Dwarf Hamsters living together

Question
I am going to purchase a dwarf hamster.  I like habitrail but have been told dwarfs sometimes have trouble going up the tubes?  My main question is does it matter if I keep two males or two females?  Some information I have read states that with males they will eventually start fighting.  Some say they are solitary like a Syrian others say they do well in groups.  What do you recommend?  Two females that are littermates?

Answer
Hi Nicholas,

Since dwarf hamsters have fur on their feet, this can make climbing up a tube difficult.  Habitrail's tubes are especially difficult because the inside of the tube is pretty smooth and thus hard to climb.  Crittertrail cages, on the other hand, have "bubble" tubes which are much easier to climb.  All of my dwarves have had Crittertrail cages, and they never had a tough time going up the tubes.

As for choosing the sexes of your hamsters, it's mainly personal preference.  A pair of males will get along just as well as a pair of females.  (Make sure that you get a pair of the same litter, or at least of the same cage.  They should also both be 6-8 weeks of age.)  Fighting rarely happens among dwarves of either sex.  Dwarves play-fight, and they are vocal animals, so you may think they are fighting; however, they most likely are not, and you shouldn't interfere.  If you interfere, they may begin fighting for real.  (However, if by any chance you see blood on one of the hamsters, then they should be separated; again, this is very rare.)

Dwarves should always be kept in pairs, as they are very sociable animals.  You may also keep them in small groups (of 3) if you wish, but that's not necessary, as a pair of dwarves is a great arrangement.

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

Kelly