Russian hamsters - alone or in pairs?

[mumarewenearlythereyet]

My son's two Russian hamsters passed away a few months ago and he's now ready to get some more, but Pets at Home are now saying the guidance has changed and they need to be kept on their own.

Has anyone else heard of this? Out two little boys seemed very happy together, (although admittedly when one died the other didn't seem too bothered!)

Syrian Hamsters must always be kept alone as hugely territorial and will fight (generally fatal). Russian or other dwarf hamsters can be kept in pairs, but have to be very closely monitored as they will often (not always as in your case) fight. My Rescue always rehomes Hamsters singularly due to territorial issues.

Every other small furry, mice, gerbils, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, degus, chinchillas etc must be rehomed in same sex or nuetered pairs, as theyre highly social and they will get desperately lonely and depressed if kept alone.

Pets at Home, generally get their animals from Rodent Mills (rodents bred in trays and discarded if not fit for the shop floor) and generally give terrible advice, and exacerbate the problem of unwanted pets, while you line the pockets of a corporation and breeders. If you have a local Rescue, do try them first as you will get expert advice, help pets in need, plus fund a charity. Good luck.

All species should be kept alone. The exception is (potentially) purebred campbell dwarf hamsters, which can be okay living in pairs. However, it is really hard, if not impossible, to get pure Campbell dwarf hamsters in the UK, and I would still only recommend to very experienced owners.

As @SilentHedges says, Pets at Home source their hamsters from rodent mills. In addition to directly supporting the continued trade in unethical breeding, they will have had zero care given to their genetics, temperament, health, etc, and I would never put two dwarf hamsters where you have no idea what their parents and grandparents were like together.
There are so many hamsters in rescues, please consider adopting.

Alternatively, if your son wants to keep a group of little ones have you considered mice?
We have both mice and hamster companions, and the mice bring an unparalleled level of joy to our lives.