Advice on hamster pairs

[Billy]

Hi everyone,

I'd be really grateful for people's advice on dwarf hamsters. Is it better to keep them in pairs?

I'd been planning to get a single dwarf, but when I just spoke to a pet shop, they said they only sell them in pairs. I've found conflicting advice on the internet. I certainly don't want my new hammy to be lonely, but I don't really know what keeping a pair involves. Would I need to supply two of everything - including the wheel? Plus my cage is 80cm by 40cm by 30cm (height). Is that big enough?

Thanks everyone!

[pixiehollow]

Keeping pairs has mixed advice and has mixed opinions. I personally would never keep a pair together after past experiences (2 brothers turning on each other after a year, in a 5ft tank)

Some are lucky and the hamsters live happily together but I'd say the majority will have to be split at some point. If you do buy a pair, be sure to have a spare home if you need to split up

What dwarf species are you planning on?

[Billy]

Thanks, Pixie! That's really useful info. I was planning on getting a Winter White. Do you keep single dwarfs then?

I'm now thinking about maybe swapping to a Syrian. This is my first hamster and I'm worried pairs might be a bit much! My cage is 35 wide by 80 long, which I think is a bit small, but I can add an extension to it as the hammy grows.

[cypher]

The pet shop really should know better than to only sell dwarf hams in pairs, they can be kept in same sex sibling pairs but it is quite a challenge & not the best thing to begin with if you're new to hams.
It does require two wheels, water bottles, houses with more than one exit, no levels in the cage & scatter feeding, some will live out their lives together quite happily but many do fall out.
I've only ever kept my dwarf hams alone, they don't get lonely & live very happily like that, I think I would find trying to keep a pair far too stressful!

[Ceretrea]

You can keep a pair but you have to monitor them and have a spare cage ready. They fall out quicker and nastier in a large cage so you cannot have a pair in an 80cm cage in my experience. Even robos can kill the other.

They can get on but it's more what they do to each other when they fall out which is the issue.

[pixiehollow]

No problem

I've had a single winter white and she was such a friendly little soul Total mummys girl (me being mummy haha), also had single robo. Now have another single robo as he fell out with his siblings at my mums friends house. He's very happy and showing no signs of being lonely.

Years ago I had 2 chinese brothers in a 5ft fish tank with doubles of everything, they lived in harmony for a year and then flipped. So they got a partition down the middle of the tank to keep them separate xxx

Syrians are easier for first time hamster owners because they are usually easier to tame, but you will always get the stubborn Syrian or very receptive dwarf so depends on personality really. A syrian would need more height, a 12" wheel wouldn't fit in a 30cm height cage, you could get the biggest flying saucer but IMO not ideal for a syrian and takes up alot of floor space.

Winter whites are very sociable in my experience and always up for a roam and a cuddle. I miss mine terribly but they appear so rarely where I live xx

[Billy]

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

Pixie, your dwarfs sound adorable

I was planning on going for the biggest saucer if I opt for a Syrian. I'll do some research into them though.

[Cinnamon Bear]

My 6 dwarves live in separate cages. They all do fine and don't seem lonely. They like having the cage all to themselves. But if your looking for low stress in looking after a pair of dwarves, I'd probably go with a Syrian instead, as it sounds like you are doing.