Hamster - pregnate

Question
Hi Kelly,
Recently, i got a teddy bear hamster. For the first few days she was curious and energetic. Now she has gone into serious re-decorating of its cage. hes storing all its food, eating more than before and doesnt like to be touched anymore, where it was fine with us before. It is much less active. Any ideas what is going on? Is it possible that she is pregnate?  

Answer
Hi Nancy,

The behaviors you're describing sound like your hamster is indeed pregnant.  This is fairly common among females who have come from a mixed-sex cage.  The gestation period is 16 days, so assume your hamster was pregnated a few days before you got her.  During the gestation period, you can feed your hamsters small amounts high-protein foods, such as scrambled egg and cheese.  Also, a few days before the birth, remove the wheel.  I'd like to recommend a good, informative webpage to help you with the birth and the rearing of the babies:

http://www.petwebsite.com/breeds.htm

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

Kelly