Weird Behaviour Change

OliverS · 05-15-2020, 05:19 PM

Hi everyone, I feel like I only ever post daft questions on here so bear with me. I have two Russian dwarves in a Pico XL (making a bin cage with a 138L storage box but I’ve bust the box and can’t get another due to coronavirus) and they have a playpen which the cage is in all day with a ramp so they can come and go as they please - one does, one doesn’t. One of them seems to have changed their behaviour today. They’re usually fine together and have developed different routines so they’re mainly out of each others’ way but last night, one (Shadow) was grooming the other (Shady) (they seem to take it in turns to groom one another and they usually just sit there, not care and walk away after, and it’s very uncommon) but Shady retaliated and started to groom Shadow which led to a bit of a reaction. Shadow is usually up at about half past 10 and straight on the wheel (whether the light’s on or off) and running around the cage in a pretty predictable order but today, she’s just been meandering round and hiding in a toilet roll tube which is in their toilet area. She even went to where Shady was sleeping and there was a little bit of a scrap.

I’m just worried that extra sleep, hiding and maybe even aggression (I don’t think they’re going to fight now, I’ve been sat in the room with the light on for about an hour and heard nothing) might be a result of stress or something else. I can’t say anything was any different to usual, maybe half an hour or so later to bed but, if anything, it’s been a better day for them as I’ve been cleaning the flat and the TV hasn’t been on as much as usual and there has been less noise so if anything, she should have had a better day’s sleep than usual.

Any ideas as to what it could be or how to remedy it? I don’t want to split them up because they do get on 99% of the time and they’re getting a new, much bigger home soon if they stay together. If not, they’ve got a Pico XL each as I have a spare which I’m going to cut up for a door/ventilation on the bin cage

cypher · 05-15-2020, 10:21 PM

It does sound as they may be beginning to fall out now or there are signs of dominant & submissive behaviour, most pairs do fall out & need their own space once they fully mature.
It's very hard to guess whether or not they may start to fight as these things can escalate very fast, even if there isn't any actual fighting it can become stressful for the more submissive hamster & that in itself can have an impact on health so it's probably best to separate them. Hams don't need company of their own kind or get lonely, they like to have their own territory & although it can take them a little while to adjust do better after separation.
Moving to a new cage would be likely to escalate the fall out as they try to make it their won territory & a cage change even when it's a positive change is always a bit stressful for them at first.

OliverS · 05-16-2020, 01:12 AM

I was hoping you weren’t going to say that but you’ve never steered me wrong Cypher. I’ll get the other cage set up and switch her when she’s in the playpen

Pebbles82 · 05-16-2020, 02:55 AM

Agree with Cypher. Usual advice is to separate them at the first sign of a fall out as it can escalate to death or serious injury very suddenly. Also it sounds like one is now dominating and the other retreating a bit so could become a bullying scenario. It could be just they are getting older or it might be the extra access from the cage to the playpen which has somehow led to territorial behaviour. If one leaves the cage and the other doesn’t then it can lead to territorial behaviour and fighting. Don’t worry they will both be fine living separately.

OliverS · 05-16-2020, 06:24 AM

Thanks Serendipity. I don’t think the playpen is the issue because one doesn’t care about it and doesn’t attack when the other comes back in and if she does go into the playpen the one who does doesn’t get territorial. Heard another couple of squeaks this morning for a few seconds so the friendlier, less stressy one is moving house today

OliverS · 05-16-2020, 02:50 PM

Quick update. They’re now split up, I feel awful like they’re going to get lonely but I know they aren’t and I’m just worrying for nothing. The more stressy ham has stayed in the old cage and the less stressy one has the new one. They’ve got a couple of new toys each and I’ve put some old substrate over the top of the new stuff and a bit of wee-soaked bedding and kitchen roll tube in the new toilet area. She seems to be settling in well/loving her new toy.

Is there any behaviour I need to keep an eye out for to see if they’re stressed at all and any ways to combat it if they are?

cypher · 05-17-2020, 12:49 AM

I'm sure they'll settle in just fine, I don't think there's really any behaviour in particular you need to look out for, behaviour may change a little as they do settle into being alone & having their own territory, it can sometimes take hams up to a couple of weeks to adjust to a new cage but it's usually less so don't worry too much.

OliverS · 05-17-2020, 01:31 AM

I went in a couple of times last night and there appears to be no issue, the one whose behaviour had changed the other night was back to normal and the other was just being her usual lazy self so it’s looking good but I’ll keep an eye out

cypher · 05-17-2020, 02:46 AM

That's good to hear.

OliverS · 05-20-2020, 05:01 PM

Hoping you see this Cypher and Serendipity.

Her behaviour has changed to weird again. They were split up on Saturday night and one’s fine. Still enjoying her playpen and being held during the day and lazy at night but the usually more active one is definitely not active that I can see (this is at least the second night of it). She hasn’t been waking up as early as normal, no change to the time I go to bed and turn the light off. I was up at about 1AM yesterday, went in like usual and she was on the shelf she was on the other night and I was kicked out of bed for snoring at 3 and she was the same, awake until 7 and I didn’t hear her move about much at all. She’s usually very temperamental about cleaning so I do a shelf at a time, I more often do the toilet shelf which is the one she’s on tonight but that doesn’t seem to have fazed her oddly.

She’s still eating and getting up like usual in the day for food and water but she’s a lot slower during the night than usual. She won’t let me pick her up, never has, but she’ll still let me stroke her wherever she is in the cage, even tonight. I’ve had a look at her back and front when she’s stood up in case she was injured in a fight but can’t see any issues. She doesn’t seem to be in pain or any different to usual except for being slower and looks more confused but I might think that because she’s slower. Any thoughts?