Contrary to the popular belief that Syrian Hamsters are strictly solitary creatures, they actually display a wide range of social behaviors and traits.
While some Syrian Hamsters do prefer solitude, this isn’t true for all.
Just like humans, Syrian Hamsters have diverse personalities and characteristics. Their lives are full of variety, both in terms of their colorful appearance and their rich social dynamics.
These Hamsters can form meaningful bonds, not only with their human guardians but also with fellow Hamsters, especially when raised in a colony from a young age. They can recognize and remember their parents, siblings, offspring, and even their relatives.
[T]hey tend to favor fellow Hamsters with similar coloring, often choosing to sleep with or stay close to them.
Interestingly, they tend to favor fellow Hamsters with similar coloring, often choosing to sleep with or stay close to them.
Syrian Hamsters also show affection in various ways: cuddling, licking, grooming, and even caring for each other’s young.
On the other hand, a Hamster raised in isolation is likely to react defensively — or even aggressively — when suddenly introduced to a group, much like how a person used to living alone would not fare well when suddenly placed into a populated society.
Now, let me introduce you to the secret society of Syrian Hamsters.
The Hamster gods have spoken: It was time to build a Hamster dynasty.
THE HAMSTER GODS HAVE SPOKEN
Syrian Hamsters used to have quite a bad reputation. They were often labeled as aggressive, with stories circulating about mother Hamsters eating their own babies.
Understandably, this led many parents to steer their children away from having Hamsters as companions, believing their behavior to be too brutal.
Fast forward to 2013: My fiancée and I had just started living together. One day, she share fond memories of her childhood Syrian Hamsters, telling me all sorts of fascinating things about them. She admitted that she missed caring for them and wished she could have Hamsters again. At the time, I was a broke college student with little to spare.
Then, one fateful evening, I was crossing a footbridge after school when I spotted something fluttering in the wind: a one-thousand peso bill. I looked around to see if anyone was nearby chasing after it, but there wasn’t a soul in sight. The bill landed right in front of me and I picked it up. At that moment, I knew it was fate.
The Hamster gods have spoken: It was time to build a Hamster dynasty.
THE THREE STOOGES
I rushed home to tell my fiancée about this divine intervention. “We’re getting a Hamster! And we’ll still have enough left for a cage.”
So off we went to Bio Research, excited to choose our new babies. We decided to go with three males, as my fiancée found them to have gentler temperaments than females, based on her years of experience caring for them.
We brought home three Hamsters, each with their own unique charm. First was a brown one we named Caramel, then a white Hamster with striking black eyes we called Vanilla, and finally, a black-white-black banded pie one we named Cookies.
Each one had their own personality. Cookies was a bit of a mischief-maker, often playfully bullying his brothers. Caramel eventually became our calm companion, learning to fall asleep in our palms or snuggle beside us.
And Vanilla? He was the clever one. We’d cup our hands with a little hole in between, and whenever we said, “Surprise hamham,” he’d pop his head out like a little jack-in-the-box.
It was the cutest thing ever!
The three stooges, as we called them, were the founding members of our Hamster society.
…PLUS ONE FEMALE
Starting with those three males, we gradually expanded our colony. We deliberately avoided keeping female Hamsters, fully aware of how quickly they reproduce. At the time, we weren’t in a financial position to support a growing litter, so we stuck to males, thinking it would keep things simple.
But fate had other plans.
One day, during a visit to our favorite animal shop, we came across a large, cheese-colored Hamster — the biggest we had ever seen. Curious, I gently picked her up to check her gender. Unfortunately, she was female.
We reluctantly placed her back into the cage.
That’s when the shopkeeper, who had come to know us well, shared her story. She told us that the Hamster had been with them for two years, and despite multiple attempts, had never become pregnant. They believed she was barren.
She was also quite old and nearing the end of her life. The shopkeeper suggested that we take her home to care for her during her twilight days.
So we did.
LEAVING A LEGACY
We named her Cheese, after her golden-yellow fur. We introduced her to our colony. To our surprise, she became pregnant.
The father? One of our original males: A soft-faced, chubby Hamster with a creamy white coat named Macapuno.
Not long after, Cheese gave birth to four tiny pups: two males and two females. We immediately separated her and the babies from the rest of the colony so that she could care for them in peace.
Tragically, just three weeks later, Cheese passed away in her sleep.
The pups were still very young, having only just opened their eyes. We did everything we could to nurse and care for them. With patience, love, and a lot of trial and error, they grew strong and healthy.
And that’s how our Hamster dynasty truly began.
The shopkeeper suggested that we take her home to care for her during her twilight days.
LIKE MOTHER, LIKE CHILDREN
Over time, our Hamster colony continued to grow. We made a conscious decision not to introduce new females, choosing instead to preserve Cheese’s lineage.
Cheese wasn’t just larger than the average Syrian Hamster: Measuring about 4 to 6 inches long, she was also incredibly resilient. She showed natural resistance to common health issues like wet tail, colds, respiratory infections, and abscesses.
Her daughters inherited not only her physical traits but also her sweet nature. Like Cheese, they were gentle and affectionate, both toward other Hamsters and humans.
As the years passed, we began to observe more complex behaviors within the colony.
One of the most fascinating discoveries was how mother Hamsters passed down their temperament and knowledge to their young. Tame and gentle mothers typically raised equally gentle pups, while more aggressive mothers often had feistier offspring.
We learned that Hamster mothers begin teaching their young around the two-month mark. At this stage, we would separate males and females into their respective colonies.
The younger males become apprentices to the older ones, following them around and learning essential survival skills: where to store food, where to sleep, where to poop and pee, and which areas of the tank should remain open. The older males even teach the younger ones how to hoard food properly and how to groom themselves.
One of the most fascinating discoveries was how mother Hamsters passed down their temperament and knowledge to their young.
POLICE AND EXPLORERS
Just like in any functioning society, disputes occasionally break out. During these moments, we noticed the presence of what we call “Police” Hamsters: those who intervene in fights to break them up.
Unfortunately, these peacemakers are often the ones who end up injured in the process. They would spring to action from their sleep the moment a shriek came from the far end of the now-combined large enclosures.
We also discovered a special group of Hamsters we dubbed “Explorers.” These are the brave souls we allow to roam freely around the house. Unlike others, they don’t shy away from human presence. They venture across furniture, climb window blinds, and seek out high places.
Explorer Hamsters tend to be friendlier, more curious, and more intelligent. They show their presence among humans by walking around their feet. Some even climb their humans just to stand on their shoulders. They often find their way back home on their own, too.
MULTI-SPECIES COMMUNITY
At one point, we maintained a mixed-gender colony. One of our female Hamsters gave birth, and to our delight, a male Hamster named Milk stepped in as a caretaker. He looked after the pups whenever the mother stepped away to eat or drink.
We also had two sister Hamsters called Cheesy Honey and Cheesy Honey Pie who gave birth just a day apart. Remarkably, they took care of each other’s young, nursing the pups as if they were their own.
One of their daughters, called Okonomiyaki Pie, would eventually become the first runner-up in a Hamster competition with over 50 entries in her category.
Over time, our animal family grew to include Guinea Pigs, Rabbits, and Budgies. We introduced each of them to the Hamsters gradually, and they all coexisted peacefully. What formed was not just a multi-species household but a harmonious little community.
COMPETING FOR AFFECTION
More recently, we began raising what we call our “Competition” Hamsters. These are special Hamsters selected to participate in Syrian Hamster shows, competing in categories like best in female long hair, best in female short hair, best in male long hair, best in male short hair, as well as the prestigious best in show.
(December 2023)
We select potential champions early and house them individually to closely monitor their diet, vitamin intake, and overall health. Competition Hamsters are chosen based on rare color and pattern combinations, fur characteristics, size, weight, and temperament.
Interestingly, we noticed that these individually-raised Hamsters tend to be more reclusive and easily startled compared to their colony-raised peers. To help them adapt, I make sure to handle them daily: picking them up, feeding them by hand, and ensuring they grow comfortable with human interaction.
Syrian Hamsters are fascinating, affectionate companions. Their intelligence, gentle nature, and wide variety of beautiful colors and patterns make them truly adorable and a delight to take care of.
Director of Photography: AYU DE PANO Photography Assistant: JEWEL MONTEALEGRE
3 INTERESTING SYRIAN HAMSTER PATTERNS
Syrian Hamsters are extremely adorable pets to have, and they come in various colors and patterns.
CALICO
One of the rarest patterns in Syrian Hamsters today is tortoiseshell and white, also known as tri-color or calico.
This pattern requires a mix of black, yellow (or golden), and white. This color is extremely rare, and even more so in males, as the gene responsible for tortoiseshell is sex-linked.
Only females can generally express the full tortoiseshell pattern. Male tortoiseshells are almost always sterile if they occur, due to needing an unusual XXY chromosome combination.
I personally have quite a number of tri-colored females who have won various Hamster competitions. I’ve never seen a male tri-color in person. However, I do know of two who once existed in the Philippines.
ROAN
Another example of a rare pattern in Syrian Hamsters is roan.
The roan Syrian Hamster is a striking and beautiful variety characterized by their distinctive coat pattern. Roans typically have a white or very pale body with a subtle “frosting” of color on the head, shoulders, and sometimes along the spine. This outline gives them a soft, almost airbrushed appearance.
The pattern can vary between individuals: Some roans have more visible color while others may look almost entirely white except for hints of color on the face and back.
This Hamster’s coloring and markings are very similar to the first-ever wild Syrian Hamster discovered.
DOMINANT SPOT
For the last example of a rare pattern for Syrian Hamsters, we have the dominant spot. This pattern is a visually striking and genetically unique coat pattern seen in Syrian Hamsters.
Dominant Spot Hamsters typically have a white or very light-colored base coat, overlaid with irregular patches or blotches of color. These spots can be large or small, well-defined or somewhat smudged, and symmetrical or completely random.
The spots can appear in any standard color (golden, black, cinnamon, etc.) and often cover the face, back, and sides, with the white background most prominent on the underside and legs.
Some have many colored patches and are very clearly patterned, while others have very few spots, sometimes just one or two — this variation is called an “extreme dominant spot” and can be confused with other white-patterned Hamsters like roans or banded varieties.
