The smallest and fastest of any hamster, the Rob or Robo is about the size of a bean when born and when fully grown is no bigger than an adult's thumb, or 2 to 3 inches. Gently rest your hand, palm up, with the treat in your fingers.
Dwarf Roborovski hamsters are curious beings that don't like to be held. They are content to socialize with their own kind while you watch from outside their home.
Establishing Your Robos' Home
While wire cages make cleanup easier, it's 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-24 inches by 12 inches and at least 12 ins high for two- and add 12 by 6 inches for each addition. Cover your hamsters' home with mesh to allow air circulation and to prevent foreign objects from accidentally falling into the cage.
Cover the bottom of the cage with at least 1/4 inches of shavings, which allows your pets to burrow. Avoid cedar or pine wood shavings, which can endanger your pet. Roborovski dwarf hamsters love activity and toys, so don't skimp on wheels, toilet-paper tubes, and other toys.1 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 foods or toys where one of your dogs can corner another.
Feed a good quality hamster food supplemented with small amounts of fresh foods to keep up good health.
Behavior and Temperament of Roborovski Hamsters
Roborovski hamsters are nocturnal so they usually wake at dusk and are active on night. They are generally gentle and rarely nip but they are very fast and agile which makes handling them difficult. It is advisable to handle them in an are usuallya where they will be easy to catch if they get away (over a large box, for example). While your hamster is happiest if you just drop in the treats with food, it can be trained to take treats from your hand. These shy little creatures originated in the deserts of Mongolia, China, and Russia. Natural curiosity will do the rest.
Establishing Your Robos' Home
While wire cages make cleanup easier, it's difficult to find a big enough wire cage that can keep your Roborovskis contained but with enough space to let them run and play. So opt for a large glass or plastic aquarium-24 inches by 12 inches and at the very least 12 in . high for two- and add 12 by 6 inches for each includeition. Cover your hamsters' home with mesh to allow air circulation also to prevent foreign objects from accidentally falling in to the cage.
Cover the bottom of the cage with at least 1/4 inches of shavings, which allows your pets to burrow. Avoid cedar or pine wood shavings, that may endanger your pet. Roborovski dwarf hamsters love activity and toys, so don't skimp on wheels, toilet-paper tubes, and other toys.1 It's best to provide each Robo using its own toys, so if you buy for one, purchase 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 among your family pets can corner another.
Feed a good quality hamster food supplemented with smaller amounts of fresh foods to keep good health.
Behavior and Temperament of Roborovski Hamsters
Roborovski hamsters are nocturnal so that they usually wake at dusk and are active at night. They're generally gentle and rarely nip but they are very fast and agile making handling them difficult. It is advisable to handle them in an area where they'll be easy to catch if they get away (over a large box, for example). While your hamster is happiest in the event that you just drop in the treats with food, it could be trained to take treats from your own hand. Gently rest your hand, palm up, with the treat in your fingers. Natural curiosity can do the rest.