Question:
Last Wednesday, we purchased a hairless hamster fom a local petstore.
We had researched them beforehand- knew that the mutation that made them hair deficient also often effected the mamary glands and that hairless females should NEVER be bred becuase they cannot efficiently, if at all, feed their young.
Before taking her home, we asked- was she pregnant? was she caged with males? but got no sure reply. I know this is a risk when you buy from a petstore, but it was my daughter's birthday and she had wanted a hairless so badly... we decided to take our chance. The hamster was so young and tiny- we were hopeful. Sadly enough, the petstore owner nor workers knew ANYTHING about this anomoly.
By Saturday, we were sure she was pregnant. She had gone from young thin hamster to extremely round-bellied hamster just overnight. I immediately began searching around for ANYONE in our area who would have a hamster or rat birthing at the same time. I called vets, petstores, begging for name of breeders or patients in our area with multiple hamsters. I got nowhere.
I also was told by the petstore's 'provider' that I was misinformed- that hairless females CAN nurse- that the babies just won't be hairless. On top of that, many vets I talked to were not informed about the dangers of hailress syrian females breeding. One even argued with me that I was wrong- even though he admitted to me that he had never even heard of a hairless hamster before.
(There are two ways to get hairless hamsters. First, is to let two hairless breed and then to have the pups fostered bya rat mother. Second, is to first breed a hairless male with a haired female, and then breed those gene-carring female offspring with another hairless male.)
Unable to find a foster on such short notice, we made the hard decision to let her try to feed them. We were prepared with syringes, kitten formula, and heating pad in case she needed out help. Wednesday, April 29, around noon, our hairless hamster Gillette gave birth to what we counted as eight tiny babies. She tried very hard to take care of them, but basically all she got was blood blisters on her nipples from them trying so hard to get food. In the end, we intervened. There were only three living then and they did not make it through the next day.
It is imperitive that pet stores, potential owners, and even vets are educated. HAIRLESS FEMALE SYRIAN HAMSTERS SHOULD NEVER BE BRED. THEY CANNOT FEED THEIR YOUNG. THEIR YOUNG WILL DIE. Please, everyone- next time you are in a petstore buying supplies- talk to the staff, the management, the customers- INSIST that hairless hamsters MUST be seperated by gender while awaiting their new homes. Next time you are at the vet- tell him, tell the clerk, the assistants, the people in the waiting room- BEG them to spread the word. Tell your friends on forums and chat rooms and email. Help me to spread the word.
Gillette is a little trooper. She is doing well now that it is all over with- now that she has given up looking and digging and looking some more. Her babies are buried in the back yard next to three fish. The fish at least made it to ripe old ages.


Answer:
INSIST that hairless hamsters MUST be seperated by gender while awaiting their new homes.
That should go without saying... if you're buying an animal (hairless or not) you shouldn't have to deal with a pregnant one! That's just an irresponsible pet store..
Thanks for making us aware of the problem... and I'm sorry you had to go thru that.


Answer:
Most definitely true... but I have never been in a pet shop that seperated small animals by gender- small private -owned stores or huge commercial conglomerates. I have been on the phone with over 20 pet stores in the last few days and each one confessed that they not only did not make it a practice of seperating them, but confessed that no one there knew how to sex the animals anyway. If cats and dogs matured as young as hamsters and gerbils, people would be taking home pregnant puppies and kittens as well. It is a practice that should be enforced for all species that mature early. Maybe educating them about the sad outcome of a hairless female hamster mating will be the first step.


Answer:
Where do you live?? That is just stupid! Especially, like you said, they mature so early... if they don't know how to sex them.. they shouldn't be selling them.. no wonder shelters end up with so many unwanted critters.. they go into a store wanting 2 of the same sex & end up with babies...
The pet stores in my city seperate them by gender.. I know the odd one may end up in the wrong tank but at least they try... What kind of business is that?


Answer:
nice to know that it is being done right somewhere. i have talked to people all over the world about this, though, and it is still the general practice NOT to seperate hamsters by gender in petshops. Like I said, most pet shop workers cannot sex small animals.


Answer:
Like I said, most pet shop workers cannot sex small animals.
I remember not too long ago walking into oour local large pet store and seeing 4 chins in a cage. The sign said 3 males & 1 female. I immediatly flipped and checked them all. Luckily they were all boys. But the workers their had no idea what to even look for


Answer:
Yeah, I can understand a few mistakes here and there, but they should at least know HOW to sex the animals and they should seperate the ones they sex as males from the ones they sex as females. Heck, even a long time breeder can make a mistake. Rabbits are particularly notable for this. There is a condition where the shaft of the male genitalia is split down the midline. When the rabbits are young, they often greatly resemble a female. I have seen many breeders whose "female" suddenly developed more genitalia than a female should have! "Princess" suddenly gets two extra things down there and has to be called "Prince" instead


Answer:
I'm so sorry you had to go through that
Unfortunately, that seems to be the general state with the majority of petshops. Either they don't know how to sex their critters or they just don't care. Even more sadly, most petshops are not amenable to people trying to educate them. My local petshops don't listen to reason so I boycott them, refusing to spend any of my money there. I wish enough people would do that and force the petshops to either clean up their acts or close down


Answer:
Aww..poor Gillette. Its good to hear she's doing better. Yeah, pet stores know nothing about hamsters. Our dwarf came to us pregnant & they thought she was constipated, boy were they wrong!
I've seen & heard about hairless hamsters (only seen them on another hamster forum I go too); that's interesting that they can't breed. I never knew that before. Thanks for that bit of info. Anyway, I'm glad Gillette (cute name) is doing well & sorry about the babies.