Small Animals & Breeding
We think about the pets life once it has left us and that is why we spend a great deal of time ensuring our staff are qualified to advise on all the pets they sell. This is why we don’t sell our animals to those intending to breed.
Breeding small animals can come with a host of complications and can be very dangerous. Especially if the mother is too young or too old. It is always best not to and we recommend that the breeding of pets like hamsters, gerbils, rabbits and guinea pigs is NOT undertaken unless by a very well informed and experienced breeder. Non-breeding pets are likely to go on to have lovely long, happy and healthy lives if cared for well. They certainly don’t need to be bred from, in fact if you take into consideration the risks faced by pregnant animals, it is certainly best not to put them into that situation.
Although we don’t sell our pets for breeding purposes, we believe education is key to good animal welfare and long happy lives for our pets. Before you purchase a pet we advise that you read up about the species you are considering and learn as much about them as possible. If you pop in to one of our stores, a friendly member of staff will be more than happy to advise you about the care and welfare needs of the animals we sell.
If you have pets that you believe could very well be pregnant it is advisable to have a veterinary surgeon confirm your doubts. They will also be able to give you time frame for their gestation period and advise you further.
How Long & How Many...
Gestation periods differ depending on animal.
The tables below depicts the average gestation periods for the pets we love and the number of young to be expected.
Mammals |
Gestation period |
Babies |
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Syrian Hamsters |
16-17 days |
6-10 babies |
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Russian Cambell Hamsters |
16-18 days |
3-5 babies |
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Winter White Russian Hamsters |
18-21 days |
|
5-9 babies |
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Chinese Hamsters |
16-18 days |
3-5 babies |
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Roborovski Hamsters |
23-30 days |
3-5 babies |
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Fancy Mice |
21 days |
|
6-20 babies |
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Mongolian Gerbils |
24-28 days |
3-7 babies |
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Pallid Gerbils |
20-24 days |
3-7 babies |
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Shaws Jirds |
21-23 days |
3-7 babies |
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Fancy and Dumbo Rats |
20-22 days |
4-5 babies |
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Degus |
90 days |
|
6-8 babies |
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Chinchillas |
111 days |
|
1-3 babies |
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Guinea pigs |
65-70 days |
2-5 babies |
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Rabbits |
30-32 days |
2-8 babies |
We always advise that prospective pet owners, whether experienced or not, read up on the pet that they intend to own and to thoroughly investigate and do their research if wanting to breed.