I bought a roborovski hamster (really small really fast!!) the other day, bought him all really nice stuff to try to make him happy, but now i keep reading on the net that they are social animals? The lady at the pet shop said it's fine as long as i give him enough attention, which of course I will, but still I guess I'm not quite the same as a dwarf hamster for him to play with? So what I'm asking is should I buy another roborovski for him? Can two males live togheter (DONT want babies!) and is it ok to introduce a new one - my one is only a couple of months old... any advice appreciated.
2007-02-14 02:02:36 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
That's a hard one to answer as it is really based on the personalities of each hamster. If you do get a second one, try to get one the same size as the one you already have, hopefully there are some of its littermates left. This should help keep the playing field equal. If you get one that's smaller and the first one rejects it, it could be injured badly if it's too small to fight off the first one.
If you're going to try it, then be sure to clean the cage completely. I would recommend soaking it and all accessories in a 1:10 bleach solution for at least 10 minutes. This should get rid of any lingering scents from the first hamster. After soaking it in bleach, wash it as you normally would with dish detergent or baking soda to remove the bleach residue. When it's all dry and you start adding the accessories back into the cage, place them differently than they were the first time, you don't want it to be familiar to your first hamster.
Now just add the two together and watch them. There may be a few quick spats and this is okay but if there is prolonged fighting, then you will need to separate them into their own cages.
This may seem like overkill as you may assume that they'll still remember one another, but once they're apart for more than 24 hours, you'll need to do this reintroduction technique.
Believe it or not, two males will live together much more happily than two females. The only problem with Roborovskis is that they are extremely hard to sex. They are very small and do not like to sit still. I've even mis-sexed a rob before and I have sexed literally thousands of hamsters! If you get opposite sex hamsters from the same store, it's very likely you'll be breeding brother and sister.
What can be a bit misleading is that all the books say that dwarves need to live in pairs. While some are happier with a companion, every breeder has several examples of any of the dwarf species fighting with every cagemate they've been given. There was even a recent post to a hamster forum from a girl how has 9 robs, 4 pairs and one single. The single one is too aggressive with cagemates to be housed with any.
I'm not saying that this will be the case with yours at all, its just that they don't need a cagemate, but might be happier with one. It all just depends on your little friend's personality and the personality of the second one you purchase.
-Janice
http://www.holmdenhillhaven.com
2007-02-14 02:40:22 · answer #1 · answered by radiocricket 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you should have bought 2 at the same time. you will have to try to get one from the same litter. but they have been seperated for a while, they may not get along. keep an extra cage handy incase it gets out of hand and they need to be separated. Those hamsters are not really big on being handled by humans-usually. Id say find either a new pet store or a diffrent sales person after you get your second hamster. they should have told you what you needed to know before you tok it home. Yes 2 males can live together but they are usually siblings
good luck
2007-02-14 02:26:31 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should read more about the species. Then, you may want to get another cagemate. You might want a bigger cage. Think about this: 2 males cannot have babbies, but they CAN fight. If you have a male and a female, they will happly live together, but not 2 males, UNLESS: THINK ABOUT THIS! If you were an only child, and then suddenly you got a sister/brother your exact same age, wouldn't you fight with them? I would. If you have to get 2 males, I would use the CAGE SEPERATOR technique. Find a barrier, and every week, switch which side of the cage your hamsters are on. When they seem friendly enough to eachother, remove the barrier.
2007-02-14 02:51:32 · answer #3 · answered by fwopzdog 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
its kinda hard to introduce 2 males together. and clearly the whole baby thing would be a problem. if u can play with him LOADS, then sure, he'll be fine on his own, but it is always better to have Roborovski's in at least a group of 2 cuz they are so sociable! if u do get another one i'd suggest getting another cage. they may fight cuz ur one is already a few months old (think in human yrs thats a prob at 15 - 20ish)
2007-02-14 12:34:17 · answer #4 · answered by evilbunnyhahaha 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes I love hamster good home
2016-12-30 21:00:27 · answer #5 · answered by camilla 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would, but if it was up to me, I'd have bought a female, then another female, because when my sister had a hamster, she wasn't allowed to get another hamster in case they fought. Hamsters can get pretty vicious, you know.
2007-02-14 02:13:02 · answer #6 · answered by Hamster tazzy 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can intorduce another one, but be wary cos they might have a small tiff, but as he is so young he should be ok.
2007-02-16 23:52:00 · answer #7 · answered by Vicky S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
definitely no they will fight till one is killed. they are better off bought as a pair but still they may fight. your hamster has it own territory now, so putting another one in its territory would be disastrous. its his territory and someone is invading is space.
2007-02-14 02:18:01 · answer #8 · answered by sunshine 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes
2007-02-14 03:42:09 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes it would be nice for it to have a playmate
2007-02-14 02:16:29 · answer #10 · answered by kerrmat1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋