SYRIAN HAMSTERS
SOLITARY BEHAVIOR
Syrian Hamsters are solitary by nature and do not usually tolerate the company of another after approximately 10 weeks of age, so if keeping more than one separate cages are required. If kept together fighting will occur as the hamsters mature resulting in serious injury, and possibly death.
CHINESE HAMSTERS
SOCIABLE BEHAVIOR
Chinese Hamsters are sociable and will live in pairs or groups making it possible to keep 2 or more of single or mixed sex in one cage. Although sociable it is important that hamsters are introduced to each other at a young age and before they have had the opportunity to become used to living on their own. They need not be from the same litter or same group of hamsters but when buying two or more to live together they should be roughly the same size and age and, in any case, under 3 months of age. Chinese females can be particularly aggressive towards the males, particularly during pregnancy, and it is therefore important that tubes, etc are included in the cage to provide places where males can seek refuge from females. There may be squabbles within pairs or groups and although these do not normally result in injury if serious injury does occur it may be necessary to separate the hamsters into separate cages. Once a pair or group are separated there can be problems re-introducing them to each other.
DWARF RUSSIAN HAMSTERS
SOCIABLE BEHAVIOR
Dwarf Russian Hamsters are sociable and will live in pairs or groups making it possible to keep 2 or more single or mixed sexes in one cage. Although sociable it is important that hamsters are introduced to each other at a young age and before they have had the opportunity to become used to living on their own. They need not be from the same litter or same group of hamsters but when buying two or more to live together they should be roughly the same size and age and, in any case, under 3 months of age. Russian Hamsters establish an order of dominance and are prone to squabbles and these often sound much worse than they actually are and are merely a means of establishing or re-inforcing dominance. These squabbles rarely result in injury and are often more vocal than physical. If serious injury does occur it may be necessary to separate the hamsters into separate cages. Once a pair or group are separated there can be problems re-introducing them to each other.
ROBOROVSKI HAMSTERS
SOCIABLE BEHAVIOR
Roborovski Hamsters are sociable and will live in pairs or groups making it possible to keep 2 or more of single or mixed sex in one cage. Although sociable it is important that hamsters are introduced to each other at a young age and before they have had the opportunity to become used to living on their own. They need not be from the same litter or same group of hamsters but when buying two or more to live together they should be roughly the same size and age and, in any case, under 3 months of age.
