Update on the hamsters!

[Dadie]

I rehomed 2 dwarf hamsters a wee while ago as a pair (both same sex) as sold to the original owner by PAH.
Not sure what kind of dwarf hammies as the person left with them didnt know..but at a guess chinese?
Not fast like robotski..and fatter than the other...
They started to fight and Tinkerbell was getting really roughed up by Cheese...thought they were just squabbling to start with, but, no it seemed to be a till death type of battle....:eek:
So removed Tinkerbell from the cage and bunged him in the ball until I raked out the little basic hamster cage I had in the shed.
Now one hamster has a penthouse suite and the other has the basement flat ......
Apparently this is very common for the dwarf hamsters...so why are they sold as pairs?
Is it just so you will buy another cage 7mths down the line when the wee beasties decide they hate each other?

[spaceddaisy]

It really irritates me that dwarf hamsters are sold in pairs. It's really upsetting for owners (who are often children) to see their pets trying to take chunks from each other.

I've never heard of a pair of dwarf hamsters who haven't fought.

Perhaps it's worth asking the pet shops what their reasoning is?

[Dadie]

The girls were upset...
Tinkerbell has chunks taken out of him, but, they are resillient wee critters and he should heal ok without intervention.
Had a look on the PAH website and they apparently like company:eek:

Im going to have to go to PAH soon anyway to get a water bottle that is a more suitable size as Tinkerbell has the spare rabbit one at the moment and its huge!
(I alternate the rabbits water bottles in winter so one can thaw out while the rabbits still get water)

[spaceddaisy]

Yup, Pets at Home have always recommended homing dwarf hamsters together, I just can't work out why.

Anyone I know who's had a pair has needed to separate them, or far more worryingly haven't gotten to them on time and one has died as a result of injuries.

Hmmm.

[Sarah]

Some pairs do work out well, but in most cases, they end up fighting. I'm sure its a way of getting you to buy another cage, or take one back for them to 're-sell' in their adoption bit.

[Garnet]

Years ago our daughter was sold 2 for their company and her's while away from home. From the start they did nothing but fight, this was bad enough it was the horrendous squeels and shreiks that got to her. She took them back and a few days later went to see how they were, having felt guilty for returning them, only to find a few new ones had appeared (babies) and all was quiet, could this be a reason for 2 together??? :confused G.

[Thumper]

My son had two and they started to fight,nothing to bad just the odd squabble,until one day,one of them ripped the others bits off and the poor thing died,then shortly afterwards(about a day or so) the other one died,would never ever buy a pair again x

[Dadie]

Thumper you had me worried there!
Just been upstairs and poked my fingers in the beasties beds...nearly savaged both times!
All bits are still there and tinkerbell is looking happier.
Glad I stopped the fight when I did....my method was a bit drastic...but worked without getting myself savaged:lol: