Hamsters are born blind, thin-skinned and hairless, and need proper care early on in their lives in order to survive.If your favorite hamster is pregnant, you need to learn how to care for her and her babies.Ensuring that your hamster's babies will survive and find a safe home can be accomplished by taking the appropriate actions.
Step 1: Know when your pet is pregnant.
Weight gain alone does not mean that your female hamster is pregnant.She may be pregnant with a nest-building, possibly food-hoarding, and signs of aggression as her period progresses.
Step 2: Understand the hamster's life cycle.
Some hamsters are capable of breeding as early as four weeks old.It is recommended that hamsters not be bred until five to six months of age.The breeding period for hamsters varies by breed.Many dwarf breeds gestate for 18-21 days, while Syrian hamsters do it for 16 days.hamsters can gestate for up to 30 days.Females who are capable of reproduction want to mate every four days.A couple days before your hamster is going to give birth, her stomach will swell to a very large size.This could be an indication of a more serious condition.In rare cases, swollen abdomens may be a sign of a tumor, heart failure, or cysts.If your hamster's belly is swollen, it is a good idea to have her examined by a vet to determine if she is pregnant or not.
Step 3: Clean the cage.
Your hamster needs to deliver her babies in a clean environment.If you want to make sure that this happens, you need to clean your hamster cage two weeks after it gets pregnant and add fresh bedding.As the mother hamster gets closer to her delivery date, you may not be able to clean the cage in time.A female hamster will reject the babies when they are born if the cage is not cleaned within 2 - 3 days of her due date.If she is pregnant, you may want to clean the cage as soon as possible.The cage should not be cleaned again until 14 days after the birth.
Step 4: Your hamster's diet needs to be changed.
hamsters need a diet high in fat and calories.There is a hamster food that contains 18 to 20 percent fat and seven to nine percent protein.You may want to provide your mother hamster with food that is rich in calcium.Provide pregnant hamsters with healthy treats like carrots, nuts, hard boiled eggs, cheese and greens.Extra food should be put in her cage because she will be eating more than normal.Since the food may go mouldy in her store, take care with foods that will go bad.In order to increase her chances of eating it all, it is best to give her plenty of dry food and treat her with items that will last a long time.
Step 5: The hamster wheel is in the cage.
It is important to prevent the accidental injury or death of baby hamsters once they are born.
Step 6: If you have not already done so, remove the father from the cage.
Female hamsters can act aggressively toward males if they don't want a mate.Some hamster enthusiasts claim that dwarf hamster fathers are helpful in raising the litter.If you're considering leaving your hamster dad in the cage, consult with a vet or pet store hamster specialist.
Step 7: Provide soft building material for your baby.
One of your hamster's first reactions when she gets pregnant will be to build a soft nest to give birth to her babies in.You can help by giving your hamster some toilet paper to shred and use in her nest.The best way to build a nest is with clean facial tissue or toilet paper.Your hamster will be able to tear and arrange it easily because it is soft to the touch and absorbent.The baby hamsters may become tangled or smothered in heavy materials.
Step 8: There are homes for the babies.
If you don't plan on keeping the babies after they are born, you only need to do this.If you're having a hard time finding friends who want to take a baby or two, try posting an ad on the internet.hamsters are excellent classroom pets, so you can check with the teachers.If you want baby hamsters, you should never breed them.Provide for them in your own home or find a place to live.
Step 9: Know what to expect during birth.
The birthing process usually takes between one and two hours.Do not disturb her during or after the birth.
Step 10: Don't disturb the nest.
The mother hamster should be left alone for a couple of days leading up to the birth.She may become aggressive in order to protect the nest from perceived threats, so it is best to leave her alone.She should be disturbed as little as possible or else she might abandon her babies or even kill them.
Step 11: Do not handle the babies for more than a couple of weeks.
You don't want to disturb the nest or leave your scent on the infant hamsters if their mother abandons or kills them.The mother hamster may attack you if you try to handle her offspring.If you need to move a baby, use a spoon.You don't want to get your scent on the baby.Even if a baby strays from the nest, the mama hamster will return to retrieve it.
Step 12: The cage should not be cleaned for the first two weeks.
It is in the best interest of the babies that you don't clean your hamster cage.After the babies are born, don't clean the cage.If you notice a wet spot in the cage, you can spot clean it, but make sure you don't disturb the nest.The room temperature should be around 70 degrees.
Step 13: Provide the little hamsters with food and water.
You should check the cage at least twice a day to make sure there is enough food and water.Food can be spread on the sides and floor of the cage when the babies are a week old.The little ones will begin to explore and get their own food when the mother hamster is gone.The diet of the mother and baby hamsters should be high in fat and calories.Young hamsters are more likely to drown if they fall into a water bowl.A shallow dish is better.You will want to make sure the sipper bottle is low so that the young hamsters can drink from it.
Step 14: The babies should be taken care of if the mother dies.
The baby hamsters can be orphans due to the birth issues.The hamsters will have an easier time surviving if they are 12 to 14 days old.To make up for the lack of body heat in their mother's absence, place a heating pad under the cage.You can create a nest for the babies by shredding toilet paper.Make sure the babies have enough to eat.The water bottle should be lowered as well.hamsters emerge hairless and blind when they are born.hamsters look at birth the same way, so don't be alarmed.hamster babies will gain weight, grow fur, and develop ear canals over the course of the first week.They will crawl and eat by the middle of the second week.Lactol is an animal milk replacement and can be used to nurse hamster pups.Lactol can be found in most pet stores.You can use powdered baby formula if you can't find Lactol.Touch the drop to the baby hamster's mouth.The baby hamster should be allowed to lick the milk out from the dropper.hamsters can't regulate their own body temperatureIf necessary, use a heating pad on a low setting to keep the room warm.
Step 15: There are babies that are 12 days or younger that need a surrogate mother.
The new mother will not recognize the hamsters as belonging to another litter if the nest/birthing process is wiped clean.You might want to wear rubber gloves during this process.Wrap the baby hamsters in a clean terry cloth towel and rub it gently to promote circulation.A surrogate mother may have babies that are a couple days older than your babies.Wrap the material from the surrogate mom's nest around your babies.The goal is to get the smell of the surrogate mom's babies.Place the babies in the nest with the other hamsters if you want to distract the new mother.To give the babies a chance to wriggle into the nest and get covered in the smell, keep the mom away for as long as possible.Keep an eye out for the surrogate mother.She may kill the babies if she senses something is wrong with them.It can be hard to find a female hamster in your time of need.If you have to raise the young hamsters by hand, be prepared.Lactose helps the baby grow.
Step 16: The babies are older than two weeks.
After the last two weeks, the mother hamster will be a bit less protective, allowing you to go in and clean up.The mother hamster may want to build another nest if you put a few pieces of toilet paper in the cage after you clean it.
Step 17: When babies are two weeks old, begin to handle them.
Babies can get used to human touch at a young age.The mother hamster will be fine with them smelling like you.Baby hamsters can move very quickly, so take precautions when handling them.
Step 18: The babies are four weeks old.
Baby hamsters will be fed from their mom until they are 26 days old.The babies should be taken care of by their mom.
Step 19: The males and females should be separated.
You will need to check the genders of your baby hamsters and split them up into separate cages.They need to be separated from their mother, who will lose interest in nursing them by this time.The litter of hamsters will be able to reproduce around 40 days after birth.Before this happens, it's important to separate them.After around six to seven weeks, Syrian hamsters should be put in separate cages.If it feels that its space is being threatened, this breed of hamster will become aggressive.Heterosexual hamsters can live peacefully in colonies.Around the time their eyes open, dwarf hamsters will play together.You might start to notice fights occurring after 12 weeks.You should split the pair into separate cages if you see this.You should put the hamster that is being bullied into his or her own cage if it is happening in a colony.If you don't separate them, you could end up with a lot of inbred pups within a few weeks.
Step 20: Care for your hamsters the same way you would any other hamster.
At five weeks old, your baby hamsters have grown into adults.As an adult hamster, play with, feed, and love them.