touching baby hamstes

Question
Hello, my hamster gave birth to 8 healthy babies about a week and a half ago and I was wondering when I can touch them. They already have fur and can crawl, but I'm afraid if I touch them the mother will abandon them. Is it safe to touch them now?

Answer
Hi Shanna!

The safest age to touch baby hamsters is about 14 days, so your hamsters are fast approaching that marker.

I touch babies starting from about two days after birth with no problems, but this greatly depends on the mother and how much she trusts her main caregiver.  Skittish hamsters obviously do not trust people, and are stressed by them, so skittish or jumpy mothers will be more stressed by humans in and around her nest and babies than a tame hamster would, and more likely to cannabalise her young because of it.  Very tame hamsters, however, don't seem to mind as much.  Some of my mothers are so eager for interaction with me that they will come to my hand dragging babies still attatched and nursing out of the nest as they go.  Some mommas are fine when they are not nursing but turn into biting balls of fury when they are.

To be safe, wait the fourteen days and then start handling them.  If you are super paranoid about the mom abandoning babies, pick them up using a spoon if you have to.  Another thing you could do is to rub your hands in the bedding throughly to coat them in "hamster" smells before you touch the babies.

Thanks for the question, feel free to ask me any more that you may have!  :)