I want a hamster - please advise!

[Dianns]

Hi there!

I'm not new to owning exotic pets. I've had a number of reptiles in my life and, believe it or not, I'm a cockroach keeper, meaning I keep exotic species of cockroaches as pets and for research! That being said, I've never had a hamster before, and need the hamster community's guidance, because even as someone with experience creating true-to-nature, complex enclosures, hamsters have their own unique needs that I'm not familiar with.
I would like to preface this by saying I did scour the forum for this information so I didn't have to create another thread, but I could not find the info I'm looking for. So here goes.

Firstly, I'm in the U.S (east coast) and I want to adopt. I'm very reluctant to buy from pet shops (at least chain brands like Pet Smart), but if it comes to that, it I'll give in. Are there any online or in-person shops anyone can recommend that I buy from if I'm not able to find an adoptable hammy?

Secondly, the species/breed of hamster doesn't matter to me so much as personality does. I'd like a hamster that's friendly and easy to bond with. Which species are best for that? Do you have any experiences of a specific type of hamster tending to be more docile than others?

Thirdly, does it matter if I choose a female or a male? What are the pros and cons?

I hope these aren't questions you've had to answer over and over again. I did as much research outside of the forum as I could, but I wanted to bring these questions here because hearing from the hamster community itself is the most qualified and trusted source, in my opinion.

Thank you!

 

[Maz]

Hello and welcome Fire away these are all good questions! So as regards species and personality - I'll just set out below various things, but generally whatever the species, hamsters all have different personalities

So:

Syrian Hamsters

Female Syrian hamsters have a reputation for needing a LOT of space and being highly active and even a bit maverick. BUT - this is a huge generalisation and as mentioned above, whatever the sex or species, they have individual personalities from genetics - just as humans do Female syrians come on heat every four days and there can be a slightly musky aroma (sometimes noticeable sometimes not) for a day. And it's also commonly noticed that their behaviour can become a bit more hyperactive for a day. There is no blood when they are on heat. They can also be very sweet and affectionate.

Male Syrians have a reputation for being shy, "lazy", less maverick. But this is a huge generalisation as well because again they all have their own personalities. I've had quite a few male syrians and some of them have been a bit shy but I've had two who were highly active and completely maverick (and great fun! but keep you on your toes and like interacting and being out). A shy hamster who hides away a lot can make you feel like you don't have a hamster and just have an extra chore in the house! But - even shy hamsters can be tamed and become bonded with a bit of time and patience and various ways of encouraging them to come out so that isn't the end of the world. Male syrians can also be very sweet and affectionate which can often come down to trust and taming - but also personalities vary and some will never like sitting still for long and others will fall asleep on you. It can be a very special thing to have a Syrian sitting on you having their ears stroked.

But personalities are all very different

Syrian hamsters are very unlikely to bite. As a species they are quite gentle generally. The only ever nip usually if they are scared or in pain (eg when older) and usually then it's not a hard bite but just a way of communicating to you that they don't like something. Eg if you were holding them for too long and it was a bit high up in the air (not a good idea anyway) and they felt scared or insecure. There are exceptions but it's not common - eg if a hamster has had a traumatic experience before they've come to you they may be nervous of hands but bonding and taming can help resolve this. Most people use a "taxi" to transport them from the cage to elsewhere (eg a tube or hide they walk into and you carry that instead). Then when they are in their new location (eg taming area or bathtub) it's ok to start handling a bit. There is a whole article on taming though.

Syrian hamsters sleep during the day and come out at night. You can get them used to coming out earlier in the evening with feeding times so you actually get to see them and spend time with them, but their most active period is overnight and sometimes very early in the morning,

Russian Dwarf Hamsters

Similar male and female traits to Syrian hamsters in that females can often be more active than males and often interact more. But again it's not a hard and fast rule. Some Russian dwarf hamsters do bite sometimes - others don't. Again this can be a combination of past experience and/or genetics. It may resolve with taming. Most russian dwarf hamsters aren't bitey but there are exceptions.

There are different species of Russian Dwarf hamsters: Winter Whites and Campbells which have their own traits (there's a bit about that in one of the articles on the home page) BUT you are very unlikely to find a pedigree hamster of either species. Virtually all Russian dwarf hamsters are hybrids of those two species. This is why their genetics can vary a lot - because some may have more winter white traits and some have more campbell traits, and within that have their own genetics and personalities as well.

It can be a very special thing having a dwarf hamster hop on your hand and trust you.

One particular thing about Russian Dwarf hamsters is the need for a sugar-free diet (which is a good idea anyway) as they can be genetically prone to diabetes. Not all of them are - and there is no way of telling which are likely to develop it and which aren't so the general idea is preventative to slow down any potential onset. Giving a parsley leaf once a week helps as well.

Waking times - this can vary with personality also. Some will come out during the day and some will only come out late evening.

Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters

These are very unlike Syrians and Russian Dwarf hamsters. They are the smallest species, and very very fast. They are often known as watch pets and can be quite hard to tame or handle. As with other species though they can communicate well non verbally There are exceptions and one of our members has a very tame Robo (Holly owned by @Roborovskis r us ). I have had two and neither were hand tamed - it is possible but takes a concerted and regular effort. However it's hard to describe how amazing they are to watch. They are generally not the best option for a first hamster if you haven't had one before.

Roborovski hamsters can come out two or three times during the day though as well as being active overnight - but again this varies.


Chinese dwarf hamsters

These are less commonly found and maybe only from pet shops. They look more mouselike and have a bit of a tail - maybe an inch long, which they can wrap around a finger. They are generally quite shy and skitty but are also more climbers than other hamsters who are more ground dwellers. People who keep chinese hamsters are big fans of them but they may take quite a bit of taming and some will continue to be shy and hide a lot. Again maybe not the best option for a first hamster.

General

In terms of cage or enclosure, they all need the same size, regardless of the size of the hamster as they are all equally as active with a lot of energy. So that's 100cm x 50cm or larger. Female syrians generally need larger than that but some can be ok in 100cm x 50cm.

They all need plenty of enrichment in an enclosure - ie variety of texture and items - things to do, places to go, things to nibble on, sit under and climb on and they all need a wheel.

Most people for a first hamster have either a Syrian or a russian dwarf hamster. Syrians are commonly a first pet hamster. But dwarf hamsters can also be a good a first pet hamster.

So some things are unknown - eg you won't know the hamster's personality until you have one! However, if you see the hamster first you may get an indication. Sometimes a hamster will "choose you"- and come over and look at you as if to say - take me home. Depending on where you're getting one. If you see a few you can get a vague gauge of their personality - do they seem friendly or reclusive.

If a hamster is from a rescue, the rescue may be able to tell you a bit about their personality. If from a store it's a case of gauging when you go and see. Sometimes one just appeals to you for some reason.

So yes it's better to get one from a rescue than a pet shop really. Or from an official ethical breeder and there are very few of those in the US. The ethical ones will be members of the California Hamster Assocation (even though they're not all in that area). They may have long waiting lists also. But getting one from an ethical breeder doesn't guarantee personality, ease of taming or health longevity either.

I sometimes think hamsters from rescues have the best chance of a long healthy life. They've survived things, they've had good veterinary care in a rescue.

In terms of longevity, their life spans are all very similar - 2 years average - 18 months to 3 years usually.

Syrian hamsters do tend to be healthy throughout their lives until old age (barring accidents) although female syrians need keeping an eye on for any reproductive organ issues which need treating quickly if they occur, but not particularly common.

It can be hard finding a hamster rescue in the US as it's a big country and they maybe at a distance and not that many. Which area of the US are you in?

For a first owner also, I would try and get a baby hamster from a litter, or a very young hamster, so you grow with them throughout their life and they have stability their entire life. It can be quite hard to an adopt an older hamster as a first pet as they may have acquired habits or fears that won't change (or be a bit institutionalised) and you would not have a very long time with them which can be hard.

Rescues do sometimes have litters as they often take in hamsters that turn out to be pregnant because unfortunately pet shops aren't always very good at sexing hamsters and unwanted litters occur. Also pet shops have a bad habit of selling dwarf hamsters in pairs - and they shouldn't be kept in pairs - and in some cases it turns out they have sold two boys or two girls and one turns out to be the opposite sex and the new owner ends up with an unwanted litter.

This is particularly the case for robos who breed very fast.

So another thing to be sure of is the sex of the hamster

I hope that gives an idea. It may not help much ha ha. Because personalities vary. So it does help to see a hamster. With some rescues or private rehoming you may only see a photo and the owner or rescue tell you about their personality, but if you can visit first and meet the hamster it helps.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Dianns]

Hello and welcome Fire away these are all good questions! So as regards species and personality - I'll just set out below various things, but generally whatever the species, hamsters all have different personalities
...

Such a fantastic compilation of information! Exactly what I needed, thank you!

So what I've generally gathered is that certain breeds are more prone to certain behaviors, but hamsters overall will have their own unique personalities, just like any other animal. I very likely will go with a Syrian, as they seem to be the most available (and they remind me of Hamtaro ). In that case, though, It will be a while before I adopt, as I want to make sure I have the most adequate setup to meet their needs. My biggest fear is not satisfying their enrichment needs and the hamster getting mad at me I had a hamster when I was VERY young, and this was the early 2000s, so not only was my parents' setup for the poor thing greatly inadequate, I being too young did not understand animal language, so there was one time that it bit me and I felt animosity for hamsters ever since, even though it was entirely our fault. That stigma of them being aggressive and finicky stuck with me, so that's why I'm a little anxious. But as an experienced animal keeper now, I know it just takes patience and understanding to grow a bond with the animal, and I've seen so many people share videos of their lovely companians which is why I want one myself!

BUT I digress- you asked where I am specifically in the U.S and that would be southern New Jersey. Like you said, the U.S is really big so I figured finding ethical breeders or local adoption centers would be a challenge. I figured I'd very likely have to get one from a pet store, but it doesn't hurt to ask if anyone knows of local places. I've scoured Facebook for local rehoming and rescues and there's just about nil, but I'll keep looking. I've got plenty of time to do so

I'd also like to ask a few more questions:

- Do they need constant attention like dogs, or can they be left alone for a couple days, like cats?

- What activities can you do with your ham, other than cuddle and pet them?

- How difficult is it to potty train your ham?

- Lastly, can you share some personal experiences you've had with hamsters that made you fall in love with them and/or love them even more than you already did?

Again, tysm for your guidance!

 

[Socks' Mum]

Sharing a bedroom with a hamster can be tricky out you have different shifts. Socks, my Syrian, likes to be up by 3am, Mom not so much. He loves out of cage time so I have to get out of bed at really weird times to let him have playpen times. He's quite old now, so I'm not going to try to retrain him. He is very friendly and kind hearted, sweet little fellow. He loves it when I watch him running on his wheel. He likes being fed pecan nuts. When he gets impatient, he can jump straight up into the air. They become nicer and nicer as they age.

 

[Maz]

Yes they can get "cage aggression" if they're in a very small cage and it's a symptom of stress. Many of us got things wrong with a first hamster So don't worry. I'm really sorry your first experience left you feeling like that but others have found that having a good later experience really changes that early trauma feeling and gets rid of it

- Do they need constant attention like dogs, or can they be left alone for a couple days, like cats?

Generally the latter, like cats - unless you have a particularly maverick hamster who wants to come out every night. They can easily be "trained" into a routine and will often get up/come out at feeding time. Some will show signs of wanting to come out then and others won't. How a cage is set up makes a difference too. Some people with very large cages and a lot of enrichment don't actually get the hamster out - they have sufficient in their environment, and while that might be ok for their welfare, it's a shame not to develop a relationship or bond. You can have a bit of a one while they're in their cage or enclosure, but hamsters don't really like a hand or intrusion in their cage or enclosure. They quickly become territorial about their environment and behave completely differently out of the cage! That doesn't mean they would be aggressive or bite at all - with a hand in the cage, it means they may have a hissy fit or nervously follow your hand around to see what you're doing. When I say a hissy fit, you'll know that when you see it - after an intrusion they may tip something up, have a little stamp or give you a look One thing people sometimes don't realise is that hamsters can be very communicative! And observing them is part of that and you get to read their behaviours - sometimes - not always. They can also be very intelligent and quite sneaky/funny Which is why they are adorable. I had one who tricked me into thinking I had forgotten to put his veg out - twice. I thought I'd done it then I saw him looking at his empty plate and then giving me doggy eyed guilt-tripping looks and thought - maybe I'm thinking of yesterday, so I put the veg out. 10 minutes later he did it again! I thought no way mate - I know I put that veg out!

- What activities can you do with your ham, other than cuddle and pet them?

Activities is a difficult one to answer really. They have basic hard wired instincts - to groom, forage, roam and hoard - whether in the cage or out of it. So activities generally are in a playpen area (or maybe free roaming in a room once the hamster is hand tame). You can actually sit in a playpen with them and they can climb on you or interact with you.

So there aren't actually activities, but to give you and example. One of my Syrians now free roams in the living room, which I made hamsterproof. Just for half an hour to an hour usually. Before I let him do that I ensured he was "trained" to always walk into a tube if it was offered so I could get him back easily. It is great fun to watch and they get excited and look happy and do interesting things. At various times I offer him his tube and have him on the sofa for a while and he sits for a stroke. My other Syrian just has playpen time (he's younger, but he behaves a bit like a dog - if something is dangling in the playpen (eg my dressing gown belt once) he likes to have a tug of war with it He's very funny. He also has a bit of sofa time sometimes and will sit for a stroke but is a bit faster than the other one and doesn't like to sit for long - but he likes climbing the back of the sofa and that's fun to watch.

Depending on how much time and input you can have, some people have trained hamsters to do tricks, a bit like rats.

They are a prey species however, so building trust is needed so they feel safe and secure and their instinct is to always have something to dive under (despite their being no birds of prey in a house). But when more confident they don't bother.

Having conversations - I swear they listen and understand sometimes! They are quite sensitive little creatures. Some people say they pick up on your feelings and know if you're sad or need comfort. They certainly pick up on mood and tone of voice - if you're really stressed then they pick that up and may be a bit stressed yourself. They respond to kindness and love as well. In some ways I think they behave a bit like dogs.

- How difficult is it to potty train your ham?

It's not difficult but it depends on various things. In the wild hamsters have a burrow with different "rooms" with tunnels between them - they will sleep/nest in one, hoard in another and use another as a toilet chamber. If a hamster is in a very basic cage without much bedding they will usually choose a corner of the cage as a toilet area. They seem to go for "corners". Which is why some multiroom houses have corner toilets to fit in them.

In the past, all my hamsters have instinctively used a potty/litter tray inside a muliroom house or very large dark house, if it's in a corner - they seem to like having an ensuite toilet so they can do everything in the dark in privacy - sleeping, eating, hoarding and toiletting. They come out for foraging, wheeling and just generally having fun. A multiroom house mimics a burrow in the wild with different rooms for different things.

But - this was in the days when we thought 6" of bedding was sufficient (it is the minimum needed). These days people often use very deep bedding which allows for other natural instincts like tunneling and having an underground burrow and often then, the toilet area will be underground somewhere as well - and can take a bit of finding. It's just a case of spot cleaning the pee first. Some will also use their sand baths as a toilet but my view is hamsters are generally a bit lazy about travelling to use a toilet! I suppose like we like a toilet nearby if we get out of bed.

So some can depend on your cage set up. With deep bedding, the hamster might use a large house as a "porch" an entrance and exit to their underground burrow. So with very deep bedding, they may not use a litter tray - on the other hand - with very deep bedding the pee gets soaked up and dries out often and although it can be a bit difficult to find to spot clean, you usually work it out eventually!

Most hamsters will not pee in their sleeping area and keep that clean and dry - some baby hamsters will until they've developed better habits. If their nesting area has had to be cleaned out that alarms them (they are very precious about their nest or sleeping area and their hoards), so quickly learn to pee somewhere else - usually! There are always exceptions.

One of mine is very tidy and organised - the other one is messy!

- Lastly, can you share some personal experiences you've had with hamsters that made you fall in love with them and/or love them even more than you already did?

Again maybe not an easy one to answer but we can all answer this one! With varying experiences. Here are some of mine,

My "first" hamster wasn't actually mine but I still fell in love with him. He came with a boyfriend when we moved in together. It was a very long time ago and he didn't have a suitable cage, but he did free roam. He wasn't even tame and couldn't be picked up - but he used to follow me round! Which is how I fell in love with him - plus he was funny and quirky.

Our "first" actual hamster was my stepson's when he was younger. Again he didn't have a suitable cage. It was a 3 tier rotostak thing - I knew nothing about hamster care at that time and just assumed it would be ok because the earlier hamster had had one.

So we quickly realised it wasn't ok. He was quite big. I actually asked the pet store if he was definitely a hamster! We used to joke that his Father must have been a guinea pig. I did all the wrong things! Picked him up via taxi using the bottom part of the rotostak as a carrier, which had a wheel attached inside (a wheel that was far too small) and he ran in the wheel all the way back in the taxi, which made me and the taxi driver laugh.

Anyway this awful cage had vertical tubes between the levels which were a bit narrower than the awful external tubes. And we didn't realise he would grow bigger. He nested in the bottom larger part but if I put my hand in it he would run at my hand and scare me. He actually had cage rage - I could see it woiuld get condensation inside - not enough ventilation. He then started to look depressed and lethargic and I had concerns. He eventually worked out the vertical tubes and would go to the second level (which had a narrow row of bars at the top) and hang from the bars madly chewing them. It was very clear he wanted to get out - it had a cap opening so we'd take that off and let him hop into a hamster ball (also bad for them!). So he wanted to come out a lot.

This was all within the space of the first two weeks and one day he got stuck in one of the vertical tubes. He looked scared - his head sticking out the top, I was scared - assumed if sold for hamsters it was safe (many things sold for hamsters are not safe and there's no legislation), he did eventually manage to wriggle himself out of it. But we then put all three tiers at floor level, removed the vertical tubes and left the external tubes connecting the levels. While I madly googled to find out more about hamster cages.

At the time the "minimum" was an 80cm by 50cm cage, so I ordered one that night (ouch - it was expensive and had just spent a lot on silly tubes and levels for the rotostak). It was here the next day.

So at this stage, stepson was only 6 so it was my responsibility - as it is with children, and I had various of moments of thinking - this is hassle and an extra chore on top of everything else. One night he escaped the ball by bashing into something and knocking the lid off (common) and casually walked off behind the fridge. Major panic - he wouldn't come out - we ended up having to remove a worktop to try and carefully get the fridge out and while doing that he casually walked out again and started to go across the room. So I was on my hands and knees trying to pick him up. Stressful! Didn't happen again though - we did bathtub taming mainly.

When the new cage arrived I put bedding in it, had a nice new big wheel, a shelf with a little plastic pod house (the one from the Hamster heaven) and a little wooden house with a flat top and a kind of hanging ladder thing (that was dangerous).

And I got him out and put him in the new cage that night as a sort of cleaning job before bed.

Well that was major. He sat there absolutely terrified and shook - and this went on for the next few nights and even my partner was really worried about him - we thought he might die of fright. Partner suggested putting a blanket on top of the cage. That didn't help. He sat on the platform and shook. This went on for about a week and suddenly it was the major focus of our lives and we were all upset and worried about him.

And I think that was the point I fell in love with him. I suddenly realised this wasn't an extra chore, this was a vulnerable little thing that needed love and care and relied on us getting things right totally. The sitting and shaking went on for 10 days and we didn't know what to do. Partner said maybe we should put him back in the old cage - we couldn't - he'd got bigger again and the tubes weren't safe.

Then suddenly on day 10 he was happy. He was jumping in and out of his wheel - running fast and jumping out and flumping on the bedding and having fun and almost smiling. And we all loved him and were relieved he was happy.

He made a cosy nest in the tiny little plastic pod house (but the top kept popping off). He thought the food bowl in the corner was a toilet so kept weeing in it - because it was in a corner, and the wee would run down the shelf. So I had to put the toilet on top of the inset food bowl and give him a different food bowl. Every day I'd come down and the toilet had been moved down the shelf and the little inset food bowl flipped out. I'd put it back again and find the same thing every day. It was a game!

I saw him on the hanging ladder one day and he jumped off and caught his leg, narrowly missing getting his leg caught in one of the hanging chains. Realised that wasn't safe and removed that. At that time it was very common for hamsters to end up with broken legs due to unsafe hanging toys.

He flourished in his new cage, I made various changes based on his behaviour and needs. The pod house wasn't workjing - it got so stuffed with bedding that it kept popping off the shelf and ending up on the substrate and he'd get very upset and anxious as if someone else had done it. So I had the idea to replace the shelf with a large, flat topped guinea pig house, which doubled up as a shelf and also made a bigger house underneath - because he completely ignored the little wooden house. He moved straight into that and built a huge nest at one end. It was so big I thought I'd try putting his toilet inside in one corner and he started using it. Life became easier. He was a bit shy about coming out but would walk into a tube and had sofa time. He was a big gentle, rather nervous, giant. Depending on the time of evening he would sometimes go to sleep on my knee under a blanket. He loved having his ears stroked and would often sit between us on the sofa

We had various obstacle courses set up for playtime with childrens toys (which need checking for safety). And the love grew - he was my baby! And he was also very much a family pet. He reacted with happiness if he heard stepson's child voice and seemed to know he was a child and was very tolerant. He wasn't so keen on men but eventually accepted sitting on my partner.

He had his own fleece blanket on the sofa which he loved - and that became the hamster blanket - all the hamsters have had that. And he had his donut bed (only out of the cage - not in the cage as fabric can be chewed). I realised quite quickly that there wasn't quite enough space in the cage for a large hamster and larger items and still have space for him to do anything in the cage, so after a months he was upgraded to a 100cm x 50cm Barney cage and a bigger multiroom house. Only this time I had read up a lot and was very careful with the transition and it went very well. He had an adjustment day to play in it first and moved all his old bedding across at moving time. Unlike that first, awful cold turkey sudden big change.

I've been keeping hamsters ever since (Even after the boy lost interest and grew up).

You just need to keep talking to them - they get to know you and trust you and watch and listen - behaviour can sometimes be to alert you to something.

So this was our first hamster - beloved Charlie

 

[Socks' Mum]

Aw, Charlie was amazing. And a very lucky hamster to have such a great home ❤

 

[Dianns]

Having conversations - I swear they listen and understand sometimes! They are quite sensitive little creatures. Some people say they pick up on your feelings and know if you're sad or need comfort. They certainly pick up on mood and tone of voice - if you're really stressed then they pick that up and may be a bit stressed yourself. They respond to kindness and love as well. In some ways I think they behave a bit like dogs.

So cute! I didn't know this about hamsters. I know rodents are very intelligent but I'd not have thought of hamsters being able to socialize with people. That makes me all the more interested and confident!

Thank you for sharing your story! I suppose we all have humble beginnings. We can only be good at animal care when we mess up and learn how to make it right. Charlie was a cutie! Those are great photos.

It'll be a while before I get a hamster, so all of this information really helps me prepare. I'll be lurking through the forum just reading new posts and such to absorb more info and to live vicariously through you all with your hamsters lol. You'll hear from me again when I start to work on making an enclosure because I'll definitely need feedback

You guys are so sweet. Thank you again!

 

[Maz]

You're welcome Are you waiting for funds, space, or something else?

 

[Maz]

- Lastly, can you share some personal experiences you've had with hamsters that made you fall in love with them and/or love them even more than you already did?

I'm sure others can answer this too - when did you fall in love with your hamster?

 

[Dianns]

You're welcome Are you waiting for funds, space, or something else?

Mainly space. I live with my mother and even though I pay my share, she owns the house so all I get is my itty bitty room lool. I've already got a bearded dragon, a collection of cockroaches and a puppy, so I don't need any new pets right now haha. I'm gonna give it time. My mother and I both plan on moving out of our rancher and getting our own modular homes some time mid or late next year. Once I'm settled into my own home, that's when I'll start planning to invite a new member to my family. Until then, I'll have to wait excitedly.

 

[Maz]

Well we have a section for "other pets" as well - so feel free to post on there about your bearded dragon and cockroaches and puppy!

Your other pets

A place to chat about your other pets

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[Dianns]

Alright, I saw this hammy on instagram and fell in love because it's so chunky. But, is it chunky because it's overfed, or is it the species? The poster states it's "silver dove tortoise shell long hair" .... which sounds like a fancy title for a hybrid. Any ideas what kind of ham this is?

 

[Maz]

I had a look on Instagram, and she seems to be from Poppy Bee Hamstery - who is listed with the California Hamster Association as an ethical breeder. This hamster recently had a litter of babies (they were mentioned 19 weeks ago so she's probably not feeding them any more). And she is a "retiree female". So she is a female hamster who has been bred by a hamstery. Some female Syrians are very large - and pedigree Syrians are often larger, so no I don't think she's overweight and it's just a nickname for a larger hamster. You might want to see if any of the babies are still available, but according to the website it seems they don't. I would check her age.

California Hamster Association

Promoting excellence in hamster care and keeping

californiahamsterassociation.com

Poppy Bee Hamstery

Ethical Syrian Hamstery in Clifton, VA

poppybeehamstery.com

 

[Dianns]

Ahhh I see. Thanks for the clarification!

 

[Maz]

It's ok She still needs a good home - and ethical breeders usually only let them have one or two litters, as opposed to backstreet breeders who breed them constantly which can be detrimental for the hamster. But it's good to be aware and check how old she is

 

[Maz]

Is this in your area? If so you could maybe contact them and find out which hamsters are available?

 

[Maz]

Also to answer the question She isn't a hybrid - it's only dwarf hamsters that are hybrids. Silver dove and tortoishell are Syrian colourings, so she is a mix of both colours, via breeding. Official breeders know all the genetic ancenstry and breed certain colours of hamster to achieve certain colours (as well as other aspects like temperament and health). So it's becuase she's a pedigree that they know what her colouring is, and she's a long haired Syrian.

There are many many colours of Syrians and some colours should never be bred together, to avoid genetic abnormalities - which is why it needs experience and history/ancenstry. In terms of fur type, Syrians can be either long haired, short haired or satin. Satin is like short hair but looks particularly shiny
Most pet shop hamsers are a bit Heinz 57 and their ancestry not known, which is one reason why they should never be bred from. They may look cream or chocolate, but they can have recessive colours in their genes as well.

In addition to the colourways, there are also patterns - hamsters can be self coloured or banded - banded is a white stripe round the middle. The genetics are really quite complicated, but some NHC breeders know that a litter will be all cinnamon or half cinnamon and cream, depending on the genetics of the parents. There are also eye colours with some colours as well. You can get black eyed cream hamsters and red eyed cream hamsters, depending on the ancestry.

A true "golden" hamster has a distinctive pattern and colourway - the original golden hamster colouring. Other colours are natural mutations over the decades.

Even golden hamsters can vary in depth of colour though. Tino is a pedigree golden hamster but he is particularly dark coloured for a golden, and one of his parents was dark grey - so he will have genes for at least golden and dark grey (depending on the ancestry of grandparents).

Golden hamsters have the distinctive cheek flashes (dark bits) and a white belly. Cream hamsters are self coloured and the same colour all over.




Newt was a pedigree black eyed cream hamster (cream can be a misnoma as they can turn quite orangey coloured).



Pickle was a Cinnamon hamster



Charlie was a pet shop hamster of unknown genetic origin. He had aspects of golden, but the brown was lighter and he was banded.



Raffy was a rescue of unknown genetic origin - probably from a pet shop originally. He was a sort of cream colour but paler so not an actual "cream" and probably a Heinz 57 mix of colours. He had a very small band.



Moo was also a rescue and probably from a pet shop originally and was a black hamster with a white band. Also a Heinz 57



Higgins is a pedigree colour "Yellow" but looks similar to cream, golden and Cinammon - however it is different and ear colour makes a difference to coat colours as well. Yellow hamsters have grey ears and are much lighter than golden hamsters, although they have markings like golden hamsters, whereas cinnamon and cream hamsters are self coloured. Yellow is a sex-linked gene. Male hamsters only have one X gene (females are XX males are XY) so unless the X gene in the male is yellow, the babies won't be yellow. It's much more complicated than that!




The Hamster you linked is a mix of Silver Dove (not very common) and tortoiseshell. Hence the babies were various different colours from the various dominant and recessive genes.

Other species also have different colourings. Roborovski's are usually "normal" colour" brown patterns - but some have white faces and rarely some are all white. But there are official breeder colours and unofficial colours that just occur without intended breeding - with pet shop hamsters - where the genetics may be unknown.

Russian dwarf hamsters are a bit different there as there are different colourways for winter whites and campbells - but hybrids could be either of these or a mix of both or something else entirely. So a hybrid russian dwarf hamster may look like a winter white and even change colour in winter to all white, but still have campbells genetics. A dwarf hamster may look like a winter white but with campbells ears and eyes for example or vice versa.

There's a brief article about colours here - with links

What colour is my hamster?

Hamsters come in many different colours. Here we show the colours, patterns and types of hamster.

www.thehamsterforum.com

And species

Species of hamster - Syrian, Roborovski, Russian Dwarf, Chinese

This article has information about the different species of hamster including Syrian hamsters (the largest), Roborovski dwarf hamsters (the smallest), Russian campbells dwarf hamsters, Russian Winter White dwarf hamsters, Hybrid Dwarf hamsters...

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[Dianns]

Ahhh gotcha. In the reptile community we call different colorations/patterns 'morphs'. I get it now.

There are many many colours of Syrians and some colours should never be bred together, to avoid genetic abnormalities

Same for reptile breeding. Unethical breeders love producing scaleless ball pythons that ALWAYS have neurological disabilities. So not only are they stripping away the snake's protection, they're destroying its quality of life.