I am so worried: please help!

EagleOwl · 10-16-2016, 10:47 AM

Please help me!
We had an Imac Fantasy cage we used to house my pet mice, and now bought three roborovski hamsters (one of them i named Walle, the other two I havent decided) but i heard that they can escape and get injured!
Please reply ASAP, do I need to replace my cage? It was expensive, plus we bought an extension, but my hamsters' lives and safety is still MUCH more important!

Thanks so much!

AmityvilleHams · 10-16-2016, 12:44 PM

Escaping probably won't happen,but there is the issue of potentially not having enough space.Hamsters need more space than mice,but they also need their space to be continuous floor space not counting levels or modular additions.

shane13447 · 10-16-2016, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EagleOwl

Please help me!
We had an Imac Fantasy cage we used to house my pet mice, and now bought three roborovski hamsters (one of them i named Walle, the other two I havent decided) but i heard that they can escape and get injured!
Please reply ASAP, do I need to replace my cage? It was expensive, plus we bought an extension, but my hamsters' lives and safety is still MUCH more important!

Thanks so much!

If you are really worried you can attach some wire mesh to the outside of the cage to prevent any potential escapes

SinNyx · 10-16-2016, 01:05 PM

I wouldn't worry so much about escaping, but more about the fact that three is harder to keep than a pair, and the Imac on different levels makes the chances of fights higher, they should have a flat out cage, with three of each item (three wheels, three houses etc).

Dwarf hamsters can find it harder to climb up the tubes sometimes too.

SwaggySyrians · 10-16-2016, 01:07 PM

Three robos need more room than an iMac Fantasy. That's too small for the three of them, no matter how many levels you add. So yeah, get a new cage. Pairs or more of hamsters shouldn't be placed in cages with levels as they can claim levels as theirs and bully the other hamsters. I'd suggest something like a Zoo Zone 2 for robos - the only thing about that cage is that the very top of the cage will need to be wire meshed as they're such small hamsters. There are plenty of other great cages out there, so don't worry!

Thin Lizzy · 10-16-2016, 08:28 PM

Dwarf hams should only be kept in pairs and need loads of space and depth. No levels as this can cause problems and you should have 2 of everything when you put 2 together.
Should they fight, then they must be separated at once.

cypher · 10-16-2016, 10:03 PM

I would have to agree that the cage you have is unsuitable, keeping a pair of hamsters is quite a challenge & a group of three even harder so you will have to be prepared for them falling out & have a total of three cages ready for this if it happens as you may well need to separate them in a hurry if fights break out, even with the most suitable cage set up it is very common for them to fall out.
Contrary to what you might think pairs or groups don't need a really large cage as that can encourage them to become territorial & fight but they do need a cage all on one flat level with wheels & houses with more than one entrance for each of them, no food bowls, scatter feeding also helps to prevent fights & at least two or even three water bottles.
I would look at tank type cages or think about making some bin cages for them.

EagleOwl · 10-17-2016, 10:54 AM

First of all, thanks for your help. The robos were in the three at the pet store and the staff said they were bonded with each other. I will see, if they begin fighting I will look into a replacement. The iMac looks quite large! If I replace the tubes with wide, wooden bridge-ladders that would ultimately make the levels easier to reach. Although if they begin fighting I will of course buy a new cage without levels. They seem to be happy and active so far. Walle has even approached the bars of the cage today and took a small treat from my hand

Although I might actually get a cage this Christmas

The Zoo Zone 2 looks great. WHat other cages will be OK for them?

cypher · 10-17-2016, 10:46 PM

Wooden ladders would be far better than tubes so that would help them get around easier but the problem of levels still remains, they may seem fine together now & it is possible they will stay that way, it would be lovely if they did. They are still young though & fights & getting territorial over areas of the cage becomes more of a problem as they settle in, begin to mature a little & want their own space.
Do bear in mind that getting another cage or two if they begin to fight may end up being too late if that does happen, these things can escalate very very quickly so it's always best to keep the spare cages ready & then hope you won't need them rather than put it off & find you have nowhere to put one or even two of the hams to prevent injury or worse. I know it's not a pleasant thing to think about & may be hard to imagine when you watch such cute tiny hams but they can be seriously injured or even worse if they do fight, sorry if this all sounds rather negative but it is common so something to be aware of & prepared for just in case.
Whichever cage you choose I wouldn't start too big, the more space they have the more they have to fight over!

souffle · 10-18-2016, 04:12 AM

See how they do and keep a watch for one being 'left out' the group or bullied. This often shows as one hiding away or being smaller than the others as it isn't allowed enough food. Scatter the food around so they can get it in various areas and spread millet sprays around the cage so they can nibble. As long as they can manage the tunnels They should be OK although tunnels can be a source of conflict. It's a case of monitoring really. You can put the cage in the bath till you establish they cannot escape as if the get out they are contained in the 'dry bath' Just make sure the plug is in!
If they remain settled I wouldn't move them at all as this can again cause stress and fights. Just keep a plastic storage box around in case there is a sudden need to separate as that is fine as a temporary home.
It is a case of finding the right cage for each individual and down to the owner to establish what gives them happy, settled and content hamsters. The right cage is often very different from the opinions of other peoples ideals!