Questions about frightened hamsters, social behaviors and cage size.

Question
Hello Tammy,

I have had my Robo Dwarf for about 6 days now. I have had 2 Syrian hamsters before this, so I am used to dealing with these types of pets. But my Robo, Willy, seems to be much more frightened then the others have been. Even though I move slowly, talk soothingly, and make no sudden noises, he dashes to his hiding place (under the wheel) as soon as I open the cage. However, as soon as I manage to get him out, he is active, but not really scared. Is this because he is too scared to move or is he really calmer when he's in my hands? Is his way of trying to escape from me when I try to pick him up just an impulse or is it bad for them to be scared like that? Will he calm down eventually?

Another question I had was about having 2 of them in one cage. I have read on two different places on the internet (including this site) that it is good to have 2 dwarves (especially Robos) in one cage. I went to the pet store with full intentions of getting two, but as it turns out, the lady there strongly recommended me *not* do it. She said that they fight all the time, and that 9 times out of 10 it's the Robo's that fight. Which answer is correct?

The last question I had was about cage size. I have a two-story cage that, when put together, has a lot of room. However, the lower story, the area that has bedding in it, is rather small and cluttered with his igloo, wheel, one of his toys, and his food and water. Also, the top story is all wire so he has a hard time walking easily on it. In other words, the total living space is almost unlimited, but the the area where he hangs out most of the time is rather small. Is this a problem?

Thank you *so* much for your help!

--Samuel

Answer
Hi Samuel,

Roborovski hamsters are the smallest and fastest species of hamster and this sometimes makes them difficult to tame.  Roborovskis can get tame but they dont usually get as tame as Syrians, and sometimes people prefer to have them as pets to look at and watch rather than to pick up and hold.  Most Roborovskis are difficult to catch but once they have been caught they are usually content to sit and be held or walk over your hands.

If your Roborovski sits on your hand then this does not mean he is scared, it just means that he feels safe with you - it also means he is quite tame, so dont expect him to get much tamer because he is already quite tame for a Roborovski.

Roborovskis are very social hamsters and should be kept in pairs or small groups, but sometimes these pairs or groups do not get on and so end up having to be split up.  Roborovskis can be kept on their own and are usually very happy that way too.

Your hamster has been kept on his own for nearly two weeks now so it will be very difficult to introduce him to another hamster and he probably would not be very happy to have another hamster intruding on his territory!!  So please keep him on his own and give him plenty of love and attention.

because Roborovski hamsters are so small they do not get on very well with bars in cages and it usually hurts their feet when they walk on the bars, so it is best not to keep them in cages with bars - they can also get between most bars unless they are very small gaps!!

Roborovskis love to run around and need alot of space to live in.  The best cage to keep Roborovskis in is either a large glass tank or a plastic cage such as a rody or a gabber - so it is best to get him a new cage which is better for him.

Please let me know if you need any more information.

Kind Regards,

Tammy