Which Hamster Is the Smallest? The Roborovski

1 The Smallest Hamster

The Roborovski hamster is the smallest hamster breed, only 4 to 5 cm long with very short limbs and tail. Its small size and white whiskers and eyebrows make it look like an old man, which is why it is also called the ‘little old man’ hamster.

2 Housing and Environment

Because it is so small, a fine-mesh acrylic cage works well. It is cold-sensitive rather than heat-sensitive; keep its environment at 20 to 28 C, away from direct sun and drafts, and in summer avoid air conditioning since it is very temperature-sensitive and sudden changes cause distress. In cold winters add more wood shavings or cotton nesting material and place the cage in a box, and always keep the area quiet, away from TV, speakers, and computers to prevent noise-induced stress.

3 Care and Habits

Roborovskis are gentle, timid, and friendly, and rarely bite. They startle easily at the slightest sound, so they are not ideal for young children; handle and feed them with slow, gentle movements.

They are nocturnal, sleeping by day and active at night, so give them a quiet place to rest. They like to hoard food in their cheek pouches and stash it somewhere safe.

Their incisors keep growing, so provide plenty of hay and chew toys to wear them down; overlong teeth impair chewing and cause bigger problems.

They eat a varied diet: in captivity use hamster mix and hay as staples with some vegetables and fruit for balanced nutrition. Avoid human food and anything too salty or heavily seasoned, which burdens their system, and limit treats.

They get oily, especially in summer, so clean them regularly with chinchilla sand rather than water; because they are timid and fear water, bathing them wet can cause stress.