hamster babies

[hamsterlover]

Hi! I'm new to this group, and I had to say hello....I love reading about everyone's experiences with their four-legged children....PayItForward, I loved the pics you posted...cute kittens, and I hope the adults learn to accept them in time...what a house-ful! And I thought I had a zoo with 3 cats, 2 aquatic frogs and a hamster! LOL!

Which brings me to my question: does anyone have any experience with teddy bear hamster babies? I bought an adult last week from a pet store and was told she was accidentally put in the cage with a boy...the other two females were obviously pregnant, but mine wasn't showing yet (although I knew the chances of her escaping 'untainted' were pretty slim)....and I came home yesterday to find babies! There are about eight of them, as far as I can tell....she won't let me near them (and I know that isn't a good idea, anyway). Aside from not touching them, unless I want her to eat them, is there anything I need to do for her/them? Vitamins, etc? Special food? I'm going to the pet store today to see what they suggest, and I'm going to do a little more web research, but I wanted to see what you guys had to say, since you've (hopefully) had experiences with this. I'm at a loss....have never had baby animals of any kind and don't know what I should do for her, if anything....all I know is when they're old enough, they're going back to the pet store...didn't plan on having nine hamsters! LOL.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

hamsterlover

[GoldenRetrLuver]

Hi and Welcome to Pet Talk! My name is Julie and I am owned by 2 dogs, Daisy a golden retriever and Molly, a collie (in signature). I also have 2 cats, Angel and Dillian, a teddy bear hamster named Neko, and 6 desert tortoises!

As to your question, that happened to me only is was with mice...err...mice have alot more babies then hamsters! I would just leave them alone for a while, feed them the regular food, and water. The mom is very protective of her babies, so dont bother them. Going to a pet store is a good idea for information! Good Luck!

P.S. I would love to see pics of your hammy!

[hamsterlover]

Hi! Thanks for replying....and thanks for you advice. I will definitely leave them alone for awhile. As for a picture, I will post one as soon as I can...obviously I can't right away, and since I just got her, I'm not sure how cooperative she'll be next month when I can touch her and the babies, but I'll try. But in the meantime, I found an adorable picture of a Teddy Bear hamster that looks a lot like mine...except mine is all tan and has black ears.

Thanks again!

[CathyBogart]

Give her a small (~1 inch) piece of bread dipped in milk. It will help replace some of the nutrients taken out of her body by the babies, therefore reducing the chance she'll eat any of them.

That's what we do at work, and since we started, we've had MANY less babies eaten! (we don't have litters often, but our supplier isn't always as good at sexing babies as we are

[hamsterlover]

Wow, thanks for the advice! Never would have thought of that....judging by what you and others have said, replacing the milk as you suggested and also not touching the babies while they're nursing will reduce the risk of her eating them....I hope so, anyway! Had a start last night: when I first discovered the babies, I had accidentally moved the tube they're in and removed the bedding...she refused to come out, and then I discovered why! She carried a baby in her mouth and my friend and I thought she was going to eat it, but I believe she was just moving it because she took it back into the nest. Phew!

Anyway, thanks for all your help....

Donna
hamsterlover

[tikeyas_mom]

ok I have first hand experience with syrain hamster babies, do not touch the babies, or the mother. take out her wheel and all or any tubes or levels. Feed her bread soaked in milk and keep her in a quiet dark place, do not bother her inless you are feeding her or changing her water, donot look at or touch the babies, do not change the cage intull the pups are about 2 weeks old. syrian hamsters have been none to eat there pups due to stress, or lack of nutrients. if she hasnt had her pups yet change her cage and put alot of unsented toilet paper in there and alwasy make it availible. use carefreah or aspen bedding not pine or cedar, pine amnd cedar are very bad for hamsters repitory systoms and if a litter of hamster pups are born in that type of bedding they will most likely not survive. when pups are 14-16 days old you may handle them for SHORT periods of time, to sex them, and to get them used to the human touch and sent. you must determin which are boys are which are girls befor they are 20 days old. they sexes must be seperated from eachother and the mother at 4-5 weeks to prevent inbreeding. Syrian hamsters are solitary you cannot house any of the female with there mother after the age of 5 weeks old, she will kill them.

in conclusion you must have 3 cages in total, one for male pups one for female pups and one for the mother.


she will start to buldge around her sides and ripping apart her home around the tenth day of pregnancy. so you should know by then if she is for sure pregnant, any other questions please pm me or email me at [email protected] you might also want to join a commenly used hamster forum located at www.hamsterific.com to learn more. good luck.

[hamsterlover]

Hi, and thanks for your post....it was very imformative and helpful. She had the babies either yesterday or the day before, and I'm thankful I knew enough not to touch the babies. Am not going to keep the babies or find them homes...they're going back to the pet store when they're old enough, so I don't need more cages, but will find another way to transport them in a few weeks. I only have the female, no male (he already did his damage ) so I think I can get by with one cage for now.

Thanks again for all your help.

hamsterlover

[wolfsoul]

Why are you taking them to the petshop? You should put ads out everywhere so you can find homes for them yourselves, instead of relying on the petshop that only cares for profit.

[tikeyas_mom]

Originally posted by wolfsoul
Why are you taking them to the petshop? You should put ads out everywhere so you can find homes for them yourselves, instead of relying on the petshop that only cares for profit.

agreed!!!

you should NOT take them back to the pet store they will hosue all the babies together and then they will end up inbreeding!!! .
please dont let that happen!!! please be responsible and find these babies homes by adds in the news paper and around town!! please dont let the pet store have them they will just be irresponsible with them!! please !!!!

[hamsterlover]

First, I haven't made up my mind one way or the other. All I know is, I wanted ONE hamster, not nine. Second, I will do what is responsible because I love all animals and don't want to see any hurt. And thirdly, I came to you guys for advice on what to do with them right at this moment as far as vitamins, foods, etc. goes, not to be judged for my actions. I'll thank you to keep your judgments to yourselves.

[wolfsoul]

What you do at the moment reflects what happens in the future. I'm not judging you, I don't know what gave you that idea. I'm just saying that taking them to a petshop only ensures that this cycle will start again. someone else will take a pregnant hammy, and have to go through what you are going through now.

We aren't judging you, just telling you what we feel is a more responsible decision to ensure that the hamsters go to safe happy homes, and not end up pregnant, and/or at a risk for illness.

It's really your choice, but that's JIMO.

[hamsterlover]

I would NEVER knowingly endanger the life of any living creature, and I have been assured by the pet shop that when the time comes for them to be separated from their mother, they will be kept separate from each other. The original mistake in which mine was put in with a male was done by a new employee and I've been told he has learned his lesson. I don't have the time or, more importantly, the space to put up nine hamsters, and I don't know anyone who would want them. When the time approaches, I will make double-sure before I give them to a pet shop.

Thanks for your concern.

[tikeyas_mom]

most pet stores around here house there hamster in pine bedding? does the one that you are planning on giving your hamster pups to house their hamsters in pine bedding?

I seriously dought that the pet store is going to place the males and female all in different cages, because it is a waist of space and money (extra bedding and food). I also think that if they did infact seperate the males and the females, ppl would come along handle them and mix the sexes up by placing them in the wrong cages. I have seen it happen befor. Also another fact is that pet store imployees are very carless about small aniamsl like (hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice) because they are considered feeders not pets in most places. All the pet stores i have seen do not know how to properly sex male and female hamsters, of the dwarf or syrian species.

please reconsider what you are going to do with these hamster pups. it is important for there future.

you should have thought about hamster babies befor you got this hamster, you should have considered getting a male syrian not a female.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

She didnt know the hamster was going to have babies. She also said she only wanted ONE hamster, so the sex of the hamster didnt matter then. Sorry..i was answering your question for her..

[tikeyas_mom]

Originally posted by GoldenRetrLuver
She didnt know the hamster was going to have babies. She also said she only wanted ONE hamster, so the sex of the hamster didnt matter then. Sorry..i was answering your question for her..

she also said that she saw heavily pregnant hamsters in the cage!! you would think that all of the fermales would be pregnant as well. INLESS infertile! .. It is good she only wanted ONE hamster, but she should have thought about babies when she saw the pregant hamsters. . Which I dont think she did. I dont know about hamsterlover but I fully researched befor I got ANY of my pets even my hamsters. She should have read up on breeding and hamster babies and gestation periods.

here is the quote about the heavily pregnant hammies and how she thinks hers might have been pregnant.

I bought an adult last week from a pet store and was told she was accidentally put in the cage with a boy...the other two females were obviously pregnant, but mine wasn't showing yet (although I knew the chances of her escaping 'untainted' were pretty slim)....