How to Wean Hamsters

Members of the rodent family, hamsters are small, passive creatures often kept as pets. Hamsters are nocturnal animals and spend a lot of time playing during the evening rather than the daytime. Hamsters do not live very long, only about three years. They do reproduce quickly; their gestation period lasts between 15 and 18 days. Mother hamsters average seven baby hamsters or pups. At around 21 days, the mother hamster begins to wean her pups from her milk.

Things You'll Need

  • Two small cages
  • Hamster bedding
  • Food
  • Water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Wait two weeks to handle the hamsters. Hamster mothers are very maternal and may hurt a pup accidentally while trying to protect him from a perceived threat.

    • 2

      Separate the hamsters by sex after three weeks. By this time, the mother hamster will begin to ignore her pups. Look at the underside of the hamsters. Male hamsters have large testicles that are easy to spot. Place each group, by sex, in a separate small cage.

    • 3

      Provide the baby hamsters with softened food and water. The water bottle needs to be placed very low so little hamsters can reach it.