Whether you’re a hamster owner or just someone who knows people with hamsters, you’ve likely heard the rumor that hamsters will eat each other. Are hamsters cannibals, though? Should you worry about your hamsters eating each other if they’re kept together? The truth is, while cannibal hamsters do exist, there are some things you should know.
The 4 Cases When Hamsters May Eat Each Other
1. Lack of Space
If hamsters are kept in environments that are too small, there is a risk that they will eat their cage mates. This can happen in adult hamsters, or with mothers and their pups. Many people unintentionally keep their hamsters in homes that are far too small, so keeping multiple hamsters in these small environments can be detrimental to the mental and physical health of all of the hamsters, which can lead to cannibalism.
2. Lack of Food
Unfortunately, hamsters will eat each other if food is scarce. Any well-kept hamster should never experience a lack of food or feel the need to kill off competition for resources. However, situations do arise in which hamsters may be underfed to the extent that they will kill and eat other hamsters. This can happen in an attempt to prevent starvation or in an attempt to protect the remaining resources.
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3. Stress
Hamsters are prey animals, so there are a lot of things that can make them feel threatened and stressed. Exposure to larger pets, loud children, being handled excessively, or being startled can all cause stress in hamsters.
Cannibalism under stress is most common in mother hamsters. If a mother hamster feels unsafe, she may eat her pups in an attempt to, in a roundabout sort of way, protect them. If she kills and eats the pups, then they won’t become prey to a predator, and there also won’t be bodies left behind to attract predators and scavengers.
4. Territoriality
Hamsters are solitary animals, and it’s not uncommon for them to guard their territory fiercely. Cannibalism in order to protect territory can occur in any hamster species, but it’s more common in Chinese and Syrian hamsters. Dwarf hamster breeds are usually unlikely to cannibalize their cage mates for territorial reasons, but it does still occur.
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How Can I Make Sure My Hamsters Don’t Eat Each Other?
The best solution to preventing cannibalism is keeping hamsters as solitary animals in their enclosure. If you have a female that hasn’t been exposed to males, then you won’t have to worry about pups. Since there are multiple factors that can lead to cannibalism in hamsters, it can be difficult to ensure the environment is perfect enough to prevent cannibalistic behavior. Since they are truly solitary animals in the wild, it’s ideal to keep them separately anyway since this will provide them with an environment that is closer to their natural environment.
In some circumstances, dwarf hamster breeds can be kept together since they are less likely to cannibalize than their larger cousins. If attempting this, it’s extremely important that you provide your hamsters with an appropriate environment with lots of space, plenty of resources, and lots of places to hide and escape an attack.
When hamsters are kept together, it’s usually recommended to stick to same-sex pairings. Keeping males and females together will lead to babies, which may lead to cannibalism of the babies. Not to mention you’ll be stuck finding homes for a litter of hamsters!
Same-sex dwarf hamsters that are bonded when you bring them home may successfully live together, but you should watch them closely to ensure aggression and territorial behaviors don’t begin to develop.
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In Conclusion
It’s an unfortunate reality that hamsters will cannibalize other hamsters. Because of this, it’s best to keep these solitary animals in their own enclosure. Even though dwarf hamsters are less likely to cannibalize their cage mates, it’s best for the average hamster owner to avoid keeping hamsters together. Work to provide your hamster with the ideal enclosure to support their mental and physical health instead of risking their health by keeping them with another hamster.
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