sister and brother?

Question
Kelly,

I think my girl hamster is pregnant, but the only boy in the cage is her brother. Do hamsters breed with their brothers or sisters? And if they do will that cause any defect in the babies?

Answer
Hi Kelli,

Yes, hamsters, like many other animals, will breed with their siblings.  This is discouraged, though, because it can possibly cause problems.  For instance, both of the hamsters may have a recessive gene for a deformity - so, their babies may be deformed.  But, notice I said "may."  So, there is a strong possibility that the babies will be fine.

Do you have Syrian hamsters or dwarf hamsters?  If you have Syrian hamsters, they cannot live together - only one Syrian hamster should live in a cage (whether one of them is pregnant or not).  Also, if the male is still in there when the babies are born, he may kill them.  As soon as you can, move the male into a different cage.

Dwarf hamsters are social, so they can definitely live together.  However, since you have a female and a male, they will just continue to breed, and you'll end up with a lot of babies.  Remove the male from the cage before the babies are due to be born.

Have a great fourth of July!

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

Kelly