Here are some free tips on how to be a good owner for your dwarf hamster.
Tip #1
Deciding to keep a dwarf hamster as a pet should be a family decision. While it may be your child who wants the pet, as parents, you should make contingency plans if your child loses interest or does a poor job of caring for it.
Before you get the animal, you and your family should discuss it. Discuss the daily and weekly requirements, and get a commitment from the prospective dwarf hamster keeper that he or she will carry out these jobs. If necessary, write a weekly schedule.
Tip #2
Dwarf hamsters do not make good gifts. In fact, they should never be given as surprise gifts. As discussed in Tip #1, the decision to purchase and care for a new pet hamster should be a family decision that is not taken lightly.
Tip #3
Loud noises stress your dwarf hamster. Since the creature has sensitive hearing, unexpected loud noises will be considered a potential hazard. If possible, isolate your pet from barking dogs and crying children. If there are new outside noises (such as lawn mowers or construction projects), move your dwarf hamster’s cage to a different part of the house to muffle the sound.
Tip #4
Your new pet is going to chew anything and everything it can. Human fingernails and toenails grow continuously, and we occasionally need to trim them. Your dwarf hamster not only has ever-growing toenails, but ever-growing teeth, too! As a result, you have to regularly gnaw on objects to prevent them from getting too long. Scraps of cardboard and unfinished wood are suitable items to provide your hamster with this need. Expect, however, that anything within your dwarf hamster’s reach will be chewed up. This includes plastic toys and plastic enclosures. Also include any nearby plants with foliage that can be reached. For this reason, it’s important that you move (or better yet, remove) all poisonous plants from the area.
Tip #5
As noted in Tip #4, your hamster’s toenails are continually growing and will sometimes need to be trimmed. They will wear down a bit as you move through the day, however you should pay attention to them when you do your hamster’s regular wellness check.
Tip #6
Your pet needs to run. It is not an option. His body is designed to run several miles (kilometers) each night in search of food. When in captivity, they no longer need to travel as far to eat, but the instinct and need to run is not diminished. Therefore, it is important that you provide your dwarf hamster with a spinning wheel that he can use to satisfy the urge to run.