Guinea Pigs and Hamsters

[guineamama]

I have four guinea pigs and four hamsters. I have heard about hamsters and guinea pigs being friends before and I would love for my pets to interact, but I know I need to approach this cautiously - since guinea pigs are prey animals and hamsters are omnivores.
My two dwarf hams didn't respond well to my piggies, they got into that "close to floor and sideways" position that means they're about to attack, so I quickly separated them from the pigs.
My two Syrian hams are more sociable though, and when I hold one of them to my male pig Norman, they seem interested in sniffing him. However, Norman seems to be trying to nip at them? :{ I don't think he's trying to harm them, I think he's being playful, but I could be wrong.
However, I was happy to realize my most timid piggy, Spike seemed very interested in meeting the hams. She's scared of my other piggies and of people too (she had another home when she was a baby, and was mistreated), so I thought "hey this would be great if she could make friends with the hamsters!"
But now the hamsters seem nervous around her, because she's curious about them and won't stop sniffing them!
Any suggestions on how to get my hams and pigs used to each other? :^-

 

[doglovinpiggylover]

i will be watching this with interest.

I look after my friends hammy and hes syrian, but he shows no interest whatsoever in the pigs or the dogs, and the pigs are not interested in him.

The dogs however are very interested in him!

 

[Guinea Slave]

I have a little Syrian Hamster who i recently adopted. I sort of introduced my guineas to him but have not let them too close. He is fascinated by them and for some reason really wants to try and climb on the back of the eldest one (in his dreams!). The older two ignore him completely. The two middle ones sort of sniff at him and thats it and the two babies are terrified and run and hide as soon as they see him!

I would never put them together, just the thought of what those teeth could do to one another is enough to fill me with dread!

Be very interested in others experiences though...maybe I am being too cautious?

 

[lauralucy]

i think there was a thread a while ago (but i could of dreamed it)
why would you want to put them together they are different species its like putting piggies with rabbits.

i think in a fight the hamster would win.

my syrian used to love the piggies and would try and get in the cage, not to play but to steal there food. (she escaped the first night i had her and she had been in the piggy pen and stolen there food.)

 

[sport_billy]

I'm not an expert and I'm sure others can advise with far greater knowledge and experience but as they are dfferent species from completely different habitats this seems like a bad idea that could end up very unpleasent. I would not advice it personally but as said have no direct experience.

 

[guineamama]

why would you want to put them together they are different species its like putting piggies with rabbits.

For me, one of my main interests as an animal lover is inter-species relationships. I find it both adorable and fascinating when a guinea pig and a cat cuddle up, or a dog adopts kittens as her own litter, etc. The other night I saw a documentary with a leopard looking after a baby baboon. So cute :<>

However I do acknowledge the dangers of introducing different species, and I agree a hamster would win in a fight because of its predatory instincts.

 

[Guinea Slave]

I am with you on this GuineaMama, I am equally fascinated with animal relationships and how they interact together and in some cases help each other. I am around all sorts of animals daily and find these things fascinating. Animals often surprise us in so many ways.

But I do agree, its something that has to be treated with great deal of caution and respect. I don't think anyone on this forum would put these species together and 'see what happens'. But gauging a behaviour caused by something else is very interesting as long as neither party suffer.

I do love the fact that the hamster escaped to get into the piggy cage for a snack....hamsters have such an attitude hav'nt they!? Very intelligent. I do also agree, I think hamsters would win a fight with one piggy, but you just would not want to go there.

A rat got into a hutch many years ago when I had guineas as a child, we think it came in with some hay as the hutch was very secure it was a bit of a mystery. The guineas (2 boys) had killed it over night. Not a nice death for the rat...I felt terrible but the guineas were fine.

I also had a horse (a mare) that many years ago had a phantom pregnancy due to puppies on the yard. She had to have hormone treatment and had to be milked :{ for a few days. Completely due to her love of all things young. The vet had never seen such a thing.

Animals never cease to amaze me!

 

[MissAqua]

Many years ago when I had a hamster as well as a guinea pig I did have them both roaming around the floor at the same time although the hamster ALWAYS was in his ball. I would not want to put them together without that barrier for safety to both of them.

However, this encounter was most amusing, the hamster seemed to want to run my piggie over and followed him around abit until he was bored of that. And my guinea pig just was interested in trying to peel off the cellotape I used to make sure hammy could not escape. Although if I lived in Disney/Pixar land I might have thought Hammy had asked for help to escape
|)

 

[Guinea Slave]

Oh I do like that! Very funny particularly the film bit..can you imagine? I thnk its 'Bolt' is'nt it with the Hamster whose completely insane and will do anything to help Bolt? Very funny.

Our hamster loves his ball and also runs into my legs when he wants to go somewhere or have a cuddle. He comes to you when you call him in his ball. Very cute. The guineas just consider a complete creep!^)

Interestingly, if I have all the guineas in their large indoor cage on the floor (all caged in I might add!) and Peanut (hamster) is running around in his ball, he will go up and sniff the cage as well. Sometimes the guineas notice and have a sniff too but only the older ones. However most of the time the guineas are napping and the occasional knock on the cage is an inconvenience ..

I do wonder whose the most intelligent, the one running around in the ball or the six fast asleep with loads of food on a warm fluffy fleece in front of the telly! rolleyes

 

[flips]

I don't see any need for guinea pigs and hamsters to be friends. I have no problems with my hamster being out in her ball when the guinea pigs are out. She is more interested in them and they mainly ignore her or avoid her. I think it's as much because hamsters are curious and not afraid. She's more interested in the hoover though.
When my hamster managed to get in the guinea pig cage (completely my fault as I lost track of her for a moment and was too stupid for it to occur to me that she could just climb through the C & C), I found her chasing poor Flumpet round and Joe was following them both. I took her out straight away but Flumpet had the hump with me all evening.

 

[Rilenceny]

My 1st Syrian was really afraid of the Guineapig and she'd run away from them - I didn't try after with Syrians.

My Dwarfs were completely happy running around the pigs cage.