If your hamster is expecting babies, you likely want to learn more about the hamster life cycle. As you might ask yourself when do baby hamsters get fur? Read on and you will learn everything about fur development in your soon-to-be furry hamster friends.
How long does it take for a baby hamster to grow fur?
Hamster babies are born vulnerable and dependent on their mother. Their mother will need to take careful care of her babies during the first few weeks of their life. A hamster baby will also be born without fur. Its fur will start to show once it reaches five days of age.
The baby or pup will also be born deaf as well as blind. It will take a while for the hamster baby to open its eyes after it is born and its eyes will start to open once it is two weeks or fourteen days old. At this age, their ears will also begin to turn upright.
At birth, a hamster’s ears will be flat against its head. Once the hamster’s eyes have opened, it will be more independent and will start to wander out of the nest.
The mother hamster will however continue to look after it until the baby reaches between twenty-one to twenty-eight days old. Once the hamster reaches this age, it is important to remove it from the mother.
Hamster Growth
While most hamster babies don’t open their eyes until they are about fourteen days old, some will grow and develop faster than others. Some babies may even open their eyes as early as eight to twelve days old.
As soon as the hamster baby opens its eyes and its vision increases, you will notice a big change in its activity level. The hamster babies may even start to run around the cage and curiously investigate their surroundings.
Looking After Baby Hamsters
If your hamster is expecting babies, it is important to learn about caring for hamster babies.
Hamsters usually give birth to around six and eight babies. While hamster babies cannot see when they are born, their teeth are fully grown. They will require good care from their mother but can start to eat more solid food when they reach about ten days old. After roughly two weeks they will gradually quit drinking milk.
It is vital to avoid touching or looking at the hamster babies or the mother during their first few days of life. A hamster mother can be extremely aggressive after she has given birth to her babies.
Looking closely or touching the hamster babies before they are three weeks old can cause extreme stress to the mother. She will likely view you as a predator and may resort to abandoning or killing her babies, especially if she catches your human scent on them.
You should not try to touch or move the babies for these reasons until they reach at least three weeks old. It is also important to try to avoid cleaning the cage during this period so as not to disturb the nest.
When the hamster babies reach about five days old they will start to explore the cage. Make sure to lower the water bottle in the cage so that the small hamsters can reach them. Also start to scatter some suitable food around the cage for them to eat, as well as their mother’s food.
As the hamsters reach two weeks old, you can start to properly clean their cage and change their bedding. You can also handle the babies at this time, as the mother will be less stressed.
Tip: Click here to learn more about the optimal sand for your hamster’s sand bathing needs.
Remove the mother from the cage and put her in a safe place. You can then touch the baby hamsters in the cage. Continue this process for a few days until the mother hamster gets used to this. Be gentle when touching the small hamsters.
When the hamsters reach twenty-one to twenty-eight days old, they can leave the mother. Make sure to seperate them from their mother at this age or she may begin to chase them away.
Dwarf hamsters should be separated into groups of males and females. Syrian hamsters will require an individual cage so that they can live alone.
To sum up…
While baby hamsters will develop fur and open their eyes at around five days of age, they will not be ready to leave their mother until they are between twenty-one and twenty-eight days old.
Looking after baby hamsters is not difficult and the mother will mostly care for her babies alone. However, it is important that you do follow a few rules carefully to make sure the babies remain healthy. Avoid touching and handling the hamsters until they are at least three weeks old to prevent putting undue stress on the mother.
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