separating roborovski hamsters

sonicandtailsmummy · 05-28-2017, 04:24 PM

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. We bought two male roborovski hamsters from pets at home two weeks ago. Everything with them living together seemed fine in the beginning as they were part of 4 males sharing the same cage at Pets at Home. I have been doing my research into co-habiting hamster behaviour so knew that what they were doing i.e. one humping the other and sniffing each others backsides was asserting dominance and saying hello. The boys would get into very minor scuffles that would only last a few seconds before one would run off and that would be the end of it, or until I pulled the one who seemed to start it off the other. But the other day my partner was leaving for work early in the morning, around 5.30am, and he heard scuffling so looked into the cage and saw the boys rolling around together. i asked him did it look like they were wrestling, and he said it seemed pretty intense, the most intense he's ever seen. Later that day we separated them, so now they have a cage each that is exactly the same setup. Their cage is only temporary as is not big enough for them. I am going to get the detolf from ikea and if need be separate it down the middle. I have not reintroduced them to each other yet as will leave that for another day or so.

Sonic did hand training tonight and he was really good, really responsive and has made excellent progress with me. Tails (the one who we think started all this fighting) would not come out into his exercise ball so I could separately hand train him for a few minutes and let him have a run around in the ball outside his cage. He stayed in the tubes and wouldn't come out.

He did come out once to sniff my fingers and then nibbled on them very gently, I thought that he was going to bite and so took my hand away but frightened him

I feel bad coz he might have climbed onto my hand and trusted me more.

So now both Sonic and Tails are staying in their tubes and won't even venture out onto their wheels. Sonic has fallen asleep in the tubes and he is usually running around and going on his wheel all night, but he just keeps falling asleep and seems quite lethargic, the same with Tails.

I'm worried about their lack of activity. Could it just be that because they woke up twice in the day that they will perk up later on in the early hours of this morning? I hate leaving them but have to go to bed as can't stay up all night with them, I have to get up for work.

Is it something to do with separating them, can they get withdrawal from not being with each other now after being with each other since birth?

I'm worried it's going to make them ill or something.

I'd like some advice and what to do moving forward about reintroducing them to each other etc.

Thank you in advance, and sorry for the longggg post! Just a worried first-time robo mummy here

sonicandtailsmummy · 05-29-2017, 03:20 PM

Update: Tails did come out into the exercise ball but when I went to pick the ball up with him in it he scurried away back into his tubes. I think I frightened him

they're eating, but not as much as usual, then again I put their food into a small bowl from having it scattered around the cage so they could forige so maybe it just looks more in the bowl. Tails still seems a bit lethargic, he's eating at the moment but hasn't been in his wheel since he got up. I'm just really worried and would appreciate someone relaying their similar experiences to me and offering some advice. Thank you

Fluffagrams · 05-29-2017, 03:38 PM

From what you have said in your first post, I think you have done the right thing in separating them before things got out of hand and in a lot of cases fighting amongst pairs rarely improves. Now that they have been separated though, it is not advisable to try and reintroduce them so the important thing now is to help them to settle into living independently. In a way, it's a lot like when you bring them home from the pet shop, they have to learn to adapt to changes in surroundings as well as getting used to being on their own and you may find that they're a little bit out of sorts for a few days. When I separated my first two Chinese after a fight, I found that the more dominant one was a bit quieter than normal but after a few days, he soon settled down.

I wouldn't worry too much at this stage if Tails hasn't been in his wheel this evening yet. I tend to find that wheel use can vary from day to day and some days they may be quite keen to use it and on others, you barely see them on it at all.

If they're used to being scatter fed, you could try that instead of the bowls to help maintain some sense of normalcy whilst they're settling in.

At the moment I'd delay upgrading their cages for a couple of weeks, again, just so that they have the chance to settle in and adjust to their new lives.

sonicandtailsmummy · 05-29-2017, 03:48 PM

Thank you so much Fluffagrams. You've made me feel better. It makes sense that as Tails seemed to be the dominant one he is more quiet and reserved. The night of separation I left them to it and didn't get them out so they could settle in. I got Sonic out again briefly tonight. Do you think it's better to leave them for a couple more days and not get them out? Or if Sonic is willingly coming out still let him, but just leave Tails to it as he is more relunctant? Yeah with their cages I'm not getting their new ones for at least another 2 weeks and it will probs take me a week to modify it

thank you very much for your advice and making me worry a little less

Fluffagrams · 05-29-2017, 04:04 PM

If Sonic is happy to come out to play then I'd carry on getting him out and leaving Tails to settle for another couple of days. You could always offer him a few treats whilst he's in his cage but if you're a bit concerned about frightening him if he nibbles you could always put a small treat down in a couple of areas of the cage to encourage him to explore. I've done that when I've had to make changes to my Chineseys cages in the past and usually find that they're quite keen if there's something nice and tasty in it for them!

Pebbles82 · 05-29-2017, 05:52 PM

Well done for separating them. They can seriously maim or kill if fighting progresses. They will just need time to settle again now. Fluffagrams advice is good

I believe it's not advised to use a hamster ball for dwarf hamsters - their toenails can get caught in the slits and there is a view that they get frightened in a ball. I find a hamster ball useful for transporting them though - eg from a cage to a playpen area, so they don't escape, by carrying them in the ball rather than letting them run in it. I haven't had dwarf hamsters or robos myself, but during a settling in period it can be an idea with hammies to give them 2 or 3 days just left to themselves to familiarise with their cage and set up and scent mark things and just chill a bit. Then start with taming again gradually. You could maybe hide the odd treat in the cage to distract them from feeling a bit strange.

sonicandtailsmummy · 05-30-2017, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fluffagrams

If Sonic is happy to come out to play then I'd carry on getting him out and leaving Tails to settle for another couple of days. You could always offer him a few treats whilst he's in his cage but if you're a bit concerned about frightening him if he nibbles you could always put a small treat down in a couple of areas of the cage to encourage him to explore. I've done that when I've had to make changes to my Chineseys cages in the past and usually find that they're quite keen if there's something nice and tasty in it for them!

That"s a really good idea to put treats around Tails's cage, shall definitely do that

I'll keep getting Sonic out as he seems fine with it. Generally he is more chilled than Tails.

sonicandtailsmummy · 05-30-2017, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

Well done for separating them. They can seriously maim or kill if fighting progresses. They will just need time to settle again now. Fluffagrams advice is good

I believe it's not advised to use a hamster ball for dwarf hamsters - their toenails can get caught in the slits and there is a view that they get frightened in a ball. I find a hamster ball useful for transporting them though - eg from a cage to a playpen area, so they don't escape, by carrying them in the ball rather than letting them run in it. I haven't had dwarf hamsters or robos myself, but during a settling in period it can be an idea with hammies to give them 2 or 3 days just left to themselves to familiarise with their cage and set up and scent mark things and just chill a bit. Then start with taming again gradually. You could maybe hide the odd treat in the cage to distract them from feeling a bit strange.

We bought them a small lightweight ball each and they both enjoy running around in it. I could probably leave them in it for hours if I let them

their nails are nice and short but I will heed your advice about it. I only let them go for about 10-15 minutes at night as in my book it says do not exceed 15 minutes in the ball. I do use it for transporting them into the playpen as well

Will place treats around their cages and see if that helps them explore more, thank you.