How many hammies?

Question
QUESTION: Hi Heather, I have a long hair male Syrian hamster that is 15 months old. I have had only him until this past July. Since that time I have taken in some rescue animals. I adopted a male gerbil, a female dwarf Russian Campbell, and another male long hair Syrian. Everything seemed fine, I keep them in one room, caged separately and I spot clean the cages daily to keep things fresh. They cannot see each other from their cages, but I'm sure they can detect the scents. My most recent rescue is a blind female black bear Syrian. I keep her on the opposite side of the room to the others (about 15 feet apart). In the past week my 15 month old hammie seems quite anxious. His sleep and wake times are the same but he seems to have energy that he was laking in recent months. Is this because of the female I've recently adopted and if so do I need to house them farther apart, or is it that he's just getting his zest for life back?? I don't want him to be stressed and I'm not sure how close they should be kept, I haven't been able to find anything on the subject, other than they're solitary. The room I keep them in has the ability to be kept warmer than the rest of the house but I guess I will address that if it becomes and issue. What's minimum temps for a ham, so their still comfortable? Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

ANSWER: It could be a sign your male is excited that there is the possibility of a female in heat near him, but there is no way to tell for sure. I have a 2 year old male and a 6 month old female in separate tanks right next to each other, and I have never noticed him act difference because of the girl next to him, but they have adopted similar sleeping patters. Anything below 60 is too chilly, and anything about 80 is considered too hot. I have kept hamsters in both hot and cold states, Florida and Ohio, and honestly I have never seen much of a difference. If the temp drops the hamster may go into a state of hibernation, which can actually kill it since they are not meant to do so. If it goes above 80 (which during a 1200 mile car ride, I'm sure my hams' carrier went into the 80s) the hamsters become sluggish. As long as you are comfortable within that temperature range, and your house does not drop temperature in colder months, the hams will be just fine.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Heather, thanks for the info, it hadn't occurred to me that the temperature would make the difference, but although we use air conditioning in the summer, it's still cooler in the house now than it was, it makes perfect sense. You mentioned you have an older hammie. I've noticed that my guy isn't as chunky as he once was and I was wondering what I could offer him as a tasty supplement to fatten him up a bit. He gets both complete diet pellet food and seed mix as well as fresh fruit and veggies daily, as well as a pinch of oats and he has vitamin drops in his water. I do offer the odd yogurt drop or other hamster treat but not very often. His teeth appear fine and his appetite seems good but he just seems a little bony. Great coat and bright eyes. Is this just the aging process? I've read about giving older hammies porridge and oats baby food but I think that was an expert in the UK. Any thoughts??  Thanks again for your help. I want to keep this guy as happy and healthy as possible. KJ

Answer
Adding extra fats to an older hams diet just to bulk him up isn't the best idea. It's best to just keep him on the healthy track with the food you have been feeding him, while adding fresh fruits and veggies in tiny amounts. Extra protein is a better idea, which you can give as a tiny piece of cooked chicken, boiled egg, or a small piece of bread soaked in milk. All of these items have added fats, but at least he is getting other nutrition out of it. My old boy is getting smaller as well, he used to be so large, now compared to my young female, he's nothing. He's over 2 years old, and doing just fine.