The Syrian Hamster has a short, cobby, barrel shaped body measuring about 7–8 inches long. They come in many colors such as the original Golden, Cinnamon, Rust, Dark Grey, Light Grey, Yellow, Cream, Black, and evenn Tortoiseshell. They also come in a number of different coat types including Short Haired, Long Haired (also known as Teddy Bear), Rex, and Satin.

The Syrian Hamster naturally likes to be alone, and must be kept alone after the age of 9–10 weeks. If kept together any longer than that, they become territorial and fighting will result.
Russian Dwarf Hamsters

The Russian Dwarf Hamster has not been a domesticated animal for very long. They first appeared in zoos in England in 1963. They were first sold as pets in 1970. They were brought to the United States in the early 1980s.

The Russian Dwarf Hamster is about 3-4 inches long, with the female being slightly smaller than the male. They have short, wide heads with tiny round ears. Their tail is barely visible, and their feet are furred. Their fur is thick, with a dense undercoat, and the natural color is brownish grey with a grey undercoat. They come in a number of colors including Normal, Albino, Argent, Opal, and Platinum, and two coat types, Normal and Satin.

Dwarf Hamsters are friendly animals and are happy in groups or pairs. Dwarfs tend to squabble a bit from time to time making a lot of noise. However, they're not likely to actually hurt each other.

Hamsters As Pets

Both varieties of hamster are popular as pets. Thanks to their cost and small size, they're an ideal child's first pet. If treated well, they will be very friendly and tame. Both varieties of hamster require the same nutrition and care - only personality traits differ.

Dwarf hamsters are very friendly, much more so than Syrian hamsters. They're normally active at night, being a nocturnal animal, but exceptions to this are common, and many can be found on their wheels during the day. Syrian hamsters are much more nocturnal and become irritable if awakened during the day. They enjoy being handled a great deal.

We recommend that you purchase your hamster in a retail pet store that maintains their animals in a clean, healthy environment and get the animal as young as possible so that it has an opportunity to bond with you at an early age.

The etymology of the word "hamster" is derived from the German word "hamstern," which means to store. This refers to the hamster’s instinct to collect and store food in its pouches.

Proper Hamster Care

Where should I keep my hamster?

A wide selection of cages and habitats are available through our online catalog and through your local pet retailer. However, pets-warehouse.com can offer you significant savings over your local retailer. The standard wire cage, some of which have multiple levels, with a plastic base works great and is very easy to clean. Another option would be to use a standard ten-gallon aquarium tank with a wire mesh screen, but these are more cumbersome to maintain. Finally, there are the molded Habitrail and S.A.M. products, which are also available through our catalog, which make interesting arrangements, with numerous accessories that can be added on a regular basis, to keep the hobby more interesting to a child. The hamsters in these types of arrangements rarely get bored with the wide array attachments and endless design possibility.

Toys

The number one choice here is the wheel. This gives the hamster in captivity the exercise that it needs to keep in shape. There are a number of hiding boxes, tunnels, and numerous accessories available through our online catalog.

Bedding

The most common bedding used is pine shavings, either scented or unscented. There have been reports against the use of cedar, and we strongly urge the hobbyist not to use cedar shavings. Other bedding possibilities are Mountain Meadows Small Animal Pellets, Yesterday's News, and this, and that.

Food

Hamster diets available on the market are made by L&M, Kaytee, 8 in 1, Sun Seed, F. M. Browns, Vitakraft, Mazuri, and Zupreem. In addition, there are numerous treats available by a multitude of manufacturers to keep your hamster in top shape. Remember to give them vitamins and other supplements which are also readily available.

Water

Water should be available at all times in a gravity type water bottle. Water placed in dishes invites the bedding and foods to contaminate the water. Water dishses also have a likelihood of spilling and saturating the bedding, which makes it unusable for the animal to sleep, and invites mold and bacteria.