Hamsters are cute, no doubt of that. However, Syrian Hamsters are solitary and thus they will fight if two adults are together in a cage. They can inflict serious injury on each other and so must be kept in separate cages. Even breeding pair of Syrian Hamsters live on their own and only meet each other for the purposes of mating.Syrian hamsters are like hermits - they love to have their homes all to themselves and hate visitors. They show no mercy to those that trespass! The need to guard territory is instinct and cannot be "made to go away" with time.
Dwarf Hamsters are more sociable, they usually stay peacefully in pair or in group of same species, either same sex or mix. Play-fighting often occurs when they are establishing an order of dominance, they may squeak a lot but there is little physical contact. If however, the fighting is very physical and prolonged then it may be that they don't get along and need to be separated.
Tell-tale signs of an impending tragedy are those incessant squeaks that you hear at night, when they are awake and fighting like well, hamsters. Hamsters also usually get bitten in the tail region or their feet and if you see bleeding or even older scars, you might want to consider separating the pair. If you have kept dwarf hamster individuals separate for even a day, they might forget their group scent (which tells them that they are friends and yes, they are that forgetful!) and when they meet again, they will react violently.
Tips for preventing hamsters fight
- Keep syrian hamsters solitary, they are happier alone.
- Do not keep dwarf hamster apart for too long. They forget whom their friends are when they forget how their friend smells.
- Do not keep fighting hamsters together. Chances are that fighting hamsters will fight to the end.
- Give the hamsters a lot of distractions by giving them ample space, plenty of hiding places and toys. This will reduce the stress created by having to live with one another in an enclosed space.
Source: Hamster Violence
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99 comments:
Excellent advice, I am thinking of getting a hammie soon. Well after I move into my new home.
I will be sure to keep these tips in mind when buying one or more. ^)^
Awesome, waiting for your good news!
These hamsters of ours sure are cute, but they fight and squeek a lot. I'm afraid one is going to kill the other. There's a bunch of blood around the cage. Anyone out there have any ideas? Anyhoo...have a great weekend!
HEY ANONYMOUS!!! MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET A CLUE AND SEPARATE YOUR HAMSTERS. I THINK THE FIRST SIGN SHOULD BE THE BLOOD. STOP BEING IGNORANT AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR PETS OR TAKE THEM BACK TO THE PET STORE.
OMG, you should have separated your hamsters. They can really kill each other!
Good info, our two dwarf hammies have started fighting, what a racket! No sign of injuries or blood though.
If you are not sure that your hamsters are play-fighting, better separate them before it is too late. Seriously.
Ours started out ok together, but one seemed to get very possessive of the food and 'favorite' place. Lots of squeaking and the dominant one started jumping on the other. They now live happily in separate hamster condos!
Hi,
i got 3 winter white in a cage... but they then to squeak alot when in close promixity to the other... when they get "high", they can chase each other up and down the tunnels and have a "royal rumble" along the nest... I dont know if they are play-fighting or really fighting... I dont see any major blood stains like on the tail or feets but one of them has a rather rough skin patch on his back... But i cant confirm that its a wound mark...
Can someone enlighten me on this??
I dont hope to see them fighting to the death...
Are them from the same litter? If so, they can still live with each others during younger age.
When they have grown, you have to be sure that the cage is big enough so that each of them can have their own territory, else it is better to separate them.
Hi Gazard,
I dont quite get it when u mention "same litter". I bought it from a reputable pet shop in my country so I guess they should be.
They are about 3mths old and the cage is double storey, about 50cmX20cm... Is it too small?
Winter whites are considered dwarf hamsters right? So by right they should be more social than the Syrian breeds thats why I bought them but perhaps mine are "not-so-nice" personality... :(
Same litter means born at the same time by a same mother.
The cage is still big enough for now, but better be prepared and watch out if anybody hurt, get separate cage for them.
Thanks Gazard!!
hiya!
i have jst got 2 dwarf "robs" hamsters and the pet shop told me that they were 2 girls from the same litter however, lately they have been fighting but im not sure if they are just playing there is no blood or biting but there is alot of squeaking! what do you think it could be?
I suggest you watch over them more carefully. However, if there are no biting then usually they are just play-fighting.
T_T huhuhuhuhuhu my hamsters are both syrians and sometimes they fight.... BUTTTTTTTTTTTTT i really wonder why if they are sleeping they are together like cuddling and its just cute but sometimes they fight and i separate them not in a cage but just split they're fighting and they'll stop TRUST me they are not dwarves and they're a but older now.....
by the way i'm matthiew and i'm from phils. just so you know... ^^
Hi Matthiew, your hamsters must be knowing each others pretty well and probably have good nature too.
I recently got a dwarf hamster, and then realized that they are social creatures and then bought another one from the same store but different cage. tehy are both very young, one was adopted and the other was 7 bucks. One is slightly bigger than the other and right now they are ambling randomly around the cage. I had the white hammie for a day, then got the grey hammie a day later. they fought alot at first (play fighting for dominance) and it has calmed down alot but when they get real close to eachother, they fight for like 1 second bu tnot really much longer. Many times they stare at eachother and hten go about their business burrowing or running, but sometimes they fight. It seems only the white one (bigger one) challenges the grey one, and hte grey one is more hot tempered and is the only one that tries to bite me. are they incompatible or are they just establishing dominance? no blood or anything, just lots of flailing and squeaking. right now they are staring eachother down in a toilet paper tube! they are so cutei hope they can be okay for eachother, they are both really young and probably getting used to eachother, what do you think?
Hi Novah, there are chances that your dwarf hamsters will get along well. However, you should prepare another cage just in case they fight for real one day. Sorry if I disappointed you, hamsters are not that social.
Hey anonymous from phil. I'm from phil. too and asking if you can buy items here that you can see...and can you buy too a cage that you can see from "cages that may spoil your hamster" i think your from manila right?
I bought two female winter whites yesterday, that had both been living happily in the same cage at the store they started fighting this morning, one has bitten the other and she is bleeding between her back legs. They have now been separated what should i do now?
that sounded a bit harsh - obviously first thing to do is get the injured one checked out! but ignore that last comment now, i went back to the pet store and they checked both over, and we decided to give the territorial one back.
Michelle, you did the right thing, hamster is safest when stay alone in a cage.
Hey gazzard.Im from Maldives..And I bought 2 dwarf hamsters..And they are fighting a lot...One is really badly hurt..Its bleeding even...So I realy need some advice on this..And i dont know how to seperate its sexes because they are bighting?
You have to get a new cage and separate them immediately. Use glove if you worry that they will bite your hands.
i just got two winter whites, one pearl and one mottled. got the pearl last night and the mottled this afternoon. they were play-fighting with the pearl always the more aggressive one as he is slightly bigger. however, the last fight drew blood on the mottled's leg. should i separate them already or should i give them more time? it's only the first day. i even deodourised the cage and the 2 hamster before introducing them. what should i do? separate or more time?
Separate them immediately, don't risk their life.
hiya i've just bought 3 new dwarf russian hammies. they are brothers and 2 of them get along fine, but the bigger 1 has started 2 bully and chase them when they go near him. we thought it was play fighting but today he pinned 1 down and tried to bite him. Any advice??
Separate them, spare yourself from worrying.
today i found about 6 hamsters that were abandoned in an alley. we had a hell of a time trying to round them up to save them, theyre all in the same cage and im just afraid they will fight each other. im not going to keep all of these hamsters, and i was wondering if they would be okay in the same cage overnight?
If they are from the same litter and still in pretty young age, then it is okay. However, you need to separate them when they grown up. Good heart you have!
how long are the hamsters separated before they forget their "friends scent"?
More than a day they will probably forget.
I bought 2 chinese dwarf hamsters about 2 wks ago, up until recently they would sleep in the same area, and play in the wheel together. now one sleeps up in one of the tubes. today i noticed a scab on the others hind end. when i tried to separate them from fighting one bit me and latched on pretty hard. is the only way that i can stop them by separating them? right now one is in a makeshift home in a cardboard box, i'm planning on making a mad dash to walmart first thing in the morning for a new cage.
Hi i have 2 drawf hamster. i got one,roo, about a week ago and then go the other today, jelly. They keep fighting but im not sure if its playfight or not. roo will just follow jelly around and then if she gets to close the jelly, jelly will squeak. and then if they do start fighting, they just kinda throw their paws at each other. and then sometimes they will stop and they will just stand their together. Is this normal getting to know each other behavior or should i be worried?
Lacey, I can understand your worry. Give each of them a cage, peace of mind. Hamsters like to stay alone anyway.
But what if they keep doing it & one starts bleding
that is whats happening with my 2 hamsters
BOTH BOYSS.
Azia x
Azia x, you got to separate your hamsters ASAP.
my dwarf male hamsters have been fighting latly the 1 has been biting my others butt so far they have been seperated for about 3 hours im not sure if i should put them in the same cage again????
Let each of them have their own cage. Peace of mind!
Three days ago we got a russian dward hamster at a pet store. Then I did a little research on the internet, and learned that they are social animals. Wikipedia even says that they should be purchased "in pairs or groups, as they like company, and will get depressed on their own."
So today we went back to the pet store to try to get him a little playmate, but the sales girls said that they would highly discourage this, because they are likely to end up fighting, even if they're from the same family group.
Our little Dwarfy seems very quiet and sad all by his lonesome; and the sales girls at the pet store didn't strike me as very knowledgable (they didn't even know about hamster diabetes.)
But it's been a few days now that he's been by himself. Is it too late to get Dwarfy a friend?
we bought 2 dwarf hamsters about a month ago. David St Hubbins and Nigel Tufnell. They used to play fight but nothing serious. and generally seemed to get on with each other. running on the wheel together etc.
Then saturday we returned from work to find that David St Hubbins had eaten Nigel Tufnells face off. Not sure now what to do with David St Hubbins as i can't even look him in the eye. It's like death staring back at me from behind those black, dead, empty eyes of his.
Umm... never mind... after reading all these stories, the pattern is clear... "Let each of them have their own cage. Peace of mind!"
I think Dwarfy will adjust and be quite happy on his own.
Bedall, I'm so sorry about Nigel Tufnells and David St Hubbins. Try to forgive David St. Hubbins, as he was only acting on his nature.
Gazard, thank you for this forum!
-Eva
Eva, you are welcome. But this is a blog, not forum, heheh!
Dwarfy will be fine living alone, he just need to have a little playtime with you to kill boredom.
I bought 2 chinese hamsters from a pet shop a month ago,both boys.They were really cute together and did have a little fight but nothing serious-no blood-or so I thought.They were together for 4 days and when I came home from work I found that pea brain-still alive-killed my other hamster.I was very sad and found out,too late though, that even though they are seen as part of the dwarf family they are not supposed to be kept together unlike other dwarf hamsters.
I just can't beleive that the pet shop owner would sell them as pairs.Is she not supposed to know that you're not to keep them together?
hi , i bought 2 male chinees dwarf hamsters at the start of the year and just this week the black one has started ataking the whiter one who then squeeks and sometimes goes on his back i am not sure if they will be ok together or should i buy another cage? there no blood but the white ones has also been 'kiked out' of the sleeping area so i put sum bedding somewere els for him but the black one then goes to that area and chases him please help thanks
Hey people! So, ive been reading your comments here and i think i now know why my other russian hamster died. i had 2 russians together (both same litter) and they were getting along fine. They would fight but i didnt know if they were just playin gor something. then 1 day amazon (or carnation, i couldnt tell) was dead. i dont remmeber any blood. it might have just had a heart atack but i am not sure. anyways. I feel lik taking about my other hamsters. My mom gave me 2 teddy bear hamsters for christmas and my birthday (last year btw) and it turned out that the girl was pregnat and tey boy (i think) was the father. she had 10 babies and i was stuck with them for a while. i wouldnt buy them all caches so i found big enough plastic contanors where they would live. 1 of the babies died and i sold another. and the dad ran away. :( Thats my story.
-----------------------------------
Owner of 10 teddy bar hamsters
Owner of 1 russian dwarf hamster
I also keep alot of hamsters.they're of the pudding breed of dwarves.
Most of the time they tend to be sociable but there are always a few troublemakers.
My first 2 hamsters bloomed into a family of 8 but over time, most of them died of diseases.
And i notice that they tend to "prune" their pack.As in those that start to get sick are always the ones to get attacked and put out of their misery.
I miss those little guys.
hi all !! pls pls pls help help help or as they say F11 please... my female hamster just gave a birth to 7 pups but now she is fighting the male !! she broke his leg .. i have separated them but my question .. how long im gona separate them !! forever? some pl told me after the pupy grow you can ut them together since the male eats the pupys!! is that true? i really need help here.. i searched in wikipedya and google and nothing good their. the main problem i dont know which hamster type i have .. maybe syrian but from the fight maybe they are chinees.. any help to determine the homeland for my spearated-hamsters ? pls replay to me to my email>> m.tarakma@gmail.com i will appreciated .. thank u
Hi, I bought 2 male chinese hamsters last week. They got on sooo well and cuddled up together. Sadly my little brown one died yesterday as he had no life in him and was tired all the time. Stroke? Diabetes? Only 7 weeks old. I was worried that my white one would be lonely but he seems well and playful, eats a lot ans is drinking so I guess its ok to have them on their own. He'll get lots of attention anyway. Was v. upset though. Jo
Is it bad when one hamsters shit scared of the other?
Hi hurry, you may refer to the post, Hamster Breeds, to determine your hamster type.
hey ..!!.. i have 2 hamsters in the same cage and its big enough for both of them... there both from same mother but keep sqeeking and running away from eachothere..?? i cant find anything on the internet or in book...they block the tunnel aswell with saw dust in the cage and always carry the food up to the wheel is tis normal
will one of them end up killing the other ..??with alll the fighting there doing
Hamsters squeaking usually due to territory dispute. They might be only play fighting or could be serious about hurting each others. If they settle down eventually, congratulation, else you got to separate them as soon as possible.
Hoarding food is one of the hamster's habit, that is perfectly normal for them to carry food to the wheel or their little house.
Ok , i have 2 Winter White Hamsters. i got my first one for about 3-4 weeks already and then i got another winter white they both seem to start goign at it durring the first day. so i have been just putting one in a see threw or glass jar so they can have feel of looking a5t each other to recongize each other. they will start licking the class as if biting or maybe playing? as of now ive been continuing this. and only putting the newest one in the cage for about 1 or 2 mins per hour. i was wondering if this is effective to get them use to each other.
~GhettoLike
Hi GhettoLike, hamsters recognize each others mostly through smell, not much on visual. So, best way is introduce them in a fresh clean cage and they might be able to get used to each other's scent. If they still fight, then separate them immediately. Most of the hamsters prefer to stay alone.
Hi Gazard , Thanks for the tip. i didnt know they realie on smelling of the partner. right now i have gotten them to become nice to each other . both are living nicely with each other in the same cage. i was glad it all went well without and blood or bites happening. just only squeaks and squeals a bit . :) this blog helped alot.
~GhettoLike
please help! !! i have 6 hammies mother and 5 kids and 1 female hammie from another litter. i had 1 female caged with 2 males from the litter they got along fine the other 4 were caged together. somehow ive screwed up and got them confused 3 of them got in a fight ive seperated them from eachother but 1 got its ear bit off and bit pretty good on his belly. i dont knw what to do ihave them in plastic containers right now. i feel so awful!!!! what do i do now?? r they going to be OK?
I have 2 Dwarf hamsters, this morning they were getting along ok and all of a sudden starting fighting and squeaking, one of their hands has blood but it has cleaned up now, I separated them for about 5 hours and now they are back together getting along fine.
What are their chances of fighting again?
Better send your hamsters to vet immediately since they are hurt.
RobBoss, the chances of fighting seem high. Better be safe than sorry.
I have recently gotten another hamster. I kept them next to each other for a few days and then put them in each others cages to get used to the smell. I now have them in the same cages. One of them frequently chases the other away and the other one squeaks but it doesn't looklike they are being hurt just scared? They are fine when they're sleeping. Are they just establishing dominance?
Is it true Richard Gere puts hamsters up his bum for pleasure? Richard Gere is sexy I wish I was a hamster!
I have been looking after my girlfriends hamsters while she is on holiday, she has had them nearly 3 weeks, but while she has been gone they have started to fight. They can play fine together like taking turns on the wheel, etc but then they just break out into fighting and sprint and jump at each other. So far I have seen no signs of injury, no blood, cuts etc. Is this just play fighting? or will it be serious and mean a separation?
I have set up a cardboard box with bedding and toys in it just incase, as I only have the one cage but I'm wondering if I should go buy another cage before my girlfriend gets back, as I don't want her putting them back in the same cage and for them to start fighting again and maybe even cause serious harm to each other.
Any advice would be really helpful, Thanks.
I have had hamsters int he past but I only had one at a time. Today I bought 2 Russian Dwarf hamsters, same litter, both males.
Their living space is very spacious and they have lots of cosy nooks but only one wheel. Today, their first night with me I noticed them rolling about and attacking each other in the plastic wheel. I didn't see any real biting, no blood was drawn but I'm thinking I should get a second wheel attachment since they have only shown signs of displeasure while fighting over the wheel (inside it, rather). What do you think? I know the comment reply has been "separate them etc..." but I wanted to first inquire whether getting a second wheel could solve this.
Thanks,
Kryssy
Hi Kryssy, you may get a second wheel if the cage is spacious for two dwarf hamsters. If that doesn't work out well, it is the common reply again.
saying that do not seperate a pair of hamster for too long as they are so forgetful and would forget buddy's scent.
that means we have to play with them at least once a day in order not to let them forget us?
hey erm..i jus got myself 2 winter whites...but at nite they squeeks/screechs and den chase each other around the cage...does this mean they're fighting ?? cox in the morning/afternoon during their slping time they have no problems slping tgt...sometimes they're lik fighting for the wheel
Hello,
I have three dwarf hamsters (Leo (campbell), Jamie (I've got no clue-white) & Jackie (robo)) who I've had for almost a year but recently, Leo has been beating up Jamie for no reason at all and I can't explain it. I was wondering if you can.
Thanks, Emily
i have a couple questions.
i want a winter white dwarf hamster but im also thinking of getting two. would it be ok to keep them in the same cage?
also, are males or females more friendly?
thanks.
Hi Emily t, hamsters are generally solitary. They fight for territory and domination. Hamsters are better off staying alone.
hey Gazard!
I just got two female shorthair hamsters. The manager at PetSmart said they've been together forever, but not related. They fight most of the time, unless they're napping. I don't know how to stop the bickering, and I don't want to pay for another cage. What should I do to stop the fighting?
Thanks
Anna H.
Hi Anna, your hamsters might fight till dead. You might try to partition the cage into two sections if it is big enough. Else you can give away one hamster to others.
Thanks, Gazard!
But I think they've settled their problem by sleeping on different sides. I couldn't divide the cage anyway, because it's a 31x24, really small! They're getting along swell, so I'll just watch for now. They only fight when they're too close.
Thanks for the advice anyway!
Anna H.
hi, i have 2 dwarf hamsters but one seems to be attacking the other, it has a bold patch and you sometimes hear squeaking ang jumping but i don't know what to do!
The best way is to separate them into different cages.
hi, Gazard.. i was planning to breed dwarfs, so i bought 2 dwarf hamsters about a week ago. both campbells argente.. i asked for a pair. then i went home.. after a few days. i started to doubt about their sexes since there was no sign of mating...(but they are getting along soo well) then i realized they gave me two males instead! so i went back to the pet store then i told them about it and so they agreed to change the other one.. so i a got a female campbells black pearl, i called her victoria "daisy" gweneviere.. she was a bit smaller than butterball(the male). when i was on my way home.. they seemed to get along pretty well. when i got home.. i placed them in their cage, then a few moments later.. they were on their hind legs staring at each other. Then daisy would squeak whenever butterball would go near her and then run away. She even uses her paws to push butterball back.. but there's no contact or injuries nor blood. they just don't like being near each other.. its been a day.. but they sleep well together.. but most of the time.. one drives the other out of the food dish with squeaks. I just wonder if its normal since they were only together for less than 48hours and not to mention from the same pet store.. but i am not sure if they are of the same litter since they have pattern and size diffrences. is it possible that daisy would hate butterball forever? i need some advice here.. desperately.. all i want is to breed and have my cute pets get along so well like a part of my family.. but im not sure what's gonna happen next.. i have experienced breeding teddy bears 3yrs ago.. but then mommy canibalized all her liiters and i got tired of them so i gave them away. but then my brother's girlfriend has hamsters and i really got jealous so i decided to get dwarfs.. since most sources say they are more sociable, neat, and friendly and simply better than syrians.. so.. what can you say about daisy's behaviour?
Hi benjpe100, when the hamsters don't get along well with each other, it will be hard to change that. A larger cage that give more space, and multiple food dishes might help. You have to separate them at once if anyone of them injure.
hey gazard, im lookin after my girlfriends two dwarf hamsters ,its the second time av had them n i only got them a few days ago when she went on holiday, they were from the same litter and we have had them around 4 to 6 months (cant remember exactly how long lol) last time they were at mine i was on holl with my gf and thats when they started to fight, they hadbeen very docile untill then, as ar as i know they weren't apart in that time but hav fought ever since, my girlfrind said they had calmed down since she had tham back, but as soon as they were at mine they started to fight, its usually the small 1 (rock) chasing the other, although sometimes he just goes near the bigger 1 (roll) and roll gets scared and submits on his back and squeeks loudly, however iv just noticed a piece missing from roll's ear and a patch of fur missing from his back...over all they get along fine but fight over small things like best sleeping area even tho there are 2 bedrooms and they used to sleep next to eachother since we had them...iv only niticed a small amount of blood once the otherday when i cleaned them out and this tends to be when the fights start....they have been in seperate cages(that used to be connected) atm and every so often i introduce them again but i dont want to seperate them totally as 1 my girlfriend would kill me and 2 she doesnt have enough room at hers for both cages seperately what should i do??? .... response would be greatly apreciated cheers ben
they're fine now! at first i saw a scab on daisy's leg.. but everyting turned out fine.. they even mate now..they play together... but i have another problem.. it's with my bro's hamster.. his leg got bitten off by his girlfriend's!is he gonna be okay?? we separated them already... and by the way.. my cage for daisy and butterball is already big enough.. lol.. thanks for this blog!!!
Hi ben_gladwin, since your hamsters fight, it will be risky to let them stay together again. If you don't have enough room, maybe you can consider giving one of them away to others.
hey gazard its me again. soo umm.. since i didnt find any blog in your site about pregnancy of hamsters..i think i'll just place it here..
okay.. so... i got a pregnant hamster two weeks ago.. well the guy said it WAS pregnant.. they even separated it from the others..her nipples are also more prominent.. and according to my friends she became bigger a week after.. and august 8 saturday, yesterday , she's been with me for three weeks now.. what's wrong? she still hasnt given birth.. and i dont notice any nest building... but she seems to be sleeping alot more. but it has been more than three weeks.. is this okay?
I am glad I heard this... I have two Djungarian hamsters, and one has a minor procedure done. We had to have them seperated until her wounds healed, and when they were put back together, they were fighting. Now it has become an all out cage match... Thanks for the information, each hamster will get their own cage now.
hiya im sophie and mental about hamsters and have had loads of experience with them but im always leaning. thanx gazard7 for all your helpful info on hami fights as my robo's have just started to fight bad and have sadly just seperated them as 1 had blood on noise. thankfuly i dont work so i saw the fight with my eyes and was on top of it straight away and seperated them. than look up info in here and took your advise to seperate them permently. anyway some advise for benjpe100. i also have a syrian hamster called juicy that had something called pyometra which is an infection of the whom which makes a female look pregnant. go to vets and they will advise you to get your hamster spayed if this is the problem. mine is nice and healthy and had it done when she was about 4 months. now she is nealy 2 and still is as mental as ever.
sophie
hey, PLEASE PLEASE help me :( i've been taking care of two hamsters for the past 3 days and i have never take care of them before. they are winterwhites and im not even sure of their gender! i tried to check several times but its jus so hard. this morning i noticed one of the hamsters suddenly got fatter and im not sure whether its pregnant or jus fat cos it keeps eating. however, there are symptoms like it building a nest, trying to steal and hide food under the bedding and stuff and its more restless now. the thing im worried about is, they climb and sorta nibble(or sniff, i dun know, but i think its nibbling) each other, on the ears, and their hind legs area. this would last for about, 15-20 seconds? and the contradicting thing is they get along so well too! they snuggle and cuddle together so closely and sleep together. wtf man. please help me i have no frikkin idea what i should dooooooooo. :(
Hi. Thanks for all those GREAT hamster tips. I already have a hamster but i am thinking of buying another hamster. thanks for the tips as i will be beter loaded with more knowledge on keeping hamsters.
Hi Sherena, if you are not sure they are real fighting or play fighting, then better separate them into different cages.
Hamsters like to hoard food, that doesn't imply pregnancy.
i have just bought two male pudding hamsters. they're fine together at first. however, recently they keep squealing when they get close to each other.one of the belly is always wet and there's a red spot on its belly. is that blood? should i seperate them?
i have recently bought two russian dwarf hamsters. i got them both at the same time they lived together when i got the and have continued to do so. i have recently noticed that they have been fighting i dont not know whether this is play or real fighting, when i catch them doing this it looks like they are nipping each other but when i have checked them i have not noticed any bite marks blood etc.
one of them has become very dominent towards food and bites me when i put my hand in the cage.she walks all over the smaller one when she is eating or sleeping how ever they sleep together all the time but this is when i notice the sqweak abit. they play on the wheel together and seem to get along most of the time
i would appreciate as much advice as i can thanks x
Why is everybody asking the same questions? READ THE ADVICE...
It's a no brainer, if you cared about them enough, you'd watch over the hamsters for a while, you wouldn't want to unnecessarily seperate them. If they are violent more often than not, if there is blood, an irregular amount of squeaking, and one of them now displays dominant behaviour, then they need to be seperated. It's down to your observation, it doesn't have to get to the stage where one of them is bleeding or wounded, the key is to OBSERVE. If they are sleeping, eating, and what looks like playing together, then now is not the time to seperate them.
If you are worried, and cannot identify wether they are fighting or playing, or perhaps they are displaying some signs of hatred' yet sleeping and eating together' then it is a very good idea to take them to the vet, or the pet store, where they can give you an opinion based on their observation and knowledge of the creatures.
Hope this helps.
Hi Rabiah, thousand thanks to you. You got a good point here, observation is the main task that an owner should do in order to decide whether to separate the hamsters.
My syrian hamsters hava huge balls (testes) is this normal?:D
Haha yes, my Syrian had huge balls too. Like a third of his body!
I had 3 babies and its been about 3 or 4 months. 2 girls one boy. so i suppose they are adults by now. they all slept together and ate together. they played together. I guess they got territorial. I never witnessed fighting. but when i did check them out they had bite marks. i guess they waited till i wasn't home.
the other day i had the misfortune of finding one dead. I'm guessing it was a fight to the finish. the boy was also bossing around the girls. since the 3rd died it's been more peaceful. though its sad to say. I miss my other baby.
but today i found the two fighting harshly. I had to break it up immeadiately because the other girl had more than 5 bites on her back. one had minor bleeding. there was no way i would let her suffer. i read up on how to treat the bites.
So i washed her up with water and put some peroxide on her bites. but i made sure her face was away from the peroxide. then i washed it again with water. I know they can lick the wounds clean on their own. but if they are deep enough you have to assist them. also i cleaned the cage up so there was no chance of infection. I placed the boy in my bathroom tub with a blanket and some food till morning.
I am sad to say that I have to adopt the boy out because though he is the most human friendly he is not hamster friendly. I'm upset that he killed my other. I don't want him killing this one.
And since I'm keeping this girl I hope she gets well and heals soon.
ok *deep breath* i have 5 female dwarf hamsters (i know its a lot, i bought from a private dealer without doing much research. obviously got swindled and a very bad move on my part) i had them in a big cage and they got along fine for a little while, but then they started picking on the little one. so i seperated her from the rest. then more fighting started and i ended up putting 2 in 2 cages and the littlest one still in her own cage and everything was fine for about a month. now 2 of them in their own cage are fighting!! i cant afford to get another cage till next month and honestly i am very stressed and annoyed and tired of it all. what should i do?
Hi Katie, you got to separate them as soon as possible. Use divider to separate them in the cage before you get a new cage. Alternatively, ask around and donate your hamsters for adoption.
what does play fighting sound like and look like?
Hi there,
I got 2 local hamsters born from the same batch. Usually they "kiss" each other and then play fight abit.
However, today, when I refilled the food bowls, both of them ran to it and then started fighting and there were about 4 squeaks. I have 2 food bowls but both of them seem more attached to one particular food bowl. Now they play-fight/fight once every 20-30 minutes with like 3-4 squeaks (is that normal)? No blood/bite/scab has been observed. Are they just fighting for dominance or something?
I had two female russian dwarf hamsters for Christmas from the same mother and they seem pretty okay together. I've seen them squeak over who gets to drink out of the water bottle first... but every now and again they both go into a corner of one of the tubes, which is a darker plastic and I can't properly see inside. They climb over each and push and I can never tell whether they're nibbling each other, bullying each other or just cosying together and eating because it's hard to see. Otherwise, they're okay. They eat together and run around, I don't want to seperate them but I'll keep an eye on them. Wish me luck.
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