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Old 07-09-2017, 02:19 AM   #1
Goldenstar
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Default Other animals?

I currently have a Syrian hamster and I'm planning to move into a new cage (in about a weeks time) and my sister asked if we could put a couple of dwarf hamsters in the old one just so it wasn't just sitting in a corner and getting dusty. (Plus we love dwarf hamsters)

So, would it be okay if dwarves and a Syrian lived in the same room but not in the same cage?

I know should this should be probably somewhere else but I thought since it's about living situations then it would be okay...
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Old 07-09-2017, 02:45 AM   #2
SabreRose
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Default Re: Other animals?

It's fine to keep them in the same room. My Syrian and dwarf live in the same room and they're both fine.

Just make sure if you are getting two dwarfs that you have an extra spare cage invade they start fighting.
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Old 07-09-2017, 03:03 AM   #3
cypher
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Default Re: Other animals?

What cage do you currently have your syrian in?
It's fine to have dwarf & syrian hams in the same room that shouldn't be a problem at all but dwarf hams do still need space, they are very active little things, still need a big enough wheel (20cm usually) so you have quite a bit to fit in the cage in spite of their size.
Pairs do generally get on better in a slightly smaller cage than a single dwarf as it gives them less to become territorial over but many pairs fight as they mature & do need to be separated which would leave you needing two cages, possibly slighter larger than the one you have now.
You need that spare cage ready from the start really too as fighting can break out at any time & escalate quickly.
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Old 07-09-2017, 05:44 AM   #4
Goldenstar
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Default Re: Other animals?

Quote:
Originally Posted by cypher View Post
What cage do you currently have your syrian in?
It's fine to have dwarf & syrian hams in the same room that shouldn't be a problem at all but dwarf hams do still need space, they are very active little things, still need a big enough wheel (20cm usually) so you have quite a bit to fit in the cage in spite of their size.
Pairs do generally get on better in a slightly smaller cage than a single dwarf as it gives them less to become territorial over but many pairs fight as they mature & do need to be separated which would leave you needing two cages, possibly slighter larger than the one you have now.
You need that spare cage ready from the start really too as fighting can break out at any time & escalate quickly.



This is the cage I currently have, is it okay? Is it better for one or two dwarves? or is it not suitable?

I know there isn't a lot of toys inside but that's because she gets stressed if her space is cluttered with stuff. I place her in a sperate box with toys for to play with.

Last edited by Goldenstar; 07-09-2017 at 06:02 AM.
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Old 07-09-2017, 05:53 AM   #5
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Default Re: Other animals?

Hi, I'd sterilize the tank with vinegar, to get rid of the smell of the Syrian. I have a spray bottles myself, anyways have 1 Syrian & 6 dwarves in one room currently.

The only problem I ran into was when I put a male & female robos side by side. That did not work. The female started acting very different, so I had to take the male out of the room.
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Old 07-09-2017, 06:00 AM   #6
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Other animals?

It's hard to tell from the photos what size it is but I'm guessing about 50cm? Which is a bit on the small side. The RSPCA used to have some recommended minimum sizes, which people tend to go by. For a Syrian it was at least 80cm by 50cm. For a single dwarf hamster it was 70cm by 40cm and for a pair of dwarf hamsters, the same as for a Syrian 80cm by 50cm. As Cypher says, a very large cage doesn't always work for a pair of dwarf hamsters, but it does need to be big enough to fit two of everything inside, and that is really important when you have a pair. So two houses, two wheels, two food bowls, two water bottles - and no shelves or levels (shelves can encourage one to get territorial). Houses ideally with two entrances. And still have enough floor space for them to run around and dig in. Even to the point of not handling one more than the other or giving one out of cage time more than the other.

Keeping a pair is lovely but many people end up having to separate them due to fighting - and they can seriously maim or kill if fighting starts. They may be ok at first, but as they get older and hormones kick in, falling out gets more likely. Also a pair needs to be siblings - either two brothers or two sisters. And many people, unfortunately, get sold a pair who have been sexed incorrectly and end up with babies - which means a lot more cages to find, before you can find homes for the babies. So it is something to be considered very carefully and with plenty of research.

I would suggest if you haven't had dwarf hamsters before it would be best to just get one. Depending on the actual size of that cage, it might be ok for one dwarf hamster, but you might need to upgrade it if you get a dwarf hamster who needs more space - they do vary in personality.

It's fine keeping them in the same room. One thing that hamsters don't handle well though, is having their environment changed - eg moving the cage to a different room or even a different location in the same room - this can trigger a lot of stress behaviours. So best to leave a cage where it is, once a hamster has settled in. So if you get a new cage for your Syrian, ideally put it in the same place as the old cage was. Then find somewhere to put the smaller cage if you're getting a dwarf hammy.

It might be an idea to hang fire and just get the Syrian settled and tamed first Your old cage can be very useful. As somewhere to put the Syrian when you need to do a cage clean (eg as a play cage), or as a holiday cage, if you ever need to take your hamster with you if you go on holiday - it is something small enough to transport with you and ok for a week or so if set up with familiar things from the main cage.
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Old 07-09-2017, 06:13 AM   #7
AprilPearl
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Default Re: Other animals?

That looks to be the P@H large wire cage which I happen to own as an emergency travel cage and it is 59cm X 38cm X 30cm. So, I'd say it's too small. Plus, it will be hard to fit two wheels of the correct size in there.
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Old 07-09-2017, 06:16 AM   #8
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Other animals?

If it is that one it's a good size for a holiday cage! And would be a good starter cage for a dwarf hamster, but you would need to be prepared to need to upgrade for a bigger one. I would keep it as a play cage/holiday cage. Or - if it is from pets at home - take it back for a refund when your new cage comes Some members have done this saying it's not big enough/suitable for their hamster, even after it has been used. That would help towards the cost of a new one.
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Old 07-09-2017, 06:24 AM   #9
cypher
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Default Re: Other animals?

It does look small & if it is the one April mentioned then I would say too small, check the bar spacing as well as the cage size btw if you're thinking of getting a dwarf ham, 1cm is the max you want it to be.
If the bar spacing is ok you could use it as a starter cage but most dwarf hams would need more space than that.
If you are quite new to dwarf hams or inexperienced I would definitely recommend only getting one, they are quite happy living alone & it's a lot less stressful than having to watch for signs that they may be falling out before it gets too late!
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Old 07-09-2017, 06:33 AM   #10
Goldenstar
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Default Re: Other animals?

If I was to buy a dwarf hamster I would only get one due to never having any before and the possibility of fighting. The cage is from Pets At Home and is the medium size (I never bought the cage, it was given to me along with my hamster). The 80x50x50 was the Savic Hamster Heaven Metro Cage but now looking at the Alaska Hamster Cage I think I'll be going for that one as it's much cheaper and is a little bigger.

I'm not wanting to buy another cage because my mum is very difficult to work with and I know she would hate the idea of having three cages in the house. So, it looks like I am unable to get a dwarf hamster but the advice on the cage and wheel were perfect and I plan to buy both
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