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Expert: - 8/6/2010


Question
Hi, i am trying to decide what type of hamster i should get.  We are
looking to get some kind of a dwarf and when we get that dwarf we will
have two of them.  I went to the pet store and picked up a chinease dwarf
hamster and it didn't bite and it seemed to get used to me quickly, but i
kept reading about how easily the escape and how they dont do too well
in pairs.  They also had russion dwarfs at the pet store.  We could not pick
up the russion dwarf because it would bite us.  Will the russion dwarf get
used to us and not bite us if we handle it daily?  Note: all the hamsters in
the pet store are female.  Someone i know said it was temperamentle and
if the hamster bit hen it would always bite and if it didnt bite i would stay
nice.

Answer
HI Joey,
I think that it's nice that you are putting some thought into the type of Hamster to get. All hamsters are escape artists! I don't think one breed is worse than another. And you might be right about the biters. All I know is that most of them bite!

But I am not a hamster expert. I am going to give you a link to some one in here that is. Copy and paste your question to Heather and she can help you decide.

http://www.allexperts.com/ep/2005-34607/Gerbils-Hamsters/Heather.htm

Good luck and have fun with your new hamsters!

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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