How Hamsters React With Another Hamster

Syrian hamsters should never be housed together. This breed is territorial and will fight other hamsters, especially those of the same sex. In some cases, the Syrian will kill his cage mate and then eat him. This can be very traumatic for any pet owner to discover. Males and females can be housed together when the female is in heat. Otherwise, the hamsters should not be housed together. Females can turn on the male and attack him when it's not breeding season.

Dwarf hamsters can be tricky. In some cases, the hamsters can be housed together upon first purchasing them and they will do fine throughout their lives together. However, there are also times when they will turn on each other as they age. In order to provide the safest habitat for your dwarfs, you should house them separately. If you do keep dwarf hamsters in same-sex pairs or colonies, always check on your hamsters to insure they aren't fighting.

Chinese and Russian hamsters do well when housed with their own species. They can be kept in same-sex pairs or colonies. Just remember to provide ample space so that the hamsters have enough room to move around. Also,only house same-sex hamsters together or you'll quickly have more hamsters than you can handle.

Robo hamsters are the only species that do best when housed together. Their small size makes it possible to house pairs or colonies in 10-20 gallon tanks, depending on how many you want to keep. Do not house Robos in wire cages as they may escape. Also, you should only keep same-sex pairs together to stop them from breeding.