pregnant???

Question
Hi, i have a critter rescue for small animals, and just got in 6 hamsters that were found in one cage on the street.  one i suspect to be pregnant, and the others i am worried about. one of the girls has the tip of her tail cut off! it is healing, but i'm not sure what to do. another one has a purple toenail. finally, the male is sneezing a lot. i think 4 are girls, and 2 are boys. i'm not exactly sure. this is how i've caged them. two of the females, who seem to like each other the most are kept in a two by 1 foot plastic container with bedding, tubes, food and water. i am keeping another girl in a cage with the baby boy, because she seems to enjoy his company, and sleeps with him, and grooms him.they are being kept in a 1 x 1 foot clear container w/ food, water, and tubes. i am keeping the small male in a cage that has a plastic bottom, wire sides, and plastic top. he has a hide away, and a tube that leads to a bedding chamber on top. he also has food, water, and bedding. (duh, lol.) finally, the black bear hamster i think is pregnant is kept in an identical, but seperate cage as the male. i think she is pregnant, but am not sure. she is lare, and is nesting, and the first thing she did was grab food. (she shoved a whole carrot in her pouch!!!) please help me, and tell me what i could do to make the right desicions on hteir care and health. thank you soooo much!!!

SINCERELY,
       TAYLOR

Answer
Taylor,
 First off let me say it is a wonderful thing you do for small animals. Now to your hammies. The girl with the tail tip cut off should be mine. Just watch her and make sure it doesn't start to look infected. If it does, you can try to put a little neosporin on but usually it just heals itself. The purple toenail sounds like it is infected. It may heal itself but i would suggest bringing her to a vet just in case. The sneezing male may be allergic to the bedding they are in. I usually use the carefresh bedding and i find it is healthier for them. The problem with housing hamsters together, even same sex ones is that they will ulitemly fight eachother and cause seriously injure or kill eachother. I would try to remove them and put them in seperate cages if you can. Otherwise watch them VERY closely until you find permenant homes for them. The female and male you are housing together shouold be removed very quickly as they will breed as soon as they can, which may have already happened. The female, if preganant, will give birth in 16 days. If she is starting to eat a lot and drink alot then she probabally wil give birth soon. If this happenes please contact me and i will help you deal with her. It sounds like you are doing just fine with them and if yoou have any questions, or i missed anything. please don't hesitate to send another message. Good luck!


Blake