Hamsters are popular pocket pets, and dwarf hamsters are their adorable cousins.
A separate species from the average-sized hamster you'll find at the pet store, dwarf hamsters grow to be no more than four inches long and weigh less than two ounces. There are several different types, and pet owners around the world have fallen in love with these sociable little critters.
In the past, you'd have to go through a professional breeder if you wanted to add a dwarf hamster to the family. Their recent popularity, however, means there's a chance you might come across your new friend in a specialty pet store.
Dwarf Campells Russian Hamsters are the most common variety found in pet stores, and there are also Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamsters, and Roborovski Hamsters. While each type has distinguishable differences, there are certain characteristic found in each. One of those has to do with speed and agility. Owning a dwarf hamster calls for quick reflexes and soft hands. They're faster and more skittish than their larger cousins. They also have the ability to squeeze their bodies through impossibly small spaces to successfully escape insecure enclosures.
Owning a dwarf hamster comes with challenges, but pet owners choose them for their social personalities—and, of course, they're adorable faces. Unlike other types of hamster, dwarfs enjoy living in both pairs and groups. They're not as territorial as other hamsters, and small disagreements rarely result in injuries. Occasional fights seem worse than they are due to their tendency to be highly vocal.
Dwarf hamsters love to munch on fruits and vegetables and keep their big teeth in check by chewing on pet-safe wood sticks and mineral blocks. They'll happily curl up in the palm of your hand and learn to interact with their human family members. Take in one, two, or a whole group to learn more about these teeny-tiny pets.
Do you have a dwarf hamster? Let us know in the comments.
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