Babies in high places.

Question
Hello,
My Syrian hamster had 4 babies about 4 days ago and everything is going well.  But she has a multilevel cage and her nest with the babies in it is on the top level and the only way down is a long tube.  I know that the babies can walk before they can see, and I am worried about them wandering down the tube.  When they were only one day old, one of the little ones did fall down the tube, and my boyfriend and I picked it up with a little plastic shovel and put it back.  It turned out to be fine, but I don't want them to get hurt.  Any ideas?


Answer
Hi Kristin,

You'll need to place the babies on the ground floor of the cage.  This will need to be done carefully, since you don't want your scent on any of the babies.  First, place some extra bedding on the ground floor, so that the mother can make an adequate nest.  Then, gather up some used bedding (if you can get some from her nest, that would be preferable), and thoroughly rub it all over your hands.  Try to gather all the babies at one time, and place them on the ground floor.  Then, place the mother with them.

She may try to carry them back up to her original nest, so you'll need to block access to the top floors of the cage.  Also, you'll need to remove the wheel from the cage, since it can pose a hazard to the babies.

Good luck with your new arrivals, and if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask :)

Kelly