I would say no. I'm sorry but I'm against breeding after reading information about them. Do read this article written by this girl who had to take care of a hamster resulted of bad breeding.

Hamsters are already rodents with an average lifespan of 1-2 Years on average. If they are cared for very well, they may even live up to 3. Each time you think of breeding your female hamster - regardless of syrian or dwarf - You are taking away some of their lifespan. Hamsters are treasured by their owners as a friend, a companion, a responsibility. Breeding them could stress the hamsters out, which may decrease their well-being. Hamsters are small animals that are occasionally, the stepping stones to one's love of animals. Many people were given hamsters as their first pet, if not fish.

If you think that you'll breed for the fact that it's cheap , easy , and the income is high, then you are sadly mistaken. The costs of hamsters , cages , supplies, will add up and it will eventually be too much to handle. What will you do if you buy a male and a female and they don't get along? They're fighting? You have to seperate them. This means that you'll need another set of supplies for the seperated hamster. Baby hamsters are cute, but they're not simple, oh no. If you're breeding syrians, can you afford the costs of buying a set of supplies PER hamster ? They're solitary animals ?

If you're thinking ; "Oh, I've researched enough, it should be already alright" then I regret to inform you, you're probably not. Even the most experienced breeders out there can make mistakes. They may take years to research. They probably know a lot. But one mistake can ruin their reputation. No matter how much you know, there will always be more that you can learn. Many members here on Hamster Hideout have had hamsters that had problems due to improper breeding. Stargazing hamsters , Spinners, You name it. No matter what, it shatters an owner's heart. I'm even one of them.

I know I may sound rude, but I am just trying to convince. I adore all my animals and love them dearly. I'm not purchasing them because I want to be known as a person with a hamster. It's the same with other members too. I do not purchase from pet stores at all now. There are breeders out there that have started off with Pet store hamsters. What's there to say that they're not carrying a genetic problem? Not much. Many people out there have lost hamsters and have cried dearly, because they have bonded with the small rodent so much that it's hard to let go. I can agree.

Many of us have stayed up feeding hamsters, helping treat their wounds, caring for them when they're sick. They're like our very own blood, our child. Just the thought of breeding gets to many of us. If you're a child, don't think about it anymore and enjoy life. If you're a teenager, stop and rethink about your future that DOESN'T involve breeding hamsters. Adults, you too, start enjoying life again and forget this whole idea. I know this has sounded like a rant, but it's truly how many of us feel.

Breeding is not a short-term GAME. You are dealing with the lives of a living creature. Why BREED when you can save a LIFE ? There are hamsters becoming snake food, becoming mistreated, abandonned. They need a chance to find a new home of people that will love them. Not to remain in the shelters for the rest of their life.

Then there's the experience :-

After another week, my friend found the hamster to be gaining weight really fast and took her to the vet, where it was confirmed that she was pregnant. My friend was very shocked and made another trip down to the THS to ask. That was when the assistant that helped her with Cinna explained that the previous owner gave her up because it was going to be too big a responsibility.

Weeks past and Cinna gave birth to a little of 5. They were all perfectly fine and all five remained. She had them adopted out to new homes and Truffle was the last one to find a home. It didn't really work out. That was when she called up me and asked if I could take her. I asked my mom right after her call. Mom wasn't very pleased but when I mentioned that Truffle was needing a home and was the last one. My mom's heart melted and she let me get her. I picked Truffle up just two days after that. She settled in very well for such a small hamster. Nothing seemed wrong at that time.

Until a few months had passed. I caught Truffle running around her cage endlessly in large track-like circles. I thought nothing of it until she dod that every waking moment she had. That's when I brought her to the vet. The vet and I were very confused until she tried a few tricks that normal hamsters reacted very well too. Some things Truffle did were.

- Continue running and even running into her food bowl and out, when it was in her way. She never ran around it.
- She closed her eyes and froze from even the softest touch. [This is when she was fine with being touched by ANYBODY.]
- She couldn't even stand up on her hind legs properly, she'd fall onto her back within a second, sometimes even with a grip on the bars. it's gotten better thankfully.

The vet's exact words were 'Since her parental figures had one with an unknown history, then she's most likely recieved a bad recessive gene.'
It shattered my heart.

My friend heard and said that another hamster she had given her friend had the same problem, but no one else. So it was just two.
Truffle was suffering in her own way and I couldn't do anything. I remember coming home in tears as she was doomed to have this
until she passed. Which meant she had a chance of not living out her full life-span. I was beyond worried and upset. But then I knew.
I knew I had to adopt at the time, but with the results, it only pushed me further. I know put all her items around her cage hoping
that it would block her and try and calm her down. I know I have to make things easy for her.

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Added on December 10, 2012, 4:43 pm

I'm going to let you read this article written by an experienced hamster owner. Please do take a moment to read, it might help you out. Bear with the length.

A quick definition of 'Fear' from Google.com :

"An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat."

- - - - -

A bit of a 101 information

Hamsters in the Animal Kingdom appear as Prey animals. They are sought out by various predators that call the same habitats home. All animals have a natural instinct in which helps them determine who is a threat and as a result , will use that to determine the actions needed to stay safe. For hamsters , Examples include
Remaining still and lifeless , an act to simulate death in which will cause a predator to leave them unharmed

Fighting with the 'predator / threat' as a method of self-protection. This is often seen in the Syrian Hamster.
A Syrian Hamster has the natural instinct to protect itself within it's own territory and has the reputation of being a 'Solitary' animal. A Syrian , due to said nature , will fight with those of it's kind when they come into close contact with another . The only time a Syrian will come into contact with another is when a male and a female come together to breed and produce offspring.

We of HH do Not Condone breeding. Please Adopt instead and save a life

The Dwarf Hamster Species are more social and are able to co-exist among one another but even then , a sense of fear may develop to a point where they will begin fighting , causing a separation to be required for the sake of safety and their wellbeing.

Cage Aggression & Being Territorial

By being kept in a small cage , the hamster is made aware of their small habitat that is to be their territory. When you place your hand into their cage , they see it as a foreign object or another animal. Their instinct to protect their territory will kick in , making you a threat that wants to take what they have called theirs. They will proceed to attack.

Here on HH , We recommend a habitat with a floor space of 360 Square inches of Floor Space , excluding levels. The bigger the habitat , the better. By having more space , they do not feel so confined and do not feel that they must claim a place as theirs. This is very noticeable in the keeping of multiple hamsters in one habitat. If you have multiple small cages connected together , they start dividing it up and claiming what is theirs to a point where they will attack 'trespassers' . By giving them enough shared space , you will prevent that aggression.

How it applies to us? Well , you are coming into their habitat that is already small enough. The thought in their head generally is "They're coming to take it . I must not let them." If they have adequate space (above 360) , they will see it as the wild where there is a lot of field space so everyone can pick and choose with a lot of area. By being confined , they are limited and see to it that the more they have, the better.

Fear in Handling / Surprises

For many hamsters that are in the pet stores , they are very minimally handled to a point in which they do not see human interaction as a positive event and will interpret it as a threat. Let's take a look at this scenario to get a better idea of the situation within their eyes.

A Hamster is generally classified as a palm-sized pet. In their eyes , they will view humans as a large creature and will classify them as a predator that is hoping to harm them in any way. Many pet stores will roughly grab the hamster to place into a box for the new pet owners. They do not take into consideration that they are suddenly creating motion and exhibiting an 'attacking' behaviour towards the hamster that is classified as the victim or prey.

In all living creatures , our nerves are triggered by sudden movement and we as a result will 'jump' in surprise. A hamster's instinct will tell them that in this situation , they must make the first move and attack. They will quickly latch on and deliver a bite which may induce bleeding to the person handling them. Their nerves associate this as something they are to fear. They must defend themselves.

A common way to prevent that from occurring is making your presence be known. Methods include ;
Shuffling the bedding

Soft words directed at them such as calling their name.

Quiet chirping and noises to alert them of you.
By being aware that you are around and exhibiting a calm 'aura' , you are making sure their nerves that are associated with fear remain dormant , which calls for a calm and friendly hamster. By also handling them slowly and gently , you will cause the nerves to remain even more dormant so they can begin to associate handling as a positive thing to experience.

Your Nerves and Theirs

Many a time , an owner will be the one exhibiting a sense of fear and nervousness. Your nerves will send this message to the rest of your body , making you become afraid of handling your hamster. Many animals are able to sense fear. They will sense your nerves being at full attention and will often become nervous themselves as a result. This may lead to them biting rather than nibbling , which is a sign of curiosity while biting is a sign of attack.

By letting yourself be confident -Start off with a pair of gloves perhaps- , you will cause your own nerves to remain calm and relaxed so they do not pass to the hamster's senses. If your hamster bites and nibbles for the initial beginning , please do not fret. Like human children and infants , they use their five senses to determine the environment around them. Similar to a child putting things into their mouth.

You do not have to rush as when you do , the shock of the quick-paced methods of taming will not only stress them but yourself.

"Slow and Steady wins the race" . Your goal is to handle them without being hurt. Why rush and ruin when you can be steady and achieve more?

Hopefully it will help you understand them. Did you try the tissue paper method? Put some on your body and give it to them after some hours. They will get used to your smell and not see you as a threat. If you're approaching them, let them know first. Don't grab them from behind. Let them know you're coming.