We have already commented on several articles, and if you have had hamsters you will know, that hamsters procreate with great easeTherefore, you should think about it very well before having several hamsters of different sex in the same cage. In addition to the possibility of mating, they could also fight! But how do I know if my hamster is pregnant? We tell you the signs that indicate that your hamster expects babies.
What to do if my hamster is pregnant
If you have detected signs of pregnancy in your hamster, keep in mind:
- As soon as you suspect pregnancy, It is best to separate the other cage to the males. Fights could arise and the pregnant female needs to be calm.
- Remember feed and hydrate your hamster correctly. It is always very important, but now more!
- Leave the mother alone. In favorable conditions (most cases) you do not need help in childbirth or to start the life of your young.
- The best thing is that you stay on the sidelines during childbirth and not overwhelm it. Handling such vulnerable babies could kill them. Also, when you touch them you will change their smell and their mother, not recognizing them, could eat them.
- If you see that the female rejects her babies or eats them, you will have to carefully take them out of the cage and feed them yourself. It is best that you seek veterinary advice to do it correctly.
- Find out how to care for babies after weaning. If you can't keep them, find them a home!
Be responsible. Hamsters reproduce at high speed and many times a year, without realizing it you could have dozens of babies, since when they reach the fertile age they will replay each other. If you are not willing to go through this and assume the responsibilities that it entails, it is better that you have only one hamster or at least not have them of different sex. Avoid abandonment and death of animals!
How long does a hamster's pregnancy last?
Usually the gestation of hamsters lasts between15 and 16 days, but this period can be prolonged according to the type of hamster and can also vary slightly according to the organism of each female. A golden hamster usually brings her young into the world after 16 days, while a dwarf hamster takes about 21 days to give birth. And Chinese or Roborovski females usually have a minimum pregnancy of 23 days.
A concordance between the pregnancies of the different hamster breeds is that the female's abdomen only dilates in the last 4 or 5 days of gestation. This means that if we want to recognize a hamster's pregnancy early, we cannot rely solely on abdominal dilation. Therefore, we will show you other pregnancy symptoms in hamsters that will help you recognize if your hamster has become pregnant.
Symptoms of pregnancy of a hamster and cu>
If you wonder what are the symptoms that indicate that your hamster is pregnant, then we expose the most notable ones and we indicate the steps to follow to discover, also, how to care for a pregnant hamster:
- Check the weight and appetite of your hamster: Sudden appetite and weight gain are possible symptoms of pregnancy in hamsters. If your female begins to consume more water and food than normal, you should be aware. On the one hand, these alterations can indicate a pregnancy, but it is also possible that they indicate some disease or imbalance in your body. Therefore, it is very important to go to the veterinarian if you notice that your hamster behaves in an unusual way or gains rapid weight>
How many pups can a hamster have?
It depends on the type of hamster. If you wonder how many offspring a Russian hamster can have, for example, you should know that the number of newborns ranges from 4-8, while a golden hamster can reach 20 offspring. As you can see, the number of babies in the same litter varies greatly from one type to another, so it is always recommended to go to the veterinarian to examine the future mother and guide you.
What to do when a hamster has young?
When your hamster has given birth, it is very important that avoid approaching the cage. Also, do not touch her or her young. Remember that hamsters need intimacy during pregnancy and lactation to adapt to their new reality of being a mother. Exposing them to stressful situations is highly detrimental to their health and that of their young. In addition, if we touch newborns, the female can eat them because they are considered vulnerable and poorly trained to survive.
If you have observed or suspect that your hamster is eating its young, you should know that it is a natural and habitual phenomenon among these rodents. However, you can take preventive measures to prevent your hamster from eating its young, such as providing excellent feeding, separate it from the other hamsters and provide a calm and positive environment throughout pregnancy and lactation period.
When they have 15 or 20 days after delivery, you can go back to clean the cage of your hamster, as well as let the young and their mother play with the other hamsters and also with you. The time has come to enjoy with your new partners! Of course, keep in mind that hamsters are animals that mature sexually very quickly, so that from the month or two months of life, approximately and depending on the type of hamster, they can begin to reproduce among them. For this reason, value all options and consequences before raising your rodents.
Should we separate the male hamster from the young?
As we indicated in the previous section, it is best to separate the male from the female before the birth occurs to avoid any stress situation to the future mother. If this has not been done, once the birth of the offspring has occurred, it will be essential to separate the male, both to prevent the mother from eating her offspring, so that a new pregnancy does not occur. Approximately after exceeding 24 hours after giving birth, the female hamster can get pregnant again.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to know if my hamster is pregnant?, we recommend that you enter our Gestation section.
