Lots of questions: George and Martha (Chinese)

[GeorgeandMartha]

Okay this might be a lot at once but I’m gonna go for it anyway.

Hi,

I purchased two hams from a pet store on Feb 22, 2019. The store owner called them Chinese hamsters and said they were social and loved to be together. Thus far, this has been accurate. I’ve had them for 9 weeks now, and they do everything together- eat, sleep, play, even share a wheel when there is two for them to use. They have a good sized bucket cage and we’re currently working on an addition. 8/10 times I check on them they are cuddling, occasionally they’ll be separated but not often. I measured both today and they’re around 4inches. I’m assuming they’re a minimum of 12 weeks old, because they’ve only grown slightly since I got them.

I stumbled across an article last night saying that Chinese hams can become very territorial and can even fight to the death. Obviously I want to avoid that, but it seems premature to separate them when they are showing zero signs of aggression (tho I am going to purchase a pet cam for nights to make 100% sure)

Im not sure on the sex of either so I’ll take them to the vet to check (I’ll also post pictures if anyone has an idea)

So here are my questions:

1. Are these guys for sure Chinese hams?
2. Can you tell the sex?
3. Should I separate them if they get along, and seem to enjoy each others company?
4. If they are gonna get territorial, what age would that be? In months
5. Has anyone successfully housed two Chinese hams together?

Keep in mind, they came as a pair- and are quite possibly siblings.



Thanks!

[mangoandmimi]

Yes they are chinese & male. You do need to separate them ASAP. Chinese hams are solitary and are almost definitely going to start showing signs of dominance somewhere along the line, usually when they mature. Previously some people have managed to keep them together but the success rate was so low that they’re now considered to be solitary. Fights can break out at any time - May be this week or in a few months, progressive or a sudden change for the worst so it is always better to separate earlier rather than later. They will not be thriving off each other’s company as they are not social animals, regardless of whether they sleep or eat together as plenty of hams will do that before or even during a fall out.

[Fluffagrams]

Whilst some people do manage to keep Chinese Hamsters in pairs, that tends to be in the minority and most will fall out at some point. Experienced breeders have found that success rates are higher in smaller cages, without levels or food bowls and hides will need more than one entrance to prevent one being cornered by another.

The longest I managed to keep a pair was about 6 months and they were allegedly brothers. When thy fell out it was sudden and had someone not been around to separate them straightaway, it could have resulted in death. As it was, one of them ended up scarred for life. On the other hand I’ve heard of siblings fall out as young as five weeks old with permanent damage so there really is no way of knowing.

I had to separate two lads from my last litter at seven weeks old after Alex started bullying Jack. There were only subtle signs that something was going on but once they were separated Alex seemed to miss his brother a bit but soon settled and Jack soon felt more confident so it really is for the best that separation occurs sooner rather than later as earlier separation can save hamsters from serious injury.