When can I safely move my hamster mom and babies to a new cage?

Ideally, you should wait at least two weeks before disturbing the nest. If you must move it, scoop it and the pups up in one piece and relocate them to the larger cage. Be sure to transfer some of the cleaner used bedding as well.

Yes, it is safe to clean the cage now. I suggest you only do a partial clean. You can clean it fully once you have weaned the babies away from their mom which should be done between 3 and 4 weeks of age.

I don't recommend to disturb the nest since this will cause stress to the new mother and she may abandon or kill the litter. If there is a good reason to move the nest (a safety concern), wash your hands thoroughly then wipe them through the bedding to gain her scent on your hands and cover your own scent. Provide a lot of nesting material or a box for the litter (set it up before the move) and then quickly move the babies and the original nesting material. Then block off the connection to the top level at the base (otherwise she may just move them back). I hope this helps.

Yes, usually after about 2 weeks you can start tohandle them . They can reach sexual maturity between 4 and 6 weeks old so make sure to separate males and females by that time. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

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!

They look to be 3-4 weeks old. At about 4 weeks old, all hamster babies should be split from the mother into two cages—one for males and one for females. If you keep them all together they will start to breed as they become sexually mature at only 4-6 weeks of age. It is very bad for them to breed each other as they are related.

Thanks for reaching out about Nibbles. We can't determine whether the babies are alive or not. You might have to gently disturb the nest and observe the babies for breathing or moving. Do not touch them unless determined dead, to remove, as humane scent on the babies might cause mother to further neglect. I still not sure, the whole cage can be quietly moved and taken to a veterinary clinic for assessment. Good luck.