Asked on the Rodent Forum by David on 7/1/02, 11:36 am
Q: Syrians
How come you can't breed syrians and what's inbreeding all about? Why will they fight and kill each other if they live in the same cage? What should i do with them if they aren't supposed to be together?
When will they start fighting?
ANy replies will be appreciated
Answered by PetHappy on 7/1/02, 12:04 pm
A: Syrians
Hello,
If you don't know what you're doing you should never breed any animal. Syrian hamsters can be violent with each other while mating, so knowledge and a lot of care are required. Breeding should never be attempted unless you've done extensive research and seriously thought about the huge responsibilities that come with breeding and babies.
Inbreeding is mating related hamsters. This especially applies to pet store bought hamsters, since there's no way of really knowing their backgrounds. Birth defects and health problems for the pups can be the result if a brother and sister are mated, for example.
Syrians are solitary animals and can never be kept in the same cage with another Syrian. They live alone in the wild, and are extremely territorial. Putting more than one in a cage will most certainly lead to horrible injury or death.
Sincerely,
Kelly
Answered by PetHappy on 7/1/02, 12:16 pm
A: Forgot to add
Syrian hamsters should be separated at 3-4 weeks (a month old). And separating them according to same sex groups isn't good enough, each individual hamster needs its own cage, which can be expensive and time consuming, especially when you consider the possibility that a Syrian hamster could give birth to 20 pups in a litter. Yet another thing to consider before breeding Syrian hamsters.
Sincerely,
Kelly
