Campbells Dwarf Hamsters- to separate or not?

[Griffin]

I rescued a pair of Campbells Dwarf Hamsters in December 2020, they are sisters and have always been together (they are now about six months old I think). I haven't separated them yet because they seemed happy and initially, I did not want to stress them out.

They are currently in a rabbit cage which is over 1m long, so have space but I cannot decide whether it is better to leave them together or separate? I have two 50x80cm cages, so accommodation is not a problem. They are not fighting but I worry that of they do start to fight, I know hamsters can get quite aggressive.

Any advice gratefully received, I am quite experienced with single hamsters but pairs are not something I have much personal experience with (only a pair of Chinese hamsters years ago that needed separating immediately after rescue). Thank you HHO.

 

[fiwen30]

I’ve never known a pair or group which has lived completely harmoniously their whole lives. With this in mind, I would separate them before any fights occur. They’ll live perfectly happy lives as individuals, and likely won’t miss each other one jot.

Even a single fight can be fatal, and it can so often begin to occur without the owner realising!

 

[Griffin]

I’ve never known a pair or group which has lived completely harmoniously their whole lives. With this in mind, I would separate them before any fights occur. They’ll live perfectly happy lives as individuals, and likely won’t miss each other one jot.

Even a single fight can be fatal, and it can so often begin to occur without the owner realising!

Thank you, this is my concern too. I worry that if they do decide to fight it will get very nasty before I even see them start. I think I just needed someone to confirm it for me. I will separate them.

 

[scats]

I had to separate 2 robos when one started bullying the other. For safety, I’d probably separate them now. The worry is that if they do start to fight, it might be too late to do anything.

 

[Griffin]

I had to separate 2 robos when one started bullying the other. For safety, I’d probably separate them now. The worry is that if they do start to fight, it might be too late to do anything.

Thank you, I agree with you, I am worried that if they fight it will be too late.

I have separated them this evening. They seem ok at the moment, they both have the same things in their cages and they're next to each other (I made sure to put plenty of old bedding in the cages). I actually felt really emotional when I put them in the separate cages but I am sure it is for the best for them.