When do baby hamsters stop drinking milk?
A baby hamster can start to be weaned off of milk when they reach 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, decrease the amount of milk per day. In between feedings, leave seeds or wheat germ for them to eat. This will get them used to eating solids.
When do baby hamsters stop drinking milk and start eating solids? After about 3 weeks, the baby hamsters should start to eat solid food and be weaned almost completely off of milk. However, depending on the species of hamster, this process can take up to a month.
If the mother is absent or rejects the hamster pup, you can provide them with full care. You can use milk formula specifically for hamster pups, but kitten or puppy formula will work too. It’s best to ask a local pet store or consult an animal expert for advice on how to give your baby hamsters the best care.
What do baby hamsters eat when they stop drinking milk?
A hamster pup can start eating solid foods when they’re about 10 days old. If you are unsure when your baby hamsters were born, that’s 5 days after the fur starts to show. After 3 weeks, they should be eating solid foods exclusively.
Baby hamsters can start by eating millet, wheat germ cereal, or other grains and small seeds.
You can also put an entire stem of seeds into the cage for the babies. This allows the mother to gather seeds herself and gives her something to do while caring for them.
Hamster pups regularly need clean water. You can set up a typical water bottle with tubes that the babies can reach comfortably. Make sure that the water is clean and that the bottle is never empty. You can get our full advice on ‘how to feed a baby hamster’ here.
Still unsure how to feed a baby hamster? Click here for more.
When your hamsters get older and reach maturity, you can feed them typical hamster food that you can find at a local pet store. In addition to hamster food, you can start to feed them fresh fruits and vegetables.
Great fruits for hamsters are strawberries or apples and dark greens like broccoli or spinach are good vegetables to give your hamster. Any produce that has too much water can give your hamster diarrhea and make them sick so avoid foods like watermelon or lettuce.
It’s important to know what is safe for your hamster so ask your veterinarian before adding anything new to their diet and make sure that the produce is hamster-friendly.
When can you separate the mother and pups?
A hamster pup can be removed from its mother at about 3 weeks. If the hamster is not weaned or is still weak, its best to let them stay with their mother until they’re strong enough to leave the nest.
You should avoid touching baby hamsters in their first few weeks unless they were rejected by their mother. Mother hamsters are protective and can bite or scratch you if she thinks you’re a threat to her nest.
Leaving your scent on a baby hamster may confuse the mother and she could reject it. So it’s best to take a hands-off approach in the first few weeks of life.
How to care for a baby hamster yourself.
If the hamster pup is rejected by the mother or the mother dies, it’s important that you take full and proper care of the baby. You can do this by giving them sufficient amounts of milk several times a day. Talk to your vet about how to feed babies and what formula to use for them.
Caring for a baby hamster requires full-time care and they have a low chance of survival if not cared for around-the-clock.
If you are in this situation, it’s absolutely necessary to touch the pups so don’t worry about leaving your scent. However, they are very delicate and fragile, so handle them gently and with care.
Make sure that the baby has a dry and comfortable place to sleep with adequate bedding. They can get sick if this is not maintained correctly.
The heat of the cage and nest is also crucial to their survival. If the temperature is too cold or too hot, the baby hamster can fall ill. You can use a heating pad to regulate the temperature in the nest. They are comfortable around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but anything above 80 F will cause stress or sickness.
Without a mother, hamster pups don’t know how to go to bathroom on their own. You can initiate the pooping and peeing process yourself in the absence of a mother.
With warm water and a cotton swab, you can mimic the mother’s tongue on their bottoms and encourage them to excrete. Ask your vet about how to properly do this with your hamster pups.
It’s very important that you consult a vet about caring for baby hamsters. Changing their diet, providing them with a healthy environment, and generally giving them proper care is demanding and requires the advice of an expert.
References
- https://petcentral.chewy.com/how-to-feed-baby-hamsters/#:~:text=After%202%20weeks%2C%20feed%20them,wean%20them%20off%20the%20formula.
- https://animals.mom.com/can-baby-hamsters-start-eating-hamster-food-8087.html
- https://www.northstarrescue.org/take-care-of-a-baby-hamster-without-mother/
