Hamster Pregnancy

Question
Hi, my hamster may or may not be pregnant. Is there any indication of pregnancy in the first couple of days after mating? If so, please let me know. Thanks!

Answer
Hi Jordan

I'm afraid you won't know.  You can sometimes do a 'test mating' 4 days after the first mating - the best way is to place her on the bars of the male's cage and see if she goes rigid once she has smelt him - don't put them face to face or in each other's cages - if she is pregnant she will be very aggressive.

Other than that it is a case of waiting 16-18 days.  Usually you see some changes, i.e. her nipples become more pronounced, she drinks more water and often moves her nest.  However, there is never any guarantee of a litter - sometimes they reabsorb/miscarry.  If you think she is pregnant, don't overfeed her right now - just give her usual food and you can increase/supplement this with baby food when the litter is born.  Also, if she has a wire wheel or one with a slit you should replace this with a solid wheel - babies can get caught in them. I also remove any houses/tubes from the cage if I think there could be a litter - it is far less stressful all round if a litter is born in the open or under a platform.  Bedding wise - it is best to have the paper type and not the fluffy type as babies can get tangled up in it and this can cause serious injuries.

I hope this helps.

Regards
Sheila