Information on Hamster Newborns

Some hamster owners breed their pets deliberately, while others have been surprised to discover a nest full of newborn babies in their pet's cage a few days after bringing it home from the pet store. Whether newborn hamsters arrive by accident or design, the mother and her pups need the proper care and respect during their first few weeks together to ensure their well-being.

  1. Features

    • Hamsters are born blind and naked, with just a thin, skin-like membrane called a caul covering their bodies. According to the Hamsterific website, the caul is also considered the afterbirth, and will be eaten by the mother hamster in an attempt to recover lost nutrients during delivery. The newborns will begin to develop fur after five days, when it will start to become obvious whether they will have dark or light fur.

    Time Frame

    • Newborn hamsters begin to open their eyes about two weeks after birth. All breeds reach sexual maturity rather quickly, at about three to four weeks of age, which is also the ideal weaning age, when they should be separated from the mother. Because they can begin breeding at this time, they should be sexed and separated before their 35th day to prevent fighting and inbreeding, according to the Hamster Hideout website.

    Warning

    • Female hamsters are extremely protective of their young, and a nest full of newborn hamsters should not be disturbed for at least a week and a half after delivery. Handling the newborns will alter their scent. Causing commotion around the cage by taking photographs, for example, may upset the new mother. If the female fears for her pups, she may instinctively kill them as a means of protecting them from danger.

    Considerations

    • Despite the fact that newborn hamsters cannot see at first, their sense of smell is acute from birth and they will begin to explore their habitat quickly. Even if babies wander away from the rest of the litter, they will probably find their way back to the nest on their own given some time or with some assistance from their mother.

    Identification

    • Sexing newborn hamsters can be difficult to an untrained eye until they are a few weeks old. The key parameter to look for is the distance between the anus and the sex organs. If the hamster is a female, she will have a much smaller gap between her anus and her sex organs than her brothers, who might begin to have visible testicles by the age of three weeks.