What Kind Of Cage Should I Put My Pregnant Syrian Hamster In?
Friday, February 26th, 2010 at
10:25 pm
I was wondering what kind of cage i should i put my pregnant syrian hamster who should be giving birth in a few days or so in. Does anyone know?
Tagged with: Cage........ • Hamster • Kind • Pregnant • Should • Syrian • What
Filed under: Hamster Cages • Hamster Questions
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I would just put her in a aquarium with a wire lid so that it will be escape-proof for the babies. They are very tiny babies.
A hamster that has given birth should be disturbed as little or possible or she may become agitated and abandon, neglect, or even eat the babies. This means other than providing food and water, you should leave the hamsters and their cage alone as much as possible for the first couple of weeks. While it is tempting to look at the babies and make sure everything is okay, it is best to leave the mom to do her thing
Place strips of toilet paper or facial tissue in the cage so mom can build a soft nest. Ideally, you would do this once you realize your hamster is pregnant (it is usually pretty noticeable a couple of days before birth, just by the sheer size of her belly).
Don’t try to handle the babies at all for at least two weeks.
Once the babies have arrived, don’t worry about cleaning the cage for a while. Leave it alone for the first 10-14 days. You can spot clean really wet spots if absolutely necessary, but avoid disturbing the nest. If you have noticed your hamster is pregnant, do a thorough cleaning to prepare for the new arrivals.
Make sure to provide plenty of food and fresh water, but make feeding and watering as efficient and calm as possible.
While it is okay to have a quick peek in the cage on occasion, avoid siting and watching for long periods.
Keep in mind that the mom will be very protective as well so may act more aggressive than usual; this is natural and no cause for concern.
Though interference should be avoided if at all possible, if for some rare reason you must move a baby, use a spoon so you do not get your scent on the baby. It is rarely necessary to move a baby though even if they are out of the nest; the mom will usually retrieve any stray pups and return them to the nest.
The hamsters will be ready for weaning at about 3 weeks of age, and it is best to separate the male pups into one group and the females into another. Syrian hamsters can stay in these male and female groups for another 2-3 weeks, but then must be separated so there is only one per cage.
My birthing cage is just a plain crittertrail, blocked off second level with a lot of paper towel shredded up in it. It has a wheel, a food dish and a water bottle, and that’s it.
You can use a small aquarium or something without higher levels incase she gives birth in a high place.
They only stay in the cage for 3 weeks then the mother is removed, if your mom is friendly you can handle her pups at a week or so old, if she’s a first time mom though i’d advise to leave her alone for about two weeks, always let her out to play though, in a ball or in your lap.
ok, disinfect it completely as u wont beable to do so till the pups are 7 days old atlleast. leave her in her cage, with extra food, lots of water, lots of bedding (add extra i suggest using carefresh white, its softer) no tubes, no extra levels.