Chinese white siblings vs Syrian

[Papa424]

Hi Everyone:

I'm a Great Grandfather and am getting my first hamster or two with the help I f my Granddaughter. I'm sorry trying to decide on sibling Chinese sisters or brothers vs a single Syrian. I a little afraid of the dwarf hamsters because they are so tiny and I'm afraid I'll have trouble handling them. Maybe your input can help me.

I'm thanks papa424

[souffle]

I would strongly advise getting one hamster only. Despite what the pet shops say about dwarf hamsters and especially Chinese they seldom last long as pairs or groups before either fighting or bullying breaks out resulting in horrific fights and even death. You really would not want your grand-daughter to witness this. A male syrian would be a nice pet for her provided you get him from a reputable source where the hamsters appear healthy and well cared for.
One Chinese would be fine. Chinese are more or less solitary anyway even in the wild and similar to Syrians in the way you should keep them. They do tend to be a little shy in that you see them less than Syrians on average and they prefer to be dug in or in their hideout. They do tend to be friendly though and nice to handle. Two females are a big nono as they are very territorial and can get vicious when they start to mature usually at around 3-6 months and will fall out big time.

[Cinnamon Bear]

I just bought a pair of female Chineseys and so far they are doing great but it's only been a short time. I otherwise wouldn't recommend keeping 2 female chineseys together as males may have a better chance of bonding. But I let the pet store manager talk me into giving it a try.

I'd recommend a Syrian hamster, they are more fun and love the attention from their owners

[Papa424]

Thanks Soufflé

That's the way I want to go, my granddaughter wants dwarfs , she has a great Syrian calm loves people.
Thanks for your help

[Drago]

In my honest opinion, a Syrian would make a better first time hamster for you, especially if you're nervous about the small size of dwarfies. Though dwarf pairs CAN be kept together, it isn't recommended, and should never be attempted unless you're an experienced hamster owner. Thus, it'd be easier to just start off with a fluffy little Syrian plus, you mention getting this ham with the help of your granddaughter and a Syrian would be much easier and less fragile for small hands. Whichever you decide make sure to post pictures!

[SweetPeaHammy]

I've never owned dwarf but I've had experience with them a personally I prefer Syrians due to their bigger size meaning they're easier to handle. I only ever owned one Syrian hamster but maybe in the future I'll consider dwarfs, they're very fast though

[cypher]

I'm a bit biased as I only keep dwarf hams so I know what I would choose, Chinese hams are very fast & quite timid at first so maybe not the best ham to begin with, I agree it would be far better, less stress for you & safer for the hams to only get one if you did go for a dwarf ham.

[AmityvilleHams]

It really depends on personal preference.Syrians can be just as fast and just as potentially prone to biting though,so don't be fooled into the very misleading stereotype of Syrians being cuddly and excellent first pets!

It might depend on what you can have in terms of housing as well.If you don't have the space to potentially have a square meter cage,stick to Chinese or another dwarf as there are plenty Syrians out there who just aren't completely happy with most cage sizes that are available or recommended.

[Cinnamon Bear]

My female Syrian is a cuddly hamster right from the beginning and she was a rescue but only for 3 days then I adopted her. She likes lots of attention that a hamster ball provides or she would drive me nuts. She loves running all over the place. I always give her the choice to go in the ball of not and she always loves the ball, every time.

I have no idea how to make a cardboard play pen. She wouldn't be happy in a play pen but my baby Chinese would like a play pen. My Syrian has too much energy for a play pen.