if you keep them that way.
   • Don't reach down into your dwarf hamster's cage to pick it up. Your hand will make him think of a large bird of prey diving down to pick him up - this will scare him to death.
   • Use slow and gentle gestures when putting your hands in his cage.
   • Always talk to your dwarf hamster before you put your hands in the cage. Your voice will keep it calm while you start picking it up.
   • Don't chase your dwarf hamster around his cage to get him on your hands. Instead, let him come to you.
3. Determine if he nibbles or bites. There are important differences between nibbling your dwarf hamster and biting when you pick it up. His nibbles are friendly and it is his way of examining your hand. Nibbling doesn't usually hurt.
   • Biting is usually not friendly. This is your dwarf hamster's way of saying he's stressed or anxious, or just upset because you haven't handled him enough.
   • Hamster bites are usually faster than a nibble and are accompanied by an irritated sound, such as a squeak. Bites can be painful.
   • Whether your dwarf hamster bites or nibbles, don't immediately pull your hand away. This can scare him and make him wary of you. Gently blowing on his face and a strong one No saying should end the biting behavior.
4. Take your dwarf hamster in your hands every day. Russian dwarf hamsters have a short memory, so your dwarf hamster may have forgotten you held it the day before. Take him in your hands every day so he doesn't get irritated or upset about not being handled enough.
   • Dwarf hamsters love to be handled.
   • Do not let your dwarf hamster fall from your hands when you are holding it. Prevent this by supporting his body and keeping him close to you when you lift him out of his cage.

Tips

• Russian dwarf hamsters are often more accommodating than Syrian hamsters.
• Ceramic bowls are very sturdy and make great food bowls for your dwarf hamster.
• Introduce new foods to your dwarf hamster's diet one at a time. A gradual introduction reduces the risk of digestive upset.
• Unlike Syrian hamsters, Russian dwarf hamsters can be kept together. If you want to keep multiple Russian dwarf hamsters, put them either in a same-sex group or with one male and two females. Form the group as early as possible to avoid aggressive behavior.

Warnings

• Hamsters are susceptible to injury from trellis floors or hamster wheels from bars.
• Your hamster may bite you if you handle it. But in time, and by handling him often, he will stop.
• Cedar bedding can cause your hamster's skin to dry out. Do not use cedar bedding in your dwarf hamster's hutch.
• Take your hamster to your vet if it develops diarrhea. Diarrhea can cause dangerous dehydration in your dwarf hamster, which can be fatal.
• Russian dwarf hamsters are at high risk of developing diabetes. Do not feed your dwarf hamster sweet food.