My new mom hamster won't eat or drink after having babies. What to do?

You'll need to set up a baby safe cage. A basic cage (preferably one without fancy tubes and tunnels), paper towels, Pet-safe bedding (NOT sawdust), Hamster muesli, Fresh vegetables (carrot or cucumber being better choices for babies), and a water bottle. Keep this all warm with a hot water bottle wrapped in two thicknesses of towel or a heating pad underneath only half the cage, that way if it gets too hot they can move away from it. From 1-14 days old hourly feeds with kitten formula are required. Pups get dehydrated in a matter of hours so not feeding them hourly could kill them. It is a very time-consuming task hand feeding pups.You have to take it slow. Any hurry or forceful feeding can lead to milk being inhaled into the lungs and causing death within the minute. Gently hold the pup in your hand being careful not to squeeze them tightly. Using a pipette or eyedropper full of milk, place it near the pups mouth. They are not used to being fed this way so resistance is natural. Try not to squeeze vast quantities into their mouth, they’ll choke! Little and often is the way to go. Allow the pup to lick/bite the end of the pipette on their own to take in milk. If they don't show an interest, a small drop of milk on the bottom lip can be licked up. Wait for the pup to stop ‘chewing’ the milk (its how they swallow and is normal) then repeat About 2 or 3 drops in one sitting is plenty for a little hamster. Anymore and you may be doing more harm than good. When the pups are eating soft/solid foods (approximately between 10-16 days) the milk weaning can begin reducing feeds to every 3 hours. When the pups are comfortably feeding themselves, milk feeds can be stopped altogether.

Typically no, the mama hamster will not harm her babies. To be sure, keep a close eye on her in the first few days after giving birth. Make sure she is nursing her babies and that she has plenty of food and water to drink. If you become concerned that she will hurt the babies or if she is not feeding them, then you will need to separate them from her to keep her safe. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for reaching out about your hamsters and including photos. First, continue to look for the mother. Kitten or cow's milk is not the same as hamster milk and quite possibly will lead to diarrhea in the babies. Hamster milk is typically very concentrated so using a mixture of goat's milk and condensed milk might work. Try offering finely chopped vegetables, placing them in the mouth and monitor for ability to chew. This will be difficult. Good luck.

She should be fed extra protein and vitamins (usually found in fresh greens and vegetables). Offer her regular diet and supplement with the other items in a separate bowl. She will eat what she wants when she wants. Rotate through the items so she has a balanced diet. Always keep a commercial hamster diet and fresh water available. She will care for her pups (baby hamsters). They can be fed a commercial hamster diet after weaning at about 3-4 weeks of age.

Other hamsters in the environment can harm and bite babies, so it is best to make sure mom and babies have an entire cage to themselves. If mom isn't caring for the babies even after a reduction in stress and removal of cagemates, there could be something wrong with her or the babies, and a vet visit may help check for illness. You may also need to begin to supplement feed the babies with a KMR formula if they aren't getting enough from mom. Hamster babies mature very quickly, so lots of care is needed to help them pull through. Looking up "hand rearing hamsters" may point you to some useful links about how much to feed, how often, and the right environment for care.

Thank you for using PetCoach. It is important to remember that hamsters are nocturnal animals. That means the majority of eating drinking and activity will be done at night. She is also stressed by the change in habitat and abnormal activity. Try to minimize handling for the next few days, especially during the day time when she should be asleep. Here are some articles that may give you some more information. If she is not active at night or eating or drinking, then I would recommend a veterinary visit tomorrow. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/owning-a-pet-hamster https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/owning-a-pet-hamster https://bellevueanimalhospital.com/veterinary-services/exotic-avian/hamsters/ https://lafeber.com/vet/basic-information-for-hamsters/ https://lafeber.com/vet/wp-content/uploads/hamster-basic-info-sheet.pdf

Hello, I'd recommend leaving Nibbles alone for at least one week after she gives birth. However, eating young is very common in hamsters and may not be preventable. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.