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Old 03-20-2017, 10:41 AM   #1
BlueberryJerry05
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Smile How many dwarfs?

I have recently bought two dwarf hamsters named Blueberry and Jerry. They get along just fine and I love them so much that I just want more already. I have a 40 gallon fish tank that I keep them in and I also have a separate cage that is coming soon that will be used as a play pen. My boyfriend and I want to get more but do not know if We can have 4 dwarfs living together. I know that I cannot mix species and they are of the same species that I would be getting. We just want more because of they're unbelievably cute and irresistible.

Last edited by souffle; 03-20-2017 at 11:05 AM. Reason: Please do not request emails
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Old 03-20-2017, 11:19 AM   #2
AmityvilleHams
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Default Re: How many dwarfs?

One hamster per cage regardless of species.It is extremely risky to house any sort of group,and it isn't even natural for same sex pairs or groups to live permanently in the wild together

Separate them as soon as possible even if they're not obviously fighting.Keeping several hamsters together does constantly give stress to both hamsters,and even if they're not outright attacking each other the stress and risk of fighting when you're not around isn't worth it.I know they're adorable,and it may seem cute when they're young and not giving off hormones to make fights more likely,but that is never a reason to take such serious risks with animals I'm sure you love and would never want to get hurt or worse
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Old 03-20-2017, 11:48 AM   #3
Drago
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Default Re: How many dwarfs?

I wouldn't recommend adding any other dwarfies to your group, pairs that haven't been raised up together since they were very young, have little to no chance of ever living together peacefully. Like amity said, pairs are unnatural and it's better for hamsters to live on their own, but if you're set on not separating them, then you'll need to constantly be monitoring them and their behavior. Unfortunately though, a majority of pairs end up falling out If you want to get more hams, simply buy a 40 gallon tank for each hamster you wish to get! Though they're very cute, their well being must be put before convenience, and all decisions must be made in their best interests. Good luck and best wishes
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Old 03-20-2017, 11:54 AM   #4
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Default Re: How many dwarfs?

It's stressful keeping a pair, I just found out. I had 2 female Chinese living together. They didn't fight yet but I felt vibes that they would be happier seperated. One was being territorial, so I split them up. It's a serious thing, keeping pairs cause if they fight you might end up at the vets or they can kill each other.

I don't know if I'd try it again with robos maybe later on but will see? I'd recommend what Amity posted above
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Old 03-20-2017, 12:17 PM   #5
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Default Re: How many dwarfs?

I wouldn't go out and separate them straight away if they are getting along well, especially if you haven't had them long. If you can see they are interacting well together and seem happy together and are growing at the same rate (no obvious size difference), I see no reason to separate them. You do need to take some extra precautions with pairs though.

Make sure there is at least two of everything in the cage and no way for any hamsters to get cornered in any toys or houses. Levels can make them territorial, so remove any of those. Scatter feed to prevent food hogging. You do need to be generous with this. Avoid changing the cage set up unless it really is necessary. Keep an adequately sized back up cage in case you need to separate them at a moment's notice.

If you see that they are no longer happy to living together, separate them even if they aren't fighting. Better safe than sorry. If they do end up fighting, they may need to see a vet to treat injuries, so it helps to have one in place as a precaution.

As for your original question, unless you have a ton of experience with introducing hamsters and keeping them in pairs and have the financial capabilities to care for them, I really would not add to your original hamsters. They need to ideally be litter mates kept together since birth. You can get more hamsters and more cages though.

Good luck with your hamsters !
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Old 03-20-2017, 12:43 PM   #6
cypher
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Default Re: How many dwarfs?

Russians can get on well as a pair if the environment & handling is right so if they get on now then there's no reason to separate them but you definitely can't introduce another hams to them, only siblings that have never been separated should be kept together.
I would just enjoy the two you have, get to know them well first then if you want more & have the space set up another cage for any new hams always bearing in mind that they may need to be separated at some point so you must be prepared with a good cage for each ham just in case.
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Old 03-20-2017, 01:41 PM   #7
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Default Re: How many dwarfs?

I didn't realize that you had a pair happy together right now. I'd give them some time then. Best wishes
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