Can Hamsters Live Together in the Same Cage?

Can hamsters live together in the same cage? Hamsters generally are cute and cuddly rodents, but if you make the mistake of letting two of the wrong kind of hamsters live together in the same cage you’ll see how ferocious they can really be. Now, this is not the case with every hamster and some can live together just fine. It all depends on the kind of hamster you have.

In this guide, I’m going to give an overview of which hamsters can live together in the same cage, and which ones can not. This is crucial information to know because if you put the wrong hamsters together they will inevitably start fighting. In fact, they might even end up killing each other! Definitely not something you’ll want to happen as a hamster owner.

I will also give some tips to ensure that if you do have two of these critters living together, they will have as smooth of an experience as possible.

By doing these things I hope to give a conclusive answer to the question: “can hamsters live together in the same cage?” Let’s get into it!

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Hamsters that can live together in the same cage

Let’s start by taking a look at which hamsters can live together. If you want two hamsters living in one cage, you should take a look at getting one of these. All of them are dwarf hamster species because they’re much less territorial.

Campbells Russian Dwarf Hamsters

Campbell’s hamsters are very popular pets in Europe. These critters can be kept in the same cage as long as they’re of the same sex. Having them live together works best if they are raised together from a young age.

It is possible that they start fighting or that one starts bullying the other. If that happens, you will have to separate them to avoid them causing injuries to each other.

Winter White Russian Dwarf Hamsters

Winter White Russian Dwarf hamsters can also live together. The same things apply here as I’ve mentioned about the Campbells Dwarf Hamster; it’s best to raise them together from a young age and make sure they’re the same sex, otherwise, they will start breeding.

It is also possible that these hamsters will fight, so keep an eye out for that. If they do start fighting, you will have to separate them immediately.

Roborovski dwarf hamsters

Roborovski’s are known for their speed and endurance. They run the equivalent of 4 human marathons every single night! They’re the smallest of all the hamsters and can be kept in same-sex pairs as long as they’ve grown up together.

Of course, just like with the others we’ve mentioned, it is possible that tensions arise and that they’ll have to be separated.

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Hamsters that can not live together

Syrian Hamsters

Syrians, also known as golden hamsters are the most popular species in the United States. Syrian hamsters should never be kept together in the same cage. They’re very territorial because in the wild they live completely alone and only meet to mate. If you put two or more together they will inevitably end up fighting.

Their fights can even go to the death, so it’s crucial that you do not make the mistake of keeping them together.

Chinese Hamsters

The Cricetulus griseus or Chinese Hamster is not technically a dwarf hamster, but they’re very tiny. They have slightly longer tails and longer, thinner bodies. In addition, they can have 3 different kinds of color mutations!

They can not live together, as they will become aggressive if they’re kept in a cage with another hamster.

Tips for keeping hamsters together

Hamsters are solitary in nature, they do not get lonely when they’re kept alone, unlike some other pets. It’s not necessary to keep more than one in a cage.

It’s not recommended to keep hamsters together, but if you do want to do so, you should follow these guidelines to have the highest chance of them successfully cohabiting. That being said, there’s no guarantee of success; it’s quite common to follow all of these guidelines and still end up with bickering and fighting hamsters.

1. Have a cage that’s large enough

The first thing you should consider before you let 2 hamsters live together is if the cage is big enough. If they do not have enough space in their enclosure, it’s almost guaranteed that they will start fighting.

It’s a good idea in general to have a big cage for your hamster, but it’s even more important when you keep two of them!

2. Separate feeding areas

Secondly, it’s good to have separate feeding areas. If they have their own food bowl and water they are less likely to have conflicts over food or water. In nature these creatures are very used to fighting over resources, so you want to avoid that behavior as much as possible.

This is also another reason why it’s nice to have a bigger cage if you have two of them living together; more space to separate their feeding stations!

3. Separate toys and hideouts

Another way to reduce the chance of fighting among your hamsters is by having two different sets of toys and hideouts. This means two hamster wheels and any other toy they have access to.

If they do not, they might start fighting over who’s turn it is on the wheel or to play with one of the toys.

4. Introduce them when they’re young

This step is very crucial and without it, there’s almost no chance of two hamsters successfully cohabiting. Adult hamsters will generally react very poorly to the introduction of another hamster into their living space; they consider it their territory and do not want to share it.

Hamsters are less likely to fight if they’ve known each other from when they’re young. The ideal situation is that you have two from the same nest, that way they’ve spent their whole life together which greatly increases the chances of success.

If this is not possible and you have two from different nests, make sure to introduce them to each other as soon as possible. This is best done when they’re under 8 weeks old, but the sooner the better really.

5. Make sure they’re of the same sex

If you do not want to end up the owner of a dozen hamsters, make sure that they’re the same sex before you put them together. If they’re not, you’ll end up with a perhaps unwelcome surprise. Hamsters can reproduce very quickly, and they will definitely do so if you keep different sex hamsters together.

Always double-check to make sure.

6. Keep a close watch

If you have two hamsters living together it’s your responsibility to ensure that they get along well. This means keeping a close eye on their behavior to see if any of the two is getting bullied or if there’s any fighting.

If you notice any blood, squeaks, or overly dominant behavior from one of your hamsters you have to separate them immediately. For that reason, you should also have a second cage on standby where you can transfer one of them to.

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Conclusion

So, to sum it all up: some dwarf hamsters can live together while others can not, but in general, it’s not a good idea. There’s a big chance of them ending up fighting even if you follow all the recommendations in this guide.

Since you’re going to have to buy 2 of everything anyway if you’re letting two hamsters live together you might as well have them live separately. They do not need the companionship of another hamster, and will not get lonely so there’s honestly no reason to do so.

I hope you found this guide helpful and that it’s aided you in deciding on whether you should keep two hamsters in the same cage. If you’ve got questions, the comment section down below is always open!