If there's a new hamster

marisse_redblossom · 06-11-2010, 07:03 AM

Now I know that Syrian hamster must live in separate cages. But okay, if they would, won't the first hamster would have a bad behavioral change if she smells the scent and realizes that there's now a new hamster, as she would feel threatened by the new one?

That either she would start biting you and seem frightened or anything like that?

And if you already have a girl Syrian hamster, which new hamster is better to have, another girl or boy? Isn't the scent would matter, as in the girl hamster would always seem terrified of something as she smells there's another girl hamster? Or it would matter for her more if the other hamster is boy?

Or it doesn't matter to them at all how many they are for as long as they live in separate cages?

And should the cages's distance be far from each other?

Thank you

Katty_Sheldon · 06-11-2010, 08:54 AM

OK the only thing i know about this is to wash hands between handling them

.

Amethyst_ice · 06-11-2010, 09:06 AM

Hello, i have four boys and this is what ive found.

When we got our second hamster our first didnt seem botheres but the new hammy seemed a little tetchy. However, when he gets teeth chattery we just move him out the room for a night or so and he calms down,

All the others are fine, they are a little distance apart from each other but you wont beable to irradicate all smell traces so they will get used to it.

My friend had our boys for a week and had them in the same room as her two girls...all my boys were going very mental and indy even bent his cage bars back!

so in summary-

i would keep to single sex unless housing in sep rooms..if they cant smell the temptation likely to be better.

washing hands yes but after a while they will be fine, all my boys are used to each others smells now and dont seem bothered so just come out onto my clothes and things fine

keep cages a little apart just so the smell of another hammy is directly invading their space.

this all may eb wrong but it is from my own experiences

xxx

marisse_redblossom · 06-15-2010, 07:03 PM

Thank you for the replies

So it should be of the same gender (like another girl for me) even one is syrian and the other one is roborovsky?

Thank you Amethyst Ice for explaining to me based on your boys

fluffymunchkins · 06-15-2010, 11:43 PM

Well my hamsters cages are slightly distances and I wash my hands between handling!
But I would think that your less likely to have reactions if it's two hamsters of different breeds!
Although porridge did go through a faze of bar biting where peggys cage was

**Hope** · 06-16-2010, 01:19 AM

I have a russian dwarf who is male and a syrian who is female, they live on the same shelving unit but on different shelves.

I have noticed that the syrian girl is much more interested in the dwarf, but he has hardly even noticed her. If she hears him rustling around she will come out to see what the noise is, but when she is making a racket (and believe me she does!) he doesn't even wake up. It could be that I have only had the sable for about 10 days and she is still getting used to all the noises and different smells. I do wash my hands between handling them - my dwarf can be a bit nippy at the best of times.

annie81 · 06-16-2010, 01:30 AM

i have had a male and a female russian living in the same room. there werent any problems at all. they just didnt care if there was another one just next to them. i know still have the female russian and a female syrian. again...they dont really care about each other. my syrian is just sniffing the trail when the russian was running free just before her. but thats all...

Amethyst_ice · 06-16-2010, 07:46 AM

maybe i just have randy boys lol hehe x

pebbles · 06-16-2010, 07:50 AM

I got my female Pebbles first .... when I brought Jet home she became very jumpy for a few days but she does seem to have calmed down.

I just make sure that I wash my hands before handling them and after.

I also don't know if this makes a difference but I also handle my female first as she seems to be a little calmer.

Tish36 · 06-16-2010, 10:56 AM

I have 2 girls and a boy living near each other in their seperate cages and it doesnt seem to bother them...

The girl and boy got a bit weird when my other girl gave birth, but I guess they were just interested