Information on New Born Hamsters

Unplanned Babies

• Because hamsters can have as many as 10 to 15 babies at once, new born hamsters can be a worry to some. It is important to keep in mind that pet stores will take, if not buy, baby hamsters from owners once they are weaned.

Mother Hamsters and Their Babies

• Mother hamsters, like human mothers, are very protective. However, they are known to eat their babies when they feel threatened. They may also eat their babes if there are so many that the mother cannot feed them all or if she smells human scent on the babies and disowns them.

New Born Hamsters

• New born hamsters are not only hairless but blind. New born hamsters will eat only on their mother’s milk for approximately three to four weeks. After their weaning age, they will begin to eat regular hamster food.

Separating New Born Hamsters

• You do not need to separate new born hamsters until they are about four weeks old. At four weeks old, about the same time they are weaned, hamsters will begin to breed. To avoid having many more new born hamsters, wait until the hamsters are weaned and separate the girls from the boys.

Warning

• Be careful when inviting friends and family over to view the new additions to the family because it can cause the mother to become stressed. Also, do not handle your new born hamsters or create stressful situations because if the mother becomes stressed, it could cause her to kill the babies.