Temperament and company
The Djungarian, or winter white, hamster is a dwarf hamster from the steppes of Siberia and Kazakhstan. In the wild its coat can turn almost white in winter, hence the name. It looks much like Campbell's dwarf hamster, and the two are easy to confuse in a shop.
Sources disagree on whether it should live alone: some say dwarf hamsters can live together with the right care and conditions, others that they fight when housed together. The safest choice is one hamster. If you keep two, they should be siblings raised together, with a spare cage ready the day you see the first fight.
Housing
Small as it is, it needs a lot of room: it covers a long distance in a night. Choose the roomiest cage you can, with bars set close enough that it cannot squeeze through, or a well-ventilated tank. The bedding should be deep enough to dig burrows.
The wheel must have a solid running surface without rungs, and be large enough that its back does not arch as it runs. Keep the home somewhere quiet, away from sun, heaters and draughts, and do not clean it all out at once.
Feeding
The basis is a food made for dwarf hamsters: seeds, grains and dried plants. Add a little fresh vegetable and, now and then, some animal protein such as insects. Do not give sweet fruit or sweets: sugar does not suit dwarf hamsters.
Clean water must always be available. Introduce new foods gradually and in small amounts.
Handling
A Djungarian hamster is small and quick and can jump from your hands without warning. Tame it in the evening when it is awake: let it sniff your palm, offer a treat, then scoop it up in both hands, holding it low over a table or the floor.
Do not wake it or reach in from above. Small children are better off watching it than holding it.
Everyday health care
Check your hamster every week: clear eyes and nose, a dry coat around the tail, teeth and nails that are not overgrown. Weigh it regularly: in an animal this small, even a little weight loss is an important sign.
If you keep two, check every day for bite wounds and that both are eating. Find a vet who sees rodents before you need one.
What you will need
- A cage with narrow bar spacing, or a tank Cages · 847 products
- A deep layer of bedding to dig in Bedding · 401 products
- A wheel with a solid running surface Wheels · 74 products
- Food made for dwarf hamsters Food · 2,671 products
- A shallow bowl and a water bottle Bowls & Feeders · 258 products
- A house and a few tunnels
- A carrier for trips to the vet Carriers & Crates · 57 products
The links lead to product categories, never to a product or a brand. Not a recommendation.
When to see a vet now
See a vet straight away if your hamster stops eating or drinking, the fur around its tail is wet, it has diarrhoea, breathes with effort, is dull, or you see wounds from fighting or blood.
Sources
Lifespan, weight, social needs and diet are taken from these sources. The text is our own.