photo by lisabee
The least popular of all the pet hamster species, yet can be as cute as the others, here is the rare Chinese Dwarf Hamster. It originates from Northern China and Mongolia and belongs to a group known as Rat-like hamsters. The Chinese Dwarf Hamster is not technically a Dwarf Hamster but is often referred to as such due to its small size.
The Chinese Dwarf Hamsters have a slightly longer tail, more pointed and longer nose, and usually thinner than other hamsters. Their natural color is dark brown over the back with dark stripe along the spine and an off-white belly, which make them look more ratlike than other type of hamsters.
photo by fhorngk
Although timid and fast moving, the Chinese Dwarf Hamsters are of good temperament and rarely nip. One of their interesting traits is that of clinging to a finger with all four paws, rather like a harvest mouse on a corn stalk. Pretty cute isn't it, anybody see that before?
More Chinese Dwarf Hamster Photos.
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91 comments:
I never realized there were so many different types of hamsters. And so far all the ones you show on your blog have been just too cute.
Is Kimichi your only hamster?
Hehe, now you are poisoned with hamster's cuteness.
Yes, Kimichi is my only hamster currently.
This hamster looks like a Roborovski Hamster .
jalte: Although both chinese hamster and roborovski hamster are cute, I think they look quite different actually.
Btw, nice website you have.
We just got one - she is hyper! But is settling down now - I wouldn't have ANY OTHER KIND NOW - WE'RE HOOKED! She is named Bijou.
I just recently got a hamster and I thought the chinese dwarfs were the cutest. Yet.. I havnt really seen anything about them other than this.
They really do have a great temperment compared to other hamsters.
They are a great choice for younger children.
We've just gotten a Chinese - she's a doll. Her name is Bijou too. But she's not white and thinks bows are for sissies! When she gets something on her mind - like getting between the couch cushions - she is going to keep at it till she does it - even if it is days later! I wouldn't have any other hammie.
She hasn't wanted to get in her ball since a friend of my son kicked her across the floor (accidently) - but loves to get in her playpen, where she promptly starts to climb the bars - she is sure there is something out there we are keeping from her!. She loves to be petted!
You can see some pics of my darling on my ebay blog (buggal1989). I don't know how to post pic here.
Thanks for sharing Bijou's photo on your ebay blog, she is cute and seem to be really tame.
If anyone has a Male chinese hamster for sale, preferably a dominate spot one (mostly white) I would love to purchase it! Sadly, I will not accept someone shipping the hamster so please be around Philadelphia area. As far as Southern New jersey is fine too. Maybe even Baltimore.
It is very hard to find a male in my area seeing the petstores only sell female.
Please contact me at: 6reycat@gmail.com
hey, October Anonymous, At Petco I got male chinese dwarfs O.o have you looked there?
although honestly, I kinda wish I got females...on these guys all you can see are their feggin' balls ^O^
Indeed, I must agree with you that male chinese dwarf hamsters have big balls! :P
I just got a Chinese Dwarf for my daughter, and we are all dying of teh cute! This little guy is the best small pet we have ever had. From the minute we brought him home, he was playful, affectionate, and fun. I am now hooked on the Chinese Dwarf! Funny name story: my daughter (4) has decided that a Chinese hamster needs a Chinese name. We asked relatives from China, thinking this would be a matter of hearing some suggestions and choosing from them. Turns out, nothing Chinese is named that lightly! They are consulting with the Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles, and will inform us of the name when the family elders have thoroughly considered all options and have made their choice! Ha ha, so he is "Hammy" until further notice!
thank you for having such a great and useful website! i attached a toilet roll to the top of the cage and it is hanging horizontally s they can climb in it! i have two chinese dwarf hamsters called Tai and Chi! They were both together but they started fighting so i hadto seperate them!
Thank-you!
A Chinese name for yout Chinese Dwarf hamster, great idea! Tai and Chi sound like Chinese names by the way.
I just got a chinese dwarf hampster today maybe about 2hours ago and for some reason the butt part looks really big would anybody happen to know what that means? It seems to get bigger by the minute like maybe hes constipated or something.
If anyone has and suggestions please email:
insatiable247@yahoo.com or
shannel1314@yahoo.com
We got one of these for my 6 yr old daughter and 5 yr old son and it really is friendlier and calmer than other hamsters. They are very gentle but play with the poor thing a LOT. He's been very patient with them. No nips at all.
I live in North Idaho. I have had a Chinese Dwarf hamster around 10 years ago when we lived in Anchorage Alaska. I can not find them anywhere at our pet stores. Any Suggestions?
We loved them. They were sooo sweet!
Thanks, Tonya
oh my goodness! i took that picture with the blue background! i can't believe my sister stole my picture! grr!
I bought my little guy at PetSmart, and with that place, I only saw male critters. But I've had him for almost a year. His name is Kyo (Named after my favorite J-Rock band, Dir En Grey. And yes, they are japanese, not chinese, but I just felt that name worked well for him ^_^)
I love him so much! Even right now, he is next to me making new tunnels in his bedding ^.^
(All though, his wheel makes me very mad at night! It makes this horrible thud sound!)
I love all dwarf hamsters. They are just too cute!
Japanese name for chinese dwarf hamsters, cool! You can apply a squirt of vegetable oil to grease the squeaky wheel.
I just got my Chinese hamster for Mother's Day this year. I've had a dwarf hamster before (at the time I didn't know what type, I now believe she may have been a Campbell's dwarf), so when Mother's Day approached I asked my boyfriend if I could get a critter. I've seen a couple of sites wrongly claiming that they are very hard to tame and very aggressive, but it only took Lilac three days to start crawling all over me like a maniac! Now what I want to know is how safe it would be to let her run loose in a makeshift pen for a while before I can buy her an actual small-pet pen, as she doesn't ever move when she's in her ball (I accidentally kicked her in it once, she hasn't run in it since). I need to know what I could make this pen out of (is cardboard safe if it is printed?) and if I should be careful of things like teeny claws catching in carpet and such.
I love my little hammie, I was so depressed when I learned they only live 2-3 years, and she's only 2 months old!
Hi Adalia Peace, do you know that hamsters are escape artists? A makeshift pen doesn't sound safe for me. Better buy them a proper hamster cage or DIY cage soon.
Anyway, glad that you have a very tame hamster.
Is pine bedding okay for a chinese dwarf? He is acting wierd after we switched to pine bedding.
Pine bedding is not good, it is too dusty and will effect your hamster respiratory system. Use aspen or Carefresh instead.
Aww, so cute! I'm adopting my own Chinese Dwarf Hamster from a friend tomorrow. I don't know what to name it! I've just been referring to it as "cutie." I have a question about the cage. I already own a wire hamster cage, but I heard that regular wire hamster cages wouldn't be good for the little Chinese Dwarf hammies because the wires are too far apart. The wires look about the same as the one in the first picture. Is this an acceptable cage or should I consider getting a new one?
Update! I have decided to go ahead and get a cage that's not a wire hamster cage. He's so little! I just got him today. His name is QT-3.14. LOL! There are pictures of him on my blog, Mary Commentary.
QT-3.14? That is really an extraordinary name!
We just bought a Chinese hamster and we have a few questions. In one artical we read not to use fluffy hamster bedding as it may get stuck in its mouth. We have been using it and have had no trouble. Is there a good comfort bedding that is safe for them? How do you train them to go to your hand? Can a hamster still smell food on your hand 25 minutes later?
My daughter would really like to find the answers.
Yes, avoid fluffy hamster bedding, it might even choke your hamster. You can try Aspen, Carefresh or bedding made from recycled papers instead.
For your other questions, please refer to tips for training hamsters.
We just got our first chinese dwarf about a week ago. We had never seen one before(my fiancee works at a pet store!) 10 year old daughter fell in love on the spot and named him Chin before we ever left the store. We have 3 Syrian hamsters that are very sweet but I am now sold on the Chinese dwarf. Chin is so calm and loves attention! It was really nice to find some info on these guys. Thanks!
I have two chinese dwarf, one called Chibi and another called Fumi. No doubt they are very cute but sometime they can bite when they think my finger are food...
i have two female chinese dwarf hamsters and theyre adorable! their names are maya and lily, im trying to breed them but i cant find a male ANYWHERE!! i want to breed them with a dominant spot but im afraid ill never find one:(
We just purchased 2 female sisters from PETSMART- they are ADORABLE and so much fun to watch! My kids put the cage in the bathtub (drain shut of course) and we open it up (for mom to clean) and then the little hamsters run around in the tub! They are hard to acth, so they just put their hands out and they climb right in!!! Sometimes they put 1 rice krispie in their hands and the hamsters love it!
I just got two... they are named Paris (after hilton) and Audrey (after hepburn). I love them to death, but they seem to run all day and night long!!! do they ever settle down? and can we breed them with other hamsters? please let me know if you can. thanx! rockthetoaster@yahoo.com
Hi H R Layton, don't worry, it is no harm to being active for hamsters.
Interbreeding is a big 'NO', the hybrid offspring produced can suffer from low fertility or be infertile. It also threaten the survival of pure species.
yeah, mom won't let me get 1. =l
& sisters are pains in my ass with any pet,
so yeah, i wont be getting 1 soon
my mum and dad just got me 2 for xmas there called pinky and perky lol x
my mum and dad just got me 2 for xmas there called pinky and perky lol x
Hi, my girlfriend bought me a chinese dwarf for Christmas and although he is obcessed with the noisey wheel, he's a cutie already. He even lets me stroke him and it his first day here!! He's called Noah by the way lol. We adopted him from the pets at home store because he was aggressive to another male. He just likes his own space!!
My 9 year old daughter just got one today. Its our first Chinese Dwarf Hamster. It is alot frindlier than the nippy dwarf hamsters we used to have. He is very kid friendly. He clings to your hand when you try to put him back in his cage. He's very cute and lovable. She named him Loki(after the god of mischief). We look forward to seeing if he lives up to his name :)
i bought one of these about 6 months ago and never new they are rare. my is very good and id called spencer
i have 3. oreo, simone, and squeakers. they are so cute but squeakers is so smart. she managed to get out 6 months after i got them. they rarely nip and live in a hamster mansion. oreo is the "runt". she is slightly smaller than her sisters and, oddly enough, has a full white body with a black stripe down her spine. simone was named after simon from alvin and the chipmunks. however, her sister, squeakers has out smarted her. she's also very squeaky (:. they're a lot of fun to have, especially because of their size. when changing their cage, i can put all three into the hamster ball and they're fine. only bad thing is that the bit each others tails off ): i'm 16 by the way and i have full responsibility of my little munchkins.
what info do i find with hamsters? give me a brief answer.
NOW IN AT LEAST ONE MINUTE ITS MY HOMEWORK FOR SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS! NOT TO BE RUDE BU PLEASE! ...
please?
go to WWW.Google.ca and find info for me... thanks! bye.
I've had 2 chinese dwarf hamsters for about a year. They are both females and are called Dot & Keltie. I have heard they are rare so I plan on getting males so they can reproduce before they die.
well that doesnt have info for me .. thanks a lot :(
Hi I'm Joe Jonas! I love pets so much I had a dog, her name was cocoa and she had past away.:(
Cocoa was so cute!
I just got my first baby Chinese Dwarf Hamster! He is one month old and so sweet! Unlike what some pages have said, he is very social and loves to be held. He is very intellegent. He has never seen a wheel before, and within his first rummagings in the habitat, found and figured out how to use it.
Nice!
i have a chinese dwarf hamster named cookie dough and is is cute and timy. lol all hamsters are cute and tiny. :) lol :) anyways, i've had him for over a year now and when i got him he was like 4 months old. but he never really gets to be annoying. all i ever really need to do for him is feed him like almost everyday and clean his cage like once a week. and then i play with him like every day. well, really i just hold him... but still... oh, and he's escaped from his cage before. but he's fine. and he's fell a lot of times... but not from really high places... but still, he's a good little hamster!! :)
So I just got a male chinese dwarf hamster 2 days ago. His name is Noel. He seems to sleep all day then wants to run around at night. Should I let him sleep during the day or wake him?
Can someone tell me the difference between robeovski hamsters and chinnese and how long they live for checked several web sites but they all have different answers
Don't wake Noel up, hamsters sleep in day time.
Robo and Chinese hamsters are quite different especially Chinese hamsters have long tail but robos have very short and tiny tail.
I am so, bored.
chinese dwarf hamsters aren't rare. i work at a pet shop, and we have them ALL the time.
Our Chinese Dwarf, Alex, has decided that he wants to chew on the bars of his cage. He dose not do this all the time, but it is frequent enough that it annoying. What could he want by doing this? He chews on them back and forth, like someone eating corn on the cob.
Hi Hamham, do Alex have chewing toys such as dry wood or mineral block? This is because hamsters need to trim their teeth.
Hello, I just purchased a C D Hamster yesterday and she's bitten me (hard!) 3 times already. Everything I read says they rarely nip. Is this common in the first few days and will it stop if she "starts out" biting? thanks
Your C D Hamster might be stressful in the new environment. Just give her some time to settle down first.
i have a chinese dwarf hamster. His name is Tiny. I love him to pieces and hes sooo cute. Tiny is just a 3 month baby. He loves his toys and he sleeps alot. I feel like im not spending enough time with him. When i get home from school hes always sleeping. So i wake him up to play. If and when he wakes up he falls right back asleep. So how can i spend time with him when he is always sleeping? I want him to love me, but he just sleeps all the time. How do I get him to be awake enough to play?
Hamsters sleep at day time and most active at night. You should play with them during early morning and late evening, or even at night if you don't sleep :)
I had my first chinese hamster probably 15 years ago...took me this long to find another.:( I have 1 robo and chinese now. Robos are smaller, very round shape, fluffier, stub tail and very jumpy. My husband says its face looks like a terrier.:) Chinese have sleek fur with a single stripe down the middle of their back. More bullet shaped, and have a very small pig-like tail which is generaly curled up as they move about.:) It is also prehensile...if you put your finger next to it they will curl their tail around it. The also use that tail to hold onto bars if the don't want picked up...:P I find robos cute but very high strung. Chinese are sweet but shy. My first Chinese dwarf hamster was so tame I would put him in my shirt pocket when I picked my daughter up from school. :) Obviously I would recommend a Chinese hamster over a Robo.
I have a Chinese Dwarf Hamster. His name is Floyd, after Pink Floyd, and hes great! I do prefer my old Syrian Black Bear Hamster to tell you the truth... but Floyd is just adorable! He also has odd markings... He is light gray with a white stomach and a pitch black stripe down his back. My favorite feature of his (and the reason I picked him from the litter) He has a white spot on his forhead! ^_^ ITS SO CUTE!!!!!
i had a chinese one named jazzy... she was very cute, but she didn't move at all...it was weird. i figured she was just a little shocked from the car ride home.
but i never saw her eat or anything. two weeks passed by, and she died!!
does any1 know what could have happened? btw, i think i saw some diahhrea around the cage.
Jazzy could be sick or overheat during the car ride home. Should consult vet immediately if something wrong.
Awesome site Gazard. Thanks for all the info.
hi, i have just bought 2 chinese dwarf hamsters both female, the are adorable i love them to bits but im a bit worried, them only seem to eat nuts... i bought a pet mix from pets at home (uk) but they dont eat any of the other food in the mix, do anyone know a good mix which ur hamsters will eat o and gazard u do have a good site =]
I Have 2 Chinese Dwarf Hansters... Both Boys Pets At Home Said Thay Could Live Together About 4 Mounths Later They Started Fighting But Its Is Onli The Bigger (monster) One That Starts It... He Stores LOADS of food in a corner of his cage more then the other one and the only thing he will chew is the cage he has mineral things and wooden toys yet he only chews the cage!!!... Plus he bite so i try to give him as much attention as possible but he dont like it whereas my other hamster (munch)loves being held and will not fight monster hes lovely he will sit on my sholder while in on the laptop... hes very smart.
My last hamster, Kimichi's favorite is Hoppel Mobbel Hamster Mix, you may give it a try.
Hi. We had two Russian dwarfs, Cinnamon and Sprinkles. Sadly, one died :(. My daughter NEEDED to get Sprinkles a companion, so off to the pet store we went. We were told that Sprinkles would be ok in solitary, but wouldnt you know it, my daughter fell in love with the Chinese dwarfs. We took home two females and OMG are they as cute as can be!! Yin and Yang are so sociable, love to be held and dont nip at all.
I want to get a dwarf hamster by the end of this month. Just a few questions about setting up their home though: Can I use ripped up pieces of toilet paper for their bedding? What are some good, but not too expensive, in-the-cage toys for them? If I get two dwarf hamsters, I know they might need to be separated if they fight, but to lessen fighting should they both be female or male? Thank you so much in advance!
One more thing: I stopped by my local pet shop today and saw and held this adorable little dwarf hamster. It has a white belly and sides with the top of its head gray and its kind of splotched/spotted gray coming down its back. It also has one white "eyebrow". Does anyone have any idea what it breed it may be? I'll try to get a picture in asap, but I don't know if my pet shop allows pictures.
Hi Sotiros, normal bedding from pet shop will be better. You will need to change the bedding more frequent if you use toilet paper. Hamster wheel is a must for your hamster's playtime.
Hi
We're going to buy a chinese dwarf hamster, but the guy in the pet shop said they prefer to live in pairs. My question is, when one of the pair dies, will the remaining hamster want a new companion or will it be happier to live alone?
Thanks
Hi Ste, hamsters is happy enough to stay alone. They might like playmate but not housemate.
I just got a CD hamster about a month ago. She was an albino!! I named her Yuki... that means pure white or snow in Japanese, right? Well as soon as i got her home i left her alone in her cage for a few days, u know.. to let her get used to her new home. when i took her out for the first time she had a big sore on her cheek. i cleaned her cage and disinfected my room. i cleaned her cage really really well. she seemed to be fine, she was really hyper, like a normal hamster. a few days later the sore was gone. i still change the bedding in her cage and i rinse her cage about once every few weeks. i often give her a teaspoon of veggies every 2 or 3 days. she seams healthy but I'm worried the sore might come back... ant suggestions?
BTY: what i mean by "i still change the bedding in her cage and i rinse her cage about once every few weeks" is i change the bedding about once a week and actually "wash" it every few weeks.
Hi Kakashi, wash the cage every week too for more safety.
I found your blog via google and popped in to say hello. Turns out I have Chinese Dwarf Hamster, a female only 8 weeks old and she in the process of settling in. Had her for 3 days, yesterday I only started handling and picking her up, she's was very difficult to get hold of and didn't bite ,her claws are sharp like tiny needles digging into my hand. I change the bedding daily because she tend to poo in sleeping area which is little house. We named her Cherry and I current have pictures on her on my blog.
There was a few comments made she looks like mouse. I found this contradictory statement that Chinese Dwarf Hamster bite a lot, so far mine hasn't. My cousins has a Robovski breed and their hamster have nipped a few fingers. From what I heard it's mainly their fault because they don't let their pet go to sleep and spin it about in the exercise ball. I have a right mind report them to the RSPCA for animal abuse.
Hi chimerastone, your hamster Cherry is kinda cute, I saw her on your blog. :)
This is the most owner submitted info on Chinese Dwarfs Ive been able to find. Its great! I just got our female Mushu 4 days ago, I've been trying to introduce myself slowly but she is soo shy, she rarely leaves her little house except sneak some food or run on her wheel at 3am. I'm wondering if I should try to speed it up and pick her up. I'm relieved to hear that my hammy isnt the only one who poo's everywhere, including her house.
Hi i recently bought 2 male chinese hamsters, after letting them settle in i got them out for a play and found that one had a broken leg. dissapointed i took him back to the store and seeked advice from them an offered to keep him and take him to a vet but they wanted me to bring both hamsters back for a refund! no way was i doing that!!! so after much performance i ended up leaving the 1 with a broken leg in the shop.
would it be ok for me to introduce a female into the cage? what are there breeding intervals? and what are the breeding do's and dont's?
I just bought a Chinese Dwarf hamster today, he's sooo cute <3 I named him Truffles, hehe. Unfortunately my mum said I could only have 1 due to possible accidents with 2, and so we had to split the two Dwarfs in the store :(
My Chinese Dwarf Hamster loves burrowing in his bedding. His name is Buddy. I think I'm going to try putting a toilet paper roll in his cage. Once you get him for the first few days let him be so he can get to know his habitat.
My chinese dwarf hamster has a big butt.Is it pregnent or something?
Hi Sam, you have gotten a male Chinese dwarf hamster, that are his balls! :D
i just got a male chinese dwarf hamster 3 days ago. i have heard very good things about them, like they rarely bite, have good temperments, etc...well, norbert (yes, norbert!) will not let me hold him yet, when i put my hand in the cage to let him get used to my scent he bites. so i try to talk to him so he'll get used to my voice, but it seems like he just runs & hides from me. will this behavior improve?
hi i got a chinese dwarf hamster about a week ago.
its a boy named Eddie. everything is going good but i was wondering about the cage. how big and how wide should it be? and he wont let me pick him up. he never bites he just runs and hes not scared of me because he does not show fear when i am really close to him. i have held him before but i wore gloves and i dont know if i hurt him when i tried to pick him up the first time. my dad did it and he didnt bite him but i am just not sure .
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