Newborn pets, much like newborn babies, need a lot of specific care and attention. They’re extremely fragile and less than ideal circumstances may lead to complications or even death. In order to avoid these, the first week of care is crucial. You’ll need to remember these basic elements: appropriate food, clean water, clean environment, and warmth.
Hamsters
Hamsters are one of the most common first pets given to kids. Some shops sell them in pairs of male and female. Hamsters are notorious breeders. They can mate around 3 to 6 weeks old, and would only be pregnant for about 16 to 22 days. Their litter can be anywhere from 6 to 20 pups. When they are born, it’s important to leave them alone for a week, you can just clean the enclosure after this period. Make sure the mother is not stressed and has plenty of food and water so she wouldn’t feel threatened and eat her babies. At two weeks, it’s best to keep an eye out for changes in the mother’s behavior around the pups. At four weeks, the pups should be separated from the mother and, if possible, separate the females from the males.
Birds
Birds are also common household pets. The period required for incubation varies greatly between species of birds, so it’s best to do research on which specific bird you have. You may observe them attempting to build their nest at this stage in order to prepare for the arrival of the eggs. It may take a few days or many months for eggs to be laid, depending on the species. On average, little birds hatch in 10 days to 2 weeks after the eggs are laid, depending on their size. Don’t feel disheartened when not all of the eggs hatch successfully.
During their stage as hatchlings, the parents would usually care for them. This means feeding, grooming, and keeping them warm. To help them, make sure the parents have access to healthy food and clean water at all times. All hatchlings need to be supported, as they can roll over and not be able to move themselves up. You can use the remaining eggs to support the first hatchlings. They can also move around a lot, so make sure you carefully place them back to the nest should they fall away.
Puppies and Kittens
A newborn puppy or kitten requires a lot of time and effort to care for. For the sake of the infants, you want to make sure there are no other animals surrounding them. The animals should be able to move away from the heat source by having unheated places in their environment.
Before the age of two to three weeks, puppies and kittens are unable to urinate or defecate on their own. Make sure they are peeing and defecating normally by stimulating them using warm, wet cotton balls or a washcloth if the mother isn’t routinely stimulating them via grooming. As soon as a kitten or puppy is strong enough and coordinated enough, it should be introduced. To keep tabs on the baby’s progress, it’s a good idea to use a gram scale regularly.
