Hamsters. We have a lone male hamster and wondered are they sociable creatures?

Question

Would it be good to get him a male companion or would they attack each other? Also he constantly seems 'busy' to get out of his cage, he has boxes/a wheel etc, but finds little amusement in these. Is there anything else we could give yhim to entertain him, short of a femla hamster ;)

Answer 1

No, don't put a companion in - hamsters naturally live alone in the wild and are highly territorial especially if it is a Syrian hamster. You will find that they will fight, sometimes to the death if put together.

They do tend to gnaw at their cage, despite other toys being around! You can try hiding bits of food, and treats, in amongst his bedding, this will be similar to their gathering instincts in the wild. I don't know what size cage you have, but a large one with several tiers will give them more freedom to roam.

Scrunched up bits of paper seem to go down well, they will move them around and may even try to turn it into bedding. Rip up bits of plain toilet roll and put it around their cage - they are likely to gather it up and put it into their house or nest, which will keep them occupied.

The hamster sticks and treats go down well and keep them occupied if they are suspended in some way, as they move around making it harder for them to get. Finally a mineral block and gnaw block will also keep them amused, and satisfy any deficiencies they have from their normal diet.

Answer 2

If you have a Syrian hamster (large breed), then no, he should never be placed in a cage with another Syrian. These are solitary animals and will fight over territory to the death in some cases. However, we have 13 Syrians and 10 Russian dwarfs, the dwarfs are all housed in the same cage with a single Syrian together. One cage even has 1 Syrian and 2 dwarfs. I'm not saying that all Syrians can be caged with a Russian dwarf because we still have 4 Syrians that picked fights with the dwarfs and are now housed alone. Last week we rescued a Syrian and a dwarf from 2 different locations and they have been housed together since getting them. You could try this and it won't matter on the sex since the 2 breeds are genetically incompatible.

Answer 3

Hamsters always live alone, apart from females who bring up their babies but will often then attack them if they hang around the nest too long! So he should always have his own cage. But, he has urges like the rest of us and should really have a female mate (in her own cage). If you don't get a female mate, then don't think about another male because two frustrated male hamsters will attack each other. Make sure he gets out of his cage often for a good run, put a lot of variety in his food (mealworms are excellent, although disgusting to handle! but hamsters love them and they are very nutritious).

Answer 4

u didn't specify if it was dwarf or syrian which usually means syrian. syrians are non-social loners. very territorial and the cages they make are way too small so this encourages their defensive behavior. usually results in the death of one of them. if dwarf they are social and prefer a friend, but usually it should be from the same litter. there are websites that tell u how to introduce them slowly if they aren't---but no guarantees they'll get along.

the bigger the cage the better. if u have one that u can attach a 2nd cage to with tubes, that would help. but the main thing they need, especially when young is a ball. they need to run in it every night that they chew. chewing is them asking to get out. it''s their only way to communicate their frustration. let him run from 30 min to an hr and then put him back for a water break. if he chews again repeat the procedure. keep repeating until he stops chewing or u got to bed. mine do this 3-5 hrs every night.

i feed them at night. when i go to bed i sprinkle food around their cages. they enjoy the hunt as they would in the wild & it keeps them busy for awhile. i only put a little in a bowl and it's really not necessary anyway, especially if it takes up space or yours moves it to another area.

the less stressed they are the longer they live. stress is the major reason hamsters don't live as long as they should.

good luck

Answer 5

I had to two hampsters (different times) and bought a book. They are very territorial so never get same sex (including female) as they will fight, only get mixed if you want babies - they breed like rodents - ie very soon you'll have hundreds of the little blighters. They are forever trying to escape.
I got these little plastic things you clipped together (from a pet store) which made lots of passages and dens (as an alternative to his cage) to amuse him with treats here and there. Gave up giving him the run of the room when he knawed right through the telephone cable! and I know someone whose hampster disappeared in the bowls of the house never to be seen again.
Vary his diet too, I found they eat everything, love corn on the cob - this will keep him busy getting the corn off, lettuce all veg and fruit. and I put a table spoon of rice desert/melted ice cream.
Give him empty toilet roll cardboards and they love to knaw and will enjoy destroying these and use as part of their bedding.
Make sure he has as big a cage as you can house - after all being couped in a small cage must be horrible. But no more than two storey apparently as they can fall and injure themselves. they are quite clean, if he has enough room he will have a designated 'toilet' area to urinate in - apparently if you put in a jar/container they will make it their toilet, which helps with cleaning. Talk to him, he will stand and listen to you.
Dont understand why they are childrens pets tho as they are actually nocturnal and can be grumpy during daylight hours.

Answer 6

Syrian Hamsters are very solitary and will attack any other hamster. Dwarf hamsters can be social but have to be together from a very early age. To keep a hamster amused - you must have a wheel, its also useful to have toilet roll cores, make sure you have stripped all the paper off so it is just the cardboard.

Answer 7

It's a definite no no to get him a little friend as hamsters will fight to the death! The only way to keep two hamsters together really is from the same litter.

Lots of hamsters love to chew, why don't you get him some wooden chew toys or those snack sticks that have fruit and nuts on it?

I have a ball for my hamster to go in and he loves to get out of his cage and explore the room.

Answer 8

No defintately sole creatures they would fight to the death even with a female after he has had his wicked way! My daughters must have had at least 20 hamsters up to press. We always put in lots of tube tunnels even the middles from the loo rolls also a ladder. hang some fruit sticks. a salt lick and a mineral stone to gnaw on. Also a chunk of carrot, celery, and peanuts in their shells. Try and get him out every day to win his confidence over and he will be very happy.

Answer 9

If he is a golden/syrian hamster no he must be kept alone.If you put in another male they would fight to the death.If you put in a female they would mate and then fight to the death.

If he is a dwarf hamster then they are social but you should have got 2 from the same litter to start with-it is unlikely he would accept a strange hamster now.

Answer 10

they have a ball you ca stick him in to run around the house and this also keeps them safe as long as you don't have a big dog to chase him while he is running. Getting another hamster will make them fight and one will end up killing the other, hamsters like to have their own cage, if you are to get another one then keep them in different cages near one another but do not stick them in the same cage. Play with it more, hamsters love the attention from their owners.