Syrian love

Hamster Dragon · 11-30-2005, 01:48 PM

If anybody here has any stories of a pair or more of Syrian hamsters in one cage who get along it would be great to hear some please

Skwee · 11-30-2005, 03:55 PM

I do but I only had them together for one day and I knew the risks and they were both still young and would have lived happily together I'm sure but I think we may have had an undesirable amount of babies

I never got any photos but if anyone wants a video sent by MSN just say so (you need QuickTime to play them)

They were called Sonny (my Black Syrian male) and Honey (my Black Eyed Cream female)

Even though they were both 9 weeks old they just never seemed interested in mating. They were introduced through the bars out of interest as they kepts coming forward to listen and i thought they were going to attack and so lept back and had to ask myself if i really thought they were attacking so tried again and they were licking each other so I got Sonny out and let them sniff by holding them tightly facing each other and they totally adored each other!!

I let them run about on the floor together and they raced arond each other and played leap frog and made each other jump and hop and so i put them in Sonny's huge 3 level (not including base) cage and i sat to watch with my hand in the cage at the ready.

You know what they did?

They spent the next 6 hours running in the wheel together! or trying to

one or the other always fell out as there wasnt enough room in the SS for two adult sized syrians!! in the Safari Wheel however they learnt the art of running one behind the other!!! (it was their wheel antics i was filming)

And then after taking turns to drink, get treats and eat i decided to leave them to it for a few hours.

I came back to check with my heart in my mouth and couldnt find either!! I was completely terrified thinking they had killed each other but when i called them what did i see?

A cream and a black head both poking out one giant nest. I was almost crying it was so cute!!!

I seperated them the next day as Honey was going to live at my friends house... was sad to see them seperated and Sonny kept calling for her

Honey never did get pregnant but went on to have a litter later on just as Sonny went on to father a different litter.

It was completely irresponsible of me to even try it! Especially as they could have mated (not that we minded) but we didn't even think about the genetics. We were however aware of the whole 'solitary Syrians' thing but they did get on ever so well!

I think it had a lot to do with the fact that they were both so young and that Sonny was such a laid back and submissive boy. Honey was adorably friendly but as soon as she went to her new home away from him she became a holy terror biting everyone!

REALLY don't advise doing this

cute or not!

I was wrong! i know it!

flogging_molly · 11-30-2005, 05:06 PM

i am sure you sent me a picture of Sonny trying to "mount" Honey whilst she was running in her wheel, was very funny.

Emma · 11-30-2005, 05:10 PM

I've only heard other people's stories of syrians living together ok (and not many of them.....) but I've seen first hand quite a few hamsters bought to the vets with injuries from fighting with syrians they were put together with. Several needed to be anaesthetised to be stitched up.

I've often had more than one syrian at a time in seperate exercise balls running in the same room - they never seem aggressive to each other when they meet "through the balls", but I've never taken the risk on actually letting them have contact. I don't think it's worth it.

Skwee · 12-01-2005, 12:00 AM

Debs, I know what it looks like..

, but that photo was what you call seriously bad timing!! I tried to take it just as Snny was running in the wheel behind Honey but she sped up with made him fall on top of her just as I took the photo, he just rolled off and then waited to get back into the wheel again.

Skwee · 12-01-2005, 12:15 AM

Debs, I was just looking at that photo that you said Sonny was mating with Honey in and they aren't because you can see by their legs that they are still moving in the wheel and you can still see Honey's tail and Sonny's tail is stuck up in the air because he has just fallen.

**babyboos** · 12-01-2005, 12:48 AM

I would say if it were ever to be possible then two males rather than a mixed sex or female pair would be most "successful". Females are very territorial and with a 4 day gap between seasons I just cannot see a harmonious match there. In nature they have huge territories belonging to them which they defend fiercly, only allowing males on to service them and then chasing them away again. Males tend to roam around more so a special pair *MAY* possibly stay together if given free run of an entire bedroom or something, but really it just isn't worth the risk as one blow can kill a hamster and you can't watch them 24/7 or even intervene quick enough if an attack does occur.

I have heard stories of people keeping them together - sometimes two hamsters have been "running on" which is what we call the same sex babies when they are still iving together after weaning. They claim they are happy and healthy, but they are not, they are stressed and this is demonstrated by massive growth spurts when finally seperated. Plus like Emma I have seen the disgusting injuries which they can inflict on each other, and people just don't seem to notice the sores hiding underneath the hair, it is like they are blinkered so they don't have to contemplate that their little fluffies are not as sweet and innocent as they look.

furrynavel · 12-01-2005, 08:52 AM

Years ago my friend bought two syrian sisters to keep in the one cage. No matter what I told her she would not listen. The pet shop had told her they would be fine as they were from the same litter and they would get on great. I could not believe that and told her she was being very irresponsible.

I told her to buy another cage for when they started fighting, but she wouldn't as it would cost too much money.

Of course, a couple of weeks down the line I got a frantic phone call, she wanted to borrow a cage as one was being so badly bullied ans attacked she thought she would die.

When they were seperated the smaller, weaker one doubled in size so quickly and they both settled down to live long and happy seperate lives.

souffle · 12-02-2005, 01:06 AM

I have seen youngsters live together up to 10 weeks or so and have heard of a mother with a daughter living together but I wouldn't risk trying it as Syrians are solitary by instinct and it would be too risky

Skwee · 12-02-2005, 06:32 AM

I wouldnt ever advise it and if anything i insist im completely against it. At the moment we have 3 sibling females living together and they are over 10 weeks old now, they weren't the only girls but they bonded so well and for some reason they all seemed to act younger than they are... but for now they are getting on. Not to say we dont check them all the time... even under the fur and watch out for bullying but they live together like babies.