A few questions

[AdrianPops]

Greetings!

I'm relatively new to HC, I happened to run into it while doing my hamster research. I am going to make a DIY cage out of a 80x50 bin and use my own materials to provide entertainment for its soon to be inhabitant(s), with the exception of the wheel and perhaps some material for ventilation such as mesh which I'll be going out to buy.

Syrian hamsters are not for me as they need sole housing, and I'd rather prefer to have my small community, each member having carefully been selected, hence why I'm here to be informed by people with much more experience in hamsters. I've been researching hamsters the past week but it was only enough for me to produce a general overview, nothing more.

My favorite is the Roborovski dwarf hamster, and maybe the Winter White, and I prefer to buy two of these two provide for. However, before I claim this ownership, I would very much like to address a few questions:

(Hamsters will be bought from the same litter)
1. Is it fine to keep two females together? I've heard that it is but I've also heard that they're very territorial and sometimes do fall out so I don't know if I should go through with buying two females.

2. Is elevation a problem with more than one hamster living in the same cage?

3. Is it possible at all to house hamsters from different litters in the same cage? (I was thinking that it would be possible if I rubbed some paper on my hands then put it in the main cage and do the same thing to the other cage, keeping them separated for a while for the hamsters from the cage and the hamsters from a different litter to catch my scent, so when mingled together they would sort of "recognize" themselves. Is this viable at all?)

4. After breeding, should the male be definitely separated from the female? Are there any factors influencing otherwise? If he is removed, when can he be added back and how will he behave towards the babies?

5. As for the sand bath, is there any specific type of sand that needs to be used?

6. How do you clean a cage with more stories that are not detachable from each other and with safe wood shavings on each story?

I've searched more questions of mine before this and only put the ones on here for which I couldn't find a brief enough answer to. Thank you in advance!

[cypher]

You can keep two females together but they do tend to be more territorial (they have more reason to be just by instinct whether they ever get to breed or not) however there are no guarantees that pairs of either gender won't fall out & need to be separated once they begin to mature.

Elevations, ledges, shelves etc should be avoided as they provide an ideal area for them to become territorial over.

I definitely wouldn't advise trying to bond hamsters from different litters. If you want to stand any chance of success with a pair stick to siblings.

Are you planning on breeding hamsters?
If so I would do as much research as possible before even considering it, if you put a male back in with a female & her litter not only might they fight but the male would mate with the female again & possibly some of the pups if they were old enough so you would have endless dangerously interbred litters.

Sand should be chinchilla sand, not dust, here in the UK the best is Tiny friends farm (formerly supreme science).

You don't do full cage cleans very often but if you had levels that didn't detach then you would need to remove then replace all the substrate.

Have you had any dwarf hams before? If this would be your first I would recommend just starting with one & getting to know the species, which ever you choose before going on to pairs.
Robos & Russian hams are quite different in both behaviour & needs so maybe research that some more before choosing, if you buy a Russian from a pet shop it won't be a WW but a hybrid (cross WW & Campbells) which are prone to diabetes so you have to plan their diet quite carefully.

[souffle]

I thought you said on your other post that your mum was not allowing you to have a hamster adrianpops.
Good to see you doing your research for the future though.
Cypher has answered much the same as I would

[AdrianPops]

I've managed to persuade her with the help of my sister, now it's up to me to find me some time to go out and fulfill my wish. The hamster will definitely get to live its full life before I move out or find a job. It's gonna take quite a while because I'm determined to make the right choice.

Many thanks to you and Cypher.

[chesca_27]

To be honest, when starting out with hamster owning, I think one hamster is quite enough until you can get to know the species a bit better. Hamsters do not get lonely and will predominantly be solitary in the wild. This does not mean that certain hamsters cannot live together, but they are generally happier on their own. Pairs are much more stressful as you have to be constantly on watch for fall outs and you will have to deal with potential injuries or even losing a hamster if you cannot separate them in time. The other thing with pairs is you cannot give them as much space or enrichment in case it creates a fall out.

1. Female hamsters can live together (not Syrians or Chinese) but they do tend to be more territorial as Cypher has already said. Fall outs are likely regardless and most hamsters do end up needing separating anyway, no matter the gender.

2. Any shelves or ledges can cause one hamster to become territorial over the area creating arguments so should be avoided.

3. Do not introduce hamsters from different litters together as this is just an accident waiting to happen. Pairs must have lived together their whole lives, from birth, and never be separated.

4. I strongly suggest doing a lot more research into hamsters and owning a few of the species before even attempting to look into breeding. Breeding means putting your hamster and any pups at risk to bring more animals into an already overpopulated world. In addition to this, you would need to know a lot about genetics and coat types to prevent eyeless or hairless hamsters. You would also need to have show quality hamsters with pedigrees, only obtainable from ethical beeeders. Most first time breeders also have another breeder to mentor them and to assist with the litter if necessary. I think Cypher has answered your question perfectly, though.

5. High quality Chinchilla Sand NOT dust is perfect for a sand bath. I personally use the Tiny Friends one, which Cypher has already said.

6. If a cage has non detachable levels then it probably isn't a very good cage as I am yet to see a hamster cage with several stories that has a single floor space of 80cm by 50cm minimum. Also wood shavings are generally not recommended for hamsters as most are allergic to them. A lot of owners on here use Fitch bedding due to its cheap price tag, lack of dust and the fact it holds tunnels well. In the US, white, unscented Kaytee Clean and Cosy is the best bedding.