? On heat

Holly · 06-12-2007, 02:13 AM

Just wondered if it really is this easy to tell if a female hamster is on heat????

Last night was the third night I've shared a room with our 8 week old female Syrian and Mocha, our seven month old male. They are on opposite sides of the room but can obviously smell each other. I hadn't noticed anything different about Mocha's behaviour since getting the new female - until I switched the light off last night at about 10.30 pm!

They both went nuts

....both of them were running all over thier cages frantically and squeaking (I think it was both of them but it may have just been the female) like a pair of winter whites. Mocha is usually quite laid-back - he was climbing the walls.

Is this likely to be because she was on heat? I moved her in the end and they both settled down....

Basia · 06-12-2007, 02:25 AM

Could well be Holly. If you stroke her back she will stick her tail up in the air.
My males don't seem so bothered any more but they were a bit hyper when I first got Fuzzy which made me think she probably was a girl. She has always been super hyper and so is Berry. They desparately want to come out of their cages whenever they are awake.
Sounds like you are having fun!

souffle · 06-12-2007, 03:43 AM

Sounds like she was for sure. We can always tell when it is one of the girls 'night' as Nelson and Paws are always up and running like crazy on their wheels and acrobating from the roof. Much more active than normal. The females also get up earlier and make a huge effort to escape

Sonni has got out a couple of times and it has always been on her 'night'. Poor Mocha he is desparate

They will lick your hands after handling the girly even if you wash. Nelson and Paws might even try a little mating practice and get IT out which is somewhat embarassing.
The females smell the least on their receptive night we find. (to humans but not boy hammies obviously). I haven't heard them squeak though. Maybe she is in love with Mocha.

The discharge is clear, not sort of sticky yellow liike the other nights.

Holly · 06-12-2007, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by souffle

The females also get up earlier and make a huge effort to escape

Sonni has got out a couple of times and it has always been on her 'night'.

This is what worried me - I put an extra clip on her door, escapes are all the more worrying now

I think I'll move her on these nights - it'll upset both her and Moxy less, I think, if they can't smell each other. Will it now be every 4th night from lat night or can it change???

souffle · 06-12-2007, 05:39 AM

It should be every 4th night but sometimes they do vary a bit and miss a few days. He may just have got the scent now and will settle down once he is used to it.

lau200 · 06-12-2007, 07:51 AM

i have to admit it's difficult for me to tell when my girls are on heat. the only time i did notice was when my robo Urkel was in the same room as them and they both went mad running round and biting the bars and squeaking. since he moved out of that room i can't tell!

Holly · 06-12-2007, 02:42 PM

I'm keeping everything crossed I don't get a repeat performance tonight. I do love having Caramel and Moxy in with me but obviously won't do it if it's upsetting them both....not to mention keeping me awake

Basia · 06-12-2007, 03:12 PM

You called her Caramel - good choice. :P
Hope she doesn't decide to bar chew like Berry. The Rex has made little difference to her bar chewing because she is so big she can easily reach the bars on the top, she also hangs from them like a monkey and when she falls off it's not quiet!
My boys definitely don't react like they did when I first had Fuzzy. I have to say of all of them though, Sid is the worst - perhaps it's a grey thing....

souffle · 06-13-2007, 12:19 AM

If Ours bar chew at the top of the Gabber we put large tiles smooth side down over the platform side and weight them down so they cant get their noses through. They give up eventually!

Holly · 06-13-2007, 02:48 AM

Things were better last night - not a peep out of Caramel, though Mocha has started being a bit naughty again, it seems...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basia

Hope she doesn't decide to bar chew like Berry. The Rex has made little difference to her bar chewing because she is so big she can easily reach the bars on the top, she also hangs from them like a monkey and when she falls off it's not quiet!

Mocha's bar chewing is becoming a problem again, since getting Caramel (well, actually since the night before last). I have been putting heavy books onto the back part of the grill (he can only reach the bars above where the shelf is) and it seemed to deter him for a while. However last night he chewed through one of my books and began gnawing again

It drove me absolutely nuts and I'm ashamed to say that I removed his shelf at about 4am so that I could get some sleep. I've put it back now with some tiles covering the back bit. The problem is I have no means of cutting them to fit in between the bars that run the other way - so they wobble and I think he'll still be able to chew.

I've had what might be a brainwave though:

What about a row of roof runs (do an ebay search - I can't seem to do links today) along the back above the shelf in the Rex? That would be like blocking access to the bars from within rather than without - and give them something extra to play on. I've worked out that you would need six of them to completely cover the shelf area - expensive if it doesn't work out as they are 1.99 each plus postage......