I just wondered how much fighting between WW brothers is normal and acceptable and how to know when it's time to call it a day.
Sparrow and Turner are now 13 weeks old and have lived together since they were born. They have a Gabber Rex cage with two of everything and I scatter their food rather than putting it in a dish and always get them out together (and switch exercise balls halfway through if they use them - I'm very aware of how much "group scent" matters).
Anyway, though I often hear squeaking they usually seem fine together and I haven't witnessed any fighting at all - up until Wednesday night that is
I heard an awful squealing noise coming from the cage (very, very different to their usual squeaking) and I saw that Turner had Sparrow pinned down in the sand bath. Sparrow was on his back screaming and this lasted for about 10 seconds - before Turner released him (or he got away). Turner then chased him all over the cage for a few seconds - then they stopped.
I watched them both carefully for the rest of the evening and things seemed back to normal - they were both ferreting about and playing in the cage - when they got near each other they acted normally. I also had a good look at Sparrow for signs of wounds/blood but there's nothing.
I suspect that I know what pre-empted this: I had cleaned out their cage that morning and, whilst I usually try to maintain the group scent by putting about a third of their old carefresh back plus the less smelly bits of loo-paper bedding, this week the cage seemed to really
stink and I couldn't find as much old bedding that didn't smell awful (possibly due to the hot weather?) so I put less back in. They both seemed unsettled at the time amd stayed up all morning which is unusual - then the big fight that night happened.
So:
- Is it normal for fights to result in one hamster being pinned down on his back? Is that ok, as there's no bloodshed and they seem ok now, or should I be separating (I do have spare cages)? Is it likely that I pre-empted it by not giving them enough smelly bedding back? Or is it their age?
- They are booked into the Other Species section of the show at Brockholes on Saturday - is it a bad idea to take them now? If they go they will be shown in the same pen together and will be transprted in a home made carrier with their own carefresh/bedding from their own cage in it - but obviously they are going to be spending much of the day together in a tiny, unfamilliar smelling show pen - eek, what should I do?
Any advice appreciated