your advice, pics, stories on chinese hammies

[delbert]

Hi

Im considering getting a chinese for my next hamster
Iv had a winter white, and an argente in the past.

I know that there is lots of information on the web and i ould very easily google it.

But what i want is YOUR tips, and knowledge about chinese hamsters.
Whats best girl/boy? etc

I have a duna mini cage which im told is suitable for 1 chinese hamster.

So any stories pics, advice, funnies, hints or tips would be great :mad:

Thanks a lot in advance :)

[Nappo]

Many hiding-places and many climbing-things ;D

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/fffs-6d.jpg (http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/fffs-6d-jpg-nb.html)

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/fffs-6m.jpg (http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/fffs-6m-jpg-nb.html)

Fuu was my first chinese and so shy at the beginning, but after a few weeks he turns into a little clown, i always haved to laugh when watching him xD

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/fffs-6h.jpg (http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/fffs-6h-jpg-nb.html)

I'm sure you'll enjoy them <3

[MandyP]

That last photo is brilliant :) x

I am hoping to get some too this week, your set up is really good Nappo :) Weill try something like that with mine :)

[Nappo]

Thank you xD

He really was an excellent climber,i think he was nearly as deft as mice! I think thick sisalrope would be great equipment too xD

[KatiePillow]

I agree with Nappo, Lots of hidey places. Mine has bendy logs which she loves since she can easily escape, I also burried a tunnel which goes the whole length of her cage which she loves.
Also, a decent amount of substrate/shavings since they love to dig through the ground.

There are some pictures of my girl, Sesame here http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/hamster-chat/13796-peek-boo-thread-6.html
They really are amazing little things..but I'd really recommend getting them from a breeder if there's one near you :)
They are quite shy though.

[delbert]

LOL that last photo is amazing. im actually LOL.
so cute.
your enclosure is amazing - thanks for sharing x

[Primble]

I'm not sure the name of my cage except it was the one from P@H that comes as a starter kit. I then put in a silent spinner (i broke the part the original one clips onto), a corner food bowl with hamsters in it, a potty and a grass nest. they then get toilet/kitchen rolls. as a special treat when we get to the end of a loo roll they get to pull the last bit off.

I have two boys in that set up and they ar the best of friends. Nibbles makes the nest. Dusty cuddles up with him afterwards.

They havn't grasped the potty yet, but this week dusty didn't throw the litta everywhere. They are soo cute and love exploring in their balls (dusty will only get in the pink one lol) and they like running round my lap. dusty has also worked out that if you take the top half off the cage he can climb out.lol

[Nappo]

@Primble

Well, Primble, i don't think that's a good idea- two chinese boys in one cage?! I would be very worried that they are fighting soon, maybe to blood. I'm sure that they have to be seperated soon. In nature they are strongly loners, only some breeders have generations that may can be keeping together.

[Primble]

:( stpid P@H / hubby not wanting them to be lonly

[KatiePillow]

They generally seem to live together until they reach maturity, sometimes longer, but most people do inevitably end up having to seperate, it's sad, but for some reason they just tend to end up fighting,
Usually people say if there's any blood it's time to split them up, so until that time, they can obviously continue to cohabitate, but I've heard it can get quite bad quite fast >.<
But they're only young at the moment, 4-5 months? so they can probably stay together for a while longer.

I wouldn't worry about if you do end up splitting them, I had 2 dwarves living together until I found out they'd been mis-sexed, and they now love being alone, and my boy (who never made the nests) taught himself to :)
so either way they'll be fine :)

[Primble]

They generally seem to live together until they reach maturity, sometimes longer, but most people do inevitably end up having to seperate, it's sad, but for some reason they just tend to end up fighting,
Usually people say if there's any blood it's time to split them up, so until that time, they can obviously continue to cohabitate, but I've heard it can get quite bad quite fast >.<
But they're only young at the moment, 4-5 months? so they can probably stay together for a while longer.

I wouldn't worry about if you do end up splitting them, I had 2 dwarves living together until I found out they'd been mis-sexed, and they now love being alone, and my boy (who never made the nests) taught himself to :)
so either way they'll be fine :)

Thanks, started to get a bit upset. don't want them to get hurt. although there are at least 4 petshops really close so if i need to rush out for another cage i can. I think they are about 4-5 months. had them just over 2 so depending how old they were (seems like new ones in each week)

[KatiePillow]

You just need to watch out for them, if they start to fight, it's time to seperate, if they don't leave them together. Another member on here recently had to seperate his at 9 months (I think) so it could be that you have a long time left :)
They are meant to be able to live together (again I think), there have in the past been instances of people keeping colonies of them, but over time they seem to have stopped being able to live together as well (Again, I've read)

I wouldn't worry, but I'd be watchful, that's all :)

[Nappo]

Really, i thought chinese and syrians were the two species never should be kept together ö__Ö Woah Primle, then sorry for worrying you and the wrong information!

[KatiePillow]

In the UK and the US people have kept them together with varying levels of success, I've heard chinese hamsters could be kept together easily years ago, but they're slowly becoming as solitary as syrians..
I know of a good chinese breeder who doesn't risk having them together ever since hers had a fight.

Males can sometimes co-habitate..females are harder I've heard.