[Vectis Hamstery]

Tonight I took Aries and the single little boy out of the family home. Aries and Metis were a longer term pair, so the Armets were a couple of days old when I saw them first (mum hid them well and she wasn't round before they arrived). I didn't want to leave dad and the boy in right up to the wire on the 3 weeks in case a second litter arrives a day earlier than I expect.

I kept dad in with the litter as what was done was done in terms of a 2nd litter by the time I saw the pups, and Metis seemed to be liking having him around. However I don't want Metis to risk 3 litters so close together; she's earned a good rest.

Likewise I wanted to balance not taking the son out too early. Usually I leave pups in with mum until 4 weeks old, but with robo gestation 21 days that wasn't something I wanted to risk in this case. I don't like splitting pups out to live alone at 3-4 weeks old as my experience is that they benefit from being with another until they are rehoming age. So the little lad will be with Aries until he's older. I've done this before with a lone male dwarfy and it has worked well. The girls are staying in with mum for now. If she gets fed up of them, then I'll give them their own cage, but she's tending them still.