In fact, it is not recommended to keep hamsters in a cage. Hamsters have the same concept of territory as other animals. Therefore, if hamsters are kept in a cage, there may be fights, and many large hamsters prefer to bully small hamsters. Even hamsters of the opposite sex are not advised to keep them together to avoid over-breeding.
Why Don't Hamsters in Pet Stores Fight?
- Because we only stay in the pet store for 10 minutes, we don't know the situation at other times.
- Sometimes it is young mice that are seen, and there is no regionality, so there is less fighting.
- Basically, hamsters have the possibility of living in groups, but they can only accept living with hamsters of the same level or higher level. If they encounter a hamster with a lower level, they will often be killed by a hamster with a higher level. How the hamster decides the level depends on the fight. So when you see a hamster living in a peaceful group in a pet store, and then take it home to raise it, the hamster that arrives at your home must re-determine the level of the hamster, then it starts to fight. So you will find that even if they don't fight in the pet store, they will fight as soon as you come home.
Can Different Types of Hamsters be Caged Together?
Somebody may wonder if different types of hamsters can be caged together. Actually, some of them can be caged in one cage, but not always.
Which Hamsters Can be Caged Together?
- Basically, both the first-line and third-line classes and the husband male class have the possibility of being caged together, but there is a difference in the probability of success. The golden hamster almost doesn't think about the possibility of being caged together.
- The probability of three-line cages is not too high. They are very regional. But as soon as a hamster gets sick, dies, or leaves, it will fight again, so it's really not recommended to keep three-line cages together.
- If you see one of the first-line groups being bullied, please separate the cages, and the rest if there is no fight, then there is the possibility to put them in one cage.
- The old manhamsterseems to be born in groups, so there is a high chance of success in the cage, but please pay attention to fights.
Why Do Hamsters Fight?
The hamster itself is a solitary animal and is warlike. If a solitary hamster is accustomed to its own territory and suddenly allows other hamsters to enter its living range, it will consider its aggressive behavior. This can lead to a fight between two hamsters.
Even if two hamsters who accept each other by default live together once, they usually quarrel over trivial matters, such as quarrels over food.
Hamsters in estrus are more irritable and prone to conflict because all they want is to conquer each other.
Pregnant female hamsters are usually nervous. If other hamsters do what they think is aggression, they may fight back. This is a maternal behavior to protect the hamster.
What To Do If You Find a Hamster Fighting
First of all, we should try to avoid directly separating them with our hands. The two hamsters who are fighting will be more emotional. If you intervene at this time, you are likely to be bitten by them. Therefore, don't panic when you see them fighting.
Usually, it is best to put a pair of gloves near the cage (but don't put them on the cage, it will be gnawed by the hamster and become its nest material). Wear gloves to make sure it's okay to get bitten and then separate them.
If gloves are not available, find other materials to separate them. Then assign another hamster to another cage. If you can't find a cage for a while, you can use a box or a bucket instead, and then buy a hamster cage to completely separate them.
What to Do If the Hamster is Injured In a Fight
For small wounds, use cotton swabs or absorbent cotton soaked in water or saline to wipe clean the wounds and nearby blood and dirt without medication.
For larger wounds, you need to use a cotton swab or absorbent cotton soaked in water or normal saline to wipe clean the wound and nearby blood and dirt, then mix the pet povidone-iodine with water at 1:50 and wipe it at the hamster's mouth to disinfect. If the blood from the wound stops quickly, just rub a little chlortetracycline eye ointment.
Physiological saline is used to clean the wound, not to disinfect it. After hemostasis and disinfection, you can apply some iodine tincture to the wound. If the wound is small, it can be washed with normal saline. But if the wound is larger, it is best to do the next disinfection.
When using the medicine, do not spray it directly on the hamster, but spray it on a cotton swab or degreased surface and then rub it on the wound. As long as the wound is scarred, there is no need to clean up and apply for medicine, otherwise, the hamster will lick and bite the wound, which may cause the wound to be bitten. Take care of it more often. As long as you take care of it properly, the wound will heal in about a week.
Conclusion
So make sure your hamster is willing to share his hamster cage with another hamster. Otherwise, they might have a big fight for territory. If your hamster is docile and can live with another hamster, you need to give them a large hamster cage so that they can move around and play freely.
Last but not the least, in general, it is dangerous to let two hamsters in one cage. Once they have a fight, you have to separate them quickly. If not, one of them may lose his life. That will be a tragedy. Have you remembered these, subscribe Kaiyopop to learn more.