Quite proud of myself

I went to get her out of her cage earlier for her daily run around and she wasn't moving at all, totally lifeless ...So I took her out and rubbed her a few times between my hands and her little feet started twitching ever so slightly, so I kept on and on and while I was doing it I boiled the kettle and filled up my water bottle for her to lay on....a few more rubs and I could see she was breathing, put her up to my ear and she was squeaking slightly, but still out of it completely

So I set up the water bottle under a blanket and put her on top of it covered slightly, and was still rubbing her on her back and chest. Then suddenly her back legs stretched and she slowly started moving more ...before I knew it she was wandering around the chair in a slight daze lol but still with us ...I love my little Sushi...I am a big animal lover and wouldn't just leave an animal to suffer and possibly die, so I did all I could and it paid off now she is snug back in her cage. But every now and again I check on her

Oh wow! Hope she is OK.

Well done!

Last week when we home from work/school, my daughter's hamster, who'd been residing in room because of our kitten, was curled in a sideways ball in the middle of his cage. My daughter was frantic (understatement!), thought he had died.

I realised I'd left his cage on a storage box under the window and the heating is usually off during the day. So we put him in my son's box room, which is like a furnace, and after an hour or so, he must have started to warm up, he started moving ever so slightly. By midnight he was running around!

Imagine, he could have been buried in the garden!

Thank you

I know, buried alive poor thing!...Both a couple of lucky hamsters!

I will be keeping an eye on her thats for sure lol

Yeah she is fine now by the looks of it ...I gave her some food and she eventually done her usual and stuffed it all into her mouth and took it to bed with her lol

Yeah - they comatoze when it's cold - I think they can survive for quite a while like that though.

I once thought my daughter's hamster was dead and had to explain to her what happened before I disposed of it. She asked if she could hold it while I explained about little animals and short lifespans. She said she thought it moved - I said no that's just your hands shaking - it really is dead. She said she thought she saw it breath - I said that we can do strong things with our imaginations when we are ups.... hang on...I saw it breathe too!

So my daughter was ecstatic that her little friend had come back to life - and I read up on what happens to hamsters when it's cold.

Then I told the story to my neighnour - whose children also kept hamsters. I expected him to laugh ... but no ..... he'd just ... well I'll not say but you can imagine.

Wow, thats interesting. I took animal care/science in college and this never came up. Atleast I know what to do if it ever happens again .

More info here,

http://www.hammysworld.com/index.php?p=hibernate


Apparently they can slip into a coma like state for up to a day when cold. Warm gently to return them back to wake state

Need help with our hamster.

He hasn't moved for 2 days and has not taken his food. Should we be worried?

This post reminded me of a monty python parrot sketch

Seriously though, I would follow the advice of others in this thread and move it somewhere warmer. But if things haven't improved by tommorow get it to a vet!!

It is near something warm, a radiator. It flinched a little tonight but still not eaten.

if its been two days and your hamster has not eaten then you should be looking at taking it to the vet today.

It might have food stored elsewhere in its "nest" or cheeks. When we worked in the pet shop the hamsters got 3 teaspoons of food. Some people over fill their bowls.

But if your sure its not eaten, and it won't take a small slice of apple, get it to a vets!

in the cold weather its best to give your hamsters extra bedding. the best thing to use is just plain unscented toilet role (that fluffy bedding is dangerous and can strangle your hamster or cut off circulation to limbs and cause them to be amputated), you can buy tesco value or similar and just pile loads in the cage, just break it into individual sheets and your hamster will do all the shredding. you can also put an old towel under the cage to insulate it from the surface its on.

Ours takes all his from the bowl in to his bed so it's difficult to know how much he eats but we can here him crunching his food in there!!!

Are you sure he hasn't been out in the night?

AW! Well done for saving your hamster!

You sure it wasn't just in a deep sleep?

Hammies do that when it gets cold to preserve energy and it takes them a while to wake back up again. It's totally normal apparently. Mine used to scare me quite a bit when he was still alive by doing that.

I have never ever had this problem with any small rodent I have had as a pet and I have had loads over the years.

As for extra bedding I give Sushi some kitchen roll now and again ....plus she has toilet roll tubes which she gnaws at and takes bits in her "nest" with her.

Thank you

I looked more into it, apparently she was in a comatose state, which they can only survive in for a short period of time.

Awwwww. From one hammy owner to another - well done hope she's okay!

He's lively - again! Little monster. He's been doing somersaults for the past hour and he's gone back to sleep.

No

So, so far in the space of 3 weeks, we've had 3 scares but always resulting in him moving about at least a day and half to now, 2 days later.

When will we know when he does die?