Roborovski help

[Engel]

I may be adopting a pair of female robos from a local rescue. They also have some Syrians. Now I'm pretty knowledgeable about robos but the pairing side of it.

Can robos successfully be kept together? I generally go by the idea that they could but doesn't mean they should. Theyre meant to be a well bonded pair but still quite young. No more than 6 months old.

My questions are: is it possible for them to get on for life and has anybody actually done it?

Whats the likelihood of me needing to split them up?

I may have room for a third cage if they need to be split but unsure.

Any help would be great!!

[sarahbutterflies]

I am going to link 2 threads from the hamster hideout forum that gives a lot of good information about keeping pairs of dwarfs.

http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/topi...s-of-hamsters/

http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/topi...s-of-hamsters/

You are correct though, it is possible to have a pair although not always recommended. It definitely depends based on personality and other factors. You will need to make sure you have a second cage just in case something happens so you can separate them immediately. You will also basically need double of everything since you will be putting 2 hamsters in 1 enclosure which means 2 wheels and double the amount of space. And definitely double check the gender of the hamsters as you don't want an accidental litter. For a Syrian you will already need more space and bigger items.

[cypher]

Robo can be kept in pairs but as they mature they are likely to fall out, females tend to fall out more than males & be more territorial, they're very active little hams & need plenty of space with lots of enrichment but the larger the cage the more chance of them becoming territorial over areas of the cage which can lead to fights.
Personally I think it better to just keep them separately rather than being on constant watch for signs of fighting or or dominance issues like one not being able to get enough food.

[Engel]

Originally Posted by cypher

Robo can be kept in pairs but as they mature they are likely to fall out, females tend to fall out more than males & be more territorial, they're very active little hams & need plenty of space with lots of enrichment but the larger the cage the more chance of them becoming territorial over areas of the cage which can lead to fights.
Personally I think it better to just keep them separately rather than being on constant watch for signs of fighting or or dominance issues like one not being able to get enough food.

I currently have a roborovski so I would like to say I'm familiar with the species. That being said, he is my first and only robo. Because of this I have spares of almost everything.

How can you tell the difference between play and fighting?

If I do adopt them I will probably split them up as even though I know a bit about robos, I still consider myself inexperienced.

Now over 10 years ago I had a Syrian so I know a bit about them too, albeit from child's eyes. I know I'll need a 11"/28cm wheel. I already have bottles, bedding, large bamboo tunnel and cardboard boxes.

[Engel]

Originally Posted by sarahbutterflies

I am going to link 2 threads from the hamster hideout forum that gives a lot of good information about keeping pairs of dwarfs.

Disclaimer on Keeping Pairs of Hamsters - The Different Species - Hamster Hideout Forum

Proper Procedures for Keeping Pairs of Hamsters - The Different Species - Hamster Hideout Forum

You are correct though, it is possible to have a pair although not always recommended. It definitely depends based on personality and other factors. You will need to make sure you have a second cage just in case something happens so you can separate them immediately. You will also basically need double of everything since you will be putting 2 hamsters in 1 enclosure which means 2 wheels and double the amount of space. And definitely double check the gender of the hamsters as you don't want an accidental litter. For a Syrian you will already need more space and bigger items.

Thankfully I have double of almost everything anyway as they're Nikos spares. Only thing I don't have is a second cage.

One apparently is bigger than the other but it doesn't look like much (from photos). The rescue did say that their worlds seem to revolve around each other. Literally do everything together. But could that be due to their age as they're still quite young?

Also thanks for the links I'll look through them now

[AmityvilleHams]

I would split them up regardless of if you see any problems or not. There are too many risks for housing multiple hamsters in the same cage, and it does seem practically inevitable that a pair or group will fall out eventually whether the falling out is mild and not so terrible or an absolute nightmare where possibly severe injuries or even death occur.

I'd like to mention that Syrians really should have a 12 inch/30.48 cm wheel. This size actually fits pretty much any Syrian you could come across, while a 10 or 11 inch wheel would not. The Silent Runner(not Spinner) is an excellent wheel choice whether you get the 9 inch(for dwarf species including robos) or 12 inch(for Syrians). Flying saucer wheels and Silent Spinners however have inherent problems and risks so I'd avoid them along with Silent Spinners often not spinning at all or quickly not being able to spin. Comfort Wheels can be an option(8.5 inch for any dwarf species, 12 inch for Syrians).

[Engel]

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

I would split them up regardless of if you see any problems or not. There are too many risks for housing multiple hamsters in the same cage, and it does seem practically inevitable that a pair or group will fall out eventually whether the falling out is mild and not so terrible or an absolute nightmare where possibly severe injuries or even death occur.

I'd like to mention that Syrians really should have a 12 inch/30.48 cm wheel. This size actually fits pretty much any Syrian you could come across, while a 10 or 11 inch wheel would not. The Silent Runner(not Spinner) is an excellent wheel choice whether you get the 9 inch(for dwarf species including robos) or 12 inch(for Syrians). Flying saucer wheels and Silent Spinners however have inherent problems and risks so I'd avoid them along with Silent Spinners often not spinning at all or quickly not being able to spin. Comfort Wheels can be an option(8.5 inch for any dwarf species, 12 inch for Syrians).

Yeh I was thinking that maybe the case even in a well bonded pair. I've measured everything up and I wouldn't have enough room for a third cage so it's out of the question.

Do Syrians enjoy sand baths or are they more likely to use it as a loo? I'll keep the wheel size in mind.

[cypher]

It can be hard to tell the difference between playing & fighting sometimes so it's as much a case as watching for signs of stress as much as the actual fighting, although dominance issues can escalate at any time & as you can't watch them all the time it is generally better to stick with single hams.
If you're short of space have you thought about stacking cages? Never tried it myself but many people do.

[sarahbutterflies]

I think it would be very apparent if your hamsters were fighting over playing (could be wrong). I’m guessing fighting would look more aggressive and they would look defensive. This sounds stupid but do hamsters really “play” with each other like cats and dogs?

I honestly think your 11” wheel is perfectly fine as long as your hamsters back is not arching, other than that there should be no problem. And Syrians do like sand baths from my experience which is just my current hamster. She likes it so much I designated an area in her cage just for it for digging and I also added coconut fiber because she likes digging. Mine also uses her sand bath as a toilet so that’s convenient. Not sure with specifically robos but I know that dwarfs must have a sand bath to help clean themselves because they can get quite oily.

[Engel]

Originally Posted by cypher

It can be hard to tell the difference between playing & fighting sometimes so it's as much a case as watching for signs of stress as much as the actual fighting, although dominance issues can escalate at any time & as you can't watch them all the time it is generally better to stick with single hams.
If you're short of space have you thought about stacking cages? Never tried it myself but many people do.

I have thought about stacking but last time I stacked bin cages and they caved in under the weight so bit scared about doing it again