10 Potential Reasons Why Hamsters Eat Their Babies
Hamster owners always ask if will hamsters eat their babies and if that’s what you are looking for then you are in the right post.
In this post, we will go through the most prevalent reasons why hamsters eat their offspring, as well as how to prevent them from doing so.
Before we proceed, let me quickly answer your question, will hamsters eat their babies, then we look at the reasons why this can happen.
Why do hamsters eat their babies?
Hamsters eat their babies for a variety of reasons, including fear, stress, despair, a lack of room in their cage, which causes congestion, and their hunt for additional nutrients, which is caused by a bad diet.
They also eat their infants when they feel threatened.
In a litter of hamsters, six to eight pups are normally born. During her pregnancy cycle, the mother hamster will only breastfeed the first litter of young.
If there isn’t enough room in the nest for all of her offspring, the mother will usually cannibalize them. This is a natural inclination that most rats have.
Reasons Why Hamsters Eat Their Babies
The following are the main reasons why hamsters consume their young in captivity and in the wild:
1. Lack of food
Lack of food is the most obvious reason for a hamster to eat its own babies both in the wild and in captivity.
Animals that are pregnant or nursing waste more energy in their bodies than they would typically spend caring for their young.
The hamster might just be hungry, or it could be terrified of not being able to feed its offspring owing to food scarcity.
During her pregnancy, a healthy hamster mom should be fed nutritious food and given a healthy hamster diet.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, pellet meals, and nutritious snacks are just a few examples.
If they didn’t get enough food after giving birth, they may be correcting for nutritional deficits by eating part of their newborn young.
2. Trying to protect them from a threat
When a female hamster is scared or apprehensive of her surroundings, she may be trying to protect her young.
It’s likely that a cat is close, that there’s a lot of noise, or that anything else is triggering their danger sensors.
In most situations, they will devour the entire litter if this is the case. If she believes her children are being exploited, she may act in this manner.
Hamsters think that eating their babies is a way of trying to protect them from threats.
3. To create more living space
Lack of room or small cages can also cause the mother hamster to get agitated, causing her to consume her young.
When a hamster believes she doesn’t have enough space for her family, she may opt to eat one of her kids to feed the others.
Make sure there’s enough room for both the kids and the mother.
Making changes to the cage, like adding tubes and extra pup chambers, can help to expand the area available.
4. Due to animal cannibalism
Hamsters are governed by animal instincts, which are also seen in other animals.
If a hamster considers that one of its offspring is a threat to them or the rest of the family, he or she will either kill or leave the child.
This guarantees that they, as well as the rest of the family, continue to live and feed off of the deceased relative.
There is no particular treatment for the factor that leads hamsters to murder and eat their young.
5. Inability to care for their babies
Female hamsters can consume their young to lessen the quantity and stress of their litter if they are unable to care for all of them.
If a mother hamster feels overwhelmed by the quantity of offspring in her new litter, particularly if the litter is larger.
She could decide that she can’t care for them all and eat them to minimize the number.
The mother does it for the sake of the other babies to help them live happily, even if it does not appear to be a kind thing to do.
6. Too much stress
Hamsters go through a lot of stress when they give birth and nurse their offspring.
While hamsters can cope with the stress of birth and feeding, they may not be able to cope with the additional stress posed by a hostile environment.
Hamsters can be stressed by loud noises, excessive temperatures, and disruption from other animals or humans.
7. Due to a change in body scent
Hamsters put a lot of time and effort into cleaning and caring for their young.
The scent left on each baby assists the mother in recognizing the baby.
If the youngsters have a distinct fragrance, such as that of a human, the mother may become perplexed and fail to recognize her own children.
Because the infant’s scent has changed, it may kill and consume the seeming counterfeit.
As a result, a female hamster identifies her babies by their scent and recognizes them as her own.
Never touch a newborn baby since the aroma of your hand may be passed on to them.
If your smell is detected on them, the mother may mistake them for her own and consume them.
8. Due to threats from within
Male hamsters are often less empathetic and unconcerned about their offspring than female hamsters.
They only care about one thing: capturing the female hamster’s attention at any cost, regardless of the consequences to her young.
A male hamster constantly disturbs innocent newborns to try to gain the attention of their mother, causing the female hamster to hide the babies from the male hamster.
If no suitable hiding places are available, the mother hamster might suffocate her young by concealing them in her cheek pouch.
9. Due to the lack of some nutrients
Because hamsters’ food may be insufficient in some nutrients, they may eat their young to augment their diet.
The meals that hamsters consume can influence their personality.
When hamsters eat Vitamin B3-deficient diets, they eat their own offspring.
For example, grain-fed hamsters will devour their own young because grains lack several vitamins that hamsters require to keep healthy.
10. To lessen the amount of attention they offer
A mother hamster will sacrifice some of her offspring if she believes she won’t be able to provide adequate care and attention for her entire litter.
Because she sees herself as solely responsible for the entire litter, she may realize she can’t manage a brood of a certain size.
She’ll whittle down the herd until she’s left with a smaller litter to look after.
How do you keep hamsters from eating their babies?
Here are some suggestions for preventing your hamster from eating its young:
1. The newborn hamsters must not be touched untimely
Ascertain that the infants are safe, but refrain from touching them when it’s not the right time. You should leave them alone as much as possible for at least the first week of their life.
If at all possible, avoid touching or moving the infants with your bare hands. Before touching the babies, wait till the mother has done weaning.
Though if the mother likes you, she may allow you to touch the babies, here are signs your hamster likes you.
You risk the mother rejecting her children if you touch the newborns before she approves. Before meddling, wait until the babies are at least 2–3 weeks old.
2. Give the female hamster a well-balanced diet
While your hamster is caring for its young, make sure it has lots of food. Make sure your hamster has sufficient food while it is caring for its young, which may seem apparent.
Make sure the female hamster is eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. After nursing her full litter, she has to refill her own body.
If anything is lacking in her body, she may exhibit unwanted behaviors. Make sure you have a good mix of pellets, fruits, veggies, and fresh water on hand at all times.
3. Children should not be allowed near the hamster cage
Keep little children away from the mother hamster and her babies from the start. If you have kids, the cute cage additions will almost certainly make them happy.
Your children, on the other hand, should never be left alone with the newborn hamsters.
Allow your children to touch the baby hamsters once they have acquired hair and are able to walk about independently.
4. Remove any other hamsters or pets from the vicinity
Keep the mother hamster and her young separated from the other hamsters or pets.
When a mother hamster and her offspring are kept in the same room as other hamsters, it can cause a slew of issues.
There is a high risk of stress, agitation, and conflict, as the mother may feel threatened, leading to these behaviors.
5. Keep things calm and quiet
Provide a serene environment to keep things calm and quiet.
Ascertain that your hamster has a peaceful and quiet environment in which to lay its eggs and raise its young.
Children and other pets should not be allowed in the room with your hamster. Keep the volume in your house low to prevent upsetting your hamster.
Cover the cage to keep it from detecting any threats or stressors. Check out ways to care for a hamster.
Related Questions
Is it normal for hamsters to eat their babies?
While it may seem distressing, cannibalism in hamsters is not entirely uncommon. It’s a natural behavior that can occur in certain situations, especially among stressed or inexperienced mothers. However, it’s important to monitor their environment and provide proper care to minimize the chances of this happening.
Can I prevent hamsters from eating their babies?
While it’s challenging to completely prevent cannibalism in hamsters, there are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood. Providing a stress-free environment, ensuring the mother hamster has enough food and water, and avoiding unnecessary disturbances during the birthing process can all help minimize the risk.
Should I separate the mother hamster from her babies to prevent cannibalism?
It’s generally recommended to leave the mother hamster with her babies, as she plays a crucial role in their care and development. Separating them too early can cause stress and potentially lead to cannibalism. However, if there’s a history of cannibalism in the mother’s previous litters, it may be necessary to separate them to ensure the safety of the babies.
How long does cannibalism behavior last in hamsters?
Cannibalistic behavior in hamsters is more likely to occur during the first few days after birth. As the babies grow stronger, and the mother adjusts to her role, the chances of cannibalism decrease. By around two weeks of age, the risk significantly diminishes.
Should I intervene if I see cannibalism happening?
It’s generally best to let nature take its course and avoid intervening, as stressful for the mother hamster or the remaining babies. However, if you notice that the mother is consistently harming her offspring, it’s crucial to seek advice from a veterinarian or a knowledgeable hamster breeder to ensure the safety and well-being of the babies.
Learn more about identifying a pregnant hamster.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the reasons behind why hamsters eat their babies are both fascinating and complex.
From instinctual survival mechanisms to environmental stressors, these small creatures exhibit a range of behaviors that can sometimes be difficult for us to understand.
While it may seem shocking to us, it’s important to remember that hamsters are simply following their natural instincts in order to ensure the survival of their species.
