 How to know when your hamster is pregnant? You may have noticed your hamster acting differently than normal over the past several days. One of the possible reasons behind her changes in behavior is that she's pregnant. By knowing what signs to look for and how to handle your hamster, you can both identify if she's pregnant and help ensure the safety of the new baby hamsters. Identifying a pregnant hamster Identify the sex of your hamster. It might seem obvious, but like humans, only a female hamster can become pregnant. Most people will already know the sex of their hamster, but just in case you don't, visit how to sex a hamster for more information on determining whether or not your hamster is female. Safely scruff your hamster, hold it by the loose skin just above the shoulders firmly but without pinching, and turn the animal gently over to check its sex. Males will have prominent testicles just around the tail that make their rumps bulge, whereas female will lack this and instead have much more prominent pairs of nipples on the underside. If you've always simply assumed that your hamster is female because it had a typically female name when you bought it, then you should probably check. Note that if you think your hamster is pregnant due to a swollen belly, then she's already to a part of the pregnancy where you should refrain from touching her due to the stress-handling causes in the late stages of pregnancy. wh.performance.mark' step 1 underscore rendered. Safely scruff your hamster, hold it by the loose skin just above the shoulders firmly but without pinching, and turn the animal gently over to check its sex. Males will have prominent testicles just around the tail that make their rumps bulge, whereas female will lack this and instead have much more prominent pairs of nipples on the underside. If you've always simply assumed that your hamster is female because it had a typically female name when you bought it, then you should probably check. Note that if you think your hamster is pregnant due to a swollen belly, then she's already to a part of the pregnancy where you should refrain from touching her due to the stress-handling causes in the late stages of pregnancy. Note if she has been around any male hamsters. The average length of a pregnancy for a hamster is 15–21 days, so your hamster would need to have been housed with a male hamster within roughly the last three weeks in order to be pregnant. Note the age of the hamster. Hamsters can start breeding from as young as 6–7 weeks of age. This also means you need to be careful storing hamsters from a litter together once they approach six weeks old because they will start mating together. This includes any male hamsters with the mother. Rule out illness. A swollen belly alone isn't nearly enough to identify a pregnant hamster. A swollen belly can actually be a sign of another illness or condition affecting your hamster. Possible illnesses that may result in a pregnant appearance include. Hyometra, which is a womb infection that distends the hamster's tummy with pus. Enlarged internal organs such as the liver or spleen, which are likely the result of cancer. Heart disease, which can lead to the accumulation of fluid in the belly. Bowel problems distending the belly with waste due to improper food digestion. You may notice other signs of sickness with several of these, including increased thirst – her drinker may empty faster than usual, decreased appetite – note if you're filling her food bowl less often, and loss of body fat, usually over the ribs. Look for a swollen belly. This may have been your first indication that your hamster is pregnant, but in case it wasn't, watch to see if her tummy begins to grow. If she's eating, drinking, and exercising as normal and has had a chance to mate, then the swollen belly is a very probable sign she is pregnant. Note that a hamster likely won't show her pregnancy until the final third of the gestation – day 10 plus, so you may be less than a week away from her delivering the litter by the time you notice the bump. 4. She will also have enlarged nipples around the same time her belly swells. However, enlarged nipples on a small hamster can be difficult to see, so don't worry if you can't spot them beneath the fur. 5. Handling her during the late stage of her pregnancy will upset her, though, so don't pick her up to look at the nipples. Watch for nest-building. A pregnant female will want to build a nest late in pregnancy, so collecting bedding material together and taking it to a secluded place in the cage can be a hint of pregnancy. See if she hoards food. The pregnant female may start to eat marginally more than usual, and also hide more food away, perhaps in the nest. Obviously, in itself this does not confirm pregnancy but it does help to build the overall picture. Look for signs that she's about to go into labor. Your hamster may become even more frantic in the very late stages of her pregnancy. Signs of imminent birth include becoming restless and alternating between eating, grooming, and nest-building. She may also hiss at you if you reach in. Take your hamster to the vet. If all else fails, your vet will be able to help you identify whether or not your hamster is pregnant. However, your vet will also likely warn you that even being handled by a professional animal care provider can still lead to the environmental stress that may cause the mother to abandon or cannibalize the litter. If the swollen belly lasts longer than 7-10 days without your hamster giving birth or if she doesn't exhibit any of the other common behavioral traits for a pregnant hamster in this time, then take her to the vet anyway since she may be presenting symptoms of an illness rather than pregnancy.