Dwarf Hamsters for Sale

There are three places where you’ll see dwarf hamsters for sale

• Breeders
• A pet store
• A rescue centre

Without a doubt, the best place to buy a dwarf hamster is from a breeder or hobbyist.

Buying a dwarf hamster from a breeder

Buying your new dwarf hamster from a breeder has many advantages because someone who breeds will generally do so because they have a keen interest in the animals in their care.

That means that in most cases their animals will have been planned carefully to ensure that the offspring are:

• True to breed,
• Healthy
• Have a good temperament
• Robust

When you consider many breeders are also keen to show their animals – it is vital for them to ensure that the dwarf hamsters from their litters are as perfect as they can be.

Of course they will keep the best out of the litter. Yet the difference between the best and the rest will be virtually indistinguishable to anyone but the breeders themselves – meaning you will get a top class dwarf hamster.

Serious breeders will be so sure of the animals they produce that they will offer to take back a dwarf hamster that turns out to be unsuitable.

Keen owners who have taken up breeding will be a good second place to get a dwarf from.

Usually, these are the results of planned mating, but not always. Even so, pups from owners who keep their dwarf as pets will be used to being handled and have been well cared for in most cases and so will make ideal pets.

Another advantage of buying from a breeder is that you can see your new dwarf hamster from an early age, while it’s still in the nest as it were. You’ll also see the temperament of the parents (a good indication of the temperament of the offspring) and you’ll know the exact date of birth which can be very useful for many things.

The thing is, when you’re starting out you probably won’t know these type of people, which means that the first place many people get their first dwarf hamster from will often be a pet shop.

Buying a dwarf hamster from a pet shop

Pet shops get their animals from two main sources:

- Commercial breeders supplying large numbers for the pet market

- Local pet owners who have been had unplanned pregnancies

Buying an animal from a pet shop (not just dwarf hamsters) means that you have no idea what type of temperament the animal has or have access to even the basic information such as date of birth and more.

Frankly, there is no joy in buying an animal like this as it’s difficult to tell if they are healthy or ailing in some way. If you do, you risk having to deal with the problems that become apparent later and then pay for the privilege of getting those sorted out – if possible – or suffering the heartache of an early death if not.

So really, buying a dwarf hamster from a pet shop should be a last resort

Buying a dwarf hamster from a Rescue Home

An alternative to buying from a pet shop is to get your dwarf from a rescue centre.

These animals have come in from people who are no longer able to keep their dwarfs or have been found abandoned or have been rescued for whatever reason.

The advantage here is that most rescue centres check the health of any animal when they come into the centre and will have carried out any treatments needed before they are put up for re-homing. So you can be fairly sure any animal you get from them will be healthy.

The only down side is that you won’t know anything of the background or age. But at least that is one step up than buying from a pet shop

But do bear in mind that the rescue centres don’t want to be seeing the same animals coming back into their care for a second time, so to ensure that the animals they have rescued get the best second chance they can have, they may require you to be vetted.

Depending on the individual centre this can mean you’ll need to go through one of a number of:

• Completion forms and questionnaires
• Interviews
• Home visits
• Other assessments.

All of these are designed to make sure that the dwarf hamster they have rescued gets to go home with the most suitable owner.

Bottom line – Buying a dwarf hamster

So if you really want to buy a dwarf hamster then the places to buy one from – in order of preference are

• Someone who breeds dwarf hamsters for shows
• Keen dwarf hamsters owners who have had litters
• Rescue centres for dwarf hamsters
• Pet shops