What To Expect From Mother Hamsters

Do you know what to expect from mother hamsters? Mothers can be so caring, but mothers of the animal world can sometimes surprise us. If your hamster is pregnant there are some upsetting things that you may need to be ready for. This article will discuss things such as miscarriage, abandoning newborns, and eating young in hamsters.

First, before a hamster can become a mother they may have a miscarriage. There are different things that lead to the baby hamsters dying in the womb. The first is malnutrition. If a hamster doesn't have a healthy diet and isn't getting enough of vital vitamins, minerals, etc. for its own body it doesn't have enough for its babies and may miscarry. An injury, stress, or lack of heat may also cause a miscarriage, therefore try not to bother or scare your hamster. If it's pregnant keep it's cage in a quiet warm room and do what you can to prevent injury.

If your hamster made it through pregnancy and gave birth you are probably excited. However, if the litter is large, the environment is too noisy, you handle the newborns too much, or she can't produce enough milk, the mother hamster may abandon some of the babies or possibly the entire litter. Make sure your hamster won't be overcrowded in her cage when the babies arrive, you may also want to keep the male hamster out of the cage because a female will sometimes abandon the young is the male is there. If a newborn is sick or deformed the mother may also abandon it or possibly even eat it.

It's quite gross to imagine a mother eating her child, but it's part of nature sometimes. Other reasons why your hamster may eat her young include overcrowding, stress, or malnutrition. So, to prevent your hamster from eating her young you can take the same precautions as previously mentioned.

If these things happen, don't think that your hamster is crazy or sick. Unfortunately, this isn't rare. If you are really concerned or have questions you can contact a veterinarian.

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your veterinarian or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment.