Why do hamsters eat each other?

[Joseph Ramos]

When I was younger, my parents bought two hamsters, Marlboro and Gonzo. I
think they were teddy-bear hamsters.

They were very friendly, to us, and each other... and lived together without
any problems.

One day, I came home from school and the hamsters were gone. My mom gave me
some story and basically, years later, she confessed that when she got home,
one was dead, and the other was still chewing and ripping him apart ("they
ate each other").

My girlfriend just got a new hamster (just a single one) and I've always
been a little leary of these seemingly "cute" pets.

Is it territorial? Is it a gender issue?

What makes hamster's eat one another???

Still curious...

Joe

PS Do hamsters have heart attacks from fear? I'd like to put her Gizmo
into a ball and let my cat come and investigate (indoor kitty, 11 years old,
no claws) and see what happens.
Will this put the hamster in any harm? As far as fear/heart rate goes?

Thanks!

[Mo]

>Joe
>
>PS Do hamsters have heart attacks from fear? I'd like to put her Gizmo
>into a ball and let my cat come and investigate (indoor kitty, 11 years
old,
>no claws) and see what happens.
>Will this put the hamster in any harm? As far as fear/heart rate goes?
>
>Thanks!

Learn from my mistake. Be sure to extra-tape the lid, my hammie got out
somehow and became lunch for my cats. Poor Marvin

But other than that, at first my cats were incredibly curious, would grab
the ball with all four feet and swing it over....Now ?? they could care
less, they usually get out of the way, cuz my new hamster does Mach-9 in her
ball, and anyone in her way will get run over. The cats will be intrigued
for awhile, then usually get bored

Mo

[David G. Imber]

On Sun, 19 Jul 1998 15:08:25 -0700, "Joseph Ramos" <jpr...@pacbell.net>
wrote:

>When I was younger, my parents bought two hamsters, Marlboro and Gonzo. I
>think they were teddy-bear hamsters.
>
>They were very friendly, to us, and each other... and lived together without
>any problems.
>
>One day, I came home from school and the hamsters were gone. My mom gave me
>some story and basically, years later, she confessed that when she got home,
>one was dead, and the other was still chewing and ripping him apart ("they
>ate each other").

Teddy Bears are a variety of Syrian Golden. They are solitary and
should never be housed together. Unfortunately, pet shops would prefer the
extra $5 to telling people that. They will fight, sooner or later, and
often to the death.

>My girlfriend just got a new hamster (just a single one) and I've always
>been a little leary of these seemingly "cute" pets.
>
>Is it territorial? Is it a gender issue?
>
>What makes hamster's eat one another???

Actually, the issue of territory precedes the aggressive behavior.
They are not cannibalistic in the sense that they do not eat one another
for nutrition. In the event there is a dead animal in their midst and they
eat it, they are simply ridding their environment of detritus, which
instinct instructs them to do.

>Still curious...

>
>Joe
>
>PS Do hamsters have heart attacks from fear? I'd like to put her Gizmo
>into a ball and let my cat come and investigate (indoor kitty, 11 years old,
>no claws) and see what happens.
>Will this put the hamster in any harm? As far as fear/heart rate goes?

Hamsters can have heart attacks from fear or any sudden shock.
However, whenever I've had cats in the presence of my hamsters both parties
were completely nonchalant about it. Cats are smart enough, usually, to
sense that the animal is a pet, and important to you. If the cat doesn't
act aggressively as a result, the hamster doesn't get scared. I don't think
you need worry too much, but I wouldn't make a regular thing of it as both
animals are bound to get a little edgy.

DGI

********************************

David G. Imber
Maniform Creative Services
http://www.maniform.com

********************************

[Lorraine H. Smith]

>
> Actually, the issue of territory precedes the aggressive behavior.
> They are not cannibalistic in the sense that they do not eat one another
> for nutrition. In the event there is a dead animal in their midst and they
> eat it, they are simply ridding their environment of detritus, which
> instinct instructs them to do.

Does that mean that when one of my paired dwarves dies (from old age,
hopefully, and not from anything earlier--they are about 9-10 months old,
and very happy living together) the one left alive will destroy the other?
I've prepared myself for the fact that they will die in less than another
year, but should I prepare myself for a shocking and horrible sight when I
wake up one morning, in addition to the grief I will feel? Or do they
only eat each other when fighting has occurred? I honestly would rather
know now, and prepare myself, than later. :(

Thanks,
Lorraine Smith

[Rachel Brooks]

Yes, the survivor is really quite likely to eat its dead cage-mate. We had
sisters who lived together all their lives and never fought once they were
past the squabbling baby stage. Then they got older and weaker and one 'went
'missing' and I found her buried in the shavings, half eaten.
It may not happen like that for you - but forewarned is forearmed!

[Argh376748]

Thanks, now I feel even better for adopting my hamster from the Humane Society!
My little Glenny (golden hamster) was sharing a cage in the shelter and she
was clearly scared stiff of the other hamster! She stayed on the top level of
the cage, while the other hamster had access to all the food and the water
bottle. Whe even urinated from the top where she was perched--she was too
scared to go down and use the bedding! Poor thing! She could have ended up
slaughtered by that nasty hamster!

[Kerri Kadow]

If Syrian hamsters will kill eachother, then how do/did they live in the wild
without dying out??? Does anyone know how large an area would be big enough
territory for a hamster that if another hamster was in a joined area, they'd
be content with what they have and not fight to the death for the territory?

-bk

--
"My evil twin... bad weather friend... He always wants to start when I want to
begin..." --They Might Be Giants ("My Evil Twin", from Apollo 18)

"Don't you hate it when people put quotes at the end of their email?"
-- MY evil twin

[Argh376748]

Because of the wide open space of the wild, hamsters have no reason to fight
each other for space. Being solitary animals, hamsters that are in the wild
would never bother interact with other hamsters that they see, so there would
be no conflict. The small, cramped living space of a cage would force the two
hamsters to interact with each other, and to fight each other for the "bigger
room", which is simply the larger half of the cage. Of course, one may simply
kill the other. A cage that's huge enough would likely decrease the chances of
hamsters getting into an ugly fight.

[gjerrell]

> If Syrian hamsters will kill eachother, then how do/did they live in the wild
> without dying out??? Does anyone know how large an area would be big enough
> territory for a hamster that if another hamster was in a joined area, they'd
> be content with what they have and not fight to the death for the territory?

Same reason other species are limited, food supply. Being without food
requires a larger territory for fewer, though stronger, individuals; so
yes, they would have to fight to make that very distinction.

[pinksti...@gmail.com]

my hamster's r trying to kill each other why the hell r they doing it someone help please I named them after my favorite Singer Katy Perry they used to be nice to each other so why are they doing this now I don't get it like right now I've had to separate them at first i thought
that they were playing but then Perry started to bleed but i guess they were fighting so what should i do because i don't know anymore i really don't please i really really really need help so yeah reply to me please