Why Do Male & Female Hamsters Fight?

Hamsters are solitary animals. Certain species, such as dwarf hamsters, are more sociable but will still fight periodically to establish which hamster is dominant. Although they are small, hamsters can become aggressive and can seriously injure each other. Therefore as a rule, it is best to separate male and female hamsters unless the female is in heat and you want them to breed.

  1. Identification

    • Hamsters like to play-fight so it can be difficult to identify more serious and potentially harmful fighting. When they are being playful, the hamsters will chase each other and roll around. They may also make squeaking noises. However, they won't hurt each other. As soon as the fighting becomes more aggressive, you will be able to see injuries on the hamsters. These can be fairly harmless (for example, scratches and small cuts) but the fight can escalate quickly so it is important to separate them immediately.

    Significance

    • Fighting hamsters can seriously injure each other. If they feel threatened or are protecting their territory, they will try to defend themselves. Their teeth and claws can cause serious damage and they may even kill the other hamster. Separating fighting male and female hamsters will prevent serious injuries from occurring. As hamsters become aggressive when they are feeling stressed, keeping male and female hamsters separate will also be better for their overall health.

    Causes

    • Although dwarf hamsters will live with other hamsters of the same sex if introduced at a young age, the rodents will not get along with members of the opposite sex. As the Hammy's World website explains, female hamsters will only tolerate male hamsters when they are in heat and will become aggressive towards them after mating. This behavior results from the female protecting her territory and, if the hamsters are not separated, they could fight to the death.

    Prevention/Solution

    • The most effective solution to fighting hamsters is to keep them in separate cages. If this isn't possible immediately, you can divide the cage in half with a wire partition. However, the hamsters will still be able to smell and see each other so this solution might not alleviate nervous or aggressive behavior, says hamster expert George Grayson. If you want to breed hamsters, do so in a neutral cage that belongs neither to the male nor the female and separate them immediately after mating to reduce the risk of fighting.

    Considerations

    • While it is possible to keep same sex pairs of some breeds of hamster, such as dwarf hamsters, other types such as Syrian or golden hamsters are solitary animals and will fight if left together. If you want to keep two hamsters, ensure they are either both male or both female and introduce them slowly from a young age. As well as checking the compatibility of their breed, it is also important to make sure the cage is big enough for both rodents to have their own space.