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Original poster

Dwarf hamsters fighting

30 replies

RebelRogue · 13/10/2017 21:53

We got two female dwarf russian hamsters a month ago. They have been perfectly happy,but this last week they started fighting. One of them is seriously bullying the other,and now I've noticed her paws have blood on them.

We got the hamsters,cage toys etc at the same time,asked for advice and the shop assistant was happy to send us home with that setup(we added extra house,wheel and feeding bowl),but now i wonder if the cage might be too small.

Is it worth it buying a bigger cage in the hope that more space might stop the fighting or separate them?

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 13/10/2017 21:55

Are they definitely the same sex?

Original poster
RebelRogue · 13/10/2017 21:56

This is the cage we have

Dwarf hamsters fighting
OP posts:
TheQueenOfWands · 13/10/2017 21:56

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but I had three and one ate the other two.

Very unexpected, given how cute they were.

They stopped being cute really quickly.

Original poster
RebelRogue · 13/10/2017 21:57

@Wolfiefan pet shop said so,and from what I've seen when looking it looks like it as well.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 13/10/2017 22:01

I have a feeling this was the breed of hamster my sister had. I think one killed the other.
If it's a Pets at Home etc the assistant won't be qualified to advise you on much TBH.

OhNoGroken · 13/10/2017 22:02

Separate them immediately or they will fight to the death and it's really horrific to feel like you could have/shouldnhave prevented it (voice of experience). They can never reconcile things either apparently. U fortunately this just happens sometimes with dwarf pairs even though they famously like to live in same sex pairs

Original poster
RebelRogue · 13/10/2017 22:03

It was Squires,no idea if any better,but was hoping they were.

OP posts:
KoolKoala07 · 13/10/2017 22:06

Unfortunately one likes to be the boss. I had the same trouble when I had 2. Was about to seperate them but one got poorly and died.

Original poster
RebelRogue · 13/10/2017 22:07

@OhNoGroken yeah,that's why we picked this breed as advertised as happy to live together,otherwise we would've picked just one from a different breed.

OP posts:
hairypaws · 13/10/2017 22:10

As another poster said, separate immediately or it will end in tears. I also had a pair where one ate the other, I'm not convinced they should be housed together even though I was also told it was fine.

Original poster
RebelRogue · 13/10/2017 22:14

Ok dropping the bigger cage idea and just buying another one and separate.
It's weird because they still seem to sleep together most of the time. Now to figure out where to put the extra cage.

OP posts:
ShowerGel9 · 13/10/2017 22:17

not sure what hamsters I had when I was a kid but my dad was told that when they got older they needed to be seperated.

That day came and they were put in separate cages.

7 year old me pushed the cages up together so they could still see each other. They looked so sad to a 7 year old me. I felt sorry for them and was sure my Dad was wrong
I had the best intentions...I put one of the hamsters back in the other cage with the other hamster. OMFG. 7 year old me had never witnessed as much violence! Que me reaching back in the cage to separate the hamsters fight...I got bit. A deep bite to my finger.

I can't remember what the outcome of the hamsters fate was. I THINK my dad heard my screams and came to save the day.

Never again would I have a hamster. They spend their lives trying to escape.

winglesspegasus · 13/10/2017 22:17

seperate now
had a canabalistic hamster in our petstore who would kill and eat the others/finally had to destroy him since night crew kept taking him out of isolation and putting him back in population.
rodents are nasty anything a rat wil do other ones will do.

ILoveUsernames · 13/10/2017 22:24

I had two female robo hamsters and was told when buying them that they must be kept separate. I put them together sometimes while cleaning them out but yeah definitely keep them separate

justme93 · 13/10/2017 22:24

I had a similar situation with two gerbils. Lived happily for the first two years then the fights began.! I had separate them as it was much the same - fight to the death! It was a terrible blood bath one evening.. I felt sad having to separate them but thank goodness i did 😳

Original poster
RebelRogue · 13/10/2017 22:36

Mandatory pic.
Black (grey) and white one is lovely and the one being hurt. Started getting submissive,turning away or straight onto it's back as soon as the other one gets anywhere near it. The ginger one is the aggressor and often jumps on top of the other one while it's on it's back.

Dwarf hamsters fighting
OP posts:
TheQueenOfWands · 13/10/2017 22:38

Ooo, with mine the ginger one was the aggressor too!!

Fecking cute though.

RapunzelsRealMom · 13/10/2017 22:44

We bought two on the advice of Pets at Home staff and the same happened. It was so upsetting to see one so bullied - one bit the other's little tail off. We returned the bully hamster to the store and the single hamster lived a happy solitary life.

Anecdoche · 13/10/2017 22:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
RebelRogue · 14/10/2017 08:19

Why do they still sleep together though despite having two houses available? There’s a bit of squealing when one comes back but they settle down in about 30 seconds and happily sleep together.

OP posts:
rightsaidfrederickII · 15/10/2017 13:28

Separate immediately and permanently, otherwise they WILL fight to the death. It's very common for this to happen with pairs of Russian dwarves as they mature.

I'm afraid the cage you have is far too small to meet their welfare needs (while at this stage, a bigger cage for them both won't solve their problems, they will both need a bigger cage each). The minimum recommended guidelines are 80x50cm (4000sq cm) of floorspace (footprint) exc. shelves and levels www.woodgreen.org.uk/pet_advice/557_hamster_accommodation Unfortunately the Rosewood Abode you have is only 26.5 x 55cm (1457.5 sq cm) so less than half the minimum.

I'd recommend buying them an Alaska cage each (they can be stacked one on top of the other) which meets welfare needs and is only £32.99 each inc. P&P. I have my Russian dwarf in one and it's great value for money www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/hamster_cages/hamster_cages/284288

Original poster
RebelRogue · 15/10/2017 13:47

I did end up separating them. Well I bought a bigger cage(forever hopeful me) and in about two hours another fight broke out,so i separated them immediately.
Good to know about cages,so annoying to know the first cage was not suitable for one,much less two hamsters. Hmm Will look into replacing it.
I feel so bad I left Cookie like that for so long,but she seems happy now burrowing,eating ,drinking and running on her wheel all night with no one bullying her.

OP posts:
TheQueenOfWands · 15/10/2017 14:50

Cookie is a cute name.

What's the evil hamster called.

Original poster
RebelRogue · 15/10/2017 14:55

Evil one is Cutie.

I take no responsibility. DD named them. Grin

OP posts:
TheQueenOfWands · 15/10/2017 14:57

We had an evil fish once. I called it Evil Fish so often I forgot his real name.

He ate about 9 of his tank mates and lived the rest of his life alone.

He had the decency to look guilty though.

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