Just thought to share this in case I'm missing some signs after not noting the last hamster our daughter had was ill.

Yesterday went to change the daughters hamster with no notable signs to be concerned about as it had been out playing in it's cage earlyer that day. Only could not wake the bugger either by calling or tapping it's cage. When shifting all the bedding in it's little house I give it a gentle shove. Onlt it does'nt respond and no signs of movement or breathing. Greag (not) we thought another hamster has died we thought. And checking over the next several hours no signs or movement or anything from it.

This morning we dicide how to despose of the hamster and weather on not to bother with getting another. Only my partner takes another look and says you daft bugger it's still alive as I can see it's little body moving via breathing. I check and sure enough it's moving \breathing when the previous day it was'nt.

Now I go down the hibination thought. Prehaps it went into a hibination patern for some reason?. Not to sure except yesterday no sign of life or movement even after several gentle prods to the body. Yet a few hours ago seemed to be back to normal and happily ran about in the play ball for an hour while I gave the cage a good clean.

Am I missing something here or can an no movement be normal for a hamster from time to time?.

I had a hamster who did this numerous times! Usually when the temperature dropped, so I'd say hibernation is the most likely option.

After the first time when I assumed he was dead, only to get the shock of my life to discover him wandering around the cage the next morning (I always leave them a few hours before burying... and just as well too!) I'd just bring him out the cage and wrap him up in my jumper until he started showing signs of life again.

When he finally did die, I was so nervous about burying him, I left him about 24 hours by the radiator before accepting he was finally gone!

Was it in a cold unheated room when you found it like that yesterday? I'd say it probably hibernated. When I was a lad my mum thought my hamster was dead and threw him in the bin outside. He was in a cold cellar and had hibernated though. Next day she went to throw rubbish and he was walking around the bottom of the bin!! It had just been emptied so nothing else in it. It's winter remember so if they get too cold they will hibernate.

Well it did seem pretty stiff when giving a gentle prod. As for the temperature I dont really know but I'd expect it to be colder in the living room at night as the house we are now in is about 100 years old so certainly does not keep as warm as more modern houses.

What we have been doing is to give it extra bedding and it seems to have been ok for the last few days. Except it seems to be having a habbit of moving it's nest around the cage for some reason.

Probably trying to find some place it can kip without bring disturbed by some daft bugger prodding it all the time?

Not relevant to the thread, really, but years ago when I was working as a nursing auxiliary, we had a patient like that. She was unconscious, completely non-responsive and didn't seem to be breathing. The ward sister had actually screened off the bed and ordered up the "dead" trolley to take her away, when she suddenly sat up and wanted to know what was going on!

Don't think people generally hibernate, but hamsters definitely do.

Love it!

actual lol

I once hadn't seen ours all evening so foolishly at 11pm I put my finger in his little house where he sleeps to try and prod him. Found out with a nasty sharp bite that he was very much alive! Had a right finger!! He was only defending himself though against something coming in to his sleeping quarters.

you can put an old towel under the cage to help insulate the cage a bit and give it lots of bedding i think toilet roll is the warmest bedding just make sure its plain unscented the fluffy cotton wool bedding may look warmer but it can cut off circulation or strangle the hamster.

i give mine boiled & washed dog fur i've saved when i brush the muttley
she loves it, though i admit it's probably not the safest material
i give her a handful of that & a handful of torn kitchen roll, she takes the fur into her "house" first then pads out further with the kitchen roll