Roborovski
Dwarf Hamster
(Phodopus roborovski)
Interview with Ric
McCarthy
Positives of Robos
as pets?
They are cute, nice looking and interesting to watch, they donīt smell
and are not very noisy though they dig a lot.
Negatives of Robos
as pets?
They are no pets for children, because they are very fast and jumpy, they
are social and need company of their own.
Do they have scent
glands or an offensive smell?
They donīt smell if the cage is cleaned regularly and they get good food,
they might smell if they get cheep, low quality food (specially if it
contains fish).
What is their
average lifespan?
I read that it can be 3 to 3 ― years.
Do they tolerate
interaction?
Some do, some donīt. Most are content with company of their own. I have
one male, that loves to sleep on my hand after taking food out of it.
What is their
general personality, disposition, and attitude?
The perfect word to describe them is "fast". They always seem to be in
a hurry, whatever they do. They are very social and intelligent.
Are they sweet
and petable, or mischievous and playful?
They look sweet and are playful when they are young, you can try to pet
them if you find one standing or sitting.
Are they hyper,
or more sedate when being handled?
They are very hyper and therefore hard to handle.
How destructive
are they in their cage?
Not at all.
Are there any
problems associated with their claws?
No, they donīt need to be trimmed.
How messy are
their droppings?
Not at all.
Can they be litter
box trained?
No.
Can they be trained?
They can be trained to take food out of your hand and come when you talk
to them.
What size of cage
do they need?
I keep mine in plastic boxes 45 x 75 x 30 cm (the spacing of the bars
on the top is 1 cm). They should be kept in pairs, or family groups (same
sex), because they need company of their own. They need some hiding places
like houses, coconut shells, tubes....
What is the best
diet for them?
Small bird seeds, rolled oats, the smaller pieces of normal rodent food
(gerbil food), they need protein like mealworms or a small piece of egg
about once or twice a week, mine donīt like yoghurt, but some do. Mine
donīt get water, but only fresh fruit.
What vaccinations/vet
care de they require?
They donīt need vaccinations or vet care if they are healthy.
At what age would
it be best to get one?
About 8 weeks.
Are they difficult
to breed?
There might be the same problems as there are with every species, like
the mother might die wile giving birth, or the babies might die. I never
experienced a mother eating her young. The father helps raising the babies,
if there is one litter very short after the other heīll take care of the
older babies and "educate" them, so that the female can raise the new
babies. If a pair is used to each other from young age they should never
be separated, in case one dies, the other one might die of grief. It is
no problem is they were put together when they were already adults.
Other Considerations
for owners?
The need a fairly large cage considering their size and a lot of patience.
They are not like other dwarf hamsters (I have Campbell too) how want
contact to their owner, though some get calmer when they are older, but
you canīt count on that.
What kind of person
should own these animals?
They are not children's pets.
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