Fostering dwarf hamster pups?

mountain_girl2005 · 11-08-2005, 10:11 PM

I just got a hamster from a shelter and it was pregnant, but she has been pregnant for 28 days now, and she gave birth to one pup, about 10mins ago, and she is not taking care of it, but I put it in with another hamster that just had a litter, and it's going well, but I have never had this happen before - is it ok if you put the pup in with another female hamster..?

I have 4 dogs, and 87 dwarf hamsters...

Skwee · 11-09-2005, 12:08 AM

if you can get this foster mother to accept this pup and not kill it then its more than ok, its fantastic! i have tried fostering many times, if i am completely honest, i fostered a hamster pup to a multimamate mouse once, it didnt survive but at 2 days old we couldnt have done anything and all our syrians tried to kill it as well....

mountain_girl2005 · 11-09-2005, 01:25 AM

thanks for helping.. the pup is doing fine and the mother had 9 more pups but shes taking care of them now and i trid to puting the 1 pup and she still didn't take care of it so i just put it back with the ather mommy hamster and every things going fine..

Skwee · 11-09-2005, 03:41 AM

sounds like a perfect solution to me, just keep an eye on it and leave it to suckle from the foster mum.

littlemissdwarfhamster · 11-09-2005, 12:06 PM

I fostered out a winter white dwarf baby to a Campbells mum. It worked great

i was lucky to have another litter if the same age though. They were about a week old when it all happened. The ww was taken into the nest without hesitation and grew up with the campbells. He then was rehomed with a campbell boy and they live together in harmony (I still get updates).

A nice story, but I would only foster out if it was the last resort.

souffle · 11-09-2005, 03:04 PM

You probably interfered too soon. If she still had to give birth to the rest of the litter she would not have started caring for the first pup until all were there. Once it had been with another hamster mum it would have a different scent and she would be unlikely to take it back. Leave it with the foster mum as long as all is going well there. You were lucky as they can kill a strange baby or even the whole litter if they get too upset.

mountain_girl2005 · 11-09-2005, 10:01 PM

not too be stuk up. but she tuk the pup to aa different part of her cage and lift it and it was there for a one hour she went to sleep and i couldent see the pup dieing if i could help it that just woundent be right so did what i think would be right....and i called a vet too see if i did the right thing and they said i was lucky i did it when i did... and the pup is doing fine and all,,and i'm fixing too have a new litter from one of my younger hammys thats having her first llitter and i was woundering whats good food too feed her right now...

....4 poms and 87 Dwarfs....

Emma · 11-10-2005, 02:46 AM

In your first post you said that the pup had been alone for 10 mins, which is what souffle is responding to.

Fingers crossed for the little one, like others have said fostering can work but hamsters are notorious for being a species that this is difficult in. How is the birth mum and the rest of her litter?

mountain_girl2005 · 11-10-2005, 07:11 AM

ya i did say 10 mins but the time i posted it it was 1 hour my time i ment to put one hour cause i was in a rush because i had to go take care of one of my hamsters that is very ill.and watch the mom that i put the pup in with to make sure it would be ok..