# Syrian Hamster V Dwarf Hamster



## Zayna

I'm thinking of getting a hamster when I get back from my holiday.

Which makes the better pet? A syrian or a dwarf? I have to admit I like the look of the dwarfs far more as they are just sooooo cute but do they make good pets like the Syrians?

Obviously I will research it properly if I do decide to go ahead, I would just like to get some ideas from guys on here who have actually owned hamsters.


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## Sarah+Hammies

Personally i think syrians are better hamsters if you want one that you can handle a lot. dwarf hamsters are lovely though 

I keep the teeny tiny roborovski hamsters and i have a syrian and i can handle both types but not all of the robo's will let me handle them for more than a minute or so, however one of them will sit on my hand to be stroked.

I havent had a campbells/winter white dwarf though.


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## niki87

Personally I prefer Syrian. They are easy to handle and great to interract with. I have a male and female and both are great...female is probably a little more active and male is a little more laid back. But they both have their own personalities. I have a robo dwarf and 2 other dwarf types...and none are hand tame...but i adopted them as adults so although they are now calm with me...they don't like being picked up. But that doesnt leave me in a position to comment on how good the dwarf type hamsters are as pets. I hear they can be easy to handle. All i can tell you is that hamsters in general are great and each has its own personality. But I still prefer Syrian lol.


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## metame

both!

syrians make the best first time hamster pet though imo.

we had two campbells (although i still think ones a ww...) and stitch just sits, but rilo is never still! i think with the dwarves, rilos case is more common. Stitch just sits though cause her favourite activity is sleeping. she'll climb into your hair and make a nest and sleep, she'll sleep sat inyour hand or in her ball or wherever! 

but yeah, imo syrians.


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## Zayna

I like the idea of having one I can sit and cuddle while i watch telly in the evening or something. think syrian would be the best choice... now to persuade the OH, lol!


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## catz4m8z

Syrian are def the more handleable. Ive just bought a new cage for a dwarf though! Never had a mini me hammie and fancy something I can watch pootling around its home!LOL


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## Baby British

When I was a kid me and my step sister each had a dwarf hammie, mine was male and hers was female. Both were unhandleable (we bought them from a petshop) and lived in seperate cages. My male was forever escaping from his cage and getting cosy in with the female 

Eventually the inevitable happened and we had baby dwarf hammies. These were handled from a few weeks old and grew up into tame lovely pets that would willingly climb into your hand and never bit once


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## Superfly108

Zayna said:


> I'm thinking of getting a hamster when I get back from my holiday.
> 
> Which makes the better pet? A syrian or a dwarf? I have to admit I like the look of the dwarfs far more as they are just sooooo cute but do they make good pets like the Syrians?
> 
> Obviously I will research it properly if I do decide to go ahead, I would just like to get some ideas from guys on here who have actually owned hamsters.


Hello, my experence is with syrians you need more patients, due to most being badly bred and mishandled as pups, many are quite nippy, some are naturally more happy, we sell and breed winter white (as aposed to say robs, chinese, russian ect) because winter whites are very friendly, docile and easier to handle, while most others will aimlessly jump off your hand, winter white hamsters seem to be less inclined, we were going to be breeding syrians for our shop, even went on search of some of the best pairs to start off, but decided against them in the end, we have a few in the shop but we wont continue with them, i really dont think syrians are that first ideal pet people think they are, i personally think rats are the best for a first timer as they're so friendly but thats just my opinion, most people dont like the tails


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## happysaz133

I find Syrian's much friendlier and cuter


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## smudgiesmummy

would be syrian for me... they are slower... more friendly esp the male ones although u do get some female friendly ones

if handles from a young age after they have been weaned ten u shouldnt have much problems with them

down side to syrians.... they are better on there own as 2 will fight ( the odd ones will get on but not recommended )

russian drawfs good side they willl live in pairs although not all will live together
they are a lot faster and smaller than syrians and if u put them in cages instaed of tanks/closed cages they will escape if the bars are not small enough esp when they are babies


all hamsters will fight to kill if they are put in danger and its not nice seeing half eaten hamsters :scared::scared:


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## kittykat

I would be the minority that say a dwarf lol I had a syrian when I was younger and he always took nips outta my fingers lol a few months ago I got a dwarf for my daughter and she is the most friendliest thing ever!


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## hannah_banana

I think they can both be just as nice if u get them from a baby because they will trust u more as a baby that as a adult and also don't get a hamster from the pet store the don't treat the nice and the carry a lot more helth problems from shops like pet Co or pet smart so get them from somewhere like Craigs list


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## blade100

hannah_banana said:


> I think they can both be just as nice if u get them from a baby because they will trust u more as a baby that as a adult and also don't get a hamster from the pet store the don't treat the nice and the carry a lot more helth problems from shops like pet Co or pet smart so get them from somewhere like Craigs list


This thread is 6 years old.


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