- Be sure that you are feeding the mother and baby hamsters a diet high in protein and fat content.
- Avoid using a water bowl, as young hamsters may drown if they fall into the bowl. Use a shallow dish instead.
- You will want to make sure that the sipper bottle is low enough that the young hamsters can reach the lip of it and get a drink, which will typically ...
What foods are harmful to a hamster?
Other Foods Not Suitable For Hamsters
- Dairy products
- Biscuits
- Bread
- Chips
- Chocolate (unless specifically made for hamsters)
- Dairy products
- Biscuits
- House and garden plants - not all, but better safe than sorry
- Jam
- Pasta
What fruits and vegetables are safe to feed hamsters?
- Pear – Pears are thought to be healthy and digestible for hamsters. ...
- Although many hamsters don’t like to eat it, it is still healthy and safe for Syrian hamsters. ...
- Apple – Apart from the dry palettes, you can feed Apple to your Syrian hamster in a small quantity as a treat.
- Apricot – Dried Apricot and its stone/seed should be avoided. ...
What type of foods can you feed a hamster?
- Wild Harvest Nutrition Diet and Advanced Nutrition Diet plan for Hamsters and Gerbils
- Supreme Tiny Friends Farm Hazel Hamster Tasty Mix 2lbs
- Sun Seed Vita Prima Dwarf Hamster Food
- Kaytee Forti Diet Pro Health Small Animal Food For Mice And Rats, 5-Pound
- Kaytee Fiesta Hamster And Gerbil Food, 4.5-Lb Bag
When and how often do you feed a hamster?
You should feed your hamster twice day, once in the morning and then again in the evening. It's very important to take out any uneaten food because this will quickly go mouldy and if your pet eats food that has any mould on it, they could get very ill.
What do you feed a hamster after birth?
Mother hamsters need extra protein while they are pregnant or nursing. Feed them boiled egg, bits of cooked unseasoned chicken or beef, mealworms (usually available at high-end pet stores) and fruits or vegetables rich in vitamins A (natural A is good) and E.
How mother hamster feed their babies?
The mother hamster will nurse her babies for the first two to three weeks and then she will feed them by bringing them scattered food from around the cage. Scatter pellets and other hamster food throughout the cage and allow the mother to forage for food to feed the babies.
What do you do with a newly born hamster?
To care for hamster babies, start by leaving them alone in the cage with their mother for the first two weeks. Then, after a week, scatter some food around the floor of the cage to encourage the babies to explore the area. After two weeks, begin holding them so that they can get used to being handled by humans.
Can I touch my hamster after she gives birth?
3. Don't Try to Touch the Babies for at Least Several Weeks. As well as avoiding looking at the babies when they're very young, ward off touching them until they're moving around on their own and have a good amount of fur. If the mother detects your scent on her babies, she'll kill them.
How do you take care of a hamster after giving birth?
It's important that you not touch the mother hamster or clean her cage for the first couple weeks after the babies are born. Place her cage in a quiet area where there is little activity as soon as you realize she's pregnant, so the expecting hamster can settle.
What kind of milk can hamsters drink?
Like humans, hamsters would probably prefer whole milk, but whole milk has way too much fat. Skim milk is a much healthier option. You never want to give your hamster chocolate milk as it can be loaded with sugar, and chocolate is poisonous to hamsters. Also avoid other flavored milks, such as strawberry.
When can I touch hamster babies?
14 days14 days of age is “the ideal time to begin to familiarize your young hamster with being handled,” says Kohles. This should be a thoughtful process where you can help desensitize them to handling to minimize the stress of the baby hamsters.
How many babies does a hamster have per pregnancy?
Normal litters contain 6 to 8 pups, and offspring are weaned after about 21 to 28 days.
What happens if you touch a hamsters babies?
If you touch them, it alters their smell and can confuse the mother so she doesn't recognize the babies as her own. Also, make sure you are feeding the hamsters ample food and water, because if the mother believes that their supplies aren't enough to sustain the group, she'll start sacrificing some of her litter.
Why is my hamster burying her babies?
Also, some hamsters are just pains in the butt - most mothers try to bury their children in the wood chips from the cage to either keep them warm or to suffocate the little buggers.
Do male hamsters eat their babies?
Some hamsters will eat other's young as a territorial act. Dads are guilty, too. Mothers need to be totally alone in a cage with their pups until they get a bit bigger. Socialization is vital, so you won't have to separate them long.
Do baby hamsters drink milk from their mother?
While adult hamsters can drink small quantities of milk, orphaned baby hamsters need milk that matches the mother's milk as closely as possible. Levels of fat and protein in hamster's milk are different from those in cow's milk.
How long do hamsters nurse their babies?
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.
Will mother hamster eat their babies?
If a hamster is feeling excessively stressed, then it may eat its babies. 2 It may feel as though caring for its young is more than it can handle and unfortunately kill and eat its babies. This may be more likely to occur in young hamster mothers or if you are disturbing the mother too much throughout the day.
How long do baby hamsters need milk?
Although baby hamsters start eating hamster foods when they're just days old, they still continue to nurse with their mothers for a little while longer. Dwarf hamsters -- like Chinese and Campbell's hammies -- typically are all through with weaning once they get to roughly 3 weeks old.
How to take care of a hamster that is giving birth?
To take care of a hamster that is giving birth, start by cleaning a glass fish tank and lining it with several layers of soft bedding. Remove any other hamsters from the cage and let the mother have the space to herself.
How important is it to take care of a hamster before birth?
This article has been viewed 20,885 times. The care and maintenance of a mother hamster before, during, and after birth is very important for the survival of the mother and her babies. Make sure the cage is properly prepared before the birthing takes place.
What type of cage should I use for hamsters?
When preparing for your hamster to have her babies, use a cage that is tank-like, i.e., like a fish tank with glass walls. You want to use a tank-like cage because it reduces the risk of the babies escaping through the wire bars, if the cage you have is a wire cage.
How to keep a baby cage quiet?
Place the cage in a quiet room. Make sure the cage is in a quiet room, away from any loud noises in the house. Loud noises can stress and disturb the mother during and after birth, which can cause her to harm her babies.
What happens if a hamster never has a baby?
If so, do not worry because the unborn hamsters will be reabsorbed back into the mother’s blood stream.
How long should a hamster stay with its mother?
Generally, you want to minimize contact with the mother for up to two weeks. Hamster babies will be mature enough to leave their mother at three to four weeks of age. If you keep the babies longer than four weeks, make sure to remove the babies from the mother before eight weeks of age.
How to clean a baby crate before labor?
2. Clean the cage and add extra bedding. You want to clean the cage 3 to 4 days before the mother goes into labor. Clean the cage as you normally would, but add extra bedding. Pad the cage with extra bedding material that you usually buy. You can also add shredded pieces of toilet paper for extra bedding.
What do hamsters need to be pregnant?
Pregnant hamsters need a diet high in protein and fat. Aim for a hamster food that contains 18 to 20 percent protein and seven to nine percent fat. You may also want to provide your mother hamster with milky food to provide additional calcium and promote lactation.
How to take care of a hamster baby?
To care for hamster babies, start by leaving them alone in the cage with their mother for the first two weeks. Then, after a week, scatter some food around the floor of the cage to encourage the babies to explore the area. After two weeks, begin holding them so that they can get used to being handled by humans.
How to get a surrogate mom to smell like her baby?
The goal is to get the smelling exactly like the surrogate mom’s babies. Distract the new mother with a treat and then place the babies in the nest with the other hamsters. Keep the mom away for as long as possible to give the babies a chance to wriggle into the nest and get covered in the smell.
How long does it take for a hamster to clean its cage?
Cleaning the cage within 2 - 3 days of her "due date" can unsettle a female hamster sufficiently that she rejects the babies when they are born.
How long after a hamster gets pregnant should you clean the cage?
Clean the cage. It's important that your hamster delivers her babies into a clean environment. In order to ensure that this happens, clean your hamster cage two weeks after your hamster gets pregnant (or when you determine that your hamster is pregnant), and add additional fresh bedding.
How old do hamsters have to be to breed?
Understand the hamster life cycle. Hamsters reach sexual maturity quickly in life, with some hamsters capable of breeding as early as four weeks old. However, it is generally recommended that breeders refrain from pairing hamsters for mating until five to six months of age.
How do you know if a hamster is pregnant?
Know when your hamster is pregnant. Though your female hamster will gain weight once she is pregnant, weight gain alone does not indicate pregnancy. Other indications of pregnancy include nest-building, possible hoarding of food, and signs of aggression as her gestation period progresses.
Before and after the birth of baby hamsters
For a couple of days before the babies are due you should not disturb your pet, she will just want to nest and prepare for the birth. If you’re wondering “how many babies will my hamster have?” there is no easy answer to that question. Hamster litters vary in size, from one to as many as twenty, so be prepared.
When can baby hamsters leave their mother?
Although baby hamsters can see from the age of two weeks they are still too young to leave their mother. It’s an important time in the rearing process of a baby hamster though. This is the time when you should clean the cage and add some fresh bedding.
How long does it take for a hamster to get pregnant?
In many cases, you will not realize your hamster is pregnant until she is close to 10 days into her 16-day gestational period. Typically, these are the signs that tell you your Syrian hamster may be pregnant: Her nipples will begin to swell and pucker out.
How many days pregnant is a hamster?
By the time you suspect your hamster is pregnant she is probably 10 or more days into pregnancy, so expect baby hamsters soon! Here are tips for dealing with your hamster during this fun and exciting time: Refrain from handling your hamster as this could cause her extra stress.
How do you know if a hamster is in labor?
How to know when your hamster is in labor. If you notice your pregnant hamster acting restless and frantic, there is a good chance she has gone into labor. She will alternate between eating, grooming, and nest building almost non-stop. Another sign she is in labor is if she hisses at you if you reach in the cage.
Why do hamsters clean their cages?
This prevents the mama hamster from overdoing it before giving birth and keeps the pups safe while they get strong and healthy. Keep the cage dry! A wet cage can be deadly to baby hamsters. This is the only reason to clean the cage once the babies are born until they have opened their eyes.
How long does a hamster's pregnancy last?
That’s why we’ve prepared this thorough guide for you, based on experience – as well as intensive research. In a nutshell: Pregnancy lasts for 16-17 days in Syrian hamsters. The female gives birth to 5-15 babies, known as hamster pups.
When do hamsters open their eyes?
At about 14-15 days of age , your hamster pups will finally open their eyes and take their first look around.
How to keep hamsters from smelling?
Be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible while around your hamster’s cage. Wear powder-free rubber gloves to keep your scent off the food and other items in the cage. Remove all toys and non-essential items from the cage, this includes the exercise wheels, ramps, and sand baths.
