How Can I Tell When My Hamster Is Done Having Babies?

Like mice, hamsters can breed very quickly in the home and it often requires little effort or planning on the owner's part. If you are a new hamster owner, you may be surprised to find baby hamsters in your cage one day but the signs of pregnancy are not hard to pick up. After mating your female hamster will develop a swollen abdomen and her teats will become more visible. In as little as 16 days after mating, she will give birth to her young in a process that typically only takes a few hours.

Things You'll Need

  • Bread soaked in milk
  • Bedding
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Instructions

    • 1

      Keep a close eye on your hamster and, if possible, determine when the mating occurred. Female hamsters go "into season" --- meaning they are receptive to male hamsters --- every four days so if you are not paying attention you could miss it.

    • 2

      Feed your female a high-protein diet during the gestation period which typically lasts 16 days for Syrian hamsters and up to 21 days for dwarf hamsters. In addition to regular hamster food, offer your female hamster bread soaked in milk.

    • 3

      Watch your female hamster for signs of nesting and abdominal swelling. A few days after the mating, the female hamster's abdomen should begin to swell and she will begin to build a nest. It is safe to clean the cage and provide fresh bedding up until the 14th day of gestation. After this period, do not clean the cage until two weeks after the babies are born.

    • 4

      Count the days between the date of the mating and the date when your hamster gives birth. Keeping track of the gestation period will help you to know when it comes time for your hamster to give birth. On the 14th day of the gestation period, begin to keep a close eye on your hamster for signs of it giving birth.

    • 5

      Avoid touching your hamster during the birthing process. Hamsters can give birth to as many as 16 babies but first-time mothers typically only birth four to eight young. Generally, hamsters deliver their young straight into the nest but sometimes the mother will move around the cage as she gives birth then carry the young into the nest.

    • 6

      Be patient during the birthing process. Your hamster may take up to 20 minutes between each birth and all you can do is wait. Once your hamster regains its pre-pregancy shape and more than an hour has passed since the last birth it is safe to assume your hamster is done having babies.

    • 7

      Continue to feed your female hamster high-protein foods during the first few weeks of nursing and avoid disturbing the cage as much as possible. After three or four weeks of nursing it is safe to separate the baby hamsters from the mother and they will be ready for new homes after another two or three weeks.