My pregnant, dwarf hamster .... ?

Question
Dear Kelly,
   I recently veiwed this website, and read some of the letters that you recieved, and I found them very helpful. I have two dwarf hamsters and I bought them in March. When I purchased them I did not know what their gender was. Thanks to one of your website links I found out. When I read the letter from a girl named Jessica, and she discused how her hamsters were acting, and she thought one may be pregnant. Mine are acting the same way! If my hamster does have little pups, what do I do? Do I continue to keep the male in with the mother and pups? And do I need to help with the maturing process? How much space may they all need?

Answer
Hi Shelby,

If your hamster is pregnant, it's very important that you leave the male in with the female.  The male will help to take care of the babies, relieving some of the stress from the female.  

The cage should be cleaned several days before the babies are due.  (Gestation period is 18-21 days.)  Also, remove the wheel from the cage a few days before the birth.  Give your hamster plenty of bedding so that she can make a large nest.  Once the babies are born, it's important not to touch them for 2 weeks.  If you touch them, there's a chance that the mother will reject them.  Once the babies are 14-16 days old, they are covered in fur, and their eyes are open.  At this time, you can handle them for short periods.  It's also a good idea to go ahead and clean the cage.

Once the babies are 3 weeks old, they are fully weaned.  They should be put in a separate cage from their mother and father.  After 2-3 weeks, they should be separated by sex.  You can put all the girls in one cage, and all the boys in another cage.  If you give them away, make sure to give them away in same-sex pairs (or small groups - don't just give away one, as dwarves are very social).  If you don't want your mother and father hamsters to be parents again, and you would like to keep all of your babies, you can place the father and all of the male babies in another cage.  Keep the female babies in with the mother.  This is a good solution if you don't want a hamster factory :)

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

Kelly