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Old 05-11-2018, 08:22 AM   #1
spacebyte
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Default Questions about robos

Hi everyone,
I'm not getting a hamster for another while, but we viewed a hamster friendly flat today and things are coming together. I've been discussing it with my boyfriend and our next hamster is most likely to be a roborovski.

We were wanting a pair, and this is what I'm having questions about. The cage I have currently is a detolf (I also have a travel bin) and we would create a divider for the cage before we even got them so we could separate immediately if need be rather than leaving it until a fight. But I have heard that pairs do better in smaller tanks? Is a detolf too big for a pair? Would it be better to divide the detolf and start them off in half the tank, increasing the space to 3/4 and then the full tank with the diver over time as we know how they get on?

The two of every toy thing/levels issue is also something I wanted to ask about. Does this mean we should provide two identical hut/dens for example? Or would two huts of different brands or shapes still be okay? Some toys and huts can be climbed on, like a shoebox- does that "count" as a level? This seems like a really daft question but in the reading we've been doing this seems to be glossed over without a wider explaination. Are hammocks an issue?

As I said we are still looking at another month or maybe more before having a hamster again. I have never owned dwarfs before and I want to make sure I have done all the research I can (pointing me to any resources I've missed beyond the first few pages of google results and Erin's YouTube would also be great!)
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Old 05-11-2018, 01:00 PM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: Questions about robos

The detolf may be a bit big for a pair so dividing it might work better, I think the problem would be if you needed to separate them then both would probably enjoy more space so half a detolf wouldn't really be big enough for one, if that makes sense! It's a difficult compromise you have to make to try & keep a pair successfully, less space so less of the things they would enjoy using or exploring.
Houses & hideouts don't need to be the same, as long as they have more than one exit so one can't be trapped by the other.
Any kind of level including the top of a house, shoe box or anything like that could become a territorial issue really, basically anything one might want to claim as it's own & prevent the other from using.
Not really sure about hammocks, as they have more than one way in & out they might be ok.
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Old 05-11-2018, 02:10 PM   #3
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Questions about robos

I think it would be worth using the whole detolf but having a third of it (one end) as a digging area - ie filled deep with substrate - so the floor area itself is a bit less. That would leave you with a 100cm cage approx plus the deep digging end. I have also been confused about the idea of house tops when people say no levels - a way round that might be to have subterranean houses (ie sunk in the substrate) so the flat house roof is level with the substrate. You can scoop out a channel of substrate down to the entrance. Or just have houses with round or pointy tops! You can have three wheels (just a minimum of two) so they have more choice - eg a syrian sized wheel, a dwarf sized wheel and a flying saucer - you'd have plenty of space for that. I would use open wheels with a pair though, rather than wheels with holes in that could be hard for them to jump in and out of together. Apparently they run well together in a syrian wheel, but still have the option of using a different one if they want to do their own thing.
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Old 05-12-2018, 12:58 AM   #4
spacebyte
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Default Re: Questions about robos

I really like the idea of sectioning one area off to be a digging area- I think that would be good regardless of if we have a pair or single.
I thought half a detolf was enough for one dwarf hamster? If not then we might have to reconsider and get a single. Would love for anyone who's kept dwarfs in the detolf to let me know how it went.
I'm glad I've asked and thank you for the input about toys and wheels ☺ I want to make sure I do my best
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Old 05-12-2018, 01:11 AM   #5
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Questions about robos

I have a robo and also wanted to get a pair but working out the set up was going to be fiddly and I also wasn't sure which cage. So I went with getting a single one and setting it up how I liked, for variety and enrichment. And as you know pairs often end up having to be separated. Half a detolf might be alright for a single roborovski but it can depend on the hamster. The other thing is that partitioning a detolf for two hamsters doesn't always work well - it's common for one to somehow get past the partition.

If you had two and needed to separate them you could leave one in the detolf and have a bin cage for the other one maybe.

I think Erin's Hamsters had a detolf for her dwarf hamster (can't remember the name of the hamster . If you had a deep digging area, a flying saucer at that end and the house at the opposite end they would probably use all the space Although our robo ignores houses and digs holes and makes a burrow near his flying saucer. He also has a wheel and uses both.

Difficult decisions. I think if you want a pair, then get a pair, especially if it's robos - but be prepared to need a separate bin cage maybe. It's not impossible to divide a detolf but would need to be done very well so there's no way one could get through to the other side. I did read a sad story where one had chewed through and killed the other one.
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Old 05-12-2018, 01:36 AM   #6
spacebyte
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Default Re: Questions about robos

I seen Erin's hamsters had split a detolf and had a dwarf in one half and a Syrian in another half a few years ago - I don't think the half is big enough for a Syrian but it might be for a dwarf, I'm not sure, that's why I wanted to check.

My boyfriend has woodworking experience and thinks he can make a partition that would block the cage- we would experiment with this before getting them so we could put the partition in in an emergency. As I mentioned in my first post I have a travel bin- it's not too wee that I'd feel bad about keeping a ham there temporarily, Luna came to stay with me at my parents in it for a few days when I recovered from a surgery. It is just less than half a detolf (the lid of the detolf fits on top of the bin). If it was a case of half a detolf being too wee then I'd keep one in this bin temporarily and then make a double bin.

I'd also put his woodwork skills to the test creating a wee wall for the digging area! That seems like a really good idea, I always just made Luna a giant mountain and tried to place her toys around it - my cage layouts never looked brilliant but she loved digging so it didn't matter ��
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Old 05-12-2018, 02:02 AM   #7
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Questions about robos

That sounds good. If your bf does make a divider I'd suggest melamine board rather than wood, so it can't be chewed through It's also less porous so scents wouldn't go through it and it's wipe clean. I'm sure he would do a good job.
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Old 05-12-2018, 02:12 AM   #8
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Questions about robos

There's an article here from someone who had a pair of robos in a detolf and it worked well apparently. Also a link to some sample set ups.

Dashing Hamsters: The Ikea DETOLF Cage
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