[robolove]

I posted this in another forum but thought I'd try here too:

My winter white hamsters, Oatmeal and Flaxseed, have been living together since they were born. They are about 3 months old now.

Two nights ago, Oatmeal escaped from her cage and I finally managed to find her hiding in a cupboard after searching for almost 8 hours nonstop (!! It was like spring cleaning came early, literally moved all the shelves and cleaned out every nook and corner). When I put her back in the cage, the two of them started fighting and don't seem to recognize each other anymore. I did change the bedding while Oatmeal was gone because I turned out the entire cage to make sure she's not still in it.

I have a spare cage so I can keep them separate, but does anyone have experience/an explanation for why they forgot each other so quickly? On hindsight I shouldn't have changed the bedding because the new bedding might have covered their scents and that might be why they don't recognize each other anymore. But is it really that or something else?

Or are there any protocols that should be observed when reintroducing an escaped hamster back into the cage?

I would appreciate any insight/ideas on why this may have happened, thank you!