Emily's and Danny's Dwarf Hamsters

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New hamster on the block

Topic Index
	Intro to dwarf hamsters
	Basic Needs
	How to take care of them?
	Sickness
	New hamster on the block
	Mating and Breeding
	Growing up

Now that we have learned the basics, and we want to move to the advanced topics. Mating and breeding are really challenging yet very interesting - if they were done properly. In addition, luck is a big factor too. It is recommended to learn the basics before going into the following.

Dwarf hamsters are very indenpendent animal, and they are born with a strong territorial mind. A wild life dwarf hamster lives in his or her own cave and has a territory of around 10-15 meters radius. The only time, when you see 2 dwarf hamsters getting together, is the time between mating and the siblings grow up. If 2 dwarf hamsters of same sex, sometimes different sex too, saw each other, they will fight to the death or until one get chased away. Such characteristics make dwarf hamster breeding a challenge.

Small Brother and Big Brother face-off!

Introduce a new friend

People often get bored with one dwarf hamster, and start thinking about to get another one after a while. However, adding a new member is not a simple task; do expect failures and be prepared to get another cage as the introduction process can be a lengthy process, and it involves a lot of luck.

The easiest way to have multiple dwarf hamsters living together with little or no fights is to buy 2 or more together when they are small (2 months or a little less). Hamster brothers or sisters recognize each others' smell if they were kept together since birth. This is the same for the parent hamsters and their kids. For example, Marshmallow has been living with her daughter from the beginning.

For a totally new roomate, here is a list of procedures to follow:

Small Brother (left) VS Big Brother (right)

Place the new cage next to the old one. Make sure the two hamsters can see each other. They would try to bite and slash each others with teeth and claw. But they can't touch each others because of the bars in between.

Wait for 2 weeks.

Dump either hamster in a box, filled with 1cm of clean bathing sand

Now take out the first hamster and dump the other hamster in the box. The idea is to wash away the unique smell on each hamster.

Prepare a big carton box, put both hamsters in it and have a stick (don't use a pencil) and gloves ready. Separate them if they start fighting fiercely. Do not use your bare hands.

Repeat the above if things don't go well. If they do get along well, wash either cage and the accessories inside-out, prepare new shavings and bathing sand. 2 food bowls and 2 hiding places should prevent some fighting. Finally, put the two hamsters in.

Marshmallow and her daughter Rice ball

Some hamsters will never get along with each other, while others may take up to a few months to accept the new member. Generally it is easier with hamsters in different gender.

Mating and Breeding

Total Number of Hamsters on file: 6
Name	Size	Color
Bao	4"	white/grey	more...
Small Brother	4.5"	brown	more...
Big Brother	4.5"	brown	more...
Marshmallow	3.5"	white	more...
Rice Ball	3"	grey	more...
The Angels	4 X 3"	white/grey/brown	more...