Dwarf hamster home

Question
Ok my hamster cotten died a few days ago and i feel really bad and lonely without her annoying scratching and chewing on the bars and running on the wheel. She was a Syrian hamster and i loved her to bits and suggest ay first time hamster owner to have a Syrian hamster first as they are very friendly if you handle them enough and can have a real bond. Well my room now has no noise to it and i have no company at night or something to talk to when i feel sad. I want to get two dwarf hamsters and was wondering about the cage. I had a rotstak cage for cooten and she loved climbing the tubes and sleeping in high up places to see over my room. as you probably know dwarf hamsters cant climb the tubas and i will need to have the rotastak cage flat so they can easylie access the different rooms. First can i still use the same cage for them as i did use for cotten? second will the dwarf hamsters like it in there and the tubes and third will they rip the cage to bits to escape? Now this is a question about breeding - I want to get two from the same shop and i would rather have them as brothers or sisters now if they are brother and sister will they breed together? I hope they don't and also if i get 1 dwarf hamster from one shop and one from another will they get on if they are young enough?

Thanks for your time if you read this
Paul

Answer
Hi Paul,

A Rotastak cage is fine for dwarf hamsters, as long as they have plenty of room.  And yes, you can use the same cage - just make sure you clean it very well before you put the new hamsters in it.

Your best option is to get 2 dwarves of the same age (6-8 weeks) and gender; it is best if they are siblings, but it's not absolutely necessary.  And as long as the hamsters are 6 weeks old, it's okay to get them from 2 different pet stores (if that's your only option), though it's preferable to get them from the same pet store and litter.

As for breeding, if you get a brother and sister, yes they will breed.  And the babies will not be as healthy as hamsters bred from unrelated parents.  So I would strongly advise you to not get a brother and sister.  If you decide to breed, get 2 unrelated hamsters, from different cages.  And, please know that if you let a male and female dwarf live together, they will produce many, many litters, and you'll end up with dozens of hamsters.  That's why it would be your best bet to get two sisters or two brothers.

Have a great weekend!

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask :)

Kelly