Hamsters gettin bigger

Question
QUESTION: hi can you tell me how i would be able to tell if one of our hamsters is pregnant? as he/she has got quite abit bigger than the other one they fight abit and have dragged the bedding from its house area onto the bottom of the cage. he/she sometimes blocks the pipe to the house by sleeping in it!?    Can you help? Please> Thanks
ANSWER: hi ash,

it sounds like your hamster is pregnant, she is getting bigger, trying to make a nest and fighting with the male hamsters, not to mention begining to get territorial about her bed. please keep in touch with me on her progress. she will be pregnant for about 16-21 days depending on the breed.

you HAVE TO seperate her from the other hamsters immediately and clean out her cage a few days before she gives birth as you won't be able to clean it for 2-3 weeks after the babies are born. DO NOT tocuh the babies, her or the cage for 2-3 weeks after they are born, as she will reject them and kill them because she can smell your scent on them. after this time please get back in touch with me so i can tell you what to do next.

best of luck and keep a close eye on her.

joanne x

p.s. thank you for your question :)

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

QUESTION: hi,   so far we have swapped cages thought we would put the she/he in the single storey house for ease of movement an all that but it went mental an started to do backflips off the top of it so we put her/him back in the other house an put the fella in the single who promptly went ballistic with his new surroundings. He has settled now but he/she seems distressed to be alone? and isnt going into any nest its made at the bottom just sitting at the top of the tube to the bedroom where there aint anything left in it as she/he pulled it all down the other day. getting concerned now with the strange behaviour or is this normal for hamsters?? Can you shed any light on our dilemma?? Please + Thanks again

Answer
hi ash,

hamsters always get a bit stressed when they go somewhere new, leave her to settle for another 2 days or so, and she should be fine, if she doesn't get in touch again. also, put some things in her new cage that smell like the old one, such as bedding and some sawdust. also give her lots of treats.

thanks for your question.

joanne x