Baby hamsters require special care since they are born very tiny and they are born without fur. While most people think that baby hamsters require human care during the first few days of their life, the actual fact is that hamster mothers take good care of their pups. This article will tell you what you need to do if your female hamster is pregnant.

The first thing to do when you know that your female hamster is pregnant is to clean the cage since when the babies are born you should not disturb them for 14 days. Baby hamsters should not be touched for the first 14 days or else the mother may abandon them. Some mothers also neglect or eat their own pups if they smell human scent on the pups. While preparing the cage of the pregnant hamster you should clean the bedding and place some extra bedding.

Many hamster mothers get territorial and they can get aggressive to defend their babies. When you know that your female hamster is pregnant it is advised to remove all the other hamsters from the cage.

Hamsters do not require help giving birth to babies and your presence may cause the mother hamster to panic. Once the babies are born you will need to place tissue papers in the cage so that the mother can make a soft bed for the babies. You can also place the tissue papers when you know that the pregnant hamster is about to deliver. You should refrain from going near the cage with the babies and the only time you should approach the cage is to give food and water.

After the pups become two to three weeks you should separate the males from the females and start feeding them with semi solid food. Mashed fruits, mashed vegetables and mashed legumes with water can be fed to your newly weaned hamster babies. After your hamster babies are a month old you can include small pieces of hard boiled egg, cheese, cooked chicken and wheat germ to their diet.

It is important to note that if your female hamster was pregnant when you got her from the store then she is probably too young to be a good mother. A female hamster that is too young can deliver still born babies and she can also give birth to babies that are underweight. Some female hamsters that are very young abandon their babies or eat them. If your female hamster is not attending to her baby hamsters then the best thing to do is to remove them and nurse them yourself. This step is only recommended if the mother completely neglects the babies. In such a scenario you will need to keep the babies in a separate cage and you will need to keep them warm. You will also need to feed them hamster baby formula and feed them using a syringe or spoon. Most hamster babies that are neglected by their mothers do not make it since taking care of such small hamsters is hard but the lucky ones that do survive make it worth the work and effort.

Dawn Morris
For the most complete and up to date information on the care and raising of your pet dwarf hamsters.
Go to: http://www.friendlydwarfhamster.com