Welcome home, Fink and Cranor!

[coreygeit]

so a couple hours ago i went with my mum and brother to the pet store and adopted two 9 week old russian hybrid boys! cranor is attatched in a photo, a lovely baige colour and fink has a nice brown coat, however he has been too lively to hold/take photos of.. I went to pets at home to adopt these babies, the person selling me them was very nice and was telling me all the correct information and told me he was very happy to give these hamsters to someone like me because i have a lot of knowledge!

they have a 100x50cm home with two wheels, water bottles, bowls, and hideouts (and of course a nice array of toys). the bedding is megazorb and 3-4 inches deep (the rocks have been in the dishwasher, they are clean!) the wooden walls are varnished with plastikote. there is a sand bath with chinchilla sand and a litter tray with recycled paper based bedding, 'back-2-nature'.

i have a couple quesions!

1) i think Cranor is deaf! his ears do not react when i kiss my teeth, and i have a mild cough but whenever i cough he pays no attention? fink flinches at both of these.
2) Cranor is also making small squeaky noises and i cannot help but worry!
3) could i also have a list of normal behaviours? these are my first russians and even thiugh i have researched for MONTHS im still very anxious!

thank you so much!! i will post photos when i get some!

[CMB]

Hope they settle in well. The igloo and wooden house may need replacing. Hides are better with two exits when keeping more than one hamster so one hamster can't stop the other from coming and going.

A cardboard box house open at the bottom with two holes cut in will be ok. Bendy bridges can make a nice nest and if positioned right will have two exits.

Cranor could just be more confident, so less startled by noises.

I haven't had a pair of dwarfs, but they should eat, drink, explore, dig. They may have minor squabbles and then be ok. But if bullying happens or one bites causing bleeding they would be better off living in their own cage.

They will be fine living separately.

[coreygeit]

Originally Posted by CMB

Hope they settle in well. The igloo and wooden house may need replacing. Hides are better with two exits when keeping more than one hamster so one hamster can't stop the other from coming and going.

A cardboard box house open at the bottom with two holes cut in will be ok. Bendy bridges can make a nice nest and if positioned right will have two exits.

Cranor could just be more confident, so less startled by noises.

I haven't had a pair of dwarfs, but they should eat, drink, explore, dig. They may have minor squabbles and then be ok. But if bullying happens or one bites causing bleeding they would be better off living in their own cage.

They will be fine living separately.

thank you for the advice! i had been told about the two way houses but it slipped my mind - i will definitely change those

i am very prepared for if they fight, everyone is ready for it to happen as we do not want to set our expectations too high have and have a bit of a shock. we have a spare cage.

about Cranor, that could also explain it haha

thanks for the advice!

[CMB]

Good to know you have a spare cage ready in case. You may want to let them settle in a while before starting taming.

[cypher]

Congrats on Fink and Cranor.

The cage does look nice but the houses do need to be changed & I would remove that climbing thing on the right of the photo, they could fall from that & hurt themselves, they really need solid ladders like the bendy bridges rather than open rung ladders which can be difficult for them.

[Thin Lizzy]

What a beautiful duo! Bendy bridges are brilliant, you can get various sizes and bend them to fit in.
Are there reasons on the choice of names Fink & Cranor?

[coreygeit]

Originally Posted by Thin Lizzy

What a beautiful duo! Bendy bridges are brilliant, you can get various sizes and bend them to fit in.
Are there reasons on the choice of names Fink & Cranor?

Yes! Named after Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor, co-writers of a podcast called Night vale