In recent decades, hamsters have become popular pets loved by both children and adults. Among the many advantages of having a hamster as a companion, we can highlight their easy adaptation to small environments, such as apartments, and the simple care they require daily to maintain their good he alth, provided that they have, logically, a balanced diet and a properly maintained environment. enriched to keep you physically and mentally stimulated.
If you have chosen to have a beautiful pair of hamsters in your home, it is possible that your female will become pregnant if you have not separated her from the male during her breeding period It is very important to know how to recognize a hamster's pregnancy early in order to offer it the necessary care and prepare the home for the birth of the young. In this article on our site we tell you a little more about the gestation of these small rodents and we teach you how to know if your hamster is pregnant
How long does a hamster's pregnancy last?
Generally, the gestation period of hamsters lasts between 15 and 16 days, but this period can be prolonged depending on the type of hamster and it 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 around 21 days to give birth. And the females of Chinese or roborovski race usually have a minimum pregnancy of 23 days.
A commonality 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, below, we show you other symptoms of pregnancy in hamsters that will help you recognize if your hamster has become pregnant.
Hamster pregnancy symptoms and care
If you are wondering what are the symptoms that indicate that your hamster is pregnant, here are the most notable ones and we indicate the steps to follow to discover, also, how to care for a pregnant hamster:
- Check your hamster's weight and appetite: Sudden weight gain and appetite are possible pregnancy symptoms in hamsters. If your female begins to consume more water and food than normal, you should be vigilant. On the one hand, these alterations can indicate a pregnancy, but it is also possible that they indicate some disease or imbalance in her body. For this reason, it is very important to go to the veterinarian if you notice that your hamster behaves in an unusual way or gains weight rapidly. It is important to remember that pregnant hamsters must have food and water available throughout the day. The female will consume the amount of food that her body needs to form her young, in addition to reserving food for the time of childbirth. To know what to feed a pregnant hamster, it is necessary to emphasize that her diet must be highly energetic, with an increase in the daily intake of proteins and good fats.
- Check the female's abdomen: Although abdominal dilation is delayed in hamsters, your female's belly may offer other indicative of pregnancy. For example, if your nipples are enlarged in size or protruding, it means your body is preparing for breastfeeding. Also, if you suspect a pregnancy, you can see if the female's belly shows any changes as the days go by. It is important to clarify that hamsters greatly defend their territory during pregnancy, both because they feel more vulnerable and to protect the environment where their young will be born. Therefore, it is not recommended to disturb the female during pregnancy to avoid exposing her to contexts of high stress that are very harmful during pregnancy. Although it is essential to provide her with affection and ensure that she receives proper care during this stage, it is also vital to respect her environment
- Observe your hamster's behavior: if your hamster is pregnant it will build a nest in his cage, using the materials available in his environment, such as branches, straw or wood. And when its nest is finished, you will be able to observe that it will begin to store food inside, preparing for the moment of childbirth. During this period, it is not recommended to clean their cage to avoid dismantling their nest. If you are wondering how a pregnant hamster behaves, you should know that, at the beginning of the pregnancy, the female is more aggressive towards the other hamsters, mainly the males. Therefore, the ideal is to separate the pregnant female and prepare a cage especially for her and her future offspring. Thus, you can prevent the hamsters from fighting each other and one or more from getting hurt. When the moment of delivery approaches, the female will already be calmer and will considerably reduce her movements in the cage. In this period, she will need more hours of sleep per day and will have to spend most of the time next to her nest
How many babies can a hamster have?
Depends on the type of hamster If you are wondering how many babies a Russian hamster can have, for example, you should know that the number of newborns hatched ranges from 4-8, while a golden hamster can reach 20 pups. 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 vet to examine the future mother and guide you.
What to do when a hamster has babies?
When your hamster has given birth, it is very important that you avoid going near the cageAlso, do not touch her or her her offspring. Remember that hamsters need privacy during pregnancy and lactation to adapt to their new reality of being a mother. Exposing them to stressful situations is highly detrimental to their he alth and that of their offspring. In addition, if we touch the newborns, the female can eat them, considering them vulnerable and poorly trained to survive.
If you have observed or suspect that your hamster is eating its young, you should know that this is a natural and common phenomenon among these rodents. However, you can take preventive measures to prevent your hamster from eating its young, such as providing excellent food, separating it from other hamsters and providing a quiet environment and positive throughout pregnancy and the lactation period.
When 15 or 20 days have passed since delivery, you can return to clean the cageof your hamster, as well as letting the babies and their mother play with the other hamsters and with you. The time has come to enjoy with your new companions! Of course, keep in mind that hamsters are animals that mature sexually very quickly, so that after a month or two of life, approximately and depending on the type of hamster, they can begin to reproduce among themselves. For this reason, consider all options and consequences before breeding your rodents.
Do we have to separate the male hamster from the babies?
As we indicated in the previous section, it is best to separate the male from the female before giving birth to avoid any stressful situation to the expectant mother. If this has not been carried out, once the pups have been born, it will be essential to separate the male, both to prevent the mother from eating her pups, and to prevent a new pregnancy from occurring. Approximately after more than 24 hours after giving birth, the female hamster can become pregnant again.
