Talk with your Animals

The Chinese Dwarf Hamster is quite different from your typical hamster as a house pet. First of all, they are a rare find in the US because they are hard to breed when not in their original habitat which is in either China or Mongolia.

The Chinese Dwarf Hamster is actually a rat hamster. It looks like a rat with its long body, tail, gray fur and white belly. Their distinguishing features are that they can come with either a black strip on their spine, have polka dotted fur or all white fur and a blackened eye.

Female Chinese Dwarf Hamsters are often feared by their male counterparts. In the struggle for dominancy, the male often ends up severely hurt or dead. Better to have a pair of just girls or boys instead.

The Chinese Dwarf Hamster is better off in solitude anyway. Otherwise, house them in a large, tightly sealed and enclosed cage. The large space will serve these domineering creatures well when they need a place to retreat to when things get too heated between them. Tightly sealed spaces eliminate the risk of them slithering through wire bars. Many a Chinese Dwarf Hamster has died trying to do so.

Chinese Dwarf hamsters eat the way regular hamsters do. Typical meals consist of seeds, vegetables, sometimes even crickets or mealworms. Lots of fresh water is best too. Keep the fresh water in a water bottle instead of a water bowl. The latter often gets knocked over and spills on the substrate.

Expect your Chinese Dwarf Hamster to live for two to three years. Keep them under tight watch and do not expect kids below twelve to be able to handle them. These hamsters are very talented in climbing up walls, getting out of tight spaces, running away and disappearing. Glass tanks and aquariums are the best choice of cages for them as they are experts with getting out of wire cages.