Shall I separate my robo hamsters? - Page 2

DebiT · 08-28-2015, 04:04 AM

I have a 10mm piece of board cut to size ready just in case it is needed in a hurry! Although I agree that they are probably still adjusting to their new home so may still be finding their feet, I don't want to leave Pip in a living situation where he is stressed and uncomfortable. Last night I was watching and whilst Boo was on the wheel Pip seemed to be sneaking round through the see saw, hid under the house to get to the food bowl and have a sand bath. They seem to be living pretty much separate anyway so I don't think they'd miss any company but I was worried about space. I would upload a picture of their tank but don't know how to do it!

cypher · 08-28-2015, 04:23 AM

It does sound as though you think Pip would be happier on his own, it's hard to judge by just reading rather than seeing them but if that's the way it seems I don't see any problem with going ahead & separating them.

To post a photo either upload to somewhere like PhotoBucket & post a link or click on the go advanced button below the reply box & you'll see where it says manage attachments, just click on that & then it's quite straightforward.

racinghamster · 08-28-2015, 05:17 AM

It does sound as though Pip is walking on eggshells rather than running with Boo and trying to dodge him off the wheel as robos usually do! But yes, it`s worth monitoring their actions for signs of irritation or heightened aggression from Boo. If you have any incline that things are becoming worse, then you know what to do. It`s been a while since I had a pair of males and by the time their actions had changed, the bullied one was leaping in the air from being chased and had a bloodied rear end.

I was very nieve back then though so it was my fault for not realising the volatility that can occur with pairs and wasn`t really aware of it until it escalated. Good job I had a spare mini Duna! x

DebiT · 08-28-2015, 05:26 AM

Not the best picture if it's worked but this is what they've got at the moment. My heart is telling me to separate before anything happens rather than afterwards and before they reach puberty!

cypher · 08-28-2015, 05:53 AM

I always think the heart knows best so follow your instincts.

The tank looks good & I'm sure it would be fine divided into two, they love to dig & burrow btw so you might want to add a deeper layer of substrate to keep them busy, you can make nice free toys out of things like egg boxes too!

DebiT · 08-28-2015, 05:57 AM

I think I am going out now to buy some things to make their platforms. Thank you all so much for your advice x

cypher · 08-28-2015, 05:58 AM

Keep us posted!

Thin Lizzy · 08-28-2015, 08:20 AM

That's a good sized tank DebiT.

racinghamster · 08-28-2015, 09:56 AM

The tank looks great.

It`s such a shame they can`t have the benefit of the doubt but when you think long term, one will pass on and the other will be left on it`s own, so if your feelings are that they are best separated now, then it`s probably a wise move and you won`t need to keep worrying about their behaviour towards one another. Some owners wait it out and sometimes fighting doesn`t happen, but you still have to consider if one robo is too dominant over the other. Do they ever run on a wheel together, sleep together, eat from the same dish? Or have you just seen Pip sneaking around, trying to avoid Boo at all costs and sleeping elsewhere?

If this has been the case since they were place in this tank then chances are there is some animosity going on between them. I often wonder if smaller tanks like the Zoozone 1 is a better size for a pair than a really long habitat? Just me thinking out loud really but they would probably still have the same issues in a smaller cage if they decided they didn`t like each other I suppose! My pair fell out living in a mini Duna! x

DebiT · 08-28-2015, 04:40 PM

Thank you Thin Lizzy and racinghamster. When I first put them in the tank they had a run around and went into a hide together and had a wash and a little sleep but apart from that I haven't seen them do anything together. One of my wheels broke so for one night they only had one wheel and Pip would sit and wait for Boo to come off it to have a go. I felt so bad for him. Anyway I have taken the decision to separate them because I don't want to wait for something to happen when I could already see Pip was uncomfortable. I have split the tank so they now have just under a metre each and I have built a platform for each of them. It took ages but hopefully they will be okay. Pip has hardly come off his wheel except to have a little sand bath! He's even having a little wash whilst sitting on his wheel so I think he's a bit more relaxed; and so am I!!!