Worrying behaviour

[Niamhb]

Hi guys! I'm new to Hamster Central, so please forgive me if I mess up somehow! I'm going to try my best to keep a long story short, but please bare with me as I really need your help!

So 3 weeks ago my boss gave me 3 of her hamster pups, she told me they were all girls. My daughter named them Toast, Daisy and Fluffnugget. Turns out Toast was a boy and by the time we found out, it was too late. Last night Daisy had pups. I have separated Toast into his own cage to prevent any reoccurances.

Here is the problem. Fluffnugget seems to have disappeared. She is my personal favourite as she is the smallest by far (I'm assuming she was the runt) and she was cheery and very friendly with a big personality. She would wake up and come say hello whenever she heard me come into the room. Which is why I am so baffled that I have not seen her at all today. It is now 10:30PM and I haven't seen her once.

I have been very careful not to disturb the cage as Daisy is in there with her pups, she has made her nest inside the small plastic house and I cannot see into it at all, I can't see the pups or how many are there but I can hear their little squeaks. I have looked everywhere else in the cage and Fluffnugget is nowhere to be seen.

There are a few possibilities...
1. She has escaped. That one I've ruled out however because the cage bars are far too narrow and even if she somehow squeezed through, I would have found her in the tiny room that the cage is in.
2. She is in the small house. This I find hard to believe as the house is very small, I can hardly understand how Daisy and her pups have fit in, nevermind Fluffnugget as well! Also, it still wouldn't explain why she hasn't come out at all today.
3. This is the one I fear the most, that Daisy has killed her. I am terrified that this may be the case. If so, would Daisy have left Fluffnuggets body in the little house with her babies? Would she have eaten her? Why would she have done this?

I am really fighting the urge to take the house out and look once and for all, but the last thing I want to do is do any damage to the new pups or Daisy by stressing or frightening them.

Please someone give me some advice I'm worried sick :'(

[Jenibelle]

Definitely leave the house be. I don't know know much about hamsters yet, but one thing I read is that if mom feels stressed or if the babies are messed with, she will eat them.

[BrainGirl]

Hi Niamhb, there are very experienced hamster people here so you've come to the right place for good information! I'm not entirely sure how to advise you but there are some details that might help get you an answer.

1. What kind of hamsters are they?

2. What kind of cage are they in and what are the dimensions?

3. What kind and how deep is the substrate?

[greysome]

Hi Niamhb,

Sorry you're going through this. As BrainGirl has already asked the questions that would help with answers, particularly (at least for me, what species of hamsters they are), I won't repeat them but I did want to at least add that even if the hammies are in a tiny room, it is possible for Fluffnugget to have escaped both the cage and your notice.

As tiny as the room is, hamsters are even tinier (especially if we're talking about dwarves or robos) and it's possible she may have found a hide or hole somewhere either in that room to keep hidden or somehow found her way out the room. While we wait for answers to BrainGirl's questions as well as yours, I would suggest perhaps trying the bucket trick/method in at least the hamsters' room just in case Fluffnugget has escaped the cage and is hiding out in the room.

Good luck and I hope you find Fluffnugget safe and sound--and soon, of course! Just so you know, only certain hamster species can live in pairs (and even they can fall out with one another). I believe only the dwarf species (so russian campbells or winter whites...and I would assume their hybrids) can live in pairs though I believe some may only recommend robos being housed together. I'm sorry I can't be of more help.

[Niamhb]

Hi everyone, thanks for your answers so far.

My hamsters are Campbell's dwarves. I'm not sure of the dimensions of the cage but it is very very big, when I bought it the pet shop assistant said it would be more than big enough for 3 dwarf hamsters and that I could fit more in if I wanted to. I will try to find a measuring tape and get the exact measurements though. We use plospan wood chips and they are about 4 inches deep in the cage.

I've been searching my whole apartment for 6 hours. My partner went and got live traps in the pet shops and we put one in every room so hopefully if she's escaped then we will catch her safely soon. I really hope that she has escaped and that she isn't hurt or that she hasn't been killed.

What would the reason be for Daisy killing her, in your opinion? My theory would be that perhaps Fluffnugget may have either been in the house while Daisy gave birth and may have been trapped in there or that she may have gotten too close to the babies.

I read on another forum that sometimes the runt is eaten, but would this still be the case if they have lived together since birth and are 3 months old now? Surely it would have happened earlier

[BrainGirl]

Please get those dimensions, what pet store clerks have to say about animal care is frequently suspect.

[flowerfairy]

Just as a guide line the rspca recommend 80cm x 50cm for a syrian and I would say that would be about right for dwarf hamsters too as they are very lively. I believe the rspca recommend 70cm x 40cm for dwarf hamsters though.

Bigger is always best. Pet shops tend to sell smaller than that.

[souffle]

It isn't unusual for other females to act as 'Aunties' and actually help with the care of newborns. Some have even been seen to lactate however if Fluffnugget is also female is there a chance she might also be pregnant and have had pups?
The mother will likely move the pups out as the house becomes very overcrowded. I would add a huge pile of tissue bedding or ripped loo roll in another area of the cage and see if she moves them out. If she does I would be tempted myself to actually rub my hands in the pee area then whip the plastic house out.
Try and not worry for now. If she gave birth before you removed the male she is likely pregnant again and as soon as the pups look well grown get the house out before the next litter arrive at 18 - 22days. Some mums do stay in the nest a lot and Fluffnugget may be fine getting the food that the other is bringing in. I would add some cucumber to the diet (fine chopped) so hopefully she may get some fluid as well.
Hoping she is OK though.
It isn't that easy for them to consume a whole fully grown hamster so if she has sadly gone you should find the skull at least (sorry gruesome but a fact of life )

[Niamhb]

Hi guys,

Your answers are so helpful thank you all, and keep 'em coming! So I tried my best to get the dimensions but the best I could find was my daughter's school ruler so it might not be the most accurate. What I got was approx 90cm x 60cm, as I say, not as accurate as it would be with a measuring tape but I couldn't find one.

I took Toast out before Daisy had the babies, but that's not to say that fluffnugget didn't get pregnant. She was half the size of the other 2 so its hard to imagine her being able to even carry a litter, she was so tiny!

The live traps have been out (and full of peanut butter) for 12 hours now, one in every room, and no sign. Also no hamster droppings anywhere around! I managed to get a look in the little house and could only see 1 pup clearly, and no fluffnugget, but I didn't want to touch the house or go rummaging so couldn't get a clear look.

It's very unlike her not to come out at all, especially not for 2 whole days now! She usually comes out to say hello the second I come in to the room, so that's why I'm so worried about her

[BrainGirl]

Hamsters are typically more active in the dark so hopefully as the night wears on she'll be more likely to poke her nose out and explore if she is outside of the cage.

Which is a good size btw! Not sure how many dwarf hamsters could live in it together but it's definitely a good size.

Don't lose hope x