is their bond broken?

[sugarsmummy]

yesterday i got two russian campbell's girls who are 9 weeks old. they got along fine and even slept cuddled up. however, today one escaped. she was gone around 12 hours. now i found her and got her back into the tank (with a lid firmly on!!) the hamsters have been fighting each other. neither have blood or injuries but i do keep hearing the ocassional squeaky fight. do you think the hamsters were seperated long enough to have broken their bond? thanks guys

[kittokitty]

I'd say separate them before it gets any worse - I've never had a pair of dwarfs that haven't needed separating. If you need to buy another cage quickly, I'd suggest an IKEA samla bin (the biggest one they sell) - it's £12 for the tub and it's okay with the lid off for ventilation, but it's best to mesh it just to be safe It's actually what i'm using as a permanent cage for Darktan, my hybrid, and he loves it.

It is a little on the small side, though - some hamsters are okay in a samla and others aren't, so if he shows signs of stress get him a bigger cage

I hope this helps!

[sugarsmummy]

Originally Posted by kittokitty

I'd say separate them before it gets any worse - I've never had a pair of dwarfs that haven't needed separating. If you need to buy another cage quickly, I'd suggest an IKEA samla bin (the biggest one they sell) - it's £12 for the tub and it's okay with the lid off for ventilation, but it's best to mesh it just to be safe It's actually what i'm using as a permanent cage for Darktan, my hybrid, and he loves it.

It is a little on the small side, though - some hamsters are okay in a samla and others aren't, so if he shows signs of stress get him a bigger cage

I hope this helps!

thank you! a bin cage seems like a really good idea actually, some local shops sell some pretty huge ones! its a shame to have to seperate them because they seemed so close yesterday, and now they're fighting😔

[kyrilliondaemon]

I wouldn't panic just yet. They might just be getting used to each other again after the time apart. I'd certainly watch more closely but I've had hybrids apart for a bit longer than that once and they still settled down to be fine with each other again. If you see blood than yes, separate, but personally I'd be inclined to give them a bit longer to work things out. In the meantime just keep a close eye on them for signs of trouble and remember that there are steps you can take to try and reduce friction between them without going as far as separating. (Removing any toys they seem to be squabbling over, removing all toys and wheels for a few days e.t.c)

Just for the record, I've also had a few pairs and a trio who never needed separating. It all depends on the hamsters really.