Fighting Sisters

Coco Lulubell · 08-01-2011, 08:50 AM

I have a pair of Winter White sisters and one is scratching and drawing blood from the other. Is there a way to control the fighting or do I have to permanently remove one of the sisters?

souffle · 08-01-2011, 09:04 AM

The general rule is that if blood is drawn they need to be separated. I would separate these two as one will be stressed from bullying anyway and the injuries could get out of hand and much more serious.
Welcome

Gizmo_Gonzalez · 08-01-2011, 09:33 AM

It's such a shame when you have to split them up because in the long run aren't they more likely to become fat and lazy in old age when they're on their own? Still if they're hurting each other that much it's a must.

I separated my boy's the other day for the same reason. Mine weren't drawing blood when they fought but one stopped eating, drinking and playing in the cage so it was a must. I spashed them with water to stop them fighting which worked for a while but in the end they were in a small cage as Gizmo became very teratorial, pushing Gonzales out of both beds, out of 3 food bowls and out of 2 wheels. Did you buy yours at the same time?

Coco Lulubell · 08-02-2011, 05:09 AM

I did buy them at the same time to ensure they were sisters and could live in the same cage. It breaks my heart to separate them. No living thing should have to live on its own. I'm trying an experiment today. I've put them in a smaller, stripped down cage with only food, water and a little bedding. Since there's nothing to fight over, it seems to have calmed them down. They are currently curled up together sleeping. My fingers are crossed.

racinghamster · 08-02-2011, 05:56 AM

It`s worth trying Coco as sometimes they are bickering over cage accessories, but as the others have rightly pointed out, if one is being bitten and attacked, don`t hesitate to split them. Put human feelings aside because hamsters don`t think the way we do remember and I totally understand why you want to keep them as a pair, but even sisters can fall out. Just because they are siblings does`nt always guarantee they will always get on. It`s a shame, but that`s how they live their lives. It`s nature. If the one doing the attacking even starts to chase the other one again, get her out right away and set up a cage for her as she was used to in her old cage, or better still, remove the bully and put HER in a new cage. Why should the bully keep the old habitat?

Hope things settle again, but blood being drawn is usually a bad sign. Fingers crossed for you and your girls.

Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters · 08-02-2011, 08:36 AM

Agreed with that said above Im afraid.

Its for the safety of them both. I had to separate my two WW girls a long time ago for fighting. They werent related but they had been together from a very young age when I got them and lived together for nearly 5 months without issues.
It is very common to have to separate WWs so dont feel bad.