1st time robo owner in need of advice please

[emma88]

Hi there, this may sound silly i'm new to hamsters and only other rodent i've had was my mouse jellybean who passed away almost a year ago.

I got my 2 girls teeny and tiny on new years eve and they are doing great. They seem to be happy and thriving.

So the thing is i have the small hamster balls for each of them but my worry is that if i put them into the hamster balls and they run about and do their own thing, when i put them back into their cage that they will start fighting.

Is this even a real thing that could happen? Am i just being paranoid lol? So what i've been doing instead of using them while cleaning the cage out (or setting up the bin cages i've made. i'm addicted lol. They're in their 3rd home since i got them lol) is setting up a play area in the bath and letting my 9yr old supervise. Which i'm cool with because he is quite mature for his age and knows not to pick them up and harass them so they wont escape. I know its a bit bigger than their bin cage but it is essentially "another big tub" i would rather just be doing this for a change or taming or whatever. I would love to see them running around nuts and getting into mischief but i would terrible if a stupid mistake on my part would make them want to fight because they are so close and cute together.

I'm sorry if this is really stupid but i just don't want them missing out, jellybean loved being in her ball and running about and exploring. And when i bring a new animal into our home i do my homework and do as much research as i can to provide them with the best life possible while they are part of our family but i haven't seen anything on this subject.

Sorry for the novel guys, first time posting and trying the best i can to express my concerns without sounding like a complete idiot lol. So any advice is much appreciated. Thanks xx

[velma]

Do you know, that's something I've never considered so I actually don't know the answer (helpful, right?). But if they enjoy playing in the bath tub or any tub, I'd probably favour that option. I think robos would get more out of playing a in a tub with toys. Although I put my Syrian in a ball, I don't have one for my robo & personally wouldn't as I think they're just too quick & would end up smacking the ball against something. Which potentially leads to the ball coming apart & robo escape. I'd also worry about their tiny feet in the air vents. I only own a single robo & I put him in a plastic tub with a spare wheel (actually a flying saucer) either some cardboard tubes or a box with holes. I scatter a handful of bedding from his cage so it has his scent & usually scatter some bits of food round for him to forage.
Hopefully someone with a pair can give you a bit more of a direct answer to your question!

[racinghamster]

Hi emma. I personally wouldn`t use hamster balls for any hamster, let alone a speedy one like a robo. Since you have a pair, you are right to think it may cause them to feel stressed and possibly cause fall-outs, which you want to avoid at all costs. A pair of roborovski`s will have enough energy between them, playing, dashing about etc....

If they have two of everything and have a large enough cage (with no levels) they won`t actually need to be out of their cage to run about. In fact, I would go as far as to say robos can and do get injured just because they jump and leap when not supervised, although I know that wouldn`t be the case here. As velma said, they are best kept in a secure play area.

My advice would be to enjoy them inside their habitat and maybe let them take seed treats or half a mealworm from your fingers. Allow them to stay in their cage while interacting and if they are too fast or don`t really wish to be handled, then I would respect that. Most robos are nutty anyway! x

P.S. The main thing with robos is not to drop them. They leap readily and if you ever remove them from their cage, I would use a jam jar and hold your hand over the top until they are safely transported to a play area or other Bin. Spot clean where you can as removing their habitat scent can also cause them stress. Same with their nesting material, which should be cheap white ripped up toilet paper or the safe bed made from paper. x