How to Adopt a Grey Dwarf Hamster

The name "hamster" comes from the German word "hamstern," meaning "to hoard," which is a fitting name for a gentle little animal that hoards its food in its cheek pockets along with stashes in its cage. Hamsters provide many hours of pleasure to their owners. Their gentle nature allows owners, even young children, to handle them. Their habits can teach children a lot about rodents, pet ownership and responsibility. Adopting a Gray Dwarf hamster, a type of hamster known as a Rat-like hamster, necessitates locating a breeder of this Cricetulus migratorius species.

Things You'll Need

  • Hamster cage
  • Water bottle
  • Wood shavings
  • Exercise wheel
  • Hamster food
  • Small cardboard box
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Instructions

    • 1

      Contact a breeder of rat-like hamsters to ascertain if he has any baby Gray Dwarf hamsters up for adoption. Locate a hamster breeder through a web search. Hamster breeders often post in classifieds or on web boards such as Craigslist when they have baby hamsters ready to adopt out. Pet stores sometimes carry them.

    • 2

      Bring the hamster cage to the breeder when picking up the Gray Dwarf hamster. The hamster needs to feel secure, so a cage full of wood shavings will give her a comfortable area. Put a small cardboard box in the corner of the cage for the hamster to snuggle in when she wants to hide or sleep. Have an exercise wheel in the cage for the hamster to exercise and a water bottle to ensure that the hamster has a steady supply of water.

    • 3

      Bring the adopted hamster home. Make sure that the cage doesn't sit near direct sunlight or drafts. Feed the hamster commercial hamster food purchased at a pet store. Add vegetables such as lettuce, raw green beans and raw carrots to the adopted hamster's diet.

    • 4

      Handle the new adopted Gray Dwarf hamster frequently and talk to it. This allows the hamster to begin to socialize with humans. If the hamster has successful initial interactions with humans, she will develop into a social and companionable pet.

    • 5

      Identify the adopted hamster's sex. Place the hamster on a piece of glass or clear plastic and look underneath at the hamster's underside. A male has large testicles and scrotal sack. Identifying a hamster's sex can only happen once the hamster has reached sexual maturity, at fourteen weeks for a male or ten weeks for a female.