A typical female hamster can give birth to as many as 20 pups in a litter, though six to 12 is average. The mother will nurse and care for her babies the first two to three weeks of life, after which they will be able to transition to a commercial hamster diet. For owners who want to keep two or more hamsters together, Dwarf hamsters are recommended.
These species can be kept in pairs or groups as long as they are given adequate space. Most Dwarf hamsters will enjoy company from members of their own species, but Syrian and sometimes Chinese hamsters must be kept alone. Why do hamsters have a short lifespan? Most of us buy our hamsters from the pet store when they are around 6 weeks old. As pregnant hamsters approach the time to deliver the litter, they may become restless and active and may have vaginal bleeding.
When they are ready to give birth, provide them with nesting material. Table of Contents. A typical female hamster can give birth to as many as 20 pups in a litter, though six to 12 is average.
The mother will nurse and care for her babies the first two to three weeks of life, after which they will be able to transition to a commercial hamster diet. During this time , a mother hamster should be well-fed and hydrated, and kept in a quiet, low-stress environment.
Anxious, underfed hamster mothers may otherwise kill their young. A mother hamster will start weaning her babies at 2 to 3 weeks of age. This time frame many vary based on how many pups are in the litter and how well individual pups are thriving. Pups may continue to try to nurse during this period but will be discouraged by their mother once they begin to reach maturity. Provide an adequate supply of food for the young hamsters during this time to make the transition easier.
You can remove weaned hamsters from their mother at approximately 3 to 4 weeks of age, though if a litter has exceptionally small hamsters or babies that failed to flourish, let them stay with their mother an extra week. Baby hamsters can safely go to adoptive homes as early as 3 weeks of age.
It's preferable to adopt them out before they are 7 weeks old. This diet should be continued throughout the pregnancy and until the babies are weaned.
In addition to a good quality diet, you can offer small amounts of hard-boiled egg, bits of cooked chicken, cheese, and wheat germ to give the mom a nutritional boost. Make sure it always has clean water as well. If your pregnant hamster lives with another hamster, you may want to separate them. This will keep the babies safer and avoid any fighting between adults. It will also avoid another pregnancy in the future if you discover you have a male and a female hamster living together.
It will be hard to resist, but try not to handle the babies at all for at least 7 days. You want to avoid getting your scent on the babies and unnecessarily moving them. If for some reason you must move a baby hamster, use a spoon so you do not get your scent on the baby. It is rare that you will need to move a baby though, even if they are out of the nest.
The mother hamster will usually retrieve any stray pups and return them to the nest. Make feeding and watering time as efficient and calm as possible.
Keep in mind that the mother hamster will be very protective so it may act more aggressive than usual towards you while you are in the cage. It may charge at your hand or stand on its hind legs if you get too close. This is natural and is not a cause for concern but you should still avoid getting bit and unnecessarily stressing your hamster out.
The baby hamsters will be ready to wean off of their mother at about three weeks of age. This is the best time to separate the males from the females if you have dwarf hamsters but Syrian hamsters can stay in these male and female groups for another two to three weeks.
Unfortunately, if you purchased a pregnant hamster from the pet store it is probably quite young and may not have the best mothering abilities. Because of this, it may be more likely to abandon or even cannibalize its babies.
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