*****I cannot believe how utterly stupid I am!!!******

[Leah_Jayne]

OK I really need some advice right now.
I haven't said anything until now cos I was hoping that everything would be okay.
Last saturday I accidentally put Moo in Grumpy's cage I had cleaned them out earlier that day and for some stupid reason I had put Grump's cage where Moo's normally goes,she was in with him for maybe 40 mins cos I had to go answer the phone I only noticed because when I was putting some veg in there cages and thinking it strange that Moo wasn't pouching it straight away but when I looked at Grumpy's cage I saw a flash of brown fur in his cage (Moo obviously )
I felt sick my first thought was what if they had been fighting I checked them both over and they looked fine,I was really praying that they hadn't mated but she should have come back in to heat by now and also she is just eating so much more than she is normally like stripping a whole corn cob in one night, and her nipples are more pronounced, I guess the obvious has happened
I am frantically trying to find homes before they are born I'm not asking just anyone only people that I know have experience with Hams.
The worst thing of all is that I'm going to Spain at the end of September my sister is staying to look after the dogs and Hamsters but I'm worried about these possible extra mouths to feed now.
Luckily enough I am able to get hold of extra cages for when they are weaned and have been doing lots of research for what happens next.
Can someone please just help me out and give me any advice,what should I be feeding Moo at this time and when is the best time to move her into a quiet room?
This is not what I wanted she is just a baby herself I feel like I have let her down,she's acting all strange today and won't come out for a cuddle but will let me stroke her in the cage by my calculation the babies are due next sunday

[Tammy22]

Hi Leah_Jayne,

first of all, please dont feel stupid, this is an easy mistake to make - i should know, i had a very similar thing happen to me in April

The only thing you can do now is to prepare for a birth and try to do everything you can to make things go as smoothly as possible.

You should try offering the female foods which are high in protein to help her cope with pregnancy and the feeding of the babies - such as pieces of cooked chicken, scrambled egg, boiled egg and porridge etc. but it is best to give them only a small amount of one type each day, and make sure any uneaten pieces are removed after a few hours.

You should clean out her cage 2 or 3 days before the birth and make sure you give her plenty of bedding to make a nest with.

Most importantly, you must leave her in peace, except to give food and water, but try to give as much as possible so that you dont need to disturb her too much.

There are many other things which you might need to know, but these are the basic things you need to do, so just stay calm and please ask if you need any more info at all - i am sure everyone will be very happy to help you out and give you lots of support

Please dont worry,

Tammy xx

[Leah_Jayne]

Thanks so much for replying Tammy and so quickly too
Luckily I have a spare bedroom so she will be moving into that next week and I will be making her Cambridge cage all one level,she actually bit me earlier the first time ever I'm thinking that was her hormones though,I am scared for her and also a tiny bit excited too now that it is sinking in but it will not be happening again this much I do know as they are both bought from Pets @ Home so don't know there history fingers crossed that everything will be fine,I think I will be on here ALOT panicking about everything
xxx

[Tammy22]

Yes, biting from a usually placid hamster is a good sign of pregnancy, so it is best to prepare - just to be on the safe side.

What colour are the male and female?

Tammy x

[Leah_Jayne]

Mummy Moo is golden with brown flashes on her cheeks and a white belly she has short hair with black eyes.
Daddy Grumpy is black and white with long hair with red eyes.
There are pictures on one thread somewhere although not very clear ones of Grumps cos he took so long for me to be able to handle,a real houdini at the start and used to scream at me now the most loveable hammy ever

[Leah_Jayne]

So by my calculation Moo is possibly due this saturday I still look at her sometimes and think are you just fat?? but she put the weight on really quickly I will post some pics of her so you can see for yourselves.
She is eating sooo much and her behaviour is all over the place.
I took the platforms and ladders out of her cage tonight but she went nuts cos she had no where to hide away,even though she has an igloo she doesn't use it,so we compromised and I put the lowest platform back she still monkey bars all over the cage though
I will move her into the spare room probably friday and resist the temptation of keep checking on her and will only go in to feed her and change her water (perhaps a small peek through the cage though).
I will keep you all updated.

Oh and if she is then my sister has said that perhaps Olivia will have one rather than go to to pets at home for one it was my sister's suggestion not mine,I have put posters up at work and have had a few replies,it all depends how many there are,I shall possibly keep a baby myself too...

[happysaz133]

I hope all goes well for Moo.

[Leah_Jayne]

It is the 16th day but no baby hammies,maybe she wasn't pregnant after all

[souffle]

They usually arrive in the middle of the night so I would wait till well into Sunday before thinking she is not pregnant. If she is staying in the nest a lot she may already have them and they are just quiet. Try not to disturb her for another day.

[Leah_Jayne]

OK I will just wait then
She came out of the nest earlier because I refilled her sandbath and she was playing in that for a while and she also had some scrambled egg,she has put weight on very quickly,I will upload some pictures of her that I took in the week and you can tell me what you think.
She is showing all the signs of being pregnant,moving all her bedding around and hording more food than usual and the obvious weight gain,I'm just thinking maybe I have just convinced myself she is and if she is n't it's a good thing but also kind of sad (if that makes sense)