Pregnant Syrian?

Question
Hi Kelly,

Bambi, our 4 month ols syrian, mated 2 weeks ago.  A week after the mating she made her nest and hoarded food in it.  But now the day we were expecting babies, she doesn't even have her nest anymore... We gave her toilet paper to make it, but she just brings it into her very small coconut where she used to sleep prior to the pregnancy.  Is she really pregnant?  

Thank you,
Kate

Answer
Hi Kate,

A Syrian's gestation period is 16 days (occasionally 17 or 18), so you still have a couple of days to go before you can completely rule out a birth.  I cannot absolutely assure that she is not pregnant; that's impossible for me to do.  

If you hamster still hasn't given birth by the 19th day, she may have miscarried.  (The babies would be absorbed back into the bloodstream.)  Or, she could have had a "phantom" pregnancy, where her maternal instinct was telling her she was pregnant, but she really wasn't.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Kelly