Hamsters make great pets because they are not aggressive and it’s relatively easy to care for them. When it comes to how many hamsters you can fit in one cage, the answer is not exactly straightforward. In fact, it depends on the kind of hamster you have. Generally, there are 3 species of pet hamster: Syrian hamsters, Dwarf hamsters, and Chinese hamsters.

Syrian Hamsters

Sometimes known as golden, teddy bear, or black bear hamsters, Syrian hamsters are solitary, territorial, and can be aggressive. They should always be caged alone. They have been known to tolerate other hamsters before 10 weeks of age but in adulthood they will fight to the death to defend their territory.

Dwarf Hamsters

Some examples of Dwarf hamsters are Campbells Russian hamster, dwarf winter white Russian hamsters, and Roborovski hamsters. These hamsters are more sociable than Syrian hamsters and can safely be kept in pairs or small groups. It’s best not to mix sexes because they will breed (and then you’ll have a whole lot of hamsters on your hands). Also, you shouldn’t put more than 2 or 3 dwarf hamsters in one cage in order to ensure that they have enough space to be comfortable.

Chinese Hamsters

These hamsters are often grouped with dwarf hamsters but they are not true dwarfs. They are smaller than Syrian hamsters, but there is still a lot of debate about whether they’re social or not. As these hamsters become more mature, especially females can become aggressive with other hamsters. If you want to cage pairs or small groups of Chinese hamsters, you need to introduce them from a very young age. Attempting to group older hamsters may result in territorial fighting. Also, small groups of Chinese hamsters will need a larger cage than groups of dwarf hamsters.