Robo Hamsters Fighting

Dillan running on the flying saucer

A few weeks or so after I got my two Robovorski boys they started fighting. Since I had never had a pair or hamsters I wasn't sure what I was hearing and contacted the breeder immediately. She said that it might be play, but keep an eye out for any kind of possessiveness or bullying. At first it was only 2 scuffles a night, but within 2 days they were up to 4 or 5 scuffles within just 2 hours and I decided to give them a short break from each other.

After a night of separation I put them back together. This time I diligently watched. Kai seemed to be following Dillan around and bullying him. Dillan wasn't allowed to do anything, not even go in his burrow and rest. I kept trying to stop the fights, but I wasn't sure if that was helping or hurting the situation. Eventually I couldn't take it anymore and decided to permanently separate them until I could think of something that might help. I just couldn't have a hurt hamster on my hands.

Kai marking the log

So, now it's over a month later and they are still in their own habitats (aka bins.) I've been wracking my brain to see if I can come up with something to help them stop fighting. It's a shame for them to have to be separated for the rest of their lives. They were so cute together. Plus, I'm a dog trainer and would love to figure out a way to train these two boys to co-exist. Obviously not to the extent of either one getting hurt though.

Maybe I can come up with a way to teach Kai to stop being a bully or a way to teach Dillan to stop running away. Either way, at some point I plan on trying to reintroduce them. But gonna make sure it's in the best way possible. Until then, I will continue to train Kai tricks and work with Dillan on his shyness and easy tricks.