Chinese Dwarf Hamsters And How To Care For Them

Chinese Dwarf hamsters are one of the rarest types to be found when it comes to pet hamsters,they are normally found in the northern desert areas of Mongolia and China. One of the reasons Chinese Dwarf hamsters are rare is because they can be difficult to breed in captivity as well as being a restricted pet in some states in America.

Chinese hamsters can normally appear more mouse-like then other hamsters. Even though they can be smaller than Syrian hamsters they are actually not really dwarf hamsters. Chinese hamsters in fact belong to the family of rat-like hamsters. They have two features that make them different from other hamsters and they are a longer tail and also a longer mouse-like body. When fully grown they will grow to about 10 to 12 centimeters long. Chinese hamsters are normally coloured grayish brown with a black strip down their spine and have a white underside. Although these animals have been kept as pets for longer time than Syrian hamsters there are only two other color mutations beyond the normal or wild type, these are the black-eyed white and the dominate spot.

It is normally better to keep dwarf hamsters in pairs but this is not the case with the Chinese hamster. Two females that are raised from an early age will often get along much better than a male and a female combination. Within a Chinese hamster community the female is the dominant of the species so there is always a possibility that male might end up injured or even dead. Keeping in mind also that having two hamsters together will require much more room in their cage. It would be an idea to consider having several levels in their cage combined with plenty of places to hide when housing a two Chinese hamsters together. That way the weaker hamster will have an opportunity to escape from the more dominate one if need be. These hamsters are best kept in either a plastic or glass aquarium tank ,this is because they can easily squeeze through the bars on most wire cages. If they do not become stuck in between the bars, they may even escape altogether, this would not be a happy experience for either the hamster or its owner.

As with other hamsters,the feeding requirements of these little critters is the same. They also like feeding on seeds and pellets. It can also be nice to feed them some various fruits and or vegetables. As a special treat, you may like to give them a small amount of Cheerios or even wheat bread. A small feed on crickets or meal-worms can also be advised as long as you do not over feed them. Chinese hamsters also need to have a fresh supply of water. It would be better to supply a water bottle in place of a bowl as sometimes the bowl can get contaminated with the substrate.

Chinese hamsters normally live between two to three years, and also they are not as easy to train as other types of hamsters. They can also be a bit skittish,very agile and can sometimes be aggressive. These fast creatures can also jump from fairly high places and can sometimes escape easily from cages that are not properly secured. They can be excellent climbers. It is because of these reasons that Chinese hamsters will not always make good pets for children under the age of ten . They are not a pet that is recommended for beginners.