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If you have a baby in the family, you know by now how great the responsibility is of having a baby in the house. Babies can not feed themselves and will rely on the adults for their needs. This is also true with baby dwarf hamsters. Adequate preparation for the coming of these baby hamsters is a must.
After giving birth to the baby dwarf hamsters, you should provide all the needs of the mother to ensure that she is healthy and happy. Once you notice the babies are already toddling around, you will now have a larger responsibility since you will also have to attend to their needs.
Within the next 2 weeks, the mother should always feel calm and should not be disturbed. You may need to put the cage in a quiet and safe place in the house. Never touch the newly born baby hamsters. The babies are distinctly fragile and it's easy to cause them an injury. Another reason is that if you always hold the babies, it might take on your scent. When this happens, the mother will not recognize such scent and will either leave the baby, or worse, eat them!
The only time when you should get near the cage is feeding time. Provide fresh water and food everyday to ensure a healthy mother. Since you're used to cleaning the cage every week, you will have to refrain from disturbing the mother. Just take out the soiled parts and replace them with new ones.
What if the babies accidentally leave the nest? You should not intervene, but try to check if the mother retrieves the baby or if the baby has already found its way back to the nest. If you take the baby, the mother will feel frightened and will tend to defend it which can cause harm to the babies. If you really feel the need to check on the babies, you need to take out their mother first.
The babies are ready for their new homes in 28 days. You now need to contact friends or relatives who want to own a dwarf hamster even if the babies are still a week old. On the second week, you can now provide water for the babies. Try to lower the suspended water bottle so that the babies can reach them. When the babies are 11-14 days, their eyes are not open yet. Try feeding the babies with oats, scrambled or hard boiled eggs, cooked veggies, cheese, grapes, pears, kiwis, and many other fruits / veggies.
You can also hold the babies after ten days but be watchful of the reactions of the mother. You can tell the sex of the babies when they are already 21 days old. At this time, you can separate the male from the female. Getting additional cages is a great idea. When the babies have reached their 28th day, you can now give them to their future owners who will care for them.
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Source by Marc Stonebright
