Hamster fun and information Hamster fun and information Hamster fun and information 
Hamster fun and information 
Hamster fun and information 
Hamster fun and information HOW TO INTRODUCE A FEMALE HAMSTER TO A MALE…
If you want to give your boy hamster a female companion, you have to follow certain protocols. Otherwise you could create a dangerous situation. Hamsters can be territorial little critters and, while they may not pose much of a threat to you, they can do serious damage to one another. The breed, sex and place of introduction are all important things to consider when introducing two hamsters, especially ones of opposite sex.
Let your hamster go on living the bachelor life if he is of a breed that doesn’t appreciate company. Syrian hamsters, namely, are territorial; they simply refuse to live with others. If you want to give him a companion, the pair will have to live in separate cages.
Place your female hamster in the male’s cage and monitor them as they interact. Generally, females are more aggressive than males, so putting a female in with a male makes him less of a threat — he is in his own territory, not invading hers. The hamsters may fight a little at first, but if it seems excessive or one-sided, remove the female and cage her separately.
Set up a new, fresh, never-used cage for the hamsters to share. Sometimes, when one hamster is introduced to another in an existing habitat, territorial fighting can prevent them from cohabiting. If the environment is neutral ground, however, it makes this type of fighting somewhat less likely. Hide a few small treats in the cage and introduce both hamsters at the same time. By the time they’re done hunting treats, they’ll have become used to one another.
Hamster fun and information DO DWARF HAMSTERS NEED COMPANY?
By Jen Davis
When you visit a pet store you’ll see groups of dwarf hamsters occupying the same cage in apparent harmony. These are normally very young animals who have not matured to become territorial or aggressive yet. It’s tempting to bring home more than one hamster to keep just one from being lonely; but the reality is hamsters are solitary animals. Dwarf hamsters can be exceptions, but you have to monitor carefully. Having more than one hamster in a cage is often a recipe for trouble.
Hamsters are Not Social
Dwarf hamsters are more social than Syrian hamsters but you still have to be very cautious when keeping more than one hamster in a living enclosure. Hamsters are more friendly with people than they are with other hamsters. They’ll require a regimen of proper introduction and socialization in order to live together. Failure to properly socialize your hamsters can lead to serious injury or even death due to hamsters attacking one another.
Keeping Two Dwarf Hamsters Together
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, dwarf hamsters may be kept in pairs if they are introduced to one another at a young age. Littermates of the same gender, that have never been separated, stand the best chance of getting along in adulthood. Siblings that are opposite genders will mate once they are old enough to reproduce and therefore should be separated.
Risks of Keeping Hamsters Together
It is common for adult hamsters to attack one another when forced to interact. Even hamster breeders have to use caution when introducing pairs to mate due to the high risk of altercations occurring. The younger your hamsters are when you attempt to introduce them to one another, the higher the likelihood is the pair will make friends. If you have a pair of hamsters and one dies you should not try to introduce a new hamster to the remaining hamster; they are unlikely to get along. Do not try to introduce a young hamster to an old hamster either. Be prepared for your hamsters to behave aggressively, and separate them when aggressive behavior occurs.
Introducing Hamsters to One Another
If you try to introduce two dwarf hamsters to one another, you’re supposed to introduce them gradually in a neutral setting that neither animal is territorial over. The California Hamster Association recommends you start introducing your hamsters to one another by placing one hamster in a small wire cage and setting it inside a larger cage. Place the other hamster loose inside the larger cage. Allow the two hamsters to sniff at one another and interact through the bars without being able to get through the bars and attack one another. Leave the two hamsters together for several days in order for them to get used to one another. Alternate which hamster is in the large cage and which is in the small cage every day. After a week, if your hamsters are not behaving aggressively toward one another while separated by the cage, you can attempt to remove the smaller cage and see how the two react to one another when they are able to get to each other. If either acts aggressively, you may have to repeat this procedure multiple times. In some cases the introductions will fail and your hamsters will have to live separately for their own safety.
Keeping Two Hamsters in the Same Cage
Once you’ve determined you have a pair of dwarf hamsters that can get along, equip a large cage with two of everything so each hamster will have his own food dish, water, exercise wheel, sleeping area and general space. Hamsters are more likely to get along if they do not have to share necessities. Place both hamsters in the cage and watch how they react to one another in the environment. As long as your hamsters seem to have made peace, you can leave them alone together — but you must continue to monitor their behavior for life to make sure aggressiveness does not develop between the pair as time goes on. If the hamsters begin to fight or one injures the other, you’ll have no choice but to separate them permanently.
Hamster fun and information HOW CAN I STOP MY TWO HAMSTERS FROM FIGHTING?
Some hamster breeds, like golden hamsters, are more prone to fighting than other breeds, like Siberian dwarf hammies, and littermates, or siblings, are more likely to get along well together than hamsters who are introduced to each other as adults. Even then, some fighting can occur if hamsters are stressed, have limited space or vastly different temperaments. Failure to stop fighting hammies can result in injury or even death.
Separate Hamsters
The fastest and most efficient way to stop fighting between hamsters is to physically separate them. Use caution when you do this by wearing gloves to ensure you don’t get bitten or scratched. Move one hamster into a separate cage or tank and give the dueling duo a “cooling off” period of at least a day before you reintroduce them again.
Clean the Cage
Sometimes hamsters are territorial, which can lead to fighting. While you have feuding hamsters sequestered, clean the main cage they share and replace bedding. Add new toys, like exercise wheels or tunnels, to give your hamsters something to keep them occupied and expend their energy. Place food in dual locations and add an extra water bottle to reduce the potential of fighting for rations.
Upsize Living Quarters
Sometimes hamsters fight because they’re living in quarters that are too small to accommodate individual space and territory. Consider moving your hammies into a larger cage, one that can be partitioned off into two individual quadrants if they quarrel on a regular basis. Your hamsters will still have companionship without the physical contact.
Permanent Separation
Hamster fighting can become aggressive, especially if one hamster is much more dominant than the other. If fighting is ongoing or one hamster shows sign of injury, seek veterinary attention and permanently physically separate your hammies. Don’t put another new hammie in with a known aggressor. If you continue to house your hamsters in close proximity, opt for plastic or glass cages rather than ones with open bars, as this too can lead to squabbling.
Future Hamster Pairings
Hamsters of the same gender, particularly female littermates, often have the best chances for peaceful cohabitation. Make sure you know the gender of mature hamsters before pairing them off — consult a vet if you need to. Accidentally housing opposite-gender hamsters together can result in unintentional breeding, even between siblings.
Hamster fun and information AT WHAT AGE DO BABY HAMSTERS TURN INTO ADULTS?
Baby Hamsters
For the first two weeks of life, baby hamsters are dependent on their mothers for food and warmth. They are blind and their fur hasn’t completely grown in. By the following week, they can see and look like small adults. In their fourth week, they are weaned and their mother starts driving them off. That’s the time to take them out of the cage and separate them by gender.
Living Alone
By the age of 12 weeks, all types of hamsters are mature. However, Syrian hamsters mature by the age of 5 weeks. Because this species is so territorial, you must keep each hamster in a separate cage or there could be fights to the death. Dwarf hamsters can be housed in same-sex pairs, but keep a close eye on them after the 12-week mark. That’s when some dwarf hamsters turn territorial, so you’ll have to separate them.
Hamster fun and information TOP FOUR HAMSTERS
Sixteen types of hamsters are known, only a few of them kept as pets. Among them, you can choose among those who are easy to hold, pet and care for, and those who thrill with visual antics. If you have kids, you want one suited to them. The Syrians are best suited to beginners of any age, and smaller ones require a little more caution, care and know-how.
Syrian Hamsters
Syrian hamsters are the largest captive hamsters and the most popular choices for hamster pets, according to the Pet Web Site. Also called golden hamsters or standard hamsters, these members of the rodent family are best kept by themselves, as they can be antisocial and aggressive toward members of their own species. Syrian hamsters sometimes reaching lengths of 7 inches. Their size makes them easier for kids to handle than smaller hamsters. Syrian hamsters require less maintenance than other types, too, another reason why they’re a good choice for children. Teddy bear hamsters are popular long-haired versions of Syrian hamsters.
Dwarf Hamsters
Of the two types of dwarf hamsters, the most commonly found as pets are the dwarf Campbell’s Russian hamsters. Small and inexpensive, they are social enough to live in pairs. They are quick, and they may nip when annoyed, according to the Pet Web Site, so they are suitable for older children and teenagers. The other type, the dwarf winter white Russian hamster, is similar in disposition to the Campbell’s and may not be a good choice for young children. Russian hamsters are nocturnal and most active in the evening, making them a natural choice for students who are at school during daytime hours. Both types of dwarf hamsters may reach a maximum length of 4 inches. It’s not that a child can’t have a dwarf, but a dwarf is an at-risk first hamster.
Roborovski Hamsters
Roborovski hamsters are the newest hamsters to be domesticated. They are not widely kept as pets due to their unwillingness to be handled. The smallest of the popular hamster breeds, they grow to only 2 inches in length. Though they are more fascinating to observe than to play with, they rarely nip and have gentle dispositions, according to a Doctors Foster and Smith website. They are social hamsters if they’re kept with others from birth, but they don’t make friends well. Their life spans of 3 to 3 1/2 years make them the longest-lived of the domestic hamsters.
Chinese Hamsters
Chinese hamsters, also known as striped hamsters, are uncommon as pets due to breeding difficulties. They look very much like their mouse cousins. They are quite timid and very fast, preferring large spaces to live and hide in. Their slender bodies can reach 12 centimeters in length and their life spans can range from 2 1/2 to 3 years. Chinese hamsters are not sociable with others of their kind, but are good-natured toward their human caretakers, according to Doctors Foster and Smith.
