Roborovski Hamster Care Guide

Whether this is your first Roboroviski dwarf hamster or you haven't had one in a while it is always good to update your knowledge when caring for Roborovski's or in that case any species of hamster.

Before you get your Robo you are going to want to buy all the necessary equipment you are going to need for you hamsters cage.

Here are some of the things you will need.

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1. A suitable cage meeting the 450SQ Inch of the US or the 620SQ in the UK however bigger is always better. You can buy a cage or you can DIY one, bin cages are quite popular and are relativity easy to build i have a video on this.

2. A 6.5 to 10" wheel Roborovski's are one of the smallest dwarf hamsters and don't need as big a wheel as a Syrian hamster would. I tend to always just buy an 8" wheel this way my dwarf hamsters of the future can use them and young Syrian's can usually use them to start off with also. This means you wont have to upgrade your wheel helping you keep costs down.

3. A food bowl unless you decide you would like to scatter feed your hamster.

4. A water bottle or a water bowl which ever you decide water bottles are a little more traditional though. just remember to clean your water daily and to clean your bottles properly to avoid limescale.

5. Robos are really quite active hamsters and spend a lot of time running around and playing in there cage they can run on there wheel for ever but they do need other activities to keep them occupied other wise they will get board.

6. this is optional but Robo's tend to get greasy fur quite fast so a sand bath may be necessary just to give them that little extra help cleaning themselves also they love to roll around in the sand, Another thing to keep them occupied.

Roborovski Hamsters Characteristics

Roborovski hamsters are social and can be kept in same-sex pairs or groups but they do fine on there own also. It's best to establish the grouping or pairs when the hamsters are young. Never introduce a new Robo to an established group. Newcomers may not live long if you do. the typical lifespan for a Roborovski hamster is around 2 and a half to 3 years old. Roborovski's have two main coat types Agouti and White Face although they can come in many other colors and coat patterns due to breeding. Take my Robo Snowball who is a Pure White Roborovski this is one of the rarer coat types to come across.

Roborovski Hamsters Behaviour

Roborovski hamsters are crepuscular so they often wake at the twilight hours of the day and night. They are generally gentle and rarely nip but they are very very fast and agile which makes handling them difficult. It is advisable to handle them in an area where they will be easy to catch if they get away (over a large box, for example).

Roborovski Hamsters Home

While wire cages make cleanup easier it is difficult to find a large enough wire cage that can keep your Roborovskis contained but with enough room to let them run and play. So opt for a large glass or plastic aquarium that reaches at least the recommended minimum cage sizes mentioned before. Cover the bottom of the cage with at least 6-12 inches of substrate which allows your Robo to burrow. Avoid cedar or pine wood shavings these can be harmful to your hamsters respiratory system and can even be toxic. Roborovski dwarf hamsters love activity and toys so don't be shy with toilet-paper tubes and other toys. It's best to provide each Robo with its own toys, so if you buy for one, buy for them all. That goes for food and water bottles as well. As a rule of thumb, don't put the food or toys where one of your pets can corner another.Feed a good quality hamster food supplemented with small amounts of fresh foods to maintain good health.