was given a hamster last Monday told her birthday 2nd march and last night i was feeding hamster titbit and she was out of her house and i could see somthing moving in the house amongst the nesting and was shocked to see tiny pink bald babies!! it was so unexpected and my daughter and i had a look we could see three.could be more.funny thing is i noticed she was rather fat but naively thought she d been too well fed before she was given to us!and was pleased when she d lost weight!silly me!
now i have to look for homes feels familiar to years ago when i had 16 hamsters when my eldest daughter breed the hamsters without me knowing!had to buy cages to stop them breeding even further!
was surprised as obvoiusly hamster must have been pregnant when she came to us!but only 6 weeks old rather young! teenage mum!
Amethystfairy:eek:
Awwww bless! At least they are all healthy by the sound of it. They can breed very young if I remember. Similar to gerbils which I used to keep until I too had problems with population control LOL!
I'm sure you'll find homes for them.
Best wishes
EB
x
Ta Earthbabe,
went up this am to give titbits and ooh think itis 4 or 5 babies now!!hope not 18 as apparently they can give birth up to 18 !!what a nightmare!:eek:
Amethystfairy:)
went up this am to give titbits and ooh think itis 4 or 5 babies now!!hope not 18 as apparently they can give birth up to 18 !!what a nightmare!:eek:
Amethystfairy:)
:nature-smiley-008:Hi Amethystfairy,
Hope you don't mind if I get in this conversation?...:)
I love all kinds of animals...
Years ago I used to breed small animals for a pet store...
Hamsters can be bred at about three to four weeks of age...although is not recomended...
If you see 4 or 5 babies now...she might be hiding more in the nest...be careful with your fingers!!..as mom can inflict a very painful bite!!... ouch!!...I remember those...
They are also known to eat their babies if they think they are in danger...sorry about being so graphic :eek:...
They are very good mothers and is a pleasure to watch them gently carrying the babies back to the nest when they start opening their eyes and venturing out of it...
Later on she will teach them not to bring food into the nest...and show them where the different "facilities" are...as they won't soil in the same place they eat or sleep...
My oldest granddaughter used to spend hours watching them when she was three years old...
Keep an eye on the babies as they start growing hair and eating on their own...By the time they are weaned...you will have to sex them and separate the boys into another cage or aquarium...or you will have more hamsters than you can handle !!!...but don't take them out while they are still nursing...or they won't survive...
Good luck with them...and have fun...;)
:nature-smiley-008:
Susan
thats ok anyone can join in this!Thanks for the info.Had night mare last night it was 12 babies!i can still remember the bite i had from hamster years go, painful!but think russian hamsters inflict worse bites then syrian hamsters.hamster looks well but am leaving nest and cage alone for two weeks then do spot cleaning and when 3to 4 weeks clean the cage somehow!i am having two cages from my sister so will be able to take the boys out into one of them before they go into new homes.I could sell them into petshops if cant find homes as am not going to end up with 16 like i did before!but got funny feeling will keep one of the babies especially if got unusual colour!
Amethystfairy:)
.... painful!but think russian hamsters inflict worse bites then syrian hamsters....
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~😮
Those are bad!!...aren't they??...
But soooo cute!!...:)~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
I could sell them into petshops if cant find homes as am not going to end up with 16 like i did before!but got funny feeling will keep one of the babies especially if got unusual colour!
Amethystfairy:)
:022:
That was always my problem...I could never decide which one to sell...
ALL OF THEM WERE KEEPERS!!!...:D 😉 :p
Enjoy them...
I could sell them into petshops if cant find homes as am not going to end up with 16 like i did before!but got funny feeling will keep one of the babies especially if got unusual colour!
Amethystfairy:)
Please consider trying local animal recues to see if they can help you rather than sell them to a pet shop. Sadly some little furries are bought by reptile keepers to feed to their smakes via pet shops 🙁
Have you got a local RSPCA you can ring, if they can't take the babies they might know who can help you. Good luck 🙂
Barbara
oh dear me didnt realise that reptile keepers buy them from petshop!thanks for letting me know.will ask RSPCA if they could find them good homes. by way hamster was scared yesterday staring into space standing uplooking in one way and little shaking.I was worried, but i think it was the weather freaking her out, so hope the babies havent been killed out of fear.
will look later this evening try to see if alive.will have to use teaspoon to move the nesting while my daughter distracts the hamster with titbit, thats onlt if i dont see any movements at all in the nest.
Amethystfairy:)
Hope they are all ok amethystfairy. Especially as you have obviously been so careful to not upset mum.
EBx
oh dear me didnt realise that reptile keepers buy them from petshop!thanks for letting me know.will ask RSPCA if they could find them good homes. by way hamster was scared yesterday staring into space standing uplooking in one way and little shaking.I was worried, but i think it was the weather freaking her out, so hope the babies havent been killed out of fear.
will look later this evening try to see if alive.will have to use teaspoon to move the nesting while my daughter distracts the hamster with titbit, thats onlt if i dont see any movements at all in the nest.Amethystfairy:)
Hope everything is okay with mum and babes, I know these little ones are easily upset.
Here is a link that might help you find a resue in your area:
The forum has a section for small animals, if you need help, post there and I am sure someone will try and help, or point you in the right direction 🙂
Let us know how things go...fingers crossed!
Barbara x
had sneaky peak last night while mum was given titbit by my daughter, left the nest alone as they appear to be ok could see ones pigment coming through like its mum white with grey markings!they have grown over the 5 days!
thnask for the link Tarotlady.
Amethystfairy:)
Good to hear all seems well, you must be feeling happier now 🙂
I was wondering how they all were. My last little hamster was a rescue, found wandering, would you believe it in the street 🙁
She was taken to a lady I knew involved with the then local Cat Protection League 😮 From there she came to live with me and hubby, she was a gentle little thing and I still think about her.
Keep us updated!
Barbara x
Please consider trying local animal recues to see if they can help you rather than sell them to a pet shop. Sadly some little furries are bought by reptile keepers to feed to their smakes via pet shops 🙁
Have you got a local RSPCA you can ring, if they can't take the babies they might know who can help you. Good luck 🙂
Barbara
:nature-smiley-008:
Hi Barbara,
Oh dear...I didn't think of this...as here in the US...pet stores are not allowed to sell pets as feeders...
This a delicate subject for many people...
I would like to go a little :offtopic: ...and hope I won't offend anyone...as it is not my intention to do that...
I am an animal lover and live with many that I have rescued...of many kinds...
However...nature being the way it is...everyone has to eat ~animals included~... and many animals DO eat other animals... If they didn't...they wouldn't survive...
In nature... ~ and I mean in the wild and our lives~ ... every animal has its place...
Bees pollinate plants...so we can enjoy vegetables...grains...fruit and flowers...
Some birds carry seeds for many miles...when they drop them...new plants are born...
Some rodents are plant eaters...while others are insectivorous...
Some birds ~ Owls-for example ~wouldn't survive without rodents...
Same for some reptiles...~ snakes and lizzards ~... some are vegetarians...some are meat eaters and others are omnivores...
If it wasn't for birds and reptiles...rodents would multiply so fast and eat all crops...to the point we wouldn't have any food available to us...
Here in the US...there are special distributors that breed mice...rats and other small and medium animals...specifically for pet stores and zoos... to be sold as feeders for reptiles...
There are also big business that specialize in selling frozen feeders...
The animals are treated in a gentle way and eutanized in a caring manner...so they don't suffer...
These business and distributors are monitored by the proper authorities...and have to follow rules for feeding...cleanliness and humane treatment...
Years ago I used to work at a pet store...and bred gerbils...hamsters...fancy mice and fancy rats in my home.... to be sold "AS PETS ONLY"...
From the moment they were born...I would start touching and training them...with their furry moms permission and watching me...so they would be extremely tame and gentle as pets...
My then three year old grandaughter used to help me by handling them...and then would come with me to some schools where I used to give talks about caring for animals to young children...
She would teach the kids...and sometimes the teachers how to handle them...and we would donate them as pets for the class..
I was... and still am... very proud of all the work...love ...and care I used to put in raising "my babies"...and would have been destroyed if someone had used one of them as a feeder...
I don't know how they set up the animals in stores where you are...but we had to keep pets and feeders in separate rooms...
When someone came to buy an animal...our first question was "what do you intend to do with it?"....
If the answer was "use it as a feeder"...we would get them from the room that was closed to the public...and brought it out in a close box ~with holes for air circulation ~ ... No one was aware there was an animal in the box ...or that it was going to be used to feed another animal...
If...on the other way...they wanted a pet...I personally would bring them to the "pet room"...answer any question they night have had...teach them about feeding and caring...and many times discourage them from making an impulsive purchase...if I saw they were not ready to handle a pet...
I hope you don't mind my long tirade...but animals are my passion...and I wouldn't do anything to harm one...
Luv, Susan
had sneaky peak last night while mum was given titbit by my daughter, left the nest alone as they appear to be ok could see ones pigment coming through like its mum white with grey markings!they have grown over the 5 days!
Amethystfairy:)
:nature-smiley-008:They do grow fast...and once they open their eyes they look like tiny teddy bears!!...
How many did she have in total?...
As you can see by my post below...I am a complete nut case when it comes to furry babies!!!...:rolleyes:....and all kinds of animals...
My last hamster died last july... and the last rat in october...I still miss them...and all this talk about hamsters is making me want to go and get one...:)
Are teachers in there allowed to keep pets as science projects??...
If they do...maybe you can donate some of them like I used to do...
Keep us informed of the babies progress...
Love, Susan
update: last night went to see mum and while she was out of the nest i tried to count only could see 5 but might be more! their fur has come through! could see grey, white and possivbly black. i got feeling the mum mated with her brother that has got same colour but then have never seen him, i will ask my friend.
havent hold the babies yet i think too soon for that dont want to risk infanticide!
Amethystfairy:)
Pleased to hear the little family are doing well 🙂
Ie xpect you can't wai to see them trouping outside nest and sitting around the food bowl with their mum 🙂
Barbara x
That's so nice. I wish I could see those babies, I am sure they are so adorable 🙂
Aww, saw four of them out of the nest this morning one by one apart from one left in nest. two are dark grey and white like mum two brown and white and one sort of cream all over which all being well I will keep that one, really want to keep them all, but not allowed to do so!
lucky mum at least 5 in one go!
Amethystfairy:):):)
They must be adorable. Any chance of a pic before you have to part with them? I'm so glad they are all doing so well and mum of course.
I will try to take pic of them next week or as soon as i can and put it in this forum with my daughters help! awaiting new computer as the printer/scanner wont work with it.
Amethystfairy:):)
update
sold two of them to petshop twoweeks ago. and gave one away to someone for free. got more pleasure out of giving this one away to litle girl who already chose name for the hamster |Cookie!. have kept two,April and Crazy Larry. Crazy Larry sometimes runs around in a panic dont know whY have checked with petshop the hamsters wont be sold to reptil traders. cant take picture as havent got digital camera or camera suited to take phots. never mind.
Amethystfairy:)
I will try to take pic of them next week or as soon as i can and put it in this forum with my daughters help! awaiting new computer as the printer/scanner wont work with it.
Amethystfairy:):)
...I think I'm not the only one waiting for those pics...I, for one, will be most thankful if you could post a picture or two here to our general enjoyment ...
Thank you
Ha it will have to be of three of them grown but you could visualise them being babies! not having anymore just hope my daughter doesnt do what my older daughter did years ago put two females to breed with one male just to see what would happen ahh population explosion!! wasnt happy!
Amethystfairy:)
well Crazy larry has gone to the other side now am bit sad, Axel prevoisly April is not well so taking her to the vets tomorrow. the mum Dream is fit and well!
Amethsytfairy:(