My dwarf hamster might be pregnant and I have too many. What can I do?

Thanks for reaching out. Contact a local pet store (Petco, Petsmart, other) or a humane society, for possible relinquishment, if babies are weaned and eating on their own. Separation into smaller groups might help in the short term, but you need many cages. Good luck.

It will be difficult to tell if she is pregnant until the last week or so. You will generally see an enlargement of the abdomen and her mammary glands becoming more prominent. Right before she gives birth, she will lose her mucus plug and you may find that as well. Provide her with a clean cage, and material to make a nest. You may also provide her with a box (make sure it has a lid or no bottom so that you can check on things without disturbing the babies and mother). Mother hamsters can become stressed out easily and will fail to care for the young or even eat the young so it is very important not to handle the babies and mother after birth for the first 2-3 weeks. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for reaching out about Hazel and including photos. I assume she has had access to a male in the last 2 weeks. If labored breathing and pregnant, than probably close to delivery. All other hamsters should be removed to allow her to have quiet. If not pregnant, a respiratory disease, abdominal mass or infection need be considered and a veterinary visit is highly recommended, ASAP. Good luck.

Separate Bambi from Stitch for now. Her presence may be causing stress as the due date approaches. Clean the cage and replace bedding with fresh bedding. Provide a large enough hide for her and her litter. Remove and wheels temporarily to prevent injury to the pups (baby hamsters). Block off upper levels as well if necessary. Stitch should be eating a high protein diet and have plenty of water available at all times. Once she has the litter, do not disturb her for the first two weeks, this includes cleaning. You can find more information here: http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/topic/61545-crash-course-on-accidental-pregnanciesbabies/

Thank you for using Pet Coach to address your questions about Shine and your male hamster. That is unusual behavior. Hamsters can produce prolifically. So only producing two litters makes me concerned that something in one of the hamster's body is not normal. Likely one of them has abnormalities in the reproductive tract making it difficult to conceive. I would agree with the other vet that something was likely wrong in the milk which is why the pups didn't make it. Additionally, hamsters generally live 2-3 years. At their ages, fertility is going to be significantly decreased. At Shine's age, I would also be hesitant to breed her again. Pregnancy in older animals carries higher risks. I'm not sure there is anything you can do to increase fertility short of seeing a specialist for hormone supplements. If you are looking to breed hamsters again, I would advise to get a young adult female OR get a new pair of a male and female. Younger hamsters have much better fertility rates. I hope I have answered your questions. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I recommend separating the male and female now before the female gives birth to avoid potential cannibalism of the pups by the male. Other than the female having an obviously distended belly, females have a shorter anogenital distance than males and lack a scrotum. For the pregnant female, I would not try to house her with other females until after the pups are weaned at 3 weeks of age (also to prevent cannibalism). When ready, the split cage method is recommended for introducing males or females that are not from the same litter. It involves keeping the 2 males (or 2 females) separated by a divider (plexiglass with holes drilled placed corner to corner dividing the enclosure into 2 triangles works well) and switching the gerbils 4-5 times a day for at least a week to get them accustomed to each other' ascents. After a week remove the divider only when you are able to carefully monitor them for fighting for 5-6 hours or longer. Generally they cannot be safely left alone together until you see them grooming each other and sleeping next to each other. Even then, if you notice any bite marks/wounds on either gerbil, separate immediately and do not attempt to rehouse together. Best of luck!

Great question! You can send them to their new homes around four weeks of age. When they reach this age, the male and female pups should be separated and kept in different cages until they go to their new homes. I hope this helps!