Syrian or Dwarf Hamster?

Question
    Hello, I am an American teenager in sunny San Diego. My mom has recently agreed to let me get a hamster(s), if I pay for it myself. I has researched quiet a lot, but still have not decieded between getting a single Syrian hamster or a dwarf hamster pair. I want an animal that is friendly and doesn't mind handling much. I have found a rescue that has both breeds so availablity isn't a problem. Please help, and hope to hear from you soon, Rachelle

Answer
Hi Rachelle

My preferred hamsters are Syrians.  The males can be quite placid and sleep quite a lot, but you can train them to wake up early evening for a play.  Female Syrians have a more feisty personality generally, and whilst might be slightly harder to handle in the early stages are great fun.  They often wake up on and off all day to investigate any noises/smells.  If you are opting for a Syrian, then the best thing really is to handle a few and see which one you feel comfortable with.  If it is a little jumpy in the first few days this shouldn't be a problem as I have found that 99% of Syrians do settle down, some just take a bit longer than others.

If you are getting a Syrian you need a large wire cage.  Syrians love climbing and therefore this type of cage suits them as you can hang rope ladders etc. from the roof.  The cage also needs to be quite large - it must be large enough with any platforms to fit a large wheel.  The standard wheels that come in most wire cages are in fact too small for an adult Syrian.  

Dwarf hamsters are fun, however Campbells are known to become a bit temperamental when they reach adulthood and I've heard of many whose personalities have suddenly changed.  Also, whilst it is a great idea to have two together, one will be dominant and if the other one won't allow that you will get fighting and may end up splitting them at some stage.  If you do get dwarf hamsters make sure they are either brothers or sisters - they should be related and should never have been separated.  Also double check they are the same sex.  Dwarf hamsters can live in wire cages, but they don't really climb so a single level cage or tank is fine for them.  I've had dwarf hamsters in a tank that had a wire ladder to another platform and even that was difficult for them to walk on because the bars were too far apart and they have such tiny legs so I had to continually thread a piece of cardboard between the bars of the ladder so they could get to the next level.  Solid ladders are therefore preferred if there is more than one level.  Some people put them in cages with loads of tubes to other levels - but often they can't climb these, so this type of cage is not advisable.  They love to have tubes and toys to run along the ground in, and also a small wheel.  They also like to have lots of places to sleep and I've found that most dwarf hamsters I've kept move their nest around and sleep in a different place every now and again.  Dwarf hamsters can be quite a bit faster than Syrians.  

I hope this helps you and that you find a hamster that you like.  

Regards