i have 2 russian dwarf hamsters and they have recently started fighting?

Question

ive had them for 2 weeks they are females and they squeal alot but the fighting goes on for quite a long time if i dont separate them or sometimes its not for long im not sure what to do and if it sounds like play fighting or fighting for dominace. Please Help

Answer 1

Hamsters shouldn't be kept together if they fight. Get separate cages and your problem will be solved.

Wikipedia says:
Syrian hamsters are solitary animals and have to be kept alone once they are mature (around 7 weeks and above). Dwarf hamsters are social and are best kept with another house mate but should be introduced at a young age. While two or more animals can live peacefully within one home if introduced at a young age, there can be exceptions where serious physical fighting occur and in such cases they should be separated as soon as blood is shed. In their natural habitat, there is substantially more empty space so that each hamster can have its own large territory. If more than one hamster is to live in a cage, then the cage must be larger (at least 40cm x 40cm per hamster) and there must be separate hiding houses for each animal. In any case, even after a long period of peaceful coexistence or even mating, there can be violent biting. In this situation, the hamsters should be separated immediately. Note also that, if a male and female hamster live together without fighting, they will usually reproduce rapidly and cause more space problems.

Answer 2

Russian hamsters are notorius for fighting but rarely results in anything majour, what you do need to find out is if it is just a play fight or they really are fighting and this can be difficult, i will say that if they are normally very good with each other then just do what you are doing now and stop the fighting when it happens if you think the fighting is actually getting worse then you will need to seperate them.

In answer to someones answer yes you can keep drawf hamsters as a pair but the big teddybear ones syrian need to be kept seperatly.

Answer 3

Russian Dwarf hamsters can usually be kept together regardless of their gender, it is Syrian hamsters that cannot. However it has been known in occasional cases for Russian Dwarfs to also fight and this case they will need to be separated... Sorry, think you'll need to get a 2nd cage!

xx

Answer 4

i have two female russian hamsters and they fight occasionally, they are sisters, the fighting has calmed down as they got older and now only very rarely over food, i suggest keeping an eye on them and if it looks like one is getting hurt then seperate them, if it looks like they are not hurting each other then its a dominance issue and should sort itself out in a few weeks.....good luck

Answer 5

I worked in a pet shop donkeys years ago,and we were told never to put two russian dwarf hammies together as they fight to the death,you may want to buy aNOTHER CAGE AND KEEP THEM SEPERATE BEFORE SOMETHING AWFUL HAPPENS
GOOD LUCK
Wendy
sorry about writing

Answer 6

I had the EXACT same problem. The EXACT same one.

First, they were best buddys and now! Its wors then me and my sister! (and that is bad!)

Seperate them IMMEDIATLY! If you don't, you will have to clean up hamster organs! Believe me! They aren't playing and it won't stop! They are fighting for territory!

SEPERATE them now you still can!

Answer 7

2 females - on heat perhaps? that could be why they are fighting.

Answer 8

You need to separate them,

Answer 9

i didn't think that hamsters should be kept together, i suggest you get another cage and seperate them.

Answer 10

You need to seperate them asap, or they will just keep scrapping.