Many owners of hamsters often feel shock when they observe as one of pets eats another. What was seen usually causes desire to get rid of an animal as soon as possible though such behavior is often easily explainable.
It is impossible to call manifestation of cannibalism at hamsters the widespread phenomenon, however such incidents nevertheless take place to be. The main reasons for such behavior exists a little.
The female of a hamster eats cubs
Young females of a hamster sometimes eat the posterity completely or partially. The reason of such behavior is quite simple: in the period of a lactation the female has to consume a large amount of moisture both in the form of water, and in the form of a green forage. If for the period of feeding not to provide a female of a hamster with plentiful drink, secretion of milk will be broken owing to what cubs will begin to be soaked up stronger in sosets, causing thereby severe pain of the mother. The female in such cases gets rid of posterity to avoid painful feelings. For preservation of an issue it is recommended to watch a diet of mom hamster strongly: if she has enough greens and water, cubs will remain safe and sound.
The father hamster ate the posterity
Cases of eating of posterity a male happen not so often, but nevertheless they periodically occur. The usual jealousy of a male of the female is the reason of current situation: that is busy with feeding of posterity and care for it all the time, it becomes more aggressive in relation to dad hamster. It is possible to avoid such behavior, having moved a male to other cage at once after emergence of posterity.
Adults the hamster eats an adult individual
Cannibalism cases between two adult individuals are most rare. Hamsters inherently are peace herbivores therefore their aggression is not connected with motives of hunting in any way. The small living space causing to the pet the mass of inconveniences that forces it to be at war for the territory can be the cause. To a hamster it is necessary to have the free space ten times surpassing its own sizes. In certain cases hamsters can eat similar because of strong hunger: these rodents are very gluttonous therefore their timely feeding is very important. When keeping several hamsters in one cage it is necessary to watch enough a forage, or to settle animals. The same-sex competition of hamsters during mating dance can become one more reason of cannibalism. Not to become the witness of an unpleasant picture, it is necessary to support same-sex hamsters in different cages. It is important to remember that hamsters are quite unpredictable beings who prefer to lead a reserved nocturnalism. It is also important to preserve the pets against a stress: strong noise, sharp change of a situation or type of a forage. If to provide to hamsters spacious housing, a various forage and timely cleaning in a cage, the risk of eating up will be reduced by one hamster of another significantly.