Chinese hamsters are pron to diabetes. They can also get colds and other illnesses that their human owner can pass on. This means that if you are suffering from a contagious illness, you will need to avoid your hamster or wear gloves and masks and wash your hands. Do not handle your hamster, just changing the water bottle, food, etc until you are well.

Behavior

Homes And Habitats

Chinese hamsters are very long and slender. They have a long tail (for a hamster) and a dark line running down from their head to their tail (dorsal stripe). They usually have a white belly (undercolor) grey or brown on the back. They have grey ears and black eyes with a light colored tail.

Appearance

Chinese hamster, on average, live for about 2-3 years.

Health

In the wild, they sleep in there burrows and only awake for brief periods of time. They are active at dusk until early dawn. Their eyesight is very poor but they are excellent climbers and use their tails for balance.

The Chinese Hamster is a type of rodent called a hamster or the scientific name Cricetinae. The are often referred to as "Dwarf" hamsters, how this is not accurate because although they are smaller in size they are genus Cricetinae or not “Dwarf” Phodopus. They were first domesticated in 1919. They were used in laboratories and were introduced in the UK pet market.

Lifespan

The Chinese Hamsters natural habitat is a burrow. The burrows may have 1-3 entrances and are very complex. The large burrows consist of the prime living quarters as well as the nesting and food storage areas. They are very territorial and solitary but they do sometimes live in groups.

History