Hamster vs Gerbil: Which Should You Get?
🐭 The short version: hamsters and gerbils look similar and are both burrowers — but on the single most important axis, company, they’re opposites. A hamster is solitary (most must live completely alone). A gerbil is a clan animal that must live in company. That one fact decides most of it: want one pet? Hamster. Can keep a bonded pair or group and watch the social side? Gerbils.
At a glance
| Hamster | Gerbil | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Solitary — most live alone | Clan animal — never alone |
| Housing | Big cage/tank, deep bedding | Gerbilarium, 20–30 cm bedding |
| Activity | Strongly nocturnal | Busy in bursts, day and night |
| Odour | Fairly clean | Very low-odour |
| Lifespan | 18 months–3 years | 2–3 years |
| Social risk | Fighting if wrongly paired | Declanning |
Company: the decider
Hamsters are solitary. Syrian and Chinese hamsters must always live alone; some dwarf species can sometimes pair if grouped young, but they don’t need company and often fall out. Gerbils are the reverse — clan animals that must never be kept alone, in stable same-sex pairs or groups. But gerbil clans carry their own risk: declanning, where a bonded group suddenly turns on each other, so you have to watch the social side and be ready to separate. So: hamster = no cage-mate dramas but a lone pet; gerbils = company built in, but a social situation to monitor.
Housing
Both are burrowers that need depth, not just floor space. Hamsters need a cage or tank far bigger than pet shops sell, with a solid floor and deep bedding, plus a large solid axle-free wheel. Gerbils need a gerbilarium (glass/plastic, not barred — they gnaw bars and damage their teeth) with a deep 20–30 cm bed to dig proper burrows. Neither should have cotton-wool bedding or an open-rung wire wheel.
Activity and odour
If you want to actually see your pet, gerbils edge it — they’re busy in short bursts through the day and night, while hamsters are strongly nocturnal and sleep the day away. On smell, gerbils win clearly: as desert animals they produce very little urine and are nearly odourless, while hamsters are clean but a touch stronger.
Handling
Both can become tame with gentle, patient handling. Handle a hamster in the evening when it’s naturally awake (never dig a sleeping one out), and always scoop a gerbil in cupped hands — never by the tail, which can strip the skin (tail slip).
Who should get which?
- Get a hamster if you want a single low-fuss pet, don’t mind a nocturnal animal, and can provide a big deep-bedded cage.
- Get gerbils if you can keep two or more, want a lower-odour, more day-visible pet, and are willing to watch clan dynamics.
The honest takeaway
It really does come down to one pet or a little colony. Get the housing depth right for either and both are entertaining, low-maintenance burrowers. Read the full hamster and gerbil care guides, or check whether either needs a friend with the needs-a-friend tool.
Sources & further reading
- Hayfold — hamster care guide and gerbil care guide — the full, fact-checked references.
- RSPCA — hamsters and gerbils — company, housing and behaviour.
Common questions
Is a hamster or a gerbil a better pet?
Neither is universally better — the deciding factor is company. Hamsters are solitary (most must live completely alone), while gerbils are clan animals that must live in company. Choose a hamster if you want one pet; choose gerbils if you can keep a bonded pair or group and watch the social side.
Do gerbils smell less than hamsters?
Yes. Gerbils are desert animals that produce very little urine, so they’re remarkably low-odour and low-mess. Hamsters are also fairly clean but tend to have a slightly stronger scent, especially if the cage isn’t spot-cleaned regularly.
Are hamsters or gerbils more active in the day?
Gerbils are active in short bursts through the day and night, so you’ll see more of them. Hamsters are strongly nocturnal — asleep and burrowed away most of the day, busy in the evening and overnight.
Can you keep two hamsters or two gerbils together?
Two gerbils — yes, in fact they must have company (a stable same-sex pair or group). Two hamsters — usually no: Syrian and Chinese hamsters must live alone, and even dwarf species that can sometimes pair often fall out.