Winter white russian

Question
Hello, i have 2 male winter white russian hamsters that i bought at the same time, was told they were brothers, and they have lived in the same cage fine for about 6 months. this last week they have started fighting badly and i have had to seperate them. 1 of the hamters is a lot larger than the other, he is the most agressive out of the 2, he has also become nasty towards me and has bit my son. Can you explain why there is such a change in their behaviour. Could 1 be a female and pregnant. Yvonne.


Answer
Hi Yvonne

Sorry to hear your hamsters aren't getting long.

It could be that one is female - whilst dwarf hamsters mate a lot, sometimes there are occasions when they don't mate for some time.  This is particularly true for Winter Whites - if they feel stressed at all they don't mate.In the event that one is a female, then the usual gestation period for a dwarf is 18-21 days - so you'll know in a few weeks time.  

You were wise to separate the hamsters as when they reach this level of aggression they can cause very serious injuries to each other.

Some hamsters' personalities do change as they get older and reach adulthood (with dwarf hamsters, usually it is the Campbells variety who are known for their temperamental personality).  It might just be a case of starting over with them.  I suggest you don't give up on them, even though I know it is hard especially if you have been bitten.

You need to win your hamsters' confidence again.  Talk to them a lot, whenever you see them out and about give them a treat.  This way they will start to get used to you again and associate good things with you.

When you want to handle them - I always put the cage on the floor and open it up fully - I never put my hand in a cage through the doorway.  Rub some of their woodchippings onto your hands, especially if you have been handling the other one first.  Then place a hand each side and scoop them up and immediately put them on your clothing.  They always seem to be less stressed and aggressive if they walk on clothing rather than skin.  I suggest you try this, in particular, with the aggressive one.  After a minute or two return him to his cage so that he can see that it is safe for him.  Then try again.

I'm afraid there is no quick or easy solution to this, but now is the time to put in a bit of work to re-tame them.  If you find that the aggressive one just doesn't want to be nice, then it might be a case of him having a life without being handled.

Regards