Philadelphia Hamster: Sunfire Dwarf Hamsters

Balloon (left) is a blue argente,
Hairspray (right) is a cream argente Sunfire Hamster

I took a break from breeding hamsters for a few years [ok ten years] after I left Philly and had my first son. I wanted to share the magical experience of hamster keeping with my kids, so we recently went to the local small town pet shop (we have Petco and that's about it) and they picked out some Sunfire dwarf hamsters. Personally, I'd prefer Campbell's, but the selection at our local stores isn't great, and it's unlikely they're purebred anyway.

Sunfire dwarf hamsters are Winter White hamsters hybridized with Campbell's. The reason commercial breeders did this was to introduce the wide variety of Campbell's color genes into the Winter White species. The issue is that some of these hybrids have genetic and health issues.

One of the first hamsters we tried to keep was another winter white hybrid from our local Petco, and when we got it home, we realized it was "Stargazing," which is a neurological disorder common in these hybrids. She would constantly stand up on her back legs then do a backflip. These poor critters are at risk of head injury if they fall on a food bowl or other hard surface, and also a fall risk if they are being held or climb something and fall.

Another issue with hybrids is that they're more likely to be diabetic. You can buy diabetes test strips made for humans to test your hamsters' urine for diabetes. Keep the diet as low in sugar as possible regardless.

Allegedly, they also tend to be less fertile than purebred hamsters. We currently have 2 females and a male, and we're going to try breeding them. I wanted my kids to experience the joys of having baby hamsters like I did when I was a child. When I was 8 years old I was making Punnett squares and learning about genetics and biology. If I had never done this, I don't think I'd have followed my heart and had the career I have today. We won't be distributing these hybrid hamsters for ethical reasons, but we will give them a forever home.

My kids are fairly obsessed with the hamsters, and my 4 year old has been watching hamster videos on YouTube for over a year now. He memorizes hamster care facts and knows all about them. He plays with them daily and helps to take care of them. We'll keep you posted on our hamster journey.