Gertie had babies!! - Page 3

Ria P · 12-22-2021, 04:00 AM

I took the babies out of Gertie's cage yesterday. I think there were 8 not 7 but i lost count when i was looking for the last one and found two. There had been a lot of squeaking and screeching the night before but all was quiet and calm last night.
No doubt, Gertie wanted her space back.

The babies have gone to the hamstery but i kept two because i know someone who has recently lost a dwarf to old age and wants to give one of the babies a lovely home.

I was concerned that at only 3 weeks old being taken away from Gertie and her siblings may be scary for little Nova so i decided to keep another to help her with the transition. Nova is calm when i handle her but Venus squeaks and pees when i pick her up.

I'll give them a few days together and then separate them at around 4 weeks old. Nova will move to her new home in the new year so will be adjusted to living alone and human contact by then.

Venus i'm planning to put up for adoption once she's ready and stops squeaking and peeing on humans.

I offered Gertie out of cage time last night, she came to her door and let me stroke her, took the treats but refused to leave her Hamster Heaven.
She loves the new toy i got her, a woven tunnel with side exits and has been runing on her wheel.

I am very sad that i couldn't keep and rehome the babies myself to become pets because i know that the girls may get used for breeding and then there are the hamster shows but i couldn't have coped with so many babies.
I know that they will be looked after and well cared for but this whole experience turned out to be more emotional than i had anticipated.

flowerfairy · 12-23-2021, 01:36 PM

Goodness well done. I can only imagine how emotional it must be.

Pebbles82 · 12-23-2021, 05:23 PM

I am sure it has been emotional. You and Gertie have done a great job and although you felt sorry for Gertie, in some ways it’s good that she eas an experienced mother, as so many people who have accidental litters have the heartbreak of them being culled.

I am sure the breeder will ensure they have good homes. And the two babies have an experienced owner in you so they can feel secure before they’re rehomed.

Ria P · 12-24-2021, 03:49 AM

Thank you both.

There really were 8 babies! The breeder has 3 girls and 3 boys and i have 2 girls.

Here's Nova, i think it's Nova, full pouches and all.
They are all miniature Gerties to look at.

Pebbles82 · 12-24-2021, 04:52 AM

Ooh lovely. Some lucky person is going to have a lovely pedigree dwarf hamster to care for

. Or are you keeping them both ….

Ria P · 12-24-2021, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

Ooh lovely. Some lucky person is going to have a lovely pedigree dwarf hamster to care for

. Or are you keeping them both ….

No, i'm not keeping them.

Someone with very good hamster care who adopted from me before is going to have one and the other is going to go up for adoption.

We currently have 10 hamsters, our own 6 and 4 for rehoming so it's a bit busy here and we have a freeroaming queue in the evening. Don't want to over commit myself.

Peppe especially had lots of enquiries but people have unsuitable cages and lack knowledge of proper hamster care.

Someone just approached me and asked me to take in a chinesy but i can't, even though i'd love to.

Both my wardrobe doors are now blocked by hamsters and we can only sit on half the futon. It's so frustrating not to live in a mansion.

Pebbles82 · 12-24-2021, 06:49 AM

I know that feeling

. We could do with more furniture in the living room but the space taken up by the hamster cage. I did invest in a narrow console table a couple of years ago so I could “stack” two 100cm cages in one area. On the other hand they are living hand in glove with you so will be tame and used to people!

Ria P · 12-28-2021, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

I know that feeling

. We could do with more furniture in the living room but the space taken up by the hamster cage. I did invest in a narrow console table a couple of years ago so I could “stack” two 100cm cages in one area. On the other hand they are living hand in glove with you so will be tame and used to people!

Where did you get a table strong and narrow enough to stack two 100cm cages?
The tables in our spare room were made to measure by my OH using materials from Ikea.
Nova is living in a small bin cage placed on my bedside cabinet so i'm actually within sniffing range!
It was either that or a bigger bin cage but blocking both my wardrobe doors. I thought it was less unsettling for a baby to temporarily live in a small cage than having her cage wheeled about daily.
I'm pretty sure that Nova and Nellie are girls but i don't trust my eye sight a 100% to sex wriggly little things correctly so have put them in their own cages now.