strange sleeping arrangement

[winters]

My 2 winter whites love to sleep like this !! They are content and happy, not fighting. They have all these lovely sleeping dens and deep bedding everywhere but they have to cram themselves on top of one another in a tube to sleep...strange. Any thoughts ?

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[Winterwhitelilo]

So cute, haha :D

When my girls were together, they slept on top of each other like that too :) I'm curious what the pros say about tubes though. Some hams get territorial over them so I'd keep an eye on that. As far as I know, this sleeping arrangement is okay.

[cactus]

That's so cute! They look so snuggly and comfortable together there :)

[caro317]

Haha how funny! I think they look happy but yes keep an eye on them in case they start to fight over the space. Hopefully you've still got their first cage handy in case they need to be separated suddenly. I'm sure they'll be fine though :)

[winters]

I do have the first cage available still, so that shouldn't be a problem. I know it could happen, but I would hate for them to fight :( Right now they are so affectionate to each other aside from those 2 spats. They are rubbing their heads on each other and seem to truly enjoy each others company ! I will take the colorful tubes out and put the original ones back on as soon as I get a couple more long ones. The ones that came with the cage are wider and they cannot climb them straight up, so I will angle both sides, one forward, one backward and a long piece over the cage with the extra dens. Will make pics once its done ;)

[The Hamster's family]

If you want to maximise your chances of keeping a group togeter, few things can be usefull : no levels, no "sections"/modular set-ups, everything you put in all has need to have one (2 water bottles, 2 houses, to bendy bridges, 2 wheels, 2 flying saucers, 2 sand baths, etc...) and houses need to have at least 2 entrances/exits, no food bowl... Few other things but that is a good start. I have 3 groups right now and males are usually (here anyway) harder to keep settled because of hormones. That being said, females can also fall out and to set a cage properly can help avoid separating.

Do you have a picture of your girls's set up ?? They look very cute all snuggled up by the way !!

[HollyHamster]

Like previously mentioned, pairs and groups of dwarf hams should be kept on a single level, non modular cage with two (or more) of everything. This will minimize the risk of a fallout after the hams hit puberty. That's when their instincts to go out and establish a place of their own kick in, especially in males.

I also suggest scatter feeding the hams, rather than using bowls as one can get territorial about a bowl and the other(s) will not be able to feed properly.

The best cage for a pair or groups is a large bin cage. There are plenty of online guides on how to make one, and they are cheap to boot! So there really isn't an excuse not to make one if the need arises.

If they do start to fallout, separate them when you see the first signs of blood being drawn. At this point they are obviously not getting along and will need to live solitary lives for the betterment of their own health, and the health of the other(s).

[winters]

I do have a large cage and purchased matching tubes and dens. If need be, I take off the tubes and make sort of a play pen out of them. If the two will start to fight and not get along, they will be separated. For now they seek each other out and do everything together. I know this may not last, though...