My boys and girl really want to "get together"!

Esmy · 04-02-2014, 03:54 PM

When I take Penny out for playtime, both Wicket and Gizmo go nuts wanting out. When they are out, Penny goes nuts. I held Penny in a chair next to Gizmo's cage and she sniffed him (not in heat) and really wanted to get closer, and Gizmo started climbing the cage. Does anyone else have this problem with two genders? Thanks!

iCupcake7911 · 04-02-2014, 04:36 PM

Yup, happened with my friend's hamster who was a boy! I was babysitting him and Peanut was going crazy! It was quite amusing seeing Peanut try to escape from the cage!

jemmalg · 04-02-2014, 04:48 PM

Mmhm, same problem here. Not so much with the girls wanting to get to the boys, but Jack has had to be moved to a different room and gets his free ranging time in the hall because he gets so worked up just being in the same room as the girls. He was actually losing condition that's why we moved him. Spencer is fine around the girls though and I know breeders who keep all their hams in one room. Hopefully they'll get used to each other and calm down a bit soon!

Esmy · 04-02-2014, 05:30 PM

It drives me nuts cause it's difficult to bond with them when their only goal is to get away from me and to the other gender. :/ I don't have another room to move them to, to separate because that means I'd have to shut the cats out of two rooms. I've considered moving them all to the bonus room which is much bigger, but I have the television wires I'd have to block off and a treadmill, futon and recliner they could get under if they got loose. The room they are in now has nothing they could get behind or under where I couldn't get to them.

HollyHamster · 04-02-2014, 05:32 PM

That's why I only keep one gender of hamsters, females.

Saves me the headache of trying to keep them from trying to locate each other and mate.

Colby and the Dwarfs · 04-02-2014, 05:38 PM

Haha, I babysat a friend's ham, female, once, and Colby J went crazy! He climbed the silicone in his tank! Silly boy.

I don't have that problem with the dwarfs though, probably wouldn't notice cause they're crazy anyway!

Oh, hammies!

Esmy · 04-02-2014, 05:39 PM

They've never had physical contact but Penny is now 3 mo old and weight 172g. A week ago she was 156g! Seems like she is going to be a big girl. What do you think?

Holly, I definitely know what you mean. I think in the future, I'll only have boys. I love Penny! But my two boys are way more laid back. I'm sure girls could be calm too, but also I wouldn't have to deal with the smell, sorry to say.

Oh Colby, please don't say that! LOL They do have silocone in their tanks. haha Gizmo's mesh top is a bit loose so I may need to put something on top for weight. Not sure he could even slightly move it though..

Hekomi · 04-02-2014, 05:43 PM

I have male dwarfs and a female Syrian. I was only ever worried about a female dwarf, since my boys are paired. They don't care at all about the female lol.

They're all in tanks righto?

Esmy · 04-02-2014, 05:49 PM

I was wondering that, so I know dwarfs and Syrians aren't meant to breed. So they have no interest in one another then?

Penny and Gizmo are in tanks and Wicket is in a wire cage.

Oh and Penny is about 6" long, sometimes 7" when she's moving, but I think she's actually 6", from the several other times I measured. Any good way to accurately measure the length when they are so squirmy?

Hekomi · 04-02-2014, 06:10 PM

Not as far as I could tell. I imagine if one or the other ended up in the other's tank we'd have a problem.

Hmm, the tanks should help block some of the scent but unfortunately it's hard to get rid of entirely. Xelay might have some tips since she keeps both sexes I believe.

Never tried to measure them... maybe hold her up next to a book?