Introducing new Dwarf Hamster

[Pippin]

This is a post for my friend who has a apx. 3 month old female Dwarf Hamster (Cambells most likely). She wants to get her a companion but we are worried that she won't accept a new hamster. Is it too late to try? How should she introduce them if it is still possible?

[Zouave]

Not too old to try. But dwarf intros are a lot harder than gerbil intros. So be very careful.

A split screen MUST be used. Period. it must be tight against the bottom, sides, AND top. I once had one climb up and over a screen to attack the new dwarf!

I would leave it in for four days, switching each dwarf to the others' side every 8-10 hours or so.

Once the screen is removed be sure it is done at a time when they can be closely watched for many hours.

If they were older I would not ever suggest trying. But at that age, maybe.

Oh, keep in mind dwarfs squabble loudly as one attempts to dominate another by pushing it on its back - the bottom one will squawk. I break this up when I catch it, but it is not fighting. Fighting will be when the BALL UP and start spinning. It is scary, and needs to be instantly stopped. Do not even wait to put on a glove if you see it. Just accept a tiny nip as the cost of keeping them safe.

If they do start that kind of vicious fighting, try the screen again for an even longer period, BUT first wait 5 or 6 days with them totally separated in different tanks so they forget each others' scents. If they fight again after a re-intro, keep them separate. I have two separate as their intro did not work, but they were likely somewhat oklder than three months.

Good luck.

[piggy101]

when i introduced my russian dwarf hamsters i put my new hamster in my old hamsters cage(without the old one in there)and put the old hamster in the box that the pet shop had put my new hamster in. i let them get each others scent for 5 mins and then i put them in the same cage with a divider down the middle. They got each others scent for 10 mins in the cage and then i took the divider out of the cage.They would chase each other and squeak but no fighting or hurting the other was done.If you do it like this when u take the divider out place a bowl of food in the cage(that they will be sharing)so they will get to eat and be close with each other. No one likes to eat while they are eating :)!!
!IF FIGHTING DOES START REMOVE THE NEW HASMTER!
Are you thinking about getting a male friend or female friend??

[Pippin]

Well, we left yesterday to buy our new pets (I bought my second rat and she bought her new hamster and 2 gerbils). We checked here just before we left but no one had answered yet. She bought another female and took the advice of the petstore employee. Today she cleaned out the cage and re-arranged it then added the new hamster. She has watched them for an hour and they are doing quite well. The original hamster squeeks and runs from the new one but they have not really fought. As we were talking the new hamster flipped onto her back and the original one sniffed, squeeked and ran....is that normal? So everything sounds like it is going OK,lol.

[FemaleCheetah]

sounds normal to me... as long as there is no blood and no fear pooping/peeing then they are fine... I have two that fight for dominance constantly but they dont 'fight'

[Zouave]

I think you are very lucky to have done that without a split screen - and not gotten one badly injured.

I have had gerbil intros go bad after 2-3 days, so it is not over after the first hours.

Flipping one over is not fighting, as I described above.

>> took the advice of the petstore employee. << :rolleyes:

Which is often wrong and should be discounted, unless you know and trust that employee.

[Pippin]

I'm not lucky, my friend is,lol. And I know to take a petstores advice with a grain of salt but it was the only input we had. I'll tell her to continue to keep a close eye on them, hopefully everything continues to run smoothly. Thank you ;) .

[piggy101]

it might be for the better that your friend took the advice of the employee. If she would have gotton a male they have mated for sure....are they in the same cage or are they split into different sides?

[Pippin]

They are in the same cage without any divider.

[piggy101]

yea 2 females are better to be in the same cage without a divider than if she would have gotton a male they would have mated and then they could be anyway from 4-10 extra hammies within 4 weeks.