Things You'll Need
- 2 cages
- Bleach
- Water
- Bedding
- Treats
Instructions
Separate Syrian dwarf hamsters into different cages. Syrians are aggressively territorial and may kill each other. This trait may not develop until the Syrian is 6 to 10 weeks old, according to Hamster-Zone.com. Syrian hamsters should never share a cage with another Syrian, or with another breed of hamster.
Introduce dwarf hamsters to their new mates before they become adults. Hamsters become sexually active at 6 weeks. Adults may have already decided they prefer to be solitary.
Use a newly disinfected cage to introduce the two hamsters. Clean it with diluted bleach (about half bleach, half water) and add new bedding.
Introduce the hamsters to the cage at the same time. Sprinkle some treats around the cage. Hopefully, the two hamsters will be distracted by the treats, and the scent of both of them will be around the cage. This may prevent a fight.
Separate your hamsters if they do start to fight. You may try re-introducing them the next day. However, according to NetVet Veterinary Resources, some hamsters are simply naturally aggressive and cannot live with another hamster. Do not try to force hamsters to live together if they cannot get along; one of them may die or become seriously injured.