Surgical removal of body fat (lipectomy) triggers compensatory increases in non-excised white adipose tissue (WAT) restoring adiposity levels in many species including Siberian hamsters. In Siberian hamsters, when their lipectomized WAT is transplanted to another site (autologous grafts -- no net change in body fat), healthy grafts result, but the lipectomy-induced compensatory increases in non-excised WAT masses are exaggerated, an effect apparently occurring only when the grafts contact intact WAT. When WAT is added to non-lipectomized hamsters to increase body fat, native WAT pads do not decrease. Thus, WAT addition or removal-replacement does not induce compensatory WAT responses consistent with total body fat regulation as does WAT subtraction. Therefore, we tested whether the exaggerated response to lipectomy occurring with autologous WAT transplantation is dependent on graft site placement and whether donor graft source (inguinal or epididymal WAT (IWAT, EWAT), sibling vs non-sibling) affected body fat responses to WAT additions in non-lipectomized hamsters. Lipectomized hamsters received subcutaneous autologous EWAT grafts placed remotely from other WAT (ventrum) or in contact with intact WAT (dorsum), whereas intact hamsters received EWAT or IWAT grafts from sibling or non-sibling donors. The exaggerated response to lipectomy only occurred when grafts were in contact with intact WAT. EWAT, but not IWAT additions to non-lipectomized siblings or non-siblings increased native IWAT and retroperitoneal WAT mass, but not EWAT mass compared with controls. Collectively, WAT transplantation to either lipectomized or non3 lipectomized hamsters increased body fat contingent upon graft contact with intact or native WAT.