# Dwarf hamsters play fighting?



## FluffyCannibal (Jan 2, 2012)

I bought my daughter 2 Chinese Dwarf hamsters just over a month ago. Over the last couple of weeks I've heard them squeaking a little bit at night, and at bed time my daughter said she saw them fighting. The only injury I've seen on either of them is a tiny bit of blood on one's nose. They are still playing and sleeping together, and both are very friendly. Are they just play fighting or could it be more serious?


----------



## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

Seperate them now

Chinese hamsters are not actively social animals, males will occasionally tolerate the presence of another male in a very strict housing set up, but more often then not it will only end in disasters
Fights between chinese happen very suddenly with very little to no warning and can very easily prove fatal to one or both
the general rule when housing any animal is to separate at the very first sign of blood

Chinese these days are kept as solitary animals as a rule


----------



## Louiseandfriends (Aug 21, 2011)

Only Russian dwarf hamsters can really possibly be kept in pairs. Please separate them.


----------



## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

Buddyandfriends said:


> Only Russian dwarf hamsters can really possibly be kept in pairs. Please separate them.


And robos


----------



## AutumnAngel (Oct 16, 2011)

Chinese hamsters can be kept in pairs and even colonies quite happily. I've kept chinese hamsters in pairs plus a number of large colonies for years without fighting, injuries or any other problems (both single and mixed sexes).

However, I have found that people who breed chinese hamsters in a single parent environment (ie where mum has been separated from the male) don't tend to accept living as a pair or within a colony as well as hamsters bred and reared in a mixed pair or colony environment. I presume this to be because those from single parents are bred in a solitary environment rather than a social one and don't learn how adults interact with each other. 

If you have seen your hamsters fighting, and one has an injury, then I would as a minimum keep a close eye on them, but as you can't watch them 24/7 you may be better separating them as it sounds like it may get more serious.


----------



## happysaz133 (Jun 5, 2008)

Sadly this is real fighting if blood has been drawn, not play fighting (which hamsters don't do). Chinese can very very rarely be kept together happily. I would split them up, buy another cage for the other or rehome.

Sorry


----------

