Even though rodents are ideal pets but do guinea pigs and hamsters get along? To find the answer to this question, I am going to talk about them in detail. I will highlight both animal’s habits, personalities, and much more. So keep reading to the end to get a deep insight.
Table of Contents
Introduction of Guinea Pigs
The guinea pig is a great starter pet and a very social animal. They are more kind than dogs but still demonstrate some personality to understand that pets are their own creature and you have to do certain things their way.
It is commonly said, Guinean pigs don’t improve themselves unless you’re always available for them to play. In almost every case, it’s best to make friends with your Guiana pig pet so that they do not feel scared and keep each other together.
Guinea’s pig is easy enough to control, as it will respond well to new places and people. But, some care is essential, as they do not instantly become friends like a dog or as eager as a kitten.
Mostly, guinea pigs run away if there is a sense of threat and will not bite expects they are in some severe case of self-defense.
However, problems can occur e when a hamster is scared or upset by the pig and will cut back in revenge. Whereas the hamsters are tiny with strong jaws and can injure the guinea pig.
So consider the guinea pig as a soft giant animal, which keeps its patience for a long time. It’s hard to be angry, but once he gets angry, his jaws and teeth are much stronger than a hamster’s.
Introduction of Hamsters
A hamster is a pretty defensive, solitary animal. Even though hamster species can live together in pairs, but they fight, which over on death. That’s why we recommend keeping all hamsters apart, whether they are Syrian or Chinese.
These rodents prefer to stay away from other animals and have their own food and place to live. They can smudge things with their scented glands. In addition, hamsters try to be the most powerful in any order, and by putting together, hamsters can over by raiding each other.
However, the competition between the two dwarf hamsters is excellent because they are introduced as children and rise together. So with the same species, size, and aromatic profile, they show the same kind of response and know-how to comprehend each other correctly.
A hamster will spend most of his youth scary and frightened as he learns new places, sounds, and smells in your home. Even in the first few weeks, you will be scared to go through your cage. A frightened hamster is erratic and is expected to nip.
Do both rodents get along?
Although Guinea pigs and hamsters belong to a rodent’s family, they don’t fare well and cannot live together. This also relates to dividing the cage and even the playground or floor space. In rare cases, both rodents live together if you introduce them at an early age. They grow together and gradually get used to each other. This can only be possible under slam supervision, and you should be able to separate them.
Therefore, there are several reasons due to which they can’t live together, which are:
- Guinea pigs sleep in intervals and usually take small naps during the day or night. They don’t sleep for a long time. On the other hand, hamster roams freely at night and sleep during the day.
- When Guinea pigs are exposed to a threat, they tend to run away and bit for serious defense or mistakenly consider something food. While the hamsters bite when they feel in danger. Moreover, a hamster probably injures the guinea in some way. And a guinea pig only bit back if necessary.
- Guiana pigs are bigger than hamsters and have very large teeth. If they decided to prey, they could easily kill a guinea pig. In contrast, hamsters try to attack anything in their path and can be quite cruel.
- When we talk about diet, both rodents need different diets, and it is not clear which animal will consume whose food. Guinea pigs a good supply of water necessitate vitamin C supplements and plenty of thyme. And the hamster needs pellets, seeds, vegetables, fruits, and berries.
- Hamsters have more territorial nature than guinea pigs, which can be problematic for two hamsters living with each other. So these two animals should be kept alone.
Cage Size for Guinea Pigs and Hamsters
Guinea pigs require a (76 x 91) cm or 30 x 36-inch cage to live. It is entirely perfect for just one guinea pig. If you have more guinea pigs, you need to double the cage size, according to them.
On the other hand, a single Syrian hamster needs 24 x 12 inches and 12 inches tall cage. In other words, it is 61 x 30.5 cm wide and long in size, and its height is 30.5 cm. And a dwarf will require half of that size, but it is suggested that your hamster take a bigger cage, as it will feel more comfortable with plenty of space to run around.
If you got a large cage, and consider it will be sufficient for both pigs and hamsters. For the most part, let’s see how both rodents maintain their territory. As the guinea pig is a very social animal, it will share its place with its mate, or the other 234 pigs can live with it.
While a hamster will harm anything that comes close to its territory and prefer to left alone, he roams his place regularly and will stumble upon any creature. So when Guinea pigs turn around, the hamster will walk behind him and eventually cut off.
Another thing to remember is that hammies are susceptible to odors and like their routines very much. They need to keep things in one place, smell their aroma, and nothing else. A guinea pig roaming in a cage will give up Hammy’s schedule and get upset without trying.
Eventually, Guyana pigs get bored soon with a similar setup, and they are likely to move their group from one place to another, and the hamster never agrees with this.
Playtime for Guinea Pigs and Hamsters
Although both guinea pigs and hamsters love to play but do their playtime match? Obviously not.
Guinea pigs never used the hamster’s wheel to run. Instead, they use the whole cage for sharp claws. And it will hit the wheels of hammy’s, or the hideout, or something else. It doesn’t go well with hamsters. And to end with play and handling, the hammy’s can’t be seated still for long. But the guinea pig will continue it longer and will return with its scent. It will create mixed emotions in the hamster, which is once again a very fragrant animal.
When it comes to hamsters’ playtime, they only go out in the evening and play most of the night, while a guinea pig is diverse. It sleeps in patches all day and usually adopts the owner’s routine. And a hamster sleeps throughout the day and wakes up in the evening, which will cause a great deal of stress. The hamster can’t rest well-properly because the pigs move in the cage, and the voices will keep the hamster attentive.
And when the guinea pig makes a small nap, hamsters could stumble upon it, which ends again on the fight.
Can a Guinea Pig and a Hamster Mate?
When it comes to mating, both rodents can’t be mate under any conditions. Because the guinea pig is considerably bigger than a hamster, and it really is another species.
It is impossible to make a couple of guinea pigs and a hamster. If they mate, then that indecorous try will result in severe injuries or death of the hamster.
Food Fights between the Guinea Pig and Hamster
To the end, let’s cover the food difference between both because it is another cause of keeping both pigs and hamsters alone. Guinea pigs need vegetables, Timothy grass, and numerous vitamin C-based foods.
Whereas, Hamsters can eat anything from vegetables to fruits and meat to grains. In some proportions, they prefer cereals for the most part.
If their food is mixed, or even if the food is put individually, no mention will eat whose foodstuff. Neither the guinea pigs nor hamsters will identify that the food is for another, and they will end the fight over it.
Conclusion
Finally, I conclude that guinea pigs and hamsters are good to adopt as a pet because they don’t need extra care. But they can’t be kept together due to their utterly different nature and habits. Guinea pig is a social animal, bigger and takes naps all the day in patches, while hamsters are very small compared to pigs, but they are aggressive and primarily active at night. So it’s better to keep them alone in two separate cages.