Why did my robo hamster eat her babies ?

Question

Well my 4 month roborovski hamster just had her babies ! I didnt touch them or anything . but she ate some of her babies !!! whyy ?

Answer 1

:(  :(  :(     awww... im not sure sry!

Answer 2

Perhaps she had to many for her to cope with and didn't know what to do, so ate some. Or a common factor to why hamsters eat their young is because there is something wrong with some of them, and she doesn't like them being ill, so eats them.

This is common in hamsters.

hope it helped.

Answer 3

stress.

Answer 4

it what they do your meant to put the babies in a separate cage

don't worry just remember this next time

Answer 5

They usually do that to protect their babies. My gerbils did that. They do it and they don't realize that they are doing it. they just do anything to protect their babies. If their was a loud noise, then the mom automatically thinks "Protect my babies!" so when she eats them, she thinks shes protecting them.

Answer 6

Unfortunately, it’s not at all uncommon to have a mother hamster eat some or all of her litter.  There’s no hard and fast reason for why they do this, although some theories exist.  For example, first-time mothers may be so shocked by the whole situation that they feel threatened by the new arrivals and simply eat them to remove the threat.  Also, first time mothers can produce pups that are undersized or abnormal, thus causing the mother to reject and possibly eat them.  

Remember the advice about adding extra protein to the mother’s diet?  A good reason for this is that the mother may be craving extra nutrients after giving birth, and if they aren’t provided any other way she’ll eat her young to replenish herself.



You must be extra careful not to handle the young until they are about 14 days old.  Doing so before then can cause the mother to reject the pup, causing her to ignore or eat it.  Also, pups born outside of the nest area may not be recognized by the mother, again causing the same cannibalistic behavior. (This probaby was not the case though becasue you did not touch your hamster)

It’s also thought that this behavior has something to do with making sure there’s enough food around to feed the number of pups born – the mother will eat enough young to make sure there’s enough food for the survivors.  However, we can’t really be sure why.  If you happen to see it, know that other than providing a warm and quiet environment for the mother and pups, along with plenty of food, there’s nothing else you can do to ensure the pups’ survival.

Mothers will also do this if they sence that the pup is sick.

Answer 7

because she was either too young and she felt like she couldnt take care of them and she didnt want them have a slow painful death so she sped it up o_O or the ones she ate were sick and again she didnt want them to have a painful death

Answer 8

because you could have not taken out the babies in time and if you did do that you should take them out with in 7 days

Answer 9

She may have not been ready to have babies, if she felt there was a threat to the pups, she'll eat them.

As a rule of thumb, the nest should not be disturbed for at least ten days. If a newborn goes astray, leave it, the mother will retrieve it. Or, the pup will find its own way back to the warmth of its bed and Mama. If the nest is disturbed, especially a first-time Mom, she may "defend" her litter the only way she knows, by killing and eating them. (Like everything else, the female's acceptance of initial disturbances varies with individuals.) It is extremely important to insure that there is an abundant supply of food and fresh water. If Mama Hamster feels threatened that there is not sufficient nourishment and water available to sustain her new family, by instinct, she will mercifully kill the pups rather than let them die the agonizing death of starvation or dehydration.

Answer 10

i've heard that's how some hampsters behave..I guess it's normal..