Multiple hamster owners: where do you keep your cages?

halloumi · 03-21-2019, 03:01 PM

I am pretty certain I will only get one Syrian for the moment, but on the off-chance that I am tempted by a second hamster (maybe a Dwarf

) in the future, I'm curious to hear about your multiple cage set-ups!

How close do you typically think is healthy for two hammies' cages?

Have you found a particular piece of furniture that holds two cages well?

(Also, when you have multiple hamsters, do you ensure you have washed your hands/changed clothes between each ham, or do you find this doesn't matter so much if they can smell another ham on you?)

Thanks!

alpacassei · 03-21-2019, 09:56 PM

I can’t get a photo of my cages right now (too dark) but I have some cages stacked and other cages next to eachother. Most of my hamsters aren’t bothered by the scent of eachother except for Stormy and Flurry (two of my Russian dwarf girls) so I keep them further apart and don’t handle them one after the other. They’re both fine being near other hamsters, just not eachother.

My hamsters are used to the smell of eachother so unless one of them is in heat or has been scenting alot I dont usually wash my hands between handling them (unless its Flurry and Stormy for the above reasons) but I don’t usually handle multiple hamsters consecutively since theyre awake at different times in the day.

Fluffagrams · 03-22-2019, 02:12 AM

I've got my 10 cages on a shelving unit and there's usually a gap of 5-10cm between each cage on a shelf and my hamsters aren't really bothered by this arrangement as this is all they've known. To make things easier on them I pair each hamster with a regular 'shelf mate' so that they get to know the hamsters that they live the closest to.

Because they live in such close proximity, once out of quarantine, I don't tend to wash my hands between handling each hamster unless one has licked me, peed on my hand or something like that.

halloumi · 03-22-2019, 04:24 AM

Ah that sounds really convenient! This would be no different with Syrians, re: housing close to each other, handling without washing hands inbetween?

alpacassei · 03-22-2019, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by halloumi

Ah that sounds really convenient! This would be no different with Syrians, re: housing close to each other, handling without washing hands inbetween?

Yes! My male Syrians are completely fine with their cages being close and eachothers smell on my hands etc

halloumi · 03-22-2019, 08:20 AM

Great! When it comes to cages that are as much as 100cm long, does anyone have any ideas on how you could house them together on a unit? Like a space-efficient way of having two long cages like that?

My Syrian will be on an Ikea Kallax 4x2 unit, and I feel like bookcases must be really tricky for such long cages. Just trying to brainstorm for if I start craving a dwarf or second syrian hahah

EmmaAndChester · 03-22-2019, 01:29 PM

You could convert the kallax into a cage, if you were feeling up to it. The 4 x 2 kallax, even when converted into an enclosure, can hold the weight of a detolf perfectly fine. I've attached an (outdated) pic of two of my enclosures; both hold dwarf hamsters, if you were wondering. I usually have 4-5 hamsters (3-4 dwarfs, only ever 1 syrian) in this room at any one time. There's an 8ft long syrian set up to the right of the kallax, and beside that there's another dwarf set-up. The only issue I had is when we had a mite outbreak; it spread like wildfire.

I've never had any problems keeping opposite sex dwarf hamsters in close proximity, but when I did keep multiple syrians, I've found that having a female drove the male crazy - and they were opposite sides to another, but that's just been my experience.

eta; my current dwarf hamsters are four female winter whites (so all same species, same sex) but I have had opposite-sex-same-species in the past, and never had any problems with the dwarf hamsters; just the syrians.

halloumi · 03-22-2019, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmmaAndChester

You could convert the kallax into a cage, if you were feeling up to it. The 4 x 2 kallax, even when converted into an enclosure, can hold the weight of a detolf perfectly fine. I've attached an (outdated) pic of two of my enclosures; both hold dwarf hamsters, if you were wondering. I usually have 4-5 hamsters (3-4 dwarfs, only ever 1 syrian) in this room at any one time. There's an 8ft long syrian set up to the right of the kallax, and beside that there's another dwarf set-up. The only issue I had is when we had a mite outbreak; it spread like wildfire.

I've never had any problems keeping opposite sex dwarf hamsters in close proximity, but when I did keep multiple syrians, I've found that having a female drove the male crazy - and they were opposite sides to another, but that's just been my experience.

eta; my current dwarf hamsters are four female winter whites (so all same species, same sex) but I have had opposite-sex-same-species in the past, and never had any problems with the dwarf hamsters; just the syrians.

That's an amazing set-up! I have seen some amazing Ikea furniture hacks and would definitely like to (hire someone to lol) build one when I'm in a mortgaged home. But as I am renting at the moment, swapping around as I please, I am sticking to fairly light-weight cages and just solid furniture to keep them on (I'm going to be getting a Duna Maxi Multy for a Syrian, and probably for a Dwarf too if I do decide to get one).

I am just really anticipating my Syrian to be born and as a result I am daydreaming of having a pair of hammies, but tbh I'm sure once he arrives I will be more than content with just him! It's great to see how people lay out their cages, though, as I know somewhere down the line I will definitely definitely be tempted

hisnameispip · 03-22-2019, 05:18 PM

I have Pip's bin cage and my 20-gallon gerbil tank sitting next to each other on a 4x2 Kallax unit, I use the storage underneath to keep pet supplies, books, clothes, etc. in the cloth bins that Ikea sells (idk what they're called)

Pebbles82 · 03-22-2019, 08:47 PM

I only have two hamsters, so not multiple really. They are only in separate rooms because we planned to do some renovation work so Newt started out in a downstairs bedroom rather than the living room. The work didn't get done lol - so when we got Nugget he went into the living room. I would have them both in the living room but they don't like change and being moved and if we ever get the work done Nugget will need to be moved to another room so might as well leave Newt where he is.

But - if they were both in the same room, a coffee table is sometimes good for stacking two cages, if it's tall enough - one on top and one underneath on the floor.

Have you already got the detolf and Kallax unit? The one underneath would need to be something with a front opening door like the Hamster Heaven.