It is not uncommon for hamsters to eat their own babies, especially if the mother hamster is feeling stressed or threatened.
This behavior is known as infanticide, and it can occur in a variety of animal species.
In hamsters, infanticide can be triggered by a variety of factors, including overcrowding, lack of resources, or the presence of unfamiliar smells or sounds.
In some cases, a mother hamster may eat her babies if she feels that they are not healthy or if she is unable to care for them.
It is important to provide your hamster with a comfortable and safe environment to reduce the risk of infanticide.
This includes providing your hamster with plenty of space, a secure nest area, and a healthy diet.
Related: What Fruits Can Hamster Eat?
Is it dangerous for hamsters to eat their babies?
When a hamster eats its own young, the process is similar to the way they would digest any other food.
The hamster’s teeth, which are constantly growing, are well-suited for gnawing and grinding food.
Once the food is in the stomach, it is mixed with stomach acid and digestive enzymes, breaking it down into smaller pieces for the small intestine to absorb nutrients.
If the hamster eats its own young, it will digest and absorb the nutrients from the young just as it would with any other food.
However, it’s worth noting that hamsters also eat their own feces to recover nutrients from undigested food.
It’s important to note that this behavior is not exclusive to hamsters but also seen in many other animal species as well, it’s a natural behavior for them to ensure their survival.
Do hamster eat the dead hamsters?
Hamsters may eat the dead bodies of other hamsters, especially if they are living in close quarters and food is scarce.
This is a natural behavior known as necrophagy, which is the practice of eating dead animals.
In the wild, this behavior helps to prevent the spread of disease by removing the corpse and can also help to recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.
In the case of domestic hamsters, it may also be an instinctual survival mechanism if resources are limited.
It’s also important to note that this behavior should not be encouraged in a domestic setting, as it can also lead to the spread of disease and parasites.
Do hamsters burry their dead friend?
Hamsters do not bury their dead friends. Hamsters are not known to have any specific behaviors related to the disposal of their dead.
In the wild, hamsters usually leave the remains of their deceased in an open space, because of the lack of tools or knowledge to bury them.
It is important to note that burying their dead is not a natural behavior for hamsters, they are not known to have any specific behaviors related to the disposal of their dead.
If you notice a dead hamster in the cage, it is important to remove it as soon as possible to prevent the spread of disease and parasites to other hamsters.
It’s also important to clean the cage thoroughly, to prevent the build-up of bacteria and odors.
I am Emilie and I am an animal nutritionist. I have made this blog to share my knowledge with different pet owners who face issues while choosing the diet for hamsters. In this blog, I have covered different foods for the hamster that you can feed them. In addition, I have also covered the important diet plans for your pet.