How to Care for Russian Dwarf Hamsters

The first thing you need to know is that Russian dwarf hamsters have very bad eyesight, even worse than other dwarf hamsters. It's so important you get them used to the sound of your voice right from the very beginning, however, I didn’t because I was unaware of their eyesight problems and I had to work even harder to get my hamster to trust me after months of him being frightened. Once your hamster knows your voice, they will begin to build that trust with you, especially if you speak to them in a soft voice when feeding them and handing them treats.

Another thing that’s very important is that your hamster knows your smell, this is what's going to make them more comfortable when you're holding them. To get them used to your smell, proceed with care and caution, lower your hand into the cage and just hold it still, when your hamster approaches your hand, STAY STILL! Your little fur baby may nibble but this is completely normal and should in no way be taken as aggression or them disliking you, they are simply getting used to you and it's important you don’t flinch or jump because this could set your progress back.

The next step is going to require a lot of patience because it really does depend on your hamster and how long it takes to trust you. When you lower your hand into the cage, do this every day for three to five minutes until your hamster is comfortable enough to crawl on your hand, it's at this point you can begin to lift them. When you start lifting your hamster up, start by only lifting as high as maybe your baby finger while keeping your hand and the hamster in the cage in case they try to make a run for it. Do this and gradually increase the height till your hamster is comfortable enough to not try and escape and it's when you and your hamster are comfortable that you can move a bit away from the cage.

Now onto the subject of treats and food, your hamster needs a balanced diet especially seen as Russian dwarf hamsters are prone to diabetes. Buying a hamster mix from the pet store is absolutely fine, there is the option of making your own but I never have, but always try and include some protein in there. Some hamster mixes have mealworms in the mix but others don’t, in this case, you can buy bags of dried mealworms that you can add to your hamsters food yourself. Treats from the pet store are often yogurt drops and fruit gnawing blocks/sticks and these are fine but proceed with caution when it comes to yogurt drops because they are very fattening and your hamster could develop so many health problems from being overweight. You should always try and incorporate some fresh fruit or veg into your hamster's diet but do this gradually, start with a small amount once or twice a week and slowly build it up to once a day but always test new things with your hamster in small doses in case your hamster has a bad reaction.

Now to your hamster's teeth, they grow fairly quickly and keeping them down is very important otherwise they will develop health problems. You can buy wood chews from the pet store and the basic ones aren't very expensive, however, my hamster never liked the simple wood chews and I had to get creative to keep his teeth down. I personally used cardboard toilet roll tubes, loofa chews, and rope and pumice chews worked the best so try them if your hamster isn't taking to the simple wood chews.

Keep your hamster active by providing them with an exercise wheel, this is one of the most important things in your hamster's cage as they need so much exercise. You can choose from a wheel that attaches to the side of the cage, a free standing one or a running disk, I have tried all these and they all have their merit. I had a very good wheel that attached to the side of the cage but after a while, it began to drag on the shelf below and this kept me up at night so I switched for a running disk and that’s worked marvelously. There should be some tubes for your hamster to keep entertained along with a hut for them to make a nest.

Finally and almost most importantly, give your hamster fresh water every day and make sure you remember where you filled the water to so you can make sure they are drinking enough water. Hope this guide helps.