The Roborovski dwarf hamster is the smallest hamster in the world, maxing out at just under 3 inches long. This isn’t the only thing that makes “Robos” unique. They have the longest lifespan of any other pet hamster, up to 3-1/2 years. I also find their white eyebrows to be extremely endearing.
I started my own Robo family in 2007 with a pair named Reepicheep and Ratatouille. I read that Robos enjoy each other’s company and do well in groups, so I decided to breed them. When they were old enough, they had 2 litters of 4 babies each. They got along well, with a noisy little scuffle every now and then, until the first litter of babies was almost a year old.
They started fighting constantly, even causing some serious wounds. Before I knew it, I had hamsters in seven different Crittertrails and an aquarium. I was baffled by my hamster family’s fighting, so I decided to talk to other Robo owners and found that many were having similar aggression issues. Luckily, all my co-workers love animals; it wasn’t hard to find homes for my Robos. I tried in vain for months to discover who was compatible by using cage dividers, trial, and error. Ratatouille even started chasing Reepicheep and had to be separated. The females all had to be re-homed individually, because apparently, they don’t like company at all. The males were less aggressive; some paired up easily. I kept two of the brothers, Felix and Mookie, who have proven to be peaceful friends.
My Robos are very energetic and playful, running almost constantly when awake or not eating. Robos are the fastest of the pet hamsters and need a lot of room to exercise. (Notice in the photo, he’s running so fast his feet aren’t even touching!) I keep my two males in a 55 gallon aquarium with two wheels, and this seems to be enough for them. They are awake during the day more often than other hamsters, but are still mostly nocturnal. I am an extremely light sleeper, but don’t worry - the Silent Spinner wheels they have are absolutely noiseless.
I’ve never been bitten by one of my Robos, but they are super squirmy and don’t hesitate to jump out of my hand every chance they get. I am very careful and try to only handle them in their cage. They don’t seem to mind being touched and petted on the rare occasion they’re not running at full speed.
Their fur is thick and soft, and like other hamsters, they groom obsessively. If their fur starts to look oily, I let them roll around in some Critter Bath Powder. They appear to really enjoy these dust-baths, and it’s an interesting natural behavior to observe.
Robos are really different from all the other hamster species I’ve kept. Their high activity level makes them fun to watch, but difficult to handle and play with. I don’t think they’d make good pets for younger children for that reason. An older, more mature child (or adult) who would rather watch them than pick them up might be a better Robo keeper.
Roborovski hamsters have only been available to pet owners in the U.S. for a few years, so not a lot is known about them yet. If you have a Roborovski hamster, please leave a comment. I would love to hear about your experiences.
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{ 105 comments… read them below or add one }
Felicia, I’m not much of a hamster person, but he sure is cute! Regardless, interesting post that taught me a few things about this tiny animal. Thanks.
I can personally vouch for their speed.
Nine yrs ago, I had bougth my 11 yr old son a dwarf hamster which he named Lil’ Bear. Until I read more about the dwarf hamsters, I just assumed they were all as docile and friendly as my son’s little best friend, every evening he would get him out (Lil’ Bear would just calmly walk up to and in his hand with no chasing him around) and for at least an hour they had fun together. He never once ran from my son after being out of his cage, and he never gave any resistance when being put back. Being a single mom, a pet such as that seemed excellent as far as purchasing the hamster, and waiting for some good sales on the habitat’s helped immensely, and after watching my youngest daughter look on with envy, I asked if she wanted one, and I thought it would be fun to get one for myself as a way of some quality time, genuinely enjoying something together, and helping them to learn about such a tiny creature. We each had our own little habitat, so there was no worry about fighting or squabbles over food, space, etc. We decided that a couple nights a week we would let them out to play in the same area, not a habitat, but a place that was neutral territory, that they couldn’t escape, and I found that one of the small hard plastic wading pools was perfect for the bi-weekly hamster play dates. We would add tunnels and treats, small empty boxes we’d fill with safe chewable, worth digging in, materials I found at the pet store, and they each had their own little hamster ball that you can put them in, and that was a lot of fun to watch them run all over in the confines of that wading pool. But, both my hamster and my daughter’s was not nearly as docile or eager to let us pick them up, would bite us now and then, and even attempted to attack and bite the mild mannered Lil’ Bear who eventually began running the other direction if he saw them in the play area. The “hamster havoc duo” could play for a short time as long as they didn’t discover right off the bat that they were not alone, but as soon as they seen one another, it was war. It became painful on our part to get them back in their own little homes, and nearly impossible to get them out to play as time went on. Lil’ Bear never waivered in his good manners, he lived a long life as the “gentleman” that he was, and crossed the Rainbow Bridge, leaving behind a sad teenaged boy who loved his little buddy. I searched for another like him, but never found one quite like that amazingly friendly little fellow. My nest is empty of chldren now, but I must admit, LIl Bear crosses my mind often. I have two dwarf bunnies that brighten my day, along with a yellowsided conure, an Indian Ringneck Parrot, and an African Grey that talks non-stop…but whenever I go to pick up their “groceries”, I always stop for a moment , watch the little dwarf hamsters, and wonder if there is another Lil Bear amongst them, if there was, I’d have to bring him home with me ! I have to believe that Lil Bear was sent with a purpose, so he was special in such a way that I used to tell my children that he didn’t come from a breeder, but from the hands of angels. When my son just needed for something to call his own, to be alone with in his room to be able to talk to and know that his “friend” would keep all of his secrets because of a very painful divorce,, Lil Bear was there !
Joyce-that is a heartwarming story. I personally agree with you that pets are “from the hands of angels”. We just adopted our dog a few months ago, and I’ve often said there was some Divine intervention that brought him to our family. Lil Bear sounded like the perfect furry friend.
Joyce, thanks so much for telling us that story. It reminds me of an albino Campbell’s dwarf named Ruby that I had when I was little. She was given to me by a very special person in my life, my neighbor Louise. I’ll be forever grateful to her for giving Ruby to me. She even let me keep Ruby at her house for a whole summer until my parents agreed to let me keep her! Ruby was the sweetest hamster I’ve ever had, and she opened the door to my lifelong love of pets and animals that eventually led to my career in the pet industry. My life would have been totally different without Louise. It’s amazing how such a simple kindness, to a child, can have such a huge impact. I think it’s wonderful how even such a small animal like a hamster can bring people together and change lives. Louise passed away a few years ago and is still sorely missed, but I’ll always remember her and all that she did for me.
Hi, i’m 13 Years old and I have a Robo Dwarf Hamster named Knicker. I had purchased one the first day of December of 2008 and I was so happy to have my own pet. I had bought one and everything I needed for him because where I used to live, and where I live now, we weren’t supposed to have any large animals. I really don’t like fish, mice or reptiles/amphibians. So before I had bought him I had took a look at which ones I liked online and after many, I had decided it was the one for me. Now he had gotten loose four times in the first six months. Since then I haven’t had a problem. The only problem was that he was fast and could hide in the smallest areas. I love him to death and everything but he is too much work, and I’m definetly not going to give him up or give up on him. I’ve had him for a year and whenever I open the cage or try to pick him up, he runs away. He doesn’t bite, scratch, squeak or chew on the wires, but he’s very fiesty. I was wondering if there was any way after having him for one year that I can hand train him, what regular human foods can he eat, is newspaper or store brand bedding better for him and how can I gain trust and a friendship with my hamster?
Hi, Richie, sounds like you have a pet that really keeps you on your toes! My hamsters don’t escape anymore since I keep them in a 55 gallon aquarium, but I remember when I was younger, I used to lose my hamsters all the time. It might sound silly, but if we’d put the wheel out in the middle of a big room next to some food, the loose hamster would come and run in the wheel, and we’d catch it.
Robo hamsters aren’t as easy to hand train as Campbell’s Dwarf Hamsters, that’s for sure. You might never be able to safely handle your Robo outside of his cage, but you can still interact with him inside of his cage. My Mookie and Felix have been handled since they were tiny babies, but are still very skittish, so I don’t handle them outside their cage. Sounds like you are on the right track trying to train him with food. The quickest way to a hamster’s heart is definitely treats. The key is to be patient and let your hamster come to you, rather than chasing him around. Hamsters can have certain “people” foods, but you’ll want to be careful, as most are not good for them. Here’s a website with lists of good and bad foods for hamsters: http://www.hamsterific.com/hamsteruniversity/foodlist.html I’ve tried giving my Robos some people foods, berries, and insects, but they weren’t interested. I would recommend foods and treats made just for hamsters, like these ones: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/small-pet-supplies/treats-chew-treats/hamster-gerbil-treats/ps/c/6067/10376/19581 and http://www.drsfostersmith.com/small-pet-supplies/foods-diets-formulas/hamster-gerbil-food-diet-formula/ps/c/6067/10381/11254
I wouldn’t recommend newspaper as a good bedding. Any time I handle newspaper, I get ink all over me, and that wouldn’t be good for a hamster. Dwarf hamsters are notorious for having sensitivities to the oils in wood based bedding. Many Dwarf Hamster keepers use Carefresh bedding. I’ve always used Aspen pine bedding, which is great for odor control and contains less oils than other pine beddings. Some individuals can be more sensitive, though, and will need Carefresh bedding.
Good luck with your hamster; I hope you and Knicker become great friends!
Thanks so much for all the information & letters! I’m currently researching hamsters to find out which type would be best as a pet for my father who is 80 & lives alone. I had looked at Robos in Wausau but after reading your info Felicia, I think perhaps a Robo would be too fast for him. Perhaps I should look for a Campbell’s Dwarf – Ruby sounds like she was a good hamster. When I was a kid back in the 1960’s I had a regular hamster, whatever was available in those days. Hammy was peach colored & was sweetest the hamster ever! He was very gentle & smart like Joyce’s L’il Bear. My cat would sometimes crawl in & sleep with Hammy, who would crawl through his fur. Hammy would always squeek when we called his name & I could pick him up anytime without worry of being bitten. One time he escaped from his cage when we had him in the back yard. I was afraid we had seen the last of him & was really upset. That night my Mom decided to go outside in the dark & call him. He came running up to us squeeking happily & we took him inside. I was so happy!! He lived out his short life & I still think of him 40 years later. Amazing how something so small can give us such joy! I’ve had hamsters since then but have never found another hamster like Hammy. I keep looking though. I’m having a difficult time finding hand-raised hamsters in this area though. Any help would be appreciated! P.S. I bought a new CritterTrail with Aspen bedding & all the food & accessories.
I just got two new little robos yesterday afternoon. Their names are Kasey and Lacy. Lacy is the smaller one and Kasey is such a bully.! I bought these little chesse chew things for them and i was putting it in and Lacy was chewing it [i was still holding it kinda in the air] and Kasey comes running and plows right through the bottom of Lacy’s legs! They are still skittish because today will be their first whole day here but Lacy already will sometimes accept food out of my hand but Kasey….I don’t know about him…he gets so scared everytime he sees someones hand in the cage! He runs and hides in the toilet paper tube and shoves Lacy out of his way and out of the tube. I mean he dashes around frantically! Lacy is still a little skittish but is calming down. I have succesfully picked her up before but not Kasey! They don’t bite and they are constantly running on their wheel throwing each other out of it and running around the cage. They are sooo cute but Lacy does not really trust me yet and Kasey at all.!! For now im just trying to make sure they don’t get to stressed out and will keep offering them treats out of my hand until we have that down! Lacy is improving slowly but she is doing good! I’m just worried about little Kasey..): So any help with them would be great! I have them in a 20 gallon aquarium with two castle things to hide in,a waterbottle,two tubes,a food bowl,a whire mesh wheel made for dwarfs,a chew block [that they never use.!lol] and two chesse chews. I use Fresh World bedding and thats about it. I just need help earning their trust. But other than that they are soo much fun.!(:
Kasey dosen’t really hurt Lacy though, just runs her over all the time. And pushes her. They seem to have a good bond though. They sometimes eat together and they always play together and sleep together. I just need some tips on help handling them and getting them to trust me. I had origianly been looking for a campbells dwqarf. I had one named chase and he was soo much fun. Anyone could handle him and he never once got loose or ran away or bit. I used to put him on my shoulder and walk around with him and he would sit there or go behind my hair on the back of my neck and lay there. I would watch TV with him and he would fall asleep on my chest. [by the way im 13] He would do this with anyone he was so friendly and fun. My friend and I made mazes for him to run and played with him all the time.(: But when i first got him i knew little about dwarfs and i spent a lot of time researching them. On the internet i found out lots of things and one of the most important was that you could never use cedar bedding for a hamster and it was not reccommended for other pets either. Unfortunatley i had not known this and he had been staying in the bedding for 4 days already. I called and told my dad and i took it out immeditatly and replaced it for an hour with newspaper. [shreded,and just until my dad got home] and we went out and bought fresh world bedding. So we replaced everything and washed all his stuff and he seemed fine. I went to stay at my friends house that night and when i got home i found a dead hamster. I cried my eyes out that whole day and some of the next week. I missed him so much.! So thats what led me on to go adopt two robo’s because i could no longer find the campbells. But even that time i didnt adopt the robos. [this was about 4 or 5 months ago] I had my heart set on getting them and evrything i heard about how fast and how long it took them to get used to you and about rarely biting i still had my heart set on it. Well when we were waiting on a worker to come over we looked at all the rest. Which is when i saw a panda bear hamster. Everyone was telling me about them and how cute they were so i picked one and named him Bandit. He was soo jumpy but never bit. After a while he got used to everything and me and was a really good hamster! I spent a lot of time with him to. But one again i was going to the same friends house and had made sure that he had fresh water and food and he was alright. I put the lid on the aqarium he was housed in and left. When i came back home i came back to a dying hamster. :’( His face was squished down in his bedding and i started to cry. I watched him and saw the rise and fall of breath. i took him out and could feel everyone of his bones and he wouldnt move or open his eyes. I tried to get him to drink and he let out a very muffled whine. And i had to go to sleep. i had told my dad and he said he’s probably just tired. I woke up in the morning and he was dead.:’( I got ready for school and all day i thought that i could have done something. [i left out a really important part! mt cat knoked off the things that covered the wholes in the lid and she sat on top with her face pressed down and her paws through the holes and chased Bandit until he couldnt run any more and left. he couldnt even move.] I cried all day. [this was about 2 months after having him] So yesterday i got two robos as i said before Kasey and Lacy. I have researched all there is to know about them and we are buying a new cage next week. For now they are ok but im afraid tomorrow i go back to school and they will be left alone with my murderous cat on the prowl. What should i do.!!??
Dear Jean,
I used to live Wausau, too. I’ve been looking for a breeder of hand-tamed hamsters, but unfortunately never found one in the area. Like I mentioned in my post, I gave away some home-raised baby Robos that I handled from a very early age, but once they grew up, they didn’t like to be handled anymore. Maybe you’ve inspired me to get into hand-raising Campbell’s again. Now to convince my husband!
Hammy sounded like a wonderful pet. Hamsters like Hammy, Lil’ Bear, and Ruby sure are uncommon. I used to work at a pet store and always knew which individual hamsters were friendliest. When you are ready to purchase a hamster for your father, explain your situation to the worker who cares for the hamsters and ask which ones are easiest to handle. He/She should be able to recommend a nice hamster for you.
Hello, Amanda, thanks for your comments. Congratulations on your first Roborovski hamsters!
I’m so sorry to hear about Chase and Bandit. I did the same thing with Cedar bedding in my first Campbell’s cage. We all make mistakes, but that’s how we learn to become better pet parents. If I had a pet cat at my house right now, I’d probably try to keep my hamsters in my bedroom and keep the door closed when I’m not in the room. My parents have a cat that can jump without a running start onto the top of their 5 foot tall entertainment center, so keeping the hamster cage on a stand may not work unless it is extremely tall.
Sounds like Kasey and Lacy are doing pretty well right now, but keep a really close eye on them. When my Robos were young, they got along well with a small scuffle every now and then. As they got older, the fighting became more severe, especially when the genders were mixed. I noticed that they fought worst over food and wheels. Robos should have at least one wheel and one food bowl per hamster and a constant supply of food to prevent aggression. It’s good that you are getting them a bigger cage, also. Hopefully when you take those steps, Kasey and Lacy will remain friends. If you witness a serious fight or any blood or wounds on one of your hamsters, it’s best to separate them immediately. If the aggression progresses that far, it won’t be long till one of them is mortally wounded.
It’s very rare for a Robo hamster to be as handle-able as a Campbell’s or Syrian hamster. Perhaps it is because Robos have only recently been kept as pets and are not far removed from their wild cousins. I regularly handled my Mookie and Felix when they were still with their mother, but when they were old enough to run fast, I couldn’t hold them outside of the cage anymore. Now they don’t like to be picked up, but if I put some food on my hand, one may come over and sit on my hand to eat. My Robos will probably never be as tame as the Campbell’s I am used to, but I still enjoy watching them and interacting with them inside their cage. Patience is the key; the more time you spend with them, the more comfortable they will be with you.
Hi Felicia, this is such a great blog. I am busy researching which hamsters to get for my kids. I am leaning towards the robo because they don’t need as much physical attention. Both my kids are getting a ovo habitrail suite each and two will likely fit in, I just worry about the hamsters fighting down the road and having to be separated. So my question is ,” Is it mean to only buy one hamster per cage?” Will the hamster be ok by itself? Or do I have to get 2? Thanks.
Hello, Karen; you have a very pertinent question that I feel isn’t addressed enough with Roborovskis. I definitely don’t think it’s mean to keep a single Roborovski. It’s more stressful for them to fight. So many people get same-gender pairs or male/female pairs of Robos only to have them fight after reaching maturity.
A same-gender or mated pair from the same cage at the pet store or breeder usually gets along great when they are young, but when they get older, there is a risk they will fight. Robo hamster aggression can be prevented by providing each hamster its own food and water station, wheels, and a large cage (as a guideline, I keep two Robos in a 48″ long x 12″ wide aquarium). In Habitrails and Crittertrails, watch those tubes, as they can be a hamster bottleneck and a source of aggression, too.
Karen, since your children are both getting a Habitrail Ovo, maybe you could hook them together and let two hamsters interact? This may be ideal because both hamsters will have their own identical food stations and wheels. If later on they start fighting, you can always disconnect the cages. Honestly, I don’t think one Habitrail Ovo will be large enough for a pair of Robos.You will be surprised at how much energy these tiny hamsters have; they run about 20 miles a night! If they don’t have the room to burn off that energy or the cage is so small or narrow that they have to constantly bump into each other, they will probably fight. Good luck, I hope I’ve helped!
Hey! I have two Robos… the store said they were both girls but then i ikept hearing them fight. so i seperated them…. next thing ya know i see 7 (i think) little squirming hamsters. I dont know how to take care of baby hamsters… I was ready for this at *ALL*. I need your help…. tell me what i should do…. i dont know how old they are… what im supposed to give to them. and everything…..when we seperated them i put Maddy (the mom) in the smaller cage cause she was chasing and biting the other one and as a result i cant move the baby hamsters quite yet to the bigger cage. I just dont know what to do. I dont even know when i am aloud to hold them or anything.. please leave me details!!!! Thanks so much!
Kayla.
Uh oh, Kayla! Sounds like Maddy may have already been pregnant at the store, or you’ve got a male and a female. It’s pretty common for the female to become territorial and aggressive with her cagemates right before giving birth. If they are both females, you may be able to carefully reintroduce them after Maddy’s babies are weaned. Here’s a link to a site that shows how to determine the gender of your Robos: http://www.roborovski.net/info_breed_gen.html
The good news is that you don’t have to do anything to raise the babies. If Maddy is ready to be a mom, she will take care of them. In fact, it’s best that you leave Maddy and her babies alone as much as possible. Don’t even change the bedding until the babies’ eyes are open. Make sure she has clean water daily and some nutritious food that is high in protein and fat. Make sure there is no commotion or noise around Maddy’s cage right now, she needs her rest. If the cage she is in right now is too small for her to raise her babies in, you could get a larger cage and put the small cage inside it with the door open. She might use the small cage just for a nest. Once the babies’ eyes are open, you can start handling them and cleaning the cage again.
Good luck and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Hi! I’m 12 years old and I just got my hamster yesterday and I’m doing some research. I can’t seem to find any useful information on how to tame your robo hamster so you can hold it. If you know and you email me at eviloftiffey@yahoo.com? Right now I put it in an old fish tank were I used to put fish. I ordered a better cage for it (w/ a spinning wheel and petting zone :]) will it take time to get used to it like now when I just got him? BTW his name is Munkey because he jumps a lot. Wait is it true that they can jump a foot in the air??
Hello, Tiffany. Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog. Like I mentioned to Richie and Amanda above, Roborovski hamsters are a bit more “wild” than their cousins. Because they are so fast and skittish, it is rare for a Roborovski hamster to become tame enough for handling outside of the cage. Even my two Robos, who were handled regularly since they were tiny babies, are too skittish for me to handle safely outside their cage. Robos may be better suited to owners who wish to observe their playful antics than those who wish to handle them.
I’d recommend giving your new hamster at least a week to settle into his new home. Then you can start getting him used to your smell by putting some food on the palm of your flattened hand. Let him come to you, don’t chase him. The more time you spend with your hamster, the more likely he is to become tame and let you handle him without fear. It will take a lot of time and patience.
You’re right, they can jump very high, so make sure the cage lid is tight. He won’t hesitate to jump off your hand if he gets the chance, so don’t hold him more than a few inches off the cage floor. Good luck!
Well, my robo hamster has four or more babies and I don’t know what to do. The vet told me to leave her alone, but I can’t! I’m too scared that something might happen. Please tell my what to do!
Kim,
It sounds like your vet gave you some good advice. It’s always a good idea to listen to your vet. Don’t worry, your hamster knows how to take care of the babies instinctually. However, if the babies aren’t healthy to begin with, she may decide not to waste the energy caring for them. All you can do at this point is let nature take its course and do your best to ensure mom is healthy and relaxed.
In a comment above Kayla had a very similar situation to yours. If you haven’t already, I’d recommend reading her comment and our response. There’s also some good information on what to expect if your hamster has babies on this website: http://www.roborovski.net/info_breed_gest.html
We wish you good luck and Happy Holidays!
i have a robo hamster and she use to be active and now she is lazy and we dont kno how to tame her. what can we do and y is she being lazy.o 1 more thing how do u hold them
Jamien,
Roborovski hamsters sleep during most of the day, but they are usually VERY active at night. I’m not sure what you mean by lazy, but I’d recommend a trip to your veterinarian as soon as possible. A change in behavior like that could indicate illness, especially if she is being listless or seems weak. You’ll want to get this taken care of before attempting to handle her so you don’t stress her.
Richie, Amanda, and Tiffany also had questions on taming and handling their Roborovski hamsters, you may want to read over their comments above and our responses for some tips on handling yours once she has been feeling better for a while.
My hamster is named Blitzen. At night i have to put cardboard under the wheel so that the cage he is in will not sound like it is flying apart! He is so crazy! i love him so much!
Just bought a Robo for my 13 year old son yesterday. He lost his dwarf hammy yesterday due to prolapsed uterus, vet had to put her down. In any case, he was understandably upset about it and it took him a while to look at the Robo but once he did he was smitten. She is so cute, all hammies are but these are especially cute. I did not know a lot of what I have read here before I bought her, it was an emotional purchase. I have to say though, either my son is the hammy whisperer or we got a special Robo. Both is dearly departed and new hammy love to sit in his hand. She’ll sit like a statue or walk around a bit in his hand and groom herself. Only if she is touched does she jump and run like a rocket. He’ll cup her in his hands and let her run from hand to hand for about two minutes then she’ll settle down again. So yes they are skittish but I have also seen them docile. So far no nips either which is amazing. My daughter wants one now but only one hammy per kid at a time. She has a Russian White Dwarf and she is also very tame, no biting. We are lucky that we have such good hammies. They are a lot of fun to watch, everything they do is so cute and kids just love ‘em and they are easy to take care of.
LOL @ Blitzen! Thanks for sharing, Brittany
Melissa, sorry to hear about your son’s dwarf hamster. But it sounds like he got really lucky with his little Robo. It’s so nice to hear about a handleable Robo hamster; they do exist! He hasn’t had her for very long, I’m sure your “Hamster Whisperer” will be petting and holding her easily in no time. None of mine have ever bitten me, either, and I’ve heard that it is rare for Robo to bite. I’m hoping that in a few years with careful breeding, the temperament of captive U.S. Roborovski hamsters will improve. Let’s cross our fingers.
it is so hard 4 me 2 make my robo hamster to come on my hand. he always runs away
do they get along with mice?
Charlie,
I wouldn’t recommend mixing different rodent species together. It’s likely that they would fight. Even under close supervision letting them out to play together could be disastrous. A fight could break out in a flash and cause mortal wounds. Plus, you could be bitten if you tried to intervene between two scuffling animals.
I hope you read this ASAP. I have a robo hamster named Pete that I got almost 2 years ago. This morning when I went to give him more food and water he was lying down a way I haven’t seen before, and then when he tried to walk he wasn’t using his front legs, just pushing himself forward with his back legs. My mom picked him up and examined him which is strange because usually he just runs away when I try to pick him up, but he didn’t even protest when she did. Pete is very weak, he can push himself forward slowly using his back legs. He can move his front legs, but they’re extremely weak. He has poor balance, and can’t easily turn himself back over on his tummy from his side. He drank from his water bottle when my mom held it to his mouth. He’s not interested in hiding his food. He seems alert.
Do you think this is an injury? A disease? Old age? Do you have any recommendation for how to take care of him? He’s just lying in one sport of his cage now. Thanks!
Rosa,
I’m so sorry to hear that your Robo Pete isn’t well. I wish I could help, but since I’m not a veterinarian and I can’t examine the hamster myself, I’m not comfortable giving medical advice. I would take him to a vet that specializes or has experience with small animals. In the mean time, it’s going to be really important to make sure Pete is getting enough to drink. That’s good that he still seems alert and is drinking when you hold the water bottle to his mouth. I really hope there is something the vet can do for Pete. Good luck!
Yeah we took him to the vet like a few minutes i posted that. thanks anyway though!
my robo hamsters Munch, Tank and Crush all dance to the song nomnomnomnom by perry! it is so cute
Help .. my mom and brother are BOTH elergict to cats and dogs im getting a hamster and i am afraid that they will be elergict to the hamster and i would have to give her away:(
Plez Help Me
Julia, that song makes me giggle every time! thanks for sharing.
Ella,
I can’t give medical advice, but I can speak from personal experience. I’m allergic to cats, dogs, and rabbits. When I worked at a pet store years ago, I discovered that I also have a severe allergy to Guinea Pigs that makes me break out in hives. To alleviate the severity of the reaction while handling them and cleaning their cages, I wore a mask and elbow length gloves. If anything came into contact with my clothing, I changed right away. I’m not allergic to my hamsters, but the dust in pet bedding makes me sneeze, so I always wear a mask when changing my hamsters’ bedding.
Just because your mom and brother are allergic to cats and dogs does not necessarily mean they will be allergic to your hamster. Depending on how severe your family’s allergies are, they may not even experience a reaction to your hamster, especially if they don’t handle her or change her bedding. If you have any more questions about allergies, I recommend talking with your family doctor.
I recently just got my first robo hamster and he sleeps all the time is that normal I think he is only like 7 months but he is rarely awake and yes his speed is incredible I was wondering if his being asleep all the time is normal or not I’m a little worried about the little fella
I just got a robo hamster and I named her PJ. She is so cute. I was looking for some info on robo hamsters. This website was perfect for getting info. I am so happy I found her. I am a happy 9 year old now.
I have never had any experiance with Robo’s but I am looking to buy one soon. But I agree that these little fur balls can be sent from Heaven.
When I was in 4th grade being a young girl I thought the idea of having a pet to call my own was like owning Disney Land. I begged my Dad to let me buy one eventually. I remember the first day I got my little angel, As I went to the pet store a huge group of kids were surrounding this cage I fought through the crowd to see the last baby hamster there. I took him home immediantly. I remember the kid’s faces as they saw me walk out with him. In the car, I held him in my lap and reached in to touch him, he did not bite, instead he sniffed me and went back to trying to escape.
When he was home I took him into my lap, and he crawled everywhere on me but yet, never bit me. I decided to name him Pal, because that’s what he was to me. A year passed as I was in 5th grade, all the kids were mean to me and I felt terrible. The only thing that kept me going was going home to visit Pal; the greatest hamster known to man.
In 6th grade, one day I was watching a Pokemon Movie with my family. I went into my room to get something and I saw Pal frozen by his waterbottle, his eyes wide and his paw hanging. He was dead. I still never forget his death look. I cried as I never did before, me being young I wanted the pain to go away so I bought another hamster that same day. It might have sounded crazy but it helped me get over him. The new hamster is Mannie, he is far different from Pal. I still look at him and I can see Pal still crawling over my arms being the best friend he was.
Animals touch us more than we think, even a tiny hamster can improve a child’s life. I love those little guys and hope to see a new Robo Hamster soon, possibly he or she will be like Pal.
this is what the kids got
Dear Laurel,
Thank you so much for sharing your story. It literally brought tears to my eyes, because I remember being a sensitive, unique kid in 4th grade that other kids were quick to label as “weird.” I also had a hamster
It took me two times reading your comment to realize you aren’t yet an adult; you are so eloquent. So hang in there! With your obvious intelligence, understanding, and empathy for animals, I think you will go far in life. You’ll find as your peers grow up, they will begin to really value your uniqueness as being what makes you extraordinary.
Thanks again for sharing, I hope some reluctant parent of a kid in need of a hamster stops to read your comment
my dwarf hamster is named aspen and he is the cutest littel boy but he hates being held and touch he comes up 2 the cage and then you want to touch him but he bites you and runs to the top of the cage so it is a hassle to put him in his hamster ball he also climbs up the cage wall it is so cute and funny looking but he is so cute he is about a year old i heard that is pretty old for a hamster because they only live for 2 years
awww thats a cute story!! When I was about 3 I had a hamster named Mr.Jingles but my hamster was actually a girl. We used to play all the time but then one day I was at school and when I came home my brother said she died. After that I never got a hamster again. But now my grandma is going to get me 2 hamster this weekend .
I just bought a “Robo” Hamster today, he seems a bit scared at the moment, but he is very active. I observe him in his wheel just about every 5 minutes. Just thought I would leave this little comment
Hey i am 13 and i might get a robo but is there like any basics i need to know and anything to watch out for because i just had a gerbil that died on x mas and i don’t want make my robo fell lonely or anything and i am thinking of getting 2 females and i might get them at pet smart… would they react fine if i get too at an early age?
Please comment me back as soon as you can
Hi, Jessie, sorry to hear about your gerbil. It’s OK to have just one Robo hamster, but if you’d like to have two, it’s best to get two from the same litter that have grown up together. Good luck!
I just recieved my Robo hamster Monday as a gift from my mom, because our dog killed my Black Bear hamster. I’ve named him Destery, and he is so cute. He can’t keep still for more than a minute, unless he is sleeping. When he sleeps he likes to burrow himself under the hay. He is very fast and is always jumping. his critter carrier has 3 floors to it and he clibs to the 2nd one and when I open the door he jumps out, so I have to keep an eye out for him. Also because he is such a fast runner, when he is on his wheel he goes so fast that the wheel will spin him all the way around; but it doesn’t seem to bother him. I’m also worried he’s not drinking enough, because Ezra, my last hamster was a much bigger hamster than Destery, and his mouth is much smaller, so when I come home and check on him the ball on the water despenser, is pushed all the way to the back, and no water is able to come out. Does that mean I need to buy him a new water despenser? I also want more hamsters, but you stated that yours started fighting and Ezra was fine being alone, but will Destery become depressed being alone in such a big home?
Mine sadly died after 2 days of being owned because i was not aware that they are very sensitive to heat; They can’t be exposed to to much heat even though they originated form deserts . I really miss and that is my experience .
ive got my own robo hamster named digger. because these guys are always digging and burrowing. i also enjoy having him stuff a ton of food in his mouth, go in his little trenches and come back out cheeks empty. i then dont have to feed them every day because they just eat a little. is there also any reason why he is hyperactive. he’s like a solar powered race car. any ideas?
i have had several hamsters over the years and i was looking for a hamster for myself since where i live we can’t have cats or dogs and im not big on fish . so when i went to the pet store i noticed the robo hamsters they are so cute and tiny wish was perfect for me i got one the other day and ziggy is doing great i can get her to take treats from my hand and i can pet her i was thinking about getting her a playmate and was wondeing if that was a good idea cause when i got her she was in a cage by herself .