Dwarf mates

Question
Hi,
Im so glad I found this site.
My bf and I own a Dwarf Hamster; we've had him for about four months and have had no problems with sickness or behavior. He is extremely loving and was eager to be cuddled the day we brought him home. I have no idea how old he is, but he appears full grown. We are constantly looking for ways to keep him healthy and happy and trying to learn as much as we can about him. I realize Dwarfs are very social and was wondering if we should find him a house mate (same sex of course!!!)


Answer
Dear Cassandra,
thank you for your question.
Unfortunately, it's a popular myth that dwarf hamsters are social. It's true that siblings can be kept together for some time, but eventually they almost always fight. I have heard of many people who found one of their hamsters badly hurt or even dead one morning and I am convinced that the people who keep dwarf hamsters together and say it works are just ignoring or not noticing the fighting - it happens usually late at night.
Even if the hamsters don't fight, one of them is always the dominant one and because they cannot really avoid each other, the other hamster will always be stressed. Dwarf hamsters are solitary animals and your hamster will not miss anything if he continues to live alone.
In the wild, the dwarf hamster species live in family groups for some time after the babies are born and they sometimes share a sleeping place (probably for warmth), but that's all they do.
I hope I was of some help
Jennifer