Hamster War

well, yesterday afternoon I was getting my grocery list ready and then heard this really odd, scary sound. it sounded like a child was screaming into a 2 liter bottle of soda and every so often I would hear a grunt.(no, don't ask me why I thought that is what it sounded like. my children have never screamed into a 2 liter bottle of soda, we're a can kind of family. that is just what I thought of when I heard the sound).so I hear this sound and can account for all three Littles because they are sitting right with me. all of them are fine. they are all looking at me, though, wondering what the sound is coming from.
oldest son jumps up and screams, "Cali!"
daughter screams, "Willow!"
and they both get up and run towards their bedroom. they open the door and the noise gets much louder. it is the hamsters, who apparently have declared war on one another and are attacking each other. they are chasing each other around the cage. bedding is flying up in tufts. screams can be heard. yes, hamsters scream. it's not pleasant to hear, not that anyone screaming in pain or terror is a nice sound, but still, this was one of those "ouch, that hurts my ears" kind of scream.
son opens top and starts to put his hand in there. "STOP!!!!!!!!!!!" I scream. man, we can all scream in this family....
all I could picture was his little hand getting mauled by 2 mutant, insane hamsters. not gonna happen, mister. not on my watch.
so then I had to figure out how to get them apart. I sure as hell was not putting my hand in there. no little hands were going in there.
and then, I thought of the tupperware.
I got a sandwich container lid from the kitchen. I separated the two mongrels and then scooted one over to one far side of the cage. alone. I picked up Willow, who was sporting a bloody nose and was panting. I got a baby wipe and wiped Willow's nose off, small cut on her little hammy nose, no other injuries.
I put convict #1 into the ball and put her in the kitchen, aka solitary confinement.
got out convict #2 and used about 4 wipes on her. "Skipper" was the main victim here. she has 2 bites on her back, a bite on her foot and a cut ear. Willow is a bad ass little fighter, it seems. who knew??????????
so, we got all kids and hamsters calmed down and I added a new hamster cage to my list.
bought one, got home and got Willow into her new pad. everyone is very happy and all bleeding has stopped. why, after nearly a year of living together happily as three female hamsters did these two suddenly decide that they hate one another? (the third hammy, Cali, was sitting off to one side during the whole fight scene, washing her face and ignoring the whole fiasco)

all is well today. they're happy and calm again. for now.