Why hamsters fight

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This is especially the case when hamsters are still getting to know each other. This is just an expression of dominance and not an actual fight. You will usually be able to tell if your hamsters are actually fighting by taking note of the way they interact with each other on a daily basis and looking out for injuries. If your pets are getting along they will generally share activities such as sleeping, eating and grooming.

They are much faster, and agile, and need plenty of exercise. While your hamster can make do with his running wheel, a ferret will not.

A ferret will need at least one cage mate, while hamsters need to mostly kept alone. Conversely, a ferret loose in your home is not alright with other animals. It will possibly attach smaller animals like the hamster, or a rat.

And larger pets like a cat or dog can hurt the ferret with sharp teeth and a much larger size. Both ferrets are hamsters love to try and escape, however ferrets will be trying the sturdiness of their cage and your home at every possible turn.

Hamsters are a bit … slower, if you will, and are easily distracted. Hamster vs squirrel A squirrel for a pet is nothing to laugh at. The space requirement for a squirrel is much larger than a hamster. Still being rodents, squirrels will flee very fast, and will hide food stashes wherever they can. A word on keeping a rodent as a pet When it comes to pets, you have to accept that not all pets are the same.

Rodent type pets can bond with their owner, and do like human company. That being said, rodent-types are funny, energetic, and make the oddest faces. Some rodents are quiet, and calmer, like a hamster, a mouse, a guinea pig. While others are all over the place and will need your entire attention. All in all, owning a hamster as a rodent can be rewarding in its own way — more on that here, and how to care for him in general. A word from Teddy I hope you found what you were looking for here.

If you want to know more about us hammies, you can check out the articles below You already know about the poorly made pet store cages, too small for even one Dwarf hamster, let alone a Syrian. Table of Contents A short comparison of all 5 hamster cages1. The best cage for curious, exploring hamstersThe pros:The cons Simple, safe, large cage for Syrian hamstersThe pros:The cons All-around great cage both for Syrian and Dwarf hamstersThe prosThe cons4.

A great option for lots of substrate, or a digging hamsterThe prosThe cons5. For mobile users, you can navigate this table by swiping left or right on it. The best cage for curious, exploring hamsters This cage is big, large enough to fit either a Syrian, or 2 Dwarf hammies. The more Dwarves you have, the more space you need, even if they seem to be getting along just fine. This cage has pretty much everything. In terms of actual size it measures Get a measuring tape and try to imagine that.

This means your hamster is going to be a-okay, with room to spare. There is the ground level, which is conveniently plastic and the sides are tall. You can find great hamster bedding here, and what to look out for.

All picked out by someone who actually owns a hamster. If your hammy is like mine, then you can simply add a bit of bedding on the floor and insert a large hamster wheel for him to get all his exercise.

The pros: Very large cage, lots of room for your hammy to run around in and dig around and do whatever a hamster does. Lots of accessories, like the tunnels and the catwalks and the upper house. The cons: The hamster wheel it comes with is too small, and a bit flimsy. I recommend looking for a better one. The food bowl and water bottle are fine. Mind the tunnels, they can block up with bedding if you add some in the upper green house.

Overall, I think this cage is pretty much a villa. You can check out the listing for this cage on Amazon here, and read the reviews as well. Produced by the same brand. It does come with a wheel, upper level, lots of room to add bedding like before, and water and food bowls. It measures 20 x Now, I recommend this for Syrian hamsters because the bar spacing seems to be a little wider than the one before. Just make sure to look it over for any possible gaps the tiny things could escape through.

Another thing that needs mentioning is that the upper level or half level is made out of wire as well. So any kind of bedding you might add there will most probably end up on the ground floor. The pros: Very large cage, rather on the wide side than tall. Hamsters prefer low cages anyway, so this is a plus. Deep lower part, good for filling with bedding so the hammy can dig if he likes.

Or to add a large wheel for him to run in. Wires very close together, very hard to escape. Easy to transport, as this one has handles as well. The cons: Almost all the accessories it comes with are too small or not meant to be plastic. The water bottle is alright, as is the food bowl. A great cage to use for your hamster, without all the extra accessories. Many hamster toys can be DYIed, and they seem to absolutely love cardboard tubes.

This cage is a bit cheaper than the one with the tubes before, but still on the more expensive end. You can check the listing on Amazon for this cage, and read the reviews as well. All-around great cage both for Syrian and Dwarf hamsters One of the best cages both for Syrians and for Dwarf hammies, this cage looks much simpler than the ones before.

However the upper level is adjustable, and the ramp leading up to it is very well made, and the plastic seems very sturdy. This cage, too, has a deep bottom portion which can be filled with lots of bedding if you wish. This also means you can add a large wheel in there for your hammy to run around in. In terms of size, this cage is So, just a tad bit smaller than the ones we looked at before. However this cage is much cheaper than the first two, being more of a mid-range one.

Still large, and very well thought out. The wire spacing is very small, which again is a plus. One from above, and one from the side.

This is makes taming the hamster much easier, since you can easily teach him to stay in both hands. The pros Very tight wire spacing, practically no way for the hammy to escape. Roomy, lots of space for the hamster to run around in and for many toys to be placed. Deep bottom, can fit a large wheel or lots of bedding.

The upper level is adjustable, which I think will help in furnishing the cage Breathable, allows much air flow. The cons Comes with no accessories aside from the upper level and ramp, you will need to provide food bowl and water bottle. It;s probably better that it comes just by itself. Overall I think this is a great cage, both in terms of size, safety for the hamster, and budget as well.

You can check the listing on Amazon here, and read the reviews as well. More on that here. This particular cage fits very well for such a hamster. Yes, it has a deep bottom like the other cages. Another thing that makes this cage the best one possible for digging hams is the fact that its upper level manages to keep in any stray bits of bedding that may fly out when the hamster is digging.

One very large, in the middle, complete with a raised ledge. And another, smaller one to which you can also connect a nice ladder for your hammy to use. In terms of size, the whole cage is The pros Large enough cage, can fit a Syrian or two Dwarf hammies well enough.

The transparent lower half lets you see the hamster at all times. Very well thought out digging space, if you choose to use it. Sturdy upper level. Can easily connect to other cages or tubes, since it has an opening. Can be closed if desired. Breathable, lots of air flow. The cons Wheel is too small and flimsy, so I recommend getting a large one, especially is you own Syrian The hut is plastic, which is not alright in the long run. I recommend looking for a wooden one. Overall I think this cage is a great one if your hamster loves to dig, or if you just want to be able to see your hamster at all times.

Or, as much as you possibly can. The opening for tubes is a nice touch, I have to admit. It comes with a cap that can block it if you wish. Unless you already have them. All in all, a great hammy cage. Similar in price to the simple cage we talked about before, slightly cheaper. The best aquarium for escape-artist hamsters Ah, now we come to the ultimate hamster cage. About as big as the first two cages we were looking at in the beginning. The pros Transparent, can see you hamster at any time.

Escape-proof, there is nothing to squeeze through or use to climb out. Wire mesh can be easily fitted on top to further proof it. The cons Heavy, not easy to maneuver.

Cleaning will take more time Less airflow than a wire cage. Still alright, but there is a difference Fragile, being made of glass Overall I think this aquarium is a great way to contain a hamster with wanderlust. You can find the listing on Amazon here, and read the reviews as well.

Just make sure that if you do look for such a cabinet, its sides are well sealed, and there is no way your hamster could escape. This means its height will become its length. This is a very heavy item, and very large, so make sure you have enough space in your home to fit one of these in a room. A word from Teddy I hope you found some great options in this article.

I know us hammies are so very small, but we need a lot of space to run around in and play. Us hammies are a very energetic bunch, so we cover a lot of space in a short amount of time.

Providing us with lots of ground space is going to make us much happier than a multi-level cage. If you want to know more about us hamsters, and how to keep us safe and happy, you can check the related articles below I know my Teddy did. I barely caught him in time. Table of Contents So why do hamsters jump? A hamster will jump just like any other animal when it want to break free, or get to something. His legs and paws are not meant to jump very high unlike mice or rabbits.

This can happen with any hamster, be it a tame or difficult one. More difficult hamsters will jump out of your hands more often. Like scaring the hamster, or holding him for too long, or too high. As for jumping for food, hamsters rarely jump for or towards something. They rather climb, since their limbs are meant for running and climbing. Hamsters can jump out of your hands For example Teddy adult Syrian hamster was more active when he was younger, so he was more fidgety.

This got me to constantly keep having to move my hands, like a handwashing motion. The first time this happened I was lucky to be close to his cage. He fell on the cage, and I let him in. He was fine, nothing hurt or broken. But I had to be careful. A good way to distract the hamster in your hands is to give him a treat or piece of food. You can check this food list to find out which foods and treats are safe for hamsters, and which are not.

Hamsters will also jump out of your hands when they wanted to do something else and you interrupted them. Like maybe you picked your hamster up when he was eating, or while he was cleaning himself. Hamsters can also randomly jump in their cage This is more common for more active hamsters, like the smaller Roborovski or Campbell hamsters or their other small brethren.

Basically all hamsters aside from Syrians. This is because of the amazing energy small hamsters have, and how incredibly agile they are. You can take care f this by providing your hamster with a good exercise wheel, according to his breed. Sometimes the jumping has no clear purpose or trigger. No, they were scurrying somewhere and did a backflip on the way.

Sometimes he jumped onto the cage bars, and started scaling the cage. That has no clear purpose either, aside from expending excess energy. Hamsters will fall, or jump from heights Unfortunately hamsters are very poor judges of heights. But they are curious creatures and want to inspect everything. So if your cage has a taller level — like a multi-level cage — make sure that the hamster will not injure himself. This is actually the average height a hamster can jump, and safely land from.

This selection of the best and safest hamster cages will make sure your hamster has a good place to live in. Teddy did jump from the highest level all the way down. He was fine, but I removed his second level soon after that. He had a very easy to access ramp he used to get there in the first place, which he ignored when trying to get down. Give the hamster plenty of bedding to fall on This is what will help him have an easier landing, much like a pile of hay.

So that would mean covering every surface he could land on with bedding. This roundup of great hamster bedding options will help you figure out which will work for you. Overlapping levels in a cage If you do get a multi-level cage for your hammy, make sure the levels overlap, mostly. To figure out the best kind of cage your hamster would need, as well as which of the 3 most common types would suit him, check out this article. But digging towers are different, as well as hideout complexes.

If your give the hamster no tall toys, he will have nowhere to fall from. This includes hammocks and mesh nets. These should not be more than 10 inches off the ground for your hammy.

Especially for the dwarf hamsters out there. Opt for wood-based toys While the wheel will most probably not be metal, in order to be easy to spin and get a large enough one, the other toys should be wood. This is partly because hamsters chew on everything and wood is safe for them. And the other part is because wood lets the hamster have an easier landing than hard plastic or metal. A good option would be popsicle sticks. A good, non-toxic glue that the hamster will be able to hold the popsicles in place.

So make sure you are very close to his cage, or something soft that he can land on. Like the bed or a sofa, or anything else soft. This is the least, since some hamsters can jump higher than this. Best would be to actually cover the top of the tank with a wire mesh. You can find those at some pet shops, or most hardware shops as well. For example your hamster will start to move faster in your hands, and his nose and whiskers will twitch more.

If you put him on the floor or somewhere not contained, he will run everywhere. A scared hamster has incredibly fast reflexes, so he will jump without warning.

Another thing to remember is that hamsters are not calm animals. A word from Teddy I hope you found what you were looking for, and know why us hamsters jump. Although we can jump randomly too. Mostly we want to be left alone to roam our cages. If you want to know more about us hammies, and what kind of cages we need, or how much water we need, check the articles below! If you want to know how a hamster would fare if he were to live in the same cage as a rat or mouse, then you should read this article here.

As in, leaving the hamster in his cage all his life is not a problem, as long as he has a large enough cage. He does need a bit of exercise, but this is where his exercise wheel comes to the rescue.

The only exceptions are the Dwarf types, who can live with a sibling or two of the same sex. Even so, I recommend keeping any and all hamsters alone, one hamster per cage.

Their cages need to have plenty of hiding places, so they can feel safe. This also means that taming the hamster will not be as easy as taming a puppy. He will take anywhere between a few days and a few weeks to trust you. And that trust can always be lost, or forgotten if you stop interacting with him for a few days. Still, hamsters make for very entertaining pets. This means that if you go to bed before 10 PM you might just miss their waking up.

They want to explore and see everything. There is no in-between. For example 3 females, or 2 males seems to be the best kind of match. There will always be one mouse trying to be the dominant one. Mice are much smaller than hamsters — smaller than a Dwarf sometimes — and are so much more agile and quick.

But it is much harder than with a hamster. Usually mice are kept as pets to look at, rather than play with. Mice are only a slight bit smarter in this area. Still, seeing a small colony of mice interact and build their own little nests, and lay with every little toy is going to be fun.

Given how shall mice are, even the mellow, chill ones will seem skittish. They must be siblings, and never been separated at all. Even then, they might argue from time to time. Actually rats bond with their owners much more than hamster or mice, and actually like it when their owners hold them. When it comes to food, rats will eat almost anything. This means they will eat about equal proportions of meat, grains, veggies, and fresh fruit. They will steal anything if ever left outside of their cage, and let them out your should from time to time.

A bored rat is never good news. But, a rat is a smart animal, and he will be very entertaining. They all eat mostly grains, with some fruit and vegetables thrown in for good measure. Nuts and peanuts are welcome too, ans so it a bit of meta.

You should never attempt to pair up Syrian hamsters regardless of sex, as these are solitary pets and need to live alone. Every hamster has its own personality and even with dwarf hamsters, there is a chance that they may clash. Therefore, you should never put two hamsters straight in the same environment. Introduce them slowly by placing their cages side by side so that they get a chance to smell one another and interact through the bars at a safe distance.

After a number of days or weeks, if you notice them tolerating one another then you can place them in a brand new, scent-free cage. This will allow them the opportunity to get to know each other in a neutral environment, without one feeling more dominant than the other.

If you are going to keep more than one hamster in a cage, then it is really important that there is enough room for them to have their own personal space. If the cage is cramped, then there is more chance that your hamsters will fight. It is also a good idea to ensure that each hamster has its own house, bottle, food bowl and toys to prevent any fights over-sharing.

Plus, just like children, hamsters can get bored, so either change the layout of the cage regularly or introduce different accessories so that they are stimulated and less likely to scrap. Although hamsters are relatively clean pets, when two or more are together in a cage they need to be cleaned out more regularly.

Overpowering scents could start to stress out your hamsters so make sure they are spot cleaned daily. Normal fighting between hamsters is about dominance, and once one hamster puts the other one in their place it generally starts to calm down.

Chasing, squeaking, sniffing, and squealing is considered normal behaviour, although it can look and sound upsetting at times. As long as your hamsters do not come to any harm and they are happy to interact with one another on a daily basis in terms of sleeping, eating, and socializing, then just put the daily squabbles down to a bit of hamster rivalry.

Actual fighting looks very different! If you see your hamsters biting, clawing, chasing, or cornering another hamster to prevent escape then these are signs that there is bullying and fighting going on between your hamsters in their cage.