my hampster pups

Question
QUESTION: my hampster had babies about 5 days ago. she is a very social hampster and has the habbit off coming out every night around 8oclock and "talkin to me" she will climb to the tallest point in the cage and stand on her back legs and wait for me to come over and call her name and play with her. we have had this routine nightly since about a week after we got her so right around easter of this year. well last night and today she has seemed to be looking for me again. i wnet over to talk to her and she did as usuall and didnt seem at all concerned about her babies. i ws wondering what is the soonest i can hold her again and also when is the soonest i should try to handle the babies?
i do not want to loose the close bond my hampster and i have and i dont want her to feell i have neglected he. thanks fro your help.

ANSWER: Hi Amanda,

    You can start to hold her again when the babies are a week old, but no longer than 15 minutes at a time.
    When the babies are 2 weeks old, this is when it is safe to handle them for a short period of time and the cage can be cleaned again.
    If you have anymore questions, please write again.

Thank you for writing!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: my hampster pups are now 12 days old and they are starting to venture out of thier nest for very short periods of time. I was wondering whats he best way to be sure they are able to get water because they havent seemed to go anywhere near the water bottle. Also the mom still seems eager to return them to the nest quickly as they find thier way out should it still be okay to handle them at 14days and at that time may i empty the cage including the nest? also when do the babies need to be seperated from the mom? I tried to speak to the owners of the pet store that i purchased the mom but they said you couldnt handle the babies for at least 6 weeks! but everything i have read says they are sexually muture before this age. thanks alot for your quick reply you are always so helpful!!!

ANSWER: Hi Amanda,

    Put the water bottle close to the nest and low enough so that the pups can reach it. Yes, it is still fine to handle the pups at 2 weeks of age and yes, clean the cage entirely, nest included. When the pups are 3 weeks of age (this is when the start to sexually mature) they will need to be separated from Mom and each other (boys in one cage, girls in another).
    If you have anymore questions, please write again.

Thanks again for writing!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hey karen! i did forget one question. what is best for the babies to try to eat i have been giving them milk breed and boiled eggs but what else do they need i wasnt sure if they would be able to eat the real hampster diet the mom eats.

Answer
Hi Amanda,

    The babies will eat the smaller pieces of the hamster food mix, Mom usually carries them to the nest, and soon the babies will be coming to the food bowl to get their own. Along with the milk bread and eggs, you can give them diced carrots. I remember when my hamster had babies, they were a little over 2 weeks old, I went to put diced carrots in the food dish and here they came, all 15 of them and swarmed the food dish. Needless to say the carrots were gone within minutes, It was such a sight to see.
    If you have anymore questions, please write again.

Thanks again!