Hamsters are cute, comical ‘” and cannibals. They will pass up a chance of eating dead hamsters. They evolved in arid, food-poor regions, and so they will not pass up any chance to chow down on a huge source of fresh protein. But hamster cannibalism is most prevalent in mother hamsters killing and eating their newborns. This happens mostly to Syrian or golden hamsters, but has been observed in all pet species, including the winter white and the Russian dwarf. There are ways to help prevent hamster cannibalism.
Cage Conditions
Never keep too many hamsters in one cage. Syrian hamsters and Chinese dwarf hamsters need to be housed separately or they will fight. Hamsters can die from fight wounds inflicted by other hamsters.
Perhaps you’ve seen a cage full of hamsters at a pet store. Chances are that if a female gets pregnant and is still kept in the cage, she will eat her babies because of overcrowding. There is a lack of clean nesting material, access to food and water. The other hamsters may also see the newborns as a quick snack.
Never use cages with wire floors for pregnant hamsters. Grant Forrest, a hamster breeder in the UK, writes that hamster mothers in wire-floor cages are more prone to eating their babies than mothers housed in cages with solid floors.
Disturbed Mother
First-time hamster mothers are stressed enough as it is. Newborn hamsters and their afterbirth give off scents that could attract predators. The first-time mother is most prone to eating her babies, notes “The Hamster Handbook” (Barron’s; 2003.) The mother may kill the babies because she can kill to save herself or because she just doesn’t know that the babies are babies.
Never disturb a hamster mother. Hamsters have very short gestations. When the females look as if they are about to burst ‘” they are. A couple of days before the due date, clean the cage and place in twice as much bedding as usual. Do not clean the cage again until the babies are about 10 days old. Keep curious onlookers and children away. Do not try to touch the mother or babies. Keep sounds down and do not play televisions or loud music in the same room with the mother and her babies.
Feeding New Mothers
There is a theory that hamster mothers may eat their babies simply because they are hungry. Be sure your hamster mother has access to food and fresh water 24 hours a day. Only place food in the cage and change the water bottle when you see she is awake, grooming herself and moving about the cage looking for food.
Place food in a small bowl or dish as far away as possible from the nest. You may be able to get a quick peek at the newborns while Mom stuffs her cheek pouches, but do not press your luck. This writer was stuck with a Syrian pregnant hamster twice. Neither mother ate any of their babies partially because I made sure they were well fed, left the mothers alone with their babies and partially because these two hamsters had laid-back personalities to begin with.
References
“The Hamster Handbook.” Patricia Hope Bartlett. Barron’s; 2003.
Pet Place. “Cannibalism.” http://www.petplace.com/small-mammals/cannibalism/page1.aspx
The Hamster Society, UK. “Training Your Hamster: Cannibalism.” Grant Forrest. http://www.hamsoc.org.uk/husbandry.php#cannibals
Personal experience
