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What to do to care for your pregnant hamster and her babies?

Pregnancy, delivery and childcare is a solo act for the female hamster. The father has completed his part once they've achieved pregnancy. It isn't necessary to put the father and mother together again, and it COULD be dangerous.

Female hamsters are very territorial, and she'll attack any male in her space.

More Details on Caring for Hamster During Pregnancy

In the last newsletter, you've learned that when you determine your hamster is pregnant, to place her in a glass aquarium. Remember to clean the aquarium on the 13th or 14th day of her pregnancy and give her fresh bedding and nesting material, like toilet paper.

It's important to do this now because you won't be able to change the bedding for a couple of weeks after she gives birth.

Where you locate the expectant mother is critical. She must be in a quiet place with little activity and no direct sunlight.

Experts say to keep her away from televisions, stereos or ringing telephones anything that might startle her.

This is important because mother hamsters will cannibalize their babies if they feel their nest is threatened.


Why Hamsters Eat Their Young

Hamsters eat their young for a number of reasons. The most common reason is that she feels threatened. Self-preservation will make her attack her young. (It's a WEIRD instinct to prevent suffering and poor survival likelihood for her children).

Mothers may also cannibalize their babies if there are a large number and they can't take care of them all. Sometimes it happens because she senses her babies aren't healthy.

Some mother hamsters are also just too young to cope with a litter, and some can never cope. You can increase your chances of the babies surviving by keeping the mother in a quiet, non-threatening environment.

(this happened to ours^)

Checking for Distress

On the 16th day of pregnancy, check your hamster for signs of distress, like lying on her side panting. Otherwise, allow her privacy to deliver her babies.
# of Pups

Most hamsters have litters of five to eight pups, but occasionally they'll have up to 10.

Continue to feed her and provide water during her labor and while nursing. Give her high-protein snacks, like a little bit of bread soaked in soy milk or a piece of boiled or scrambled egg.

A piece of apple or banana is also a good treat for the nursing hamster.

Don't change the bedding or litter for 16 days, when the babies have their eyes open and are bigger. They'll also be nearly weaned at that point.

Although some mothers will still cannibalize young at that age, it isn't as likely. Resist temptation to poke her nest or try to look at the babies.

Even after they are older, be sure to touch every single baby rather than just one or two. She may abandon the ones that smell different, so give them all your scent.

The best care you can give the mother and her offspring until they are weaned is to leave them alone!
Feeding the Babies

It is very difficult to hand-feed baby hamsters. You must feed every hour or two for three weeks, and even then many pups still won't survive. Most people can't keep this schedule, but if you want to try to save abandoned babies, or if the mother hamster dies, enlist some help.

Check with your vet to find out what you should feed them.

You should separate the hamsters at 12 weeks of age. By that time some of them will be gender mature. It can be difficult to tell what sex the babies are, but as they get older, it becomes more obvious.

Males tend to have very large test.cles, but you can be fooled if they hold them close to their body. An easy way to determine gender is that there are two openings in the female that are very close together. In the male these openings are farther apart.

Compare them to their mother to get an idea.