My hamster had babies on top. Can I safely move nest to bottom?

It really depends on how old Frankie's babies are, if they are still curled up in the best I would try your best not to disturb them. However if they are older and exploring about as long as you are gentle and don't leave any separated for too long you can move them fine.

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.

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.

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.

Hamsters are easily stressed when they have new pups, and can actually cannibalize pups if there are any changes in the environment. You should keep any activity in the cage to a minimum, so if the wheel is already in there, I do not recommend removing it. I hope all is well with Peanut and her pups!

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.

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.