If you are a hamster owner and wondering whether your hamster would get lonely , you will find this article very helpful. This is a burning problem for many hamster owners and from this article you will be able to clear all your doubts.
So, to give you a brief answer, no they don’t get lonely. Furthermore, some hamsters would like to live in pairs or even in small groups if they get that chance. However, there are some hamsters they specially do not want to live in groups. If you try to pair them, they would end up fighting with each other to the death. Therefore they require separate living space.
Besides if there were a couple of hamsters in the cage and if one died all of a sudden, best would be to avoid introducing a new one right after its death. If you do so it is very likely that they will start to fight which would be fatal to the newcomer. This fight arises due to their territorial nature. The older hamsters do not like to welcome new hamsters so easily. That will take time and patience. So, let’s learn about the hamster’s personality and the reasons they want to be lonely.
Table of Contents
Do hamsters prefer to be alone?
The answer totally depends on the hamsters’ species. For example, there are some hamsters which would prefer to live alone while there are others who wish to have some company. So if you want to see whether your hamster wishes to have a companion or not you could try introducing a new member and see how they respond to it.
If I further elaborate on this, a Syrian hamster would prefer to stay alone and if you end up making them move around with other hamsters it would only create problems. If you cage them along with other hamsters they would keep fighting until one of them is dead. On the other hand, dwarf hamsters will not have any problems living with other hamsters. However dwarf hamsters can also stay solitary too. Hamsters don’t suffer from loneliness just like cats or dogs would.
If you think they want some activities to get rid of boredom you could consider giving them various types of toys which would keep them occupied and entertained. If you still want to introduce another hamster, you need to follow some precautionary steps and then introduce them.
Why do hamsters like to live alone?
Generally hamsters like to live alone. The main reason for this is, they don’t want any other hamster to invade their personal space or territory. If any other new hamsters invade their area, they will keep competing with the new hamsters until they get rid of them. This is a common occurrence among the domestic dwarf hamsters in particular. In many cases those fights turn out to be fatal. Hamsters are more like solitary animals and they would do anything to defend their territory. In general most of the hamsters opt to live alone and they would not be sad or worried if they don’t have any company.
Are Hamsters Social Animals?
No, Hamsters are not social animals. That said, some people may still opt to keep these animals in pairs even though it is not the ideal thing to do. Hamsters are territorial animals when they are in the wild as well as in captivity too.
This means, in the wild hamsters had to find food on their own. So if any male comes across another hamster male’s foraging area they may end up fighting with each other. But, if a male hamster meets a female hamster there will be no fight. In such cases male and female hamsters will mate. However, keep in mind that the way they mate would be somewhat aggressive.
So you have to remember this behavior when you are keeping a hamster as a pet. Even Though they are domestic animals, they still have their wild instinct. So if you try to keep to males together that would be a disaster.
Do hamsters need another hamster?
Generally speaking, hamsters are solitary creatures. Fortunately, there are some hamster species that like to live with other hamsters.. However it is a rare occurrence. If you happen to keep multiple hamsters together you will end up having so many issues. In a nutshell, hamsters don’t want any other hamster to survive.
Can Hamsters Live Together?
If we look at this by each hamster species, Syrian hamsters prefer to live alone and they don’t enjoy any other hamsters’ company. That said, Syrian hamsters are very friendly with humans. They would only engage with other hamsters for the mating purposes only. Do not ever put two Syrian hamsters together as most likely they will get into a brutal fight.
On the other hand, Robo hamsters prefer to live in pairs when they are in the wild. In fact this is one of the very few hamster species who can live together with other hamsters. However they can live on their own without a partner just fine. So, if you want to keep two hamsters in one cage, best would be to go ahead with Robo hamsters. However when you grow them together make sure that you provide sufficient space for them so that they would not fight.
If we look at winter white hamsters, they would also tend to live in pairs in their natural habitats. However this hamster species is very rare. But you can commonly spot the hybrid variety of this hamster (white hamsters) in the wild. It is said that winter white hamsters may also cohabit with other animals in burrows. Again, if you keep them in your home you need to provide sufficient space so that they will feel comfortable and would not fight with each other.
When it comes to dwarf hamsters, you can consider growing them together. For example, Campbell’s Russian dwarf hamsters like to live in pairs or even in small groups. That said, not all dwarf hamsters prefer cohabitation. For example, the Chinese dwarf hamsters would prefer to live on their own. If you happen to keep them with any other hamster, most likely they will fight with each other.
Do hamsters get bored?
Yes, hamsters can get bored. In fact sometimes they get bored when they are running their wheels. So, it is important that you try to keep them occupied and entertained as much as you can. Try to be creative when doing this task.
How do I know if my hamster is bored?
Hamsters are usually an energetic and inquisitive animal species and they are so much fun to look at. Hence, if you spot any change in their behavior, chances are that they are bored. So, to determine this exactly you need to observe them closely.
If you spot your hamsters keep sleeping and resting for too long, it literally means those hamsters are bored. They would tend to lay down instead of moving around like they usually do. Furthermore, when they are bored, they may even tend to chew the bars of the cage. They would do that to entertain themselves.
Furthermore if you see any hyperactivity among the hamsters that also means they are bored. This may look like they are running back and forth. Besides, they may either climb or jump from the cages as well. Once the hamsters are bored, it would badly impact their mental wellbeing as well as physical wellbeing. So, if you come across any of these signs you need to act fast to rectify these issues and make them entertaining.
Hamster boredom breakers
It is crucial that you stimulate the hamsters both physically and mentally to keep them happy and healthy. When the hamsters grow in the wild, they would run more than four miles a day. That means they have the same energy when they are captive. Hence, try to provide sufficient play time for them whenever it is possible. So, following are some boredom breakers which you could practice with your beloved hamsters.
How do you entertain a bored hamster?
Hide treats
Hiding their treats is a simple yet very efficient thing which you could do to entertain a bored hamster. Hamsters have a strong sense of smell and they would love to go in search of food and it would be more like a hunting experience for them.
Use music therapy
Believe it or not hamsters are fond of listening to good music. And many people use this method to calm the hamsters. Usually classical music would work well with the hamsters. For example soft and slow paced music would suit them the best. That said, don’t play it too loud as it would then make the hamsters stressed. Additionally don’t play music such as rock, pop or even metal as it is not the type of music for them.
Add some large PVC pipes
Try making a tunnel using the pvc pipes to make them entertained. You may use a 4 inch full pvc pipe to do this task and try to be creative when doing this. You could come up with different shapes and tunnels which you can curve into multiple directions for the hamsters to go through.
Consider using mirrors to distract the hamsters.
Hamsters find mirrors very interesting. In fact they don’t understand the concept of the mirrors and they would react to it in different ways. The way they react to it would vary depending on their personality. In fact there could be some hamsters who prefer this activity while some would react aggressively towards it. So be careful if you’re trying to introduce this trick for the first time.
Try to provide ample hiding space
Once you add multiple hiding places, it would make them happy and stress free. Normally they would tend to hide as it would help them to keep them warm. To do that you may simply cut a small opening in a cardboard box and let the hamsters relax there. That being said, ensure that you are not leaving any sharp edges there as chances are that it may hurt the hamsters.
Give them some waste paper to shred
Hamsters can spend hours whilst shredding the paper. They are big fans of shredding sound. So, if you have some old paper books , you could give it to them and they would keep tearing for hours. However when you do this, ensure the paper is not toxic for the hamsters.
What can I give my hamster to play with?
You may give a wheel for the hamsters to run. This is the most common way to entertain hamsters. However if they play with it for a longer period, they may get bored. Most importantly consider giving them a safe wheel as if you give a wire wheel their feet can get entangled in the wire wheel bars and cause unnecessary troubles. As such try using a solid sturdy plastic wheel for them to play.
If they are bored with their wheel , you could give them some other creative toys to make them happy . Additionally you may give some interactive toys to play with. for example place a puzzle house or cardboard mazes in their cage. Those stuff would keep the hamsters occupied for hours. Don’t give them too small toys as it could choke the hamsters. Hollow ball would be the best toy to give the hamsters as they can roll it around the house. it would be a great exercise for them as well.
Should I play with my hamster?
It is vital that you spend some time with your hamsters as it would play a major role in keeping them happy and occupied. Hamsters would feel secure and comfortable with their human owner only after they get familiar with them. Once they bond with the owners, hamsters would be able to sense their smells as well. If you are a hamster owner I suggest you bring them out for a while and let them play and allow them for a good walk. You need to ideally do this right after they wake up in the evening. It will make them happy. Don’t ever try to wake up a sleeping hamster and take them out as it would only make them angry.
How do you make a hamster boredom breaker?
I suggest you make DIY hamster chew sticks as hamster boredom breakers. First you need to arrange wood skewers, white flour, some water and a pair of scissors. Firstly you need to cut the wood skewer into three pieces and each piece should be 3 inches. Next mix some white flour and water in balanced amounts. That way you can make a non toxic glue. Thereafter you can either dip or brush the skewers with the glue mixture you made. Lastly you can stick all the pieces together. Let them dry and then give it to the hamsters.
Conclusion
To wind up, I hope now you are able to clear all your doubts regarding the topic “do hamsters get lonely?” So in simple words, hamsters don’t get lonely and they would do much better when they are on their own. They don’t require any other hamster company for their survival and they are perfect just that way. Most importantly you can not introduce a new hamster to an old hamster instantly. Most probably they will fight to the death. So it’s better to leave your hamster alone. And you can learn more about social and non social hamsters in this article.
After reading this article, you will be curious about how long you can leave a hamster alone. Let’s find out, shall we?
Hello, my name is James and I’ve been caring for tiny pets for over 14 years with a passion. I enjoy passing on my expertise to other individuals in order for them to have the same amount of enjoyment as I do.
