Few rodents arouse as much sympathy as the hamster, so it should not surprise us that for decades this rodent has been regularly used as a pet, especially if there are small ones at home.
The hamster as a pet is exceptional and although it is true that it requires specific care (as happens with any pet), in exchange for the necessary attention it will give us great moments, although it will not always be like that.
Surely you have heard on occasion that mother hamsters eat their young, and indeed this cannibalistic behavior, although not exclusive to the hamster, is common in this animal. In this article on our site we show you how to prevent the hamster from eating its young.
Animal cannibalism
Animals, with the exception of humans, are not endowed with reason, therefore they behave only by instincts and their way of acting is the clearest evidence of the dynamics of nature, which can only and exclusively be understood by us from this point of view.
The phenomenon of animal cannibalism, even more so when it occurs between mothers and offspring, has been the subject of multiple scientific studies due to the concerns that this issue may cause us.
All the studies carried out have not served to establish a clear cause, but they have been very useful for developing different theories that try to explain the reasons that give rise to this behavior.
Why does the mother hamster eat her babies?
The mother hamster does not always eat her young after giving birth, although we must be aware that this phenomenon is common. The scientific research has concluded that this behavior can occur for different reasons:
The calf was born with some abnormality and the mother wants to make sure that only the strongest calves will survive
The mother sees the young as weak and small that she considers them unable to survive
A very large litter can cause great stress in the mother, who decides to eliminate 2 or 3 pups to be able to breed
The presence of the male hamster in the cage can also cause stress in the mother, leading her to eat some offspring
If any hatchling is born far from the nesting place, the mother will not recognize it as her own and will see in it an extraordinary source of food
The mother feels weak and uses one of her young to get all the necessary nutrients
How to prevent my hamster from eating her babies
If you share your home with a pregnant female hamster, you should know that it is not always possible to prevent her from eating one of her young after giving birth, however, if you use the measures that we expose you then you will minimize the risk of this behavior occurring:
- When the pups are born, remove the father from the cage
- The mother and the pups must be in a completely quiet environment, do not spend much time near the cage
- Manipulate the cage only to provide them with food
- Do not touch the young until they are at least 14 days old, if you impregnate them with your scent the mother will reject them and eat them
- You must provide the mother with enough protein, for this you can offer her a hard-boiled egg and sprinkle her usual food with fish liver oil
- The mother should always have food available in a generous amount
