Hi everyone!

[flowerfairy]

Originally Posted by Gerbil

Hi Rita, Mu and Mel!

Is Mu a robo like Mel? That's a lovely coat colour

I wondered that as well.

[cypher]

Mu looks very much like a Russian ham to me!

[ritacupc4ke]

Originally Posted by Gerbil

Hi Rita, Mu and Mel!

Is Mu a robo like Mel? That's a lovely coat colour

Mu is actually a siberian dwarf hamster!
Thank you, I think he's quite proud of it, haha.

[ritacupc4ke]

Originally Posted by AprilPearl

Welcome your girls are lovely. Particularly like that last photo of Mel! Do they live in the same cage together?

Thank you!
Yeah, they do!
I do get worried though since they sometimes fight when they find each other in each other's way, or when one of them is using the other's particular thing, but I'm trying to duplicate everything, so they can argue less with each other lol.
But other than that, they haven't bitten each other and made blood or anything, so I think that's good. And they do seem happy overall, so I don't know if I'm worrying too much. 😊

If anyone was curious, here's a photo of their cage, I actually made it myself from their former one! I'm really proud of it haha

[AprilPearl]

Just to clarify: is Mel a roborovski? If so, she shouldn’t be living with Mu (assuming Mu is a russian dwarf hybrid or a campbell or WW) as different species should not be kept together.

[AmityvilleHams]

There are unfortunately a few safety issues in the cage.Firstly,levels and modular additions are not suitable for hamsters(especially with pairs,as they can lead to extremely dangerous fighting regardless of whether or not you've seen it yet,although it seems these two need separating regardless being different species).The wheel is a dangerous type as well,you'll need two solid high quality replacement wheels(Silent Runner in the 9 inch size being ideal for any dwarf species including the smallest two species!).

Keep in mind that a "Siberian dwarf" is not a real hamster species You'd have a Russian hybrid,which would need a diabetes friendly diet and its own appropriately sized cage completely separate from your other hamster.

As a bit of a bonus tip,make sure any product used in terms of treats,food,and other ingested items(including houses,as some aren't safe!)is made only from safe natural materials.You'll need to only use products with no unspecified biproducts(such as digest,derivatives,meat and bone meal of any sort,biproduct meal,animal liver or generalized liver in any form,animal fat or generalized fat,etc),no artificial flavors,no artificial colors,no propylene glycol,no sulfur dioxide,no artificial or processed sweeteners(such as dextrose,sorbitol,fructose,maltodextrin,sucrose,an d more)especially with your hybrid who shouldn't have any added sugars at all,no artificial or unspecified preservatives(including BHA/BHT/ethoxyquin which are known to cause cancer,these are also hidden under the "E&C approved" loophole of UK products so be very careful),and make sure nothing ever comes from China(due to extremely poor regulation,products from China aren't safe)or is irradiated.If something will be shared with dogs or cats,it must not have corn,wheat,or ingredients related to either of those things(safe for hamsters,but terrible for dogs and cats among other carnivores).

[cypher]

As AP said a Russian hybrid & A Robo shouldn't be kept together, you've really been lucky so far ritacupc4ke only having minor fights but this can & most likely will escalate with one or both your hamsters being injured or killed at some point so far better to sort things out now & cage them separately as soon as you possibly can for their safety, they will be a lot happier living alone in their own cages.

As has also been said your wheel isn't suitable unfortunately, you must have a solid surface wheel to avoid injury to your hamsters feet & a condition known as bumble foot which can be extremely painful for them.
Mu will probably need a larger wheel than Mel but both would be fine with an 8"/20cm wheel.

Both species love to dig & burrow so even if it's only a simple bin cage try to get or make something for each of them where they can have at least 15cm (preferably more) substrate in the base of the cage.

[Ruth Edwards]

You've worked hard to make your cage, I hope you can perfect it without too much trouble. I'm trying to fix my Daisy's cage today and it's so difficult to do without making hazards for the little chewer.

[Gerbil]

The members here are right, you need to separate those hams immediately. I hope you didn't find my post rude, but as an inexperienced hamster owner I wasn't comfortable mentioning it outright.

It's a shame that your cage isn't suitable as it's clear that you worked hard on it, but I'm sure that you could make a suitable cage, or buy one relatively cheap? Take a look at all the care guides on here and the cage reviews for help

Sometimes I find it easier to put things into small steps when fixing mistakes, so I thought I would just condense down what the others said (and please correct me if I'm wrong, members!):

1. Separate your hams. If you have a travel cage, that would be fine for a day or so whilst you sort out new cages. The most important thing is their safety
2. Buy some good substrate and give them as much as you can fit in for the time being. Carefresh is good but pricey, or fitch if you're in the UK (sorry, I forget where you are.)
Avoid fluffy bedding at all costs - it's the stuff that looks like cotton wool or candyfloss, and it's a pouching/limb-tangling hazard. Lots of members here advocate testing the bedding by running it under water - it should dissolve. For nesting material, unscented toilet roll is great if you tear a little up.
3. Look for alternative cages. There are loads of people who can help you out in the housing section of the forum. Also consider changing wheels at this point.
4. Check their diet - what are you feeding them?

Sorry if this is a bit rambly (rather counter intuitive considering I was trying to 'condense' other members' advice) and, if any of this information is incorrect, I stand corrected!

[CMB]

Whilst the cage isn't perfect. It could be used for one hamster. They do need a cage each though as they are different species. A lot of same species pairs end up having to be separated as they get older as the fights get severe.A new wheel for each hamster will be better for their feet. With a solid running surface.