This is one of the questions that was used to find my lenses. This question goes back to the information that I shared with you guys on my "Dwarf Hamster Diet" lense. The answer to this question is two-fold.
First of all, dwarf hamsters CAN eat cherries. Dwarf hamsters will eat almost anything that you feed them. But that doesn't mean that you should feed them anything. Especially sweets like CHERRIES! Matter of fact, you should try to refrain from feeding your dwarf hamsters anything sweet because of the dwarf hamsters predisposition to diabetes!
That's right, I said diabetes! Like I told you before, dwarf hamsters,( hamsters period) are just like humans. They catch colds when they're sick. They get fat if they don't exercise. And if you feed them too many sweets, (like cherries) they will develop diabetes. Sound familiar?
I know that you want to spoil your dwarf hamster sometimes with treats, but the treats don't have to be sweet. You can give them different varieties of seeds. But just like everything else, the treats should be given in moderation. Think of it like this, you wouldn't give your kids sweets everyday would you? No, of course not! If you treat your dwarf hamster like your baby then, you will be able to appreciate what I am saying.
In closing I would like to say that yes your dwarf hamster can eat cherries but, I would try to give them another unsweetened kind of treat to satisfy the spoiler in you.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Preparing For Your Hamster...
There are a couple of things that you have to do to properly prepare for your brand new hamster, dwarf or otherwise. First of all, you should make sure that you have the right kind of cage. If you decide to get a wire cage, make sure that the space between the wire is no more than half a centimeter because they are very small and will squeeze right through.
A lot of people go with a 10 or 20-gallon fish tank. This gives the dwarf hamster plenty of room to play and hide. (Make sure that you have a top for the fish tank!) You have to have bedding for the little guy/girl, because dwarf hamsters like to dig/burrow. A depth of 2 inches or more is good. Make sure that the bedding is NOT from a pine tree! This type of bedding contains oils that can harm him/her. Try to stick to the recycled paper or absorbent kind of bedding. (Just read the instructions BEFORE you buy!
Cage Placement
Your dwarf hamster is nocturnal. They will try their best to get their sleep during the day. So, try not to disturb this by placing them in a quiet, cool place. (Don't place the cage near a TV or stereo!)This will help them in the adjustment of their new home AND in their taming. The less stressed they are, the better. Like I've said before. hamsters are just like people. Think about it. If I disturb your sleep, aren't you cranky? Exactly! So are hamsters.
If you have another pet, such as a dog or a cat. Try to keep them away from the cage. You hamster has enough to worry about without the added pressure of a barking dog or a cat that might want to eat him/her!
Things that you should have in the cage:
1.Exercise wheel - To help him/ her to get used to the new environment. Plus its something that they will use over and over again!
2.Chew toys - Dwarf hamsters have to constantly chew on things because if they don't their teeth will grow into the skin of their mouth's causing dental problems. Some owners have provided doggie biscuits to assist with this because the wooden chew toys sometimes splint, harming the hamster.
3.Clean Drinking Water - This is an absolute necessity! There are two ways to go about it. You can (1) get a water bowl, or (2) get a water bottle.
The water bowl is probably the easiest to do but, with this option you have to worry about the bowl being heavy enough because your dwarf hamster will crawl on it and knock it over. Then you have a flooded cage, which will lead to a whole host of other problems, and will eventually cost you more money in the long run because you have to replace all of the bedding, clean the cage out,etc.,etc.
The water bottle is your best bet because it is hung out of the way, the hamsters see it, and they drink from it. When you get a water bottle, make sure that the tip of the bottle is metal and not plastic. Plastic tips can be chewed on by the dwarf hamsters and lead to a flooded cage, or worse, the little plastic pieces can hurt the hamster.
So there you go, some things that you should have in place BEFORE you bring your dwarf hamster home. To learn even more information about your new dwarf hamster, please visit: http://dwarfhamsterguide.info. This website can answer ALL of your questions concerning these adorable little animals!
A lot of people go with a 10 or 20-gallon fish tank. This gives the dwarf hamster plenty of room to play and hide. (Make sure that you have a top for the fish tank!) You have to have bedding for the little guy/girl, because dwarf hamsters like to dig/burrow. A depth of 2 inches or more is good. Make sure that the bedding is NOT from a pine tree! This type of bedding contains oils that can harm him/her. Try to stick to the recycled paper or absorbent kind of bedding. (Just read the instructions BEFORE you buy!
Cage Placement
Your dwarf hamster is nocturnal. They will try their best to get their sleep during the day. So, try not to disturb this by placing them in a quiet, cool place. (Don't place the cage near a TV or stereo!)This will help them in the adjustment of their new home AND in their taming. The less stressed they are, the better. Like I've said before. hamsters are just like people. Think about it. If I disturb your sleep, aren't you cranky? Exactly! So are hamsters.
If you have another pet, such as a dog or a cat. Try to keep them away from the cage. You hamster has enough to worry about without the added pressure of a barking dog or a cat that might want to eat him/her!
Things that you should have in the cage:
1.Exercise wheel - To help him/ her to get used to the new environment. Plus its something that they will use over and over again!
2.Chew toys - Dwarf hamsters have to constantly chew on things because if they don't their teeth will grow into the skin of their mouth's causing dental problems. Some owners have provided doggie biscuits to assist with this because the wooden chew toys sometimes splint, harming the hamster.
3.Clean Drinking Water - This is an absolute necessity! There are two ways to go about it. You can (1) get a water bowl, or (2) get a water bottle.
The water bowl is probably the easiest to do but, with this option you have to worry about the bowl being heavy enough because your dwarf hamster will crawl on it and knock it over. Then you have a flooded cage, which will lead to a whole host of other problems, and will eventually cost you more money in the long run because you have to replace all of the bedding, clean the cage out,etc.,etc.
The water bottle is your best bet because it is hung out of the way, the hamsters see it, and they drink from it. When you get a water bottle, make sure that the tip of the bottle is metal and not plastic. Plastic tips can be chewed on by the dwarf hamsters and lead to a flooded cage, or worse, the little plastic pieces can hurt the hamster.
So there you go, some things that you should have in place BEFORE you bring your dwarf hamster home. To learn even more information about your new dwarf hamster, please visit: http://dwarfhamsterguide.info. This website can answer ALL of your questions concerning these adorable little animals!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Should I Get Two Dwarf Hamsters?
This is a very good question, and the answer is yes. When in the wild the dwarf hamster lives in a community of other dwarf hamsters. They live together, play together, eat together. It would be your best bet to introduce two or more dwarf hamsters in the same cage at the same time. This will give each hamster to get adapted to their new environment and each other. Otherwise your one solitary hamster will get lonely.
I said it once and I'll say it again, these animals are just like humans. The dwarf hamster does want company or you'll be forced to play with it all the time. This is not a problem if you have the time. But in this crazy, two job economy that we live in, sometimes people are unable to see their kids, let alone a dwarf hamster. Sorry, that's just how it is.
If you buy a solitary dwarf hamster and then decide to introduce another dwarf hamster later. First of all, make sure that it is a dwarf hamster. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT INTRODUCE A SYRIAN HAMSTER INTO YOUR DWARF HAMSTER'S CAGE! YOU WILL HAVE SIGNED YOUR DWARF HAMSTER'S DEATH CERTIFICATE. THE SYRIAN HAMSTER WILL KILL HIM/HER!!!
Syrian hamster's are very territorial and solitary, and will kill any other hamster that is introduced into their cage!
Try not to wait too long before you introduce another dwarf hamster in the cage. The longer you wait, the more solitary and adapted to his/her surroundings your current dwarf hamster will be.
When you do decide to introduce another dwarf hamster in your cage, you will probably hear and see some minor skirmishes. This is normal. They are fighting to see who is more dominant. Nothing at all like the Syrian. Eventually, they will stop fighting and learn to live with each other.
I said it once and I'll say it again, these animals are just like humans. The dwarf hamster does want company or you'll be forced to play with it all the time. This is not a problem if you have the time. But in this crazy, two job economy that we live in, sometimes people are unable to see their kids, let alone a dwarf hamster. Sorry, that's just how it is.
If you buy a solitary dwarf hamster and then decide to introduce another dwarf hamster later. First of all, make sure that it is a dwarf hamster. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT INTRODUCE A SYRIAN HAMSTER INTO YOUR DWARF HAMSTER'S CAGE! YOU WILL HAVE SIGNED YOUR DWARF HAMSTER'S DEATH CERTIFICATE. THE SYRIAN HAMSTER WILL KILL HIM/HER!!!
Syrian hamster's are very territorial and solitary, and will kill any other hamster that is introduced into their cage!
Try not to wait too long before you introduce another dwarf hamster in the cage. The longer you wait, the more solitary and adapted to his/her surroundings your current dwarf hamster will be.
When you do decide to introduce another dwarf hamster in your cage, you will probably hear and see some minor skirmishes. This is normal. They are fighting to see who is more dominant. Nothing at all like the Syrian. Eventually, they will stop fighting and learn to live with each other.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Caring For Your Dwarf Hamster.
The title says it all. This blog will offer tips on caring for your dwarf hamster. It doesn't matter if you are new to the dwarf hamster world or you are a dwarf hamster veteran, we can all learn from each other. Because no one person knows it all. So if I say something that is wrong or contradictory to what you guys out there have learned about these wonderful animals, then by all means correct me.
I would like this to be a community of sorts. Where you are free to express your opinion about anything. I will try my best to update the blog, at least weekly. I f you feel like its something that I haven't discussed, that you think I should, post a comment. All comments are welcome. When you get a chance, make sure that you check out http://dwarfhamsterguide.info. This particular website can answer more questions than I could about these beautiful animals.
Thanks for visiting!
I would like this to be a community of sorts. Where you are free to express your opinion about anything. I will try my best to update the blog, at least weekly. I f you feel like its something that I haven't discussed, that you think I should, post a comment. All comments are welcome. When you get a chance, make sure that you check out http://dwarfhamsterguide.info. This particular website can answer more questions than I could about these beautiful animals.
Thanks for visiting!
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