Hamster Behavior, Hamster Health, Hamster Questions, Hamsters

Do Hamsters Have Periods / Menstrual Cycles?

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The answer in a single word is “Yes.” Hamsters are mammals. And like all creatures big and small, your hamster has a reproductive cycle too. This reproductive cycle allows her to have litters of young ones. Human females have a monthly menstrual cycle marked by vaginal bleeding. But hamsters are different, they go into estrus, up to seven times in a month. The estrus is marked by a whitish discharge but is not the same as bleeding in women. Now let us discuss this elaborately to understand how your hamster has periods. But in a slightly different manner from humans.

 

The Cycle

Hamsters reach sexual maturity by the 4th to 6th week of their life. Usually, she goes into heat by the 6th to 8th week. By this time, she should be mature enough for pregnancy. Hamsters do not have menstrual periods like women, but there may be a discharge during their 4-day reproductive cycle. On the 2nd day of her estrus cycle, when her ovulation ends, there may release a whitish vaginal. On the 3rd day, you may see more solid wax-like discharge. Though it is not unusual for a hamster to bleed a drop of blood at times. This cycle will repeat as she goes into heat every four days.

 

Sexual Maturity

Now let us understand this in detail. Hamsters attain sexual maturity when they are 6 to 7 weeks old. Sexual maturity is the ability of a creature to reproduce. In other words, your hamster becomes an adult. The female hamster experiences estrus. The estrus is when the hamster goes into heat to mate. This cycle continues until it becomes pregnant or old.

However, the period and frequency with which the females go into estrus depend upon their species besides other factors. For example, the Campbells dwarf hamsters raised with related females mature and grow slower than the ones who live with unrelated males. While Syrian she-hamsters invariably reach sexual maturity in 45 days regardless of being raised with male hamsters.

 

The Estrus

The estrus or oestrus means frenzy in Latin. It is a recurring excited state or a frenzy induced by reproductive hormones. It is repeated until the female falls pregnant. Typically, estrus cycles continue till death, or the animal is too old. When the female hamster enters into the estrus cycle, she is said to have gone into heat. Going in heat means she is ready to mate.

She goes into heat or enters the estrus every four days. Since hamsters are nocturnal animals, this cycle occurs at night and last for 12 hours. When your lady hamster is not in estrus, she will be hostile to males who come near her. But in estrus, she is receptive to their attention. Usually, your hamsters’ estrus cycles will continue until interrupted by anestrus or pregnancy. Or she is too old to reproduce.

 

The First Heat Cycle

When your hamster becomes physically mature, it has entered what is known as its breeding age. It is usually between 6 – 10 weeks depending upon their species. Males mature slowly and are capable of breeding only between 10 – 14 weeks. They do not experience heat cycles, unlike elephants who are mammals too. The hamsters’ estrus or heat cycle moves very fast in comparison to humans, dogs or cats. In a four-day cycle, she is in “mating season” for 12 hours. She gives off a marked odor when in heat. This musky and robust odor is an indication and invitation for the male to mate. Another sign of receptivity is when she will flatten her body and splay her legs when you stroke her back.

 

Vaginal Discharge

Female hamsters do not menstruate like primates, bats and elephant shrew. Hamsters experience estrus cycles, where the endometrium or the inner lining of the uterus prepares to receive the sperms. This means that it has eggs and if the mating occurs, it will merge with the sperm to form embryos. In the case of human females, the uterus produces one egg that fuses with one sperm to initiate the formation of an embryo. But your hamster has several mature eggs that will receive a sperm each. This fertilization gives rise to many embryos birthing a litter.

If the animal does not get pregnant, the endometrium is completely reabsorbed by her body to be refreshed for the next cycle. This is known as covert menstruation. The hamster period may be marked by a white discharge which is not like menstrual blood. Instead, it has a fibrous appearance and possesses a marked odor.

 

The Timing

The menstrual cycle in women is counted from the 1st day of one period to the 1st day of the next period. The menstrual flow occurs between the 21st – 35th day and lasts for 2-7 days. Generally, the most fertile window or the day of ovulation is between 12th – 16th day. Ovulation is the release of eggs or ova from the ovaries. The purpose of ovulation is to produce a mature egg to be fertilized by a sperm.

Similarly, in the hamster, this cycle lasts for 4 days, and the maturity of her eggs or ova lasts for those 12 hours of “mating season.” If the mating occurs and your hamster is pregnant, then there are telling signs. Which is, on the third day of the cycle, there will be a thick vaginal discharge.

But if she is not pregnant, then the endometrium is reabsorbed releasing only a clear and sparse vaginal discharge. Once the heat cycle is over, she may release another wave of thicker, denser discharge. The absence of the second discharge is a sign of pregnancy.

 

Conclusion

Lastly, if your hamster smells awful like a mix of burnt, musky and acrid. And this smell returns every 3 – 5 days when she seems jumpy and sensitive. If she stands still and vibrates when you rub her back close to the tail. Then she is in heat, and these behaviors and discharges are normal. They serve two purposes. In the wild, the animal comes and goes from the nest for foraging. She leaves these discharges around her burrow to mark her hole. And tell the males – who have a very sensitive nose – that she is ready to mate. To maintain your pet’s hygiene and dissipate the smell, dab away this secretion with a tissue.

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