Possible to introduce a friend?

[fluffymunchkins]

We seriously need a hybrid dwarf section :mad:
But Treos more like a campbells so i'll go with that!

Anyway, i think i know the answers i'll get, but i'd be interested to see your opinions and any success stories?

I feel guilty for not getting Treo as a pair and i have heard someone say they introduced a friend later on before :)
I was wondering if i could do this for Treo possibly?
Of course i'd be prepared with two cages and be ready for it not to work.

But its worth a shot i suppose.
So just give me your opinions and please do let me know if you think it'd be a bad idea.
Since Treo is a 'disabled' ham he may be bullied if i paired him up

[Katty_Sheldon]

Personally i think its NOT worth a shot. You will just stress him out. So little "pairs" make it till the end. They usually end up fighting anyways. He will be stressed you are putting an "intruder" in his cage, and get territorial, and they will probably fight (or just get very angry) if you put them together. Everyone writes here that they have to be same age, sex, from the same litter, to know each other since for ever, for that stuff to even remotely work out.
Im totally against:D
You shouldnt feel bad. They are solitary creatures. He has you, and he knows how much you love him without feeling threatened.
Good luck:).

[fluffymunchkins]

Thankyou katty :)
I did have second thoughts after posting the thread but i'd still be interested to see anyone that has introduced anyway since i've posted it!

hes a very human attention seeking ham and i'll be sure to give him all the love he needs :D
I wouldn't want to stress him out unnessesarily

[ms_valentino]

Sorry, but I would like to know the sex of your hammies? I never introduce male and male.. but, I did intro male and female. Dom and Bella at first didn't get along.. As you know that Bella likes to bully Dom, but, after I put Dom inside the cage every few hours and then.. Bella accept Dom inside the cage. May want to try that and see if its work? :)

[internet_nobody]

They definitely aren't solitary creatures, they thrive on being part of a family group, and would defend their territory against any intruder. This instinct is quite strong, and so normally if a hamster has been alone for some time it gets used to that idea and no longer sees others as potential family members, but as invaders. With campbells, it is normally very easy to introduce a baby to an adult (either male to male or female to female), but winter whites can be more variable - generally hamsters under 8 weeks will take a baby friend, and hamsters over 18 months or so will also accept a newbie. Because of the differences, it isn't worth the risk of introducing a new buddy to a hamster that may be hybrid, you don't know if they will react like a campbell or like a WW.

[Hope]

Argh!! I could have sworn that I posted a reply here????

But apparently not??? :-?

Well what I basically said that as treo only has three legs would this make him more of a target for bulling and fighting if a 'normal' cage mate were to be introduced.

IN has also posted very intersting info about how ww and campbells act differently and so with a hybrid you would not be certian which one you would get!?

[fluffymunchkins]

ah thankyou all, thats very interesting to know I_N :)
BTW Treos a male ms valentino!

[ms_valentino]

oic, maybe you can put the other one for awhile and monitor how it goes.. when the action of bullying happens, take the other out and left Treos alone for a moment to avoid stress. And then you try again in the next day and monitor again.. I kept doing that for Dom and Bella, they are okay right now. But, I still took out Dom sometimes.

Good luck :)

[internet_nobody]

Introducing a male and female is completely different. If Bella attacks Dom it is likely to be because she is fed up of him trying to mate. Regularly swapping hamsters between being single and being in a pair isn't fair to them.

I don't think Treo having 3 legs would necessarily mark him out as weaker and a target for bullying, a friend of mine had a 3 legged ham who was definitely the boss of his 4 legged Dad...i'm not sure they always notice things like that :P

[princess-rhi89]

I don't think Treo having 3 legs would necessarily mark him out as weaker and a target for bullying, a friend of mine had a 3 legged ham who was definitely the boss of his 4 legged Dad...i'm not sure they always notice things like that :P

I wish all humans could be like this, cosmetic value isn't an issue in our little hammies world, maybe thats why we love them so much. Its a shame some people couldn't take a leaf out of our hammies book, Im sure it would make the world a much nicer place to live. :)

FM - Goodluck with whatever you decide, Im sure you will make the best choice for Treo :) xx

[Hope]

Introducing a male and female is completely different. If Bella attacks Dom it is likely to be because she is fed up of him trying to mate. Regularly swapping hamsters between being single and being in a pair isn't fair to them.

I don't think Treo having 3 legs would necessarily mark him out as weaker and a target for bullying, a friend of mine had a 3 legged ham who was definitely the boss of his 4 legged Dad...i'm not sure they always notice things like that :P

I wish all humans could be like this, cosmetic value isn't an issue in our little hammies world, maybe thats why we love them so much. Its a shame some people couldn't take a leaf out of our hammies book, Im sure it would make the world a much nicer place to live. :)

FM - Goodluck with whatever you decide, Im sure you will make the best choice for Treo :) xx


It certainly would be Rhi! :-)

Animals dont care if you have greasy hair one day, a big spot on your chin and wearing stupid slippers, they just see you for you :-)

[fluffymunchkins]

If i'm able to get an imac fantasy for treo i will consider trying an introduction, as that will be an easy cage for seperation :)
But i wouldn't expect it to work so i would get another ham with the intention of keeping them seperate!

[annie81]

to be honest i wouldnt try...treo is happy as he is. there is no need to stress him out in my opinion

[Hope]

If i'm able to get an imac fantasy for treo i will consider trying an introduction, as that will be an easy cage for seperation :)
But i wouldn't expect it to work so i would get another ham with the intention of keeping them seperate!

You just want an excuse to buy an Imac Fantasy!1 ;-)

[fluffymunchkins]

no8-[...:mrgreen:
I'm possibly getting a perfecto tank off a MAH forum member anyways!

[Hope]

Oh sounds exciting!!

And just who will be going there Mel . . . ?! :-)

[fluffymunchkins]

in theory its just Treos holiday cage cause the cabinet cage is too big to take to my grandmas, but whos know after that :mad:

It would be vectishams if your wondering :)

[Hope]

Ah!! I meant who would be going in it - sorry I didnt really make any sense did I?!

Thought that you were getting another hammy , . . . .!!!

Those tanks are quite heavy though for transporting about - mine weighs a ton!

[fluffymunchkins]

yh lol i answerd both hammies and the person cause i wasn't sure :mad:
They are heavy but not as heavy as a tv cabinet :D

Its only £15 plus an offer to cuddle the dorley chinese babies, so i can't refuse ;)

[Hope]

yh lol i answerd both hammies and the person cause i wasn't sure :mad:
They are heavy but not as heavy as a tv cabinet :D

This is very true!! :-D

Its only £15 plus an offer to cuddle the dorley chinese babies, so i can't refuse ;)

Well, snuggles with chinese babies seals the deal then!! Sounds like a bargain to me! :-)

[Evangeline]

Im not saying do it, but I introduced my 2 males together. They are brothers but one was in one cage and the other was in a cage on his own as they had just sold 2 while I was waiting for mine. So I chose one from one cage and got the boy who was on his own.
It was a litter of 6 so had 3 in each cage as they only keep them in small cages.

Everytime I go in to get Russians too they have all gone. Does anyone know a breeder near Paignton or in the South West so I know what I am getting rather than maybe a campbells, maybe a ww or maybe a hybrid. I would like to know what I have got.

[eye of the divine]

If your concerened about bullying why not try and find another ham with three legs? That way they start equally and see how it goes from there?

[internet_nobody]

Everytime I go in to get Russians too they have all gone. Does anyone know a breeder near Paignton or in the South West so I know what I am getting rather than maybe a campbells, maybe a ww or maybe a hybrid. I would like to know what I have got.

There is a show every year in Dawlish where there will be babies for sale. Unfortunately the lady who lived in Dawlish and started off the show passed away earlier in the year, so I think your other nearest breeders would now be Bath/Bristol area. There is currently a show booked in at the Game & Country fair at Powderham Castle in September.