3 replies to this topic

[Xxlilsarahxx20]

My Syrian hamster just had babies, and I wasn't for sure she was even pregnant to begin with until about 3 days before she gave birth. I had just cleaned out her cage the same week she gave birth, but for some reason, during the few days prior,she was just going crazy and all over the place, and her cage went from being clean and tidy to her having destroyed it, trying to frantically escape, and it just having this horrible, awful smell... I Just cleaned every part and piece of this cage and the items in it! So when I went to clean it again, I got everything washed except the cage itself, and when I went to get it ready to wash, I saw her in an awkward position, and then I saw the millions of babies underneath her. I really had no idea what to do at that point, because her cage was so smelly and disgusting and needs to be changed badly, like very badly to the point to where I'm now worried about the health of both mother and pups.... But the absolute thing I already know and read everywhere is not to clean their cage while they are still so young... And at this point they are only a few days old... And the cage is so nasty!! Am I really supposed to just leave it like this??? I feel horrible doing nothing about it!!

[nebit]

Yes, do nothing unless there is a very very obvious risk- like flooded bedding. Cleaning her cage at this point or disturbing her in any way risks her culling the young.

 

However, there may be something you can do- what size is the cage? Do you have pictures of the setup? If it's a small cage, like a crittertrail, it may be possible to place it inside of a larger bin, which will help with the smell and if the mother moves the young out into the bin on her own, then you could remove the smaller cage.

[Xxlilsarahxx20]

Flooded bedding? Does that have a different definition for anything other than having something to do with water, or is it obviously exactly how it sounds?
That is a very very awesome idea you have presented me with, and it's definitely one I would have been more willing to try, even sooner if I had only thought of it myself, but I use bin cages for all of my hamsters.... Those pretty decently large sized ones at that... Im not too sure there are very many other bin cages that my hammies cage could fit into, and if it could, those things are not always exactly cheap, and I already have 5 cages with a hammie in each one, so there's just no room for an upgrade unfortunately. What about some kind of connector piece of some sort?? Between two cages... Do you have any ideas or thoughts or suggestions of any kind about something like that, possibly??? But also what I could use, if even a good idea at all???

[nebit]

Flooded bedding is exactly as it sounds- something like a catastrophic water bottle leak where the bedding is soaked and you have no choice.

 

Unfortunately if she's already in a bin cage, it would be hard to do the "hamster moves herself" method, unless your bin has a side door already installed. Otherwise you risk disturbing mom by creating one.

 

At this point, you have a newly cleaned cage and a mom with newborns- any cage cleaning will have to wait, and they should be fine until then. My bigger concern is the possibility that the smell indicates something abnormal- have you had female Syrians before? Is the smell improving at all? How does Mom seem?