Health or behaviour?? Help please!

[Channyp88]

Help please! My hamster is acting odd but I'm not sure whether is recent events or a health issue.. Sorry for the novel sized post.
Last week me and my husband bought 2 adorable russian dwarf hamsters at the the local pets at home, bought a nice big cage with lots of room to play and explore and loads of toys for them. We took them home and were going to leave them for a day or 2 to settle in but noticed the the wheel wasn't working, as I had my hand in the cage to fix it, Cream (the chunkiest of the pair) just hopped in and wanted to play! They seemed very social but when the other hamster (Cheese) came out of the cage, almost straight away escaped!! Eventually she came back but we noticed even though she was friendly and would go into our hands, she was much more skittish, quick and very jumpy! Cream was very slow and clumsy on the other hand! After a few days, Cheese seemed to really be terrorising poor Cream, making her eat after her (when all the good bits they like had gone from the bowl), chasing her around the cage fast, jumping on her and just generally being dominant, I had to separate them as once Cheese scared cream so much that she had diarrhoea and moved very slowly, very submissively! Once out of the cage, she loved her new surroundings and the spare wheel I had left over from my hedgehog... Played all night! But then today when I went to take her out in the usual way I do ( she is still a new pet, so I allow her to climb in my hand rather than distressing her by picking up) she went for me as if to bite and squealed at me. Then later when I tried again, she just wanted to get away from me, which is so not like her! I was wondering if it might be the change of separation, or maybe she is grumpy in season? I can't tell. I'm taking her the vets on Tuesday as I think she seems too over weight around her face (as if she has pouched, but hasn't) anyway I'm very new to the hamster seen and I'm overprotective, any advice until Tuesday would be appreciated :) thanks

[racinghamster]

Hi Channy, you have been thrown in at the deep end with a pair who seem happy to oblige and one not so! It`s not uncommon for a pair of dwarf hamsters to start bickering once in a new home, new cage, new things to play in/on and one decides she`s going to rule the roost. It usually does end up with a separation sadly and in all honesty, I think you done the right thing by giving them their own space. It saves a lot of stress and time watching over them worrying if and when a big attack is going to happen.

The swelling could be pouched food so keep an eye on this over the weekend. If the swelling goes down, chances are that`s what it is. If not, then yes, probably best to have a vet check her out just in case.

I can see these two have landed on their feet with you. ;) Russian dwarf hamsters can be nippy and quirky, but some can be very happy to be picked up and played with. It`s just some have different characters and I tend to leave them to discover their new territory and make as much mess as they want!

Cheese may feel anxious still with the move and the changes. Is she eating/drinking and running on her wheel, digging about? Watch her eating and doing what hamsters do and decide if both hamsters are acting the same or if Cheese seems more withdrawn or worried. It may be her character, but if something is up with her, she may take a few days to settle again. Welcome by the way. x

[Penguin]

RH pretty much said everything, I am wondering though if you gave them 2 of everything? This may help the problem a bit so that they have less reason to fight

[Pebbles82]

So are they still separated now? I think it sounds like a bit of time with Cream now (is she the one that was removed and put in the new cage or the other way round?) As Penguin says, RH has said it all really and I'm not an expert on dwarf hamsters, but you asked if it could be health or behaviour - (is it Cream, the bullied one we are talking about?) She will be settling into life alone and if it is the bullied one, will maybe still be nervous of anyone coming near her. It it is the one who was dominant maybe she is trying to see you off as well! All I know is that generally, hamsters are much better out of the cage than in the cage when it comes to human contact and handling. They are territorial in their cages and it can take some time for a hamster to accept your hand coming into the cage or coming near them in the cage. After a year I can now lift our Syrian out of his cage, but up till now I have used a tube to lift him out. He wouldn't run at me or see me off any more, but he would run away and hide - now he seems more used to it (or maybe he's just got so old he can't be bothered!).

Anyway if they are now separated it will be a big change for both of them and some adjustment time needed. Maybe use a tube to take her out of the cage - I put the tube in with a treat at the far end and ours walks into it, then I lift the tube out with my hands over each end and carry it somewhere where it's safe for them to come out without escaping or jumping or falling (at the moment it is the sofa with a blanket barricading the edge!).

Mainly though, if it is only a couple of days since the separation, just give them both some space for a few days, then offer a treat through the bars. If no bars then in a tube and try taking her out. If they aren't tame then take the tube to somewhere enclosed, like a large box or the bathtub maybe. I believe hamster balls aren't recommended for dwarf hamsters but I think they are a good way of transporting a hammy from one room to the other - a tube is only for a very short distance really, say from cage to taming box. Before our Syrian was tame I would put the far end of the tube into his hamster ball in the cage and let him walk into the ball then lift him out in that and pop the lid on so I could carry him somewhere safely.

So maybe just avoid any cage cleaning for a week or so, give them a few days space, keep an eye on the face as RH says (if she is anxious she might be hanging on to her pouched food rather than hoarding it somewhere - she might make a hoard somewhere soon and her face go back to normal.

Is there anything in either cage that smells of the other one?