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Old 04-24-2019, 01:06 PM   #1
AmeliaC
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: England
Posts: 1
Unhappy Advice needed please!

Hi my name's Amelia, I've read quite a lot of threads on the forum, but this is my first time posting.

A bit about my hams:
They're a pair of female dwarf hamsters (I think Campbell's or hybrids), I've had them about three months, but I'm not sure how old they were when I bought them. One weighs about 60g and the other 45g. They're both pretty good at being handled and will climb straight out of the cage onto my hands, but the larger of the two is very bitey - she'll bite anything, including hands which does occasionally draw blood. I've tried everything, but I've reached the point where I think it might just be her personality.

They've been squabbling a bit, but always seemed to just make some noise get up and carry on, but with the weight difference between the two having got so pronounced (in the last month the big one gained 10g and the little one none) I was worried that the bigger one was being more of a bully than I realised.
Then waking up yesterday morning to find the little one had a cut on her ear which was bleeding I realised it was time they had to be split up, which breaks my heart because they'd still sleep curled up together which was adorable.

Up until now they'd been living together in a Large exoterra vivarium (w90xd45xh60cm) with several platform levels built specially to go inside. I'd been hoping to get something that was a bit shorter so that if I did have to split them up I'd be able to stack cages, but when I found the vivarium second hand for an amazing deal I couldn't pass it up.
The exoterra is on top of a chest of drawers so my cat can't get any closer than sitting on the bed to watch them, I don't think she'd do anything as she's pretty old and lazy, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
The problem is, because it's so tall and the mesh vent is on the top I don't have enough space to stack a second cage and therefore don't have space to get another cage that size, so my options are pretty limited right now and I want to do the best by my little fur babies.

I currently have 3 options:

1. Keep them both at mine, but the smaller of the two will have to stay in the smaller cage at least temporarily (I'm currently saving up to move out of my parents, but could still be 6 months-1 year before I can move) but my cat will be able to get closer to it, she can't get in as its mostly plastic, but I don't want her to stress the hamster out and it's also not as big as recommended size, which I'm not happy about either.

2. One goes to live with my other half, but they won't be able to be socialised every day (only a couple of times a week when I'm there as he's quite nervous with them after his childhood hamster was very bitey in it's old age - it did live to 5 though!) and his house can get pretty cold which worries me too

3. I make the really difficult decision and try to find one of them a new home with someone who can give them the correct size cage and socialisation etc.

I just don't know what the best option is here and could really use some advice. It's completely breaking my heart, but now I've split them up I need to find a solution that's best for them.

Please let me know your opinions, I could really use some advice
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Old 04-24-2019, 03:04 PM   #2
alpacassei
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Location: Cornwall, UK
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Default Re: Advice needed please!

If you’re unable to provide a suitably sized safe environment for her then I think the best thing to do would be to rehome her unfortunately
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Old 04-25-2019, 12:11 AM   #3
Shannonmcn
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Default Re: Advice needed please!

If you can find someone who can provide the home you want to give her and can't then that is obviously the best option. But, as I'm sure we all know, finding people who are willing and able to provide *good care* and not just basic care isn't always the easiest thing in the world.

Is there nowhere else in the house a cage could go? The exo terra is a nice looking cage, would your parents be open to just having it elsewhere? Or is there a bit of furniture swapping you could do to replace the chest of drawers with a desk where one could go on top and one underneath? You can keep kitty cat out of the room when you're not there, I know it's sometimes easier said than done to keep them out 100% of the time but it's not impossible.

I don't think you have any perfect solutions here by the sound of things which is crap.
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Old 04-25-2019, 12:33 PM   #4
RoyalHam
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Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Canada
Posts: 10
Default Re: Advice needed please!

Sad as it is to not use the nice tank, could you find two shorter but wide plastic bins, install side mesh, and stack them?
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