How do I stop dwarf hamsters from fighting? - Page 2

Piebald · 04-12-2015, 10:35 AM

I'm sorry to hear that. If they survive that long please tell your friend what you have learned. Don't take my word for it A quick google search turns up some info you can pass on (Not sure what dwarfs they are but every site says if they start fighting they need to be separated):
Russian Dwarf Hamsters Fighting - What To Do
How do I stop my Dwarf Hamsters fighting?|Harry-Hamster.co.uk - Information about:
Chinese Dwarf Hamster 101 - Dwarf Hamster Blog
Campbell's Russian Dwarf Hamsters - Behavior

Artisans_uk · 04-12-2015, 10:36 AM

Please make it clear to your friend that they need separating as a matter of urgency. It isn't right to keep them together when they are fighting and as others have said, it won't simply go away.

If your friend thinks that she can remove one for "time out", that will just make the situation worse, as once separated, they boys will not be able to go together again. She is risking the health and possibly the life of her hamsters. We have to be responsible for the pets that we take on.

I totally understand the situation that you are in and it must be very difficult for you knowing what should be done. Well done for asking here for advice.

Bin cages are very cheap to make and will make sure that the hamsters are safe. Imagine being stuck in a room with someone that wants to hurt you and you can't escape, that is what one of the hamsters is having to face.

She could also find a cheap 2nd hand cage on Gumtree, even if it is only as a temporary measure to give her time to make a bin cage.

Your friend can join the forum just as you did and get the very best advice from people with years of first hand experience of looking after hamsters. Unfortunately, pet shops often don't know enough of the right information to give new owners but there is plenty of advice available right here.

I hope your friend makes the right choice for the sake of the hamsters.

Shannonmcn · 04-12-2015, 11:42 AM

I had a reply all typed then went for dinner, glad to see you've let her know the dangers now, all we can hope is that she listens to you!

horseyhammygirl · 04-13-2015, 12:20 AM

Thanks for being so helpful guys. I have let her know what she is doing is very dangerous but now it's up to her. I will tell you if she makes any desicions.

racinghamster · 04-13-2015, 12:36 AM

The advice is clear. Dwarf hamsters are notorious for falling out and these two sound as though they are already bickering. The owner really needs to be prepared to separate her hamsters at the drop of a hat as the one being `bullied` could end up dead. That`s the end scenario. If you don`t see her or her hamsters very often, then all you can do is give her the advice from this forum, but she can obviously come on herself and read the thread.

Puting it simply, buy a spare storage box with a lid from Poundstretcher or one of the other shops/supermarkets for around £10. This can be used as a Bin cage as long as it`s meshed on the top, or better still, a second hand cage like a Ferplast Mini Duna can be found locally. These can be picked up cheaply on Gumtree and other such websites. Having a spare cage handy is essential when keeping a pair of dwarf hamsters because 99% of the time, they start fighting.

Being her first hamsters, did she know this before she got them? x

horseyhammygirl · 04-13-2015, 12:44 AM

She had no clue - I don't think she realised hamsters would fight that badly but when she got them she was mislead by pet shop owners so it wasn't her fault. I have contacted her and will let her know about the cheap options you are all suggesting.

velma · 04-13-2015, 01:03 AM

I hope she separates them. I have a little robo hamster who got picked on when he was in the pet shop with his litter mates & got separated so I adopted him. He has multiple rips/holes to one of his ears, a scar very close to one of his eyes & his bottom end is a aunt scarred/chewed up tail. He could have lost an eye or worse had he not been separated.

I do understand it's hard though if you get the wrong advice. Years ago before this forum, I had a pair of Russian hybrid dwarves who I found had fought & one had a wound on his back. I took them to the vet & he just told me to out savlon on his wound & that was it. He didn't tell me to split them up or anything. The smell of the savlon sent the bully wild & attacked the injured one even more so I immediately took him out. But if the vets don't know much to tell you & you are getting advice from a pet shop it can be hard to know what's best so don't be too hard on your friend but as you've found this forum & gotten good advice please stress to her how important it is she separate them. As others have said, there are some good cheap options for cages & this forum is a great starting point for ideas. Keep us updated

horseyhammygirl · 04-13-2015, 01:57 AM

I will. Thanks guys I'm still waiting for her reply though.

racinghamster · 04-13-2015, 02:41 AM

Not to be cheeky, but if she comes back to you saying no, I want them to stay together regardless because I can`t afford a spare cage, she could be placing her hamsters in clear danger and she doesn`t want any bad injuries happening. Vet bills cost a lot more than a spare plastic box or a cheap cage! End of the day, an under bed storage box or household plastic box would be okay for a few days until a cage could be bought or found second hand.

What she needs to do is look at their situation today and decide whether they are actually fighting, or one is bullying the other one. It`s difficult for you or anyone on here to determine what the hamsters behaviours are from saying they are bickering or occasionally having a fall out. If ANY blood gets drawn, separate them right away, no question. But if the signs are that they constantly battle for dominance, then separation is better done now before things escalate. x

Pebbles82 · 04-13-2015, 03:21 AM

Glad you have passed the info in. It would be nice for us to hear that she has taken the advice and separated them. One of the hamsters is already suffering as it is being bullied and will develop issues from that, maybe loss of weight or sickness. They need to be in separate cages. I know you can't make her do it, but if I were you, I would be very firm with your friend and be quite heavy with it. You could say, look I am your friend, so I am going to say this to you. These hamsters need to be in separate cages - all the experts say this and it is cruel to leave them together. I want you to separate them and I will help sort out another cage with you and find solutions - we could stack the two cages. If she still refuses I would let her know quite clearly that you are not happy about the situation and that she is likely to get a very big vet bill when one of them gets injured, aside from the fact that one of them is suffering by being bullied. You might show your disapproval by avoiding her for a while if she still ignores the advice. You can show her this thread if you want. What we are telling you is what the RSPCA would tell her to do - to prevent unnecessary suffering and injury to a hamster. It may well be that the pet shop was at fault originally, but the responsibility is now hers and she has been given the correct information. You can show her these messages if you want. We want her to separate her dwarf hamsters.