# Pregnant Winter White Russian Dwarf?



## Debs61 (May 20, 2009)

Hello..I need some advice please.
We bought 2 female Dwarf hamsters..or at least thats what we were told!!!
Brought them home, both were in the same cage...saw them doing the naughty bits!!! Bought another cage and seperated them..Lizzie who was mated is due around the 12th...she is sleeping a lot more than usual, has started biting (not hard tho) and looks slightly larger (might be my imagination tho). Normally shes ready to come out for cuddles and exercise, but she's not interested.....could she be pregnant?
Do I do anything..Ive cleaned the cage today and put in clean bedding etc...she normally sleeps in the house but has decided to make a nest under the wheel in the corner.
Shes eating normally, not hoarding tho and seems to be drinking ok aswell, not a lot more than usual.
Any advice would be great:thumbup:


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Firstly...did you get them from a breeder in Manchester? Sorry random but... Thanks, xx


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## Debs61 (May 20, 2009)

Hi, no from a breeder in North East England...lol..why?


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## srhdufe (Feb 11, 2009)

If she does have babies, then you cant clean the cage for 14 days after they are born or you will risk the mummy eating them (hamsters have naturally high cannibalistic instincts)

Only when all the pups have fur and their eyes are open, can you handle them. Leave the mother alone and she should be fine

Feed baby food, shredded carrot, kitten milk, kitten biscuits, porridge oats (mixed with kitten milk) in small quantities
You can feed these things now as it wil help the mum get some much needed extra protein


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Debs61 said:


> Hi, no from a breeder in North East England...lol..why?


OK good...I'm suspicious of a breeder in Manchester. OK well can't really improve on what srhdufe says! xx


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## srhdufe (Feb 11, 2009)

niki87 said:


> OK good...I'm suspicious of a breeder in Manchester. OK well can't really improve on what srhdufe says! xx


Thanks hun... Kinda taking my own advice atm 

YouTube - Bellas baby

Sorry for hijacking your thread :blushing:


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Awww so teeny tiny!!! :001_wub:


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## Debs61 (May 20, 2009)

Many Thanks..Im assuming that you think she is pregnant then.
Apart from normal feeding..do I have to increase the amount of food...


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

No idea if i'm honest...the amount of times ive had new pets then suspected pregnancies but none came!!

Look out for her nesting furiously a few days before they're due etc.

But hamsters are so hard to know as they can go through pregnancy with almost no physical symtoms/changes! xx


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## Debs61 (May 20, 2009)

OK..Many Thanks.
Will just keep an eye on her, shes still building the nest in the corner instead of using the house and is sound asleep, bless her.
Will let you know how we get on

Thanks again


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## srhdufe (Feb 11, 2009)

Just make sure that her food bowl is constantly topped up. You may need to fill it a couple of times a day. She will hoard it, but that doesnt matter. She will need it


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## Debs61 (May 20, 2009)

Hello,
Well good news...shes had her baby or babies...dont know how many as she has buried it deep in the nest but we can hear squeaks and snuffles, she had it/them last night.
shes been out for food and water etc
Ive given her boiled egg and bread and milk but she hasnt touched either of them..anything else I can try and tempt her with?


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

You could try getting scrambled egg? xx


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## Debs61 (May 20, 2009)

Tried the scrambled egg, she had a good nibble and then rushed back to her nest.
Some people give cheese, is it ok to give plain cottage cheese?


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## _Sara_ (Aug 15, 2009)

Try Chicken, Tofu, porridge (made with water), Baby food (without garlic or onion in), dried mealworms (in the bird food sections) Or rice pudding made with puppy milk. I would avoid anything dairy to be honest. 

Have you taken the wheel out of the cage? once the pups start crawling around the cage they could get injured by the wheel. Good luck! :thumbup:

They cant be much of a "breeder" giving you a male and female. Did you get pedigrees with them?


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## Debs61 (May 20, 2009)

No pedigrees with them...they were advertised on Preloved and as he lives just 3 miles from we went and had a look...fatal!!!
Came back with 2 "girls"!..(he had a pure white male winter...he changed colour and never went back again.) 
We had been looking for a while for 2 to keep together, but got more than we bargained for...lol
Havent taken the wheel out as mum comes out has food and water etc and then a couple of turns on it and then rushes back to the family.
I cant wait to see how many shes had...I wont touch the nest..no matter how tempting it is


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## Debs61 (May 20, 2009)

Hello
Lizzie had her baby/ies on fri night..there is a lot of squeaking from the nest...is this normal
If any of the babies dies does the mum usually push them out of the nest or does she dispose of it herself?
I dont want to touch the nest.
Ive been giving her scrambled egg..no milk in it and she seems to quite like it. She loves meal worms aswell (dried).
Plenty of hamster food and fresh water.
Anything else I could do for her?
When exactly will the pups come out of the nest and start investigating and when is it safe to clean the cage?


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Squeaking is good! I've been told they are quite noisy. I adopted a litter who were crawling around at a week old. Think you're doing well with the feeding....just lots of protein. I read that bread dipped in milk is good for lactating mums. xx


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## Debs61 (May 20, 2009)

Hi,
Tried the bread and milk,,she wasnt very fussed on it.
Baby food any good?
Ive got some Lactol from when my Cav had pups in March...would that be ok with Wheatgerm bread...or goats milk?
Lol..you can tell Ive never done this before!!

Meant to add,
I can def hear at one pup


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Lol neither have I...others will know more. But I have read up a bit on it...baby food I think can be OK, but looking over the post about what to feed when she was pregnant...i think same applies for lactating mums xx


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Debs61 said:


> Hi,
> Tried the bread and milk,,she wasnt very fussed on it.
> Baby food any good?
> Ive got some Lactol from when my Cav had pups in March...would that be ok with Wheatgerm bread...or goats milk?
> ...


Awww can't wait till you can get pics. I love baby animals! xx


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## Debs61 (May 20, 2009)

I seem to have googled everything..some say do this..others say dont do that..lol
The "girls" were supposed to be Lizzie and Jane, from Pride and Prejudice..."Jane" is now Mr Darcey and hes got his own big house!!


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Bless him! Actually that's reminded me...I have four boys needing naming....keep a look out for a thread tonight as I'm rubbish at choosing names but your's have great names! :thumbup:

As far as food...it's like everything...there are so many do's and don't's and even those are not always agreed on. These links seems quite good...I read them when I was researching it a while ago..

Breeding

Syrian hamster breeder

xx

ps I know they're not Syrians...but think the feeding recommendations are the same!


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## Debs61 (May 20, 2009)

Thats great ty
As for names try the Disney films...Nemo, Dory, Squirt, Sharkbait and Squishy!!...
Bambi, Thumper, Flower...err dunno bout the last one
Any of the Heros in the Austin and Bronte books are good.
Stephanie Laurens has some great names in her books
Hehe..Im a bookworm


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Ooh yeah liking them. Will post pics up later. Theyre winter whites too  xx


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