Here we can see, “What Should You Do If Your Hamster Gives Birth to Babies?”
A surprise birth is not uncommon because hamsters are sometimes wrongly sexed and purchased as adults from a pet store. To avoid surprises like this, getting your hamster from a store that separates males and females at a young age is preferable. Unfortunately, however, this is not always possible.
Sometimes you’ll bring a hamster home from a store where it was housed with many other hamsters, and they’ll be pregnant without you even realising it. You may be astonished to find a litter of baby hamsters in your hamster’s cage one day and be unsure what to do with them.
Make Your Hamster Feel At Home
To assist your hamster in caring for its new kids, add strips of toilet paper or facial tissues in the cage to provide soft, clean bedding material for the nest. You should do this as soon as you learn your hamster is pregnant, but it’s okay if you’re unaware of the pregnancy. The bulk of its abdomen may usually identify a pregnant hamster a few days before birth.
If you’ve just discovered your hamster is pregnant, give it a thorough cleaning to prepare for the upcoming arrivals. Don’t worry about cleaning the cage for a bit once the babies come. Allow at least 7 days for the mother and baby to be alone, especially if the woman has never given birth before. If essential, spot cleans extremely moist areas, but avoid disturbing the nest, mother, and youngsters.
How to Feed a Pregnant Hamster
As soon as you detect your hamster is pregnant, provide a high-quality hamster feed high in protein. This diet should be followed for the duration of the pregnancy and until the babies are weaned. In addition to a nutritious diet, you can provide the mom with modest portions of hard-boiled egg, bits of cooked chicken, cheese, and wheat germ. Please make certain that it constantly has clean water.
Distinguish Your Hamsters
If your pregnant hamster shares a home with another hamster, you should consider separating them. This will protect the babies and prevent any violence between adults. It will also prevent a future pregnancy if you discover you have a male and a female hamster living together.
Allow Your Hamster Some Privacy
It won’t be easy, but try not to touch the baby for at least 7 days. You don’t want to get your fragrance on the babies and move them around unnecessarily. If you must transfer a newborn hamster, use a spoon to avoid getting your scent on the infant. Even if the youngster is out of the nest, it is unlikely that you will need to move them. Any wayward pups are usually retrieved by the mother hamster and returned to the nest.
Make feeding and watering as quick and easy as possible. Keep quiet while in and around the cage to avoid stressing your hamster. It’s fine to take a short glimpse inside the cage now and again, but you should avoid sitting and staring at the hamsters for extended periods.
Keep in mind that the mother hamster will be highly protective of you while in the cage so that it may act more aggressively than usual towards you. For example, it may charge at your hand or stand on its hind legs if you come too close. This is normal and not a cause for concern, but you should avoid getting bitten and stressing your hamster out needlessly.
The Baby Hamsters Are Being Weaned
At around three weeks of age, the baby hamsters will be ready to wean themselves from their mother. If you have dwarf hamsters, now is the best time to separate the males from the females, although Syrian hamsters can stay in these male and female groups for another two to three weeks.
Hamsters with Young Mothers
Unfortunately, if you bought a pregnant hamster from a pet store, it was usually pretty young and may not be the best mother. As a result, it may be more likely to leave or even cannibalise its young. If your hamster does not attend to the nest or care for the babies and they are less than 10 days old, it is regrettably exceedingly difficult to save the pups.
User Questions
Can I touch my hamster’s babies?
Although the desire to hold these babies is tremendous, avoid touching them for the first two weeks of their lives. The mother hamster may resort to extreme efforts to protect her babies from any potential predator, including you. Under extreme stress, a mother hamster may kill and consume her young.
Is it safe to clean my hamster cage while pregnant?
“If you’re pregnant, wash your hands frequently, don’t clean the hamster cage, sweep up rodent droppings, and avoid areas filled with mice whenever possible,” adds Stavola.
Do hamsters have multiple births?
Hamsters give birth to live babies. Once the process begins, it could take a few minutes or several hours. As each baby is born, the mother will bathe it and cuddle it beneath her body to nurse and keep it warm.
Do young hamsters bite?
It’s rare for a hamster to be aggressive, and they usually bite only when they’re terrified. Although such tiny fangs may not cause as much damage as other animals, a bite will hurt and should be avoided. Fortunately, you may gradually learn your hamster to stop biting and accept being handled.
Do hamsters require baths?
Hamsters are meticulous groomers who do an excellent job of keeping themselves clean; as we commonly conceive of them, baths are not required. However, if they require it, they can be spot-cleaned. It is especially crucial to examine their bottoms because bedding can often become stuck after going to the restroom.
Conclusion
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