should i be worried?

[herbi7]

Hello everyone, my busy little tearaway willow has suddenly turned into a recluse! She does still get up to eat and drink and is doing a lot of digging but she doesn't want to come out at her usual time. It's been really late when she does want to come out and even when she does she does a little bit of running around and seems normal but then wants to go back to bed. It's weird as she's always been so active. I was worried she was too cold as her cage is in my bedroom which isn't that warm, so I put a little radiator by her and a heat pad under the cage, with the result that she got so warm she made an open nest instead of sleeping in her normal tube but still doesn't want to come out tonight! She is now 22 months and I wondered is this an age thing or a winter thing do you think as she seems ok in herself although a bit more grumpy and subdued. Any advice welcome !!

[velma]

I'd say it sounds a bit like an age thing combined with weather. It's turned a bit colder the last couple of weeks where we are so she may just be reacting to that (but not necessarily cold). A little radiator in the room to boost the temperature could be a good thing if the room is very cold but be careful of placing it too neat the cage & the heat pad too as I believe that fluctuating temperatures are also no good for a hamster. Better to maintain a constant temp even if that is a degree colder. She's also that sort of age where she'll be slowing down. The grumpiness could indicate something else but is probably just grumpiness if she wants to be left alone for a granny nap. If she's eating & drinking like normal, and her poop is all normal, she's probably ok. Just keep a close eye on her

[cypher]

It does sound more like an age thing & maybe the weather contributing too, you do need to keep even more of an eye on them as they age as it can sometimes be harder to tell if something is wrong as they generally sleep more & sometimes prefer not to interact as much as they may have before but as long as she's eating & drinking ok I don't think you have anything to worry about right now.

[HenriandHobieHammies]

The same thing happened to my Hammie but the second I opened a window and got some fresh air in, he was back to his normal self... I don't know if it was just a coincidence or not but it seemed that he was too hot.

[Thin Lizzy]

I wonder if Hamsters can get the January Blue?
I would continue with the radiator, even just keeping it on low will give the room a steady warmth.
It got pretty cold where I am and I upped Twinkle's toilet tissue bedding and upped the heating, the last couple of days have been milder so I adjusted the heating. I always leave it on throughout the night on low as the temperature outside can drop quickly.

[herbi7]

Thanks everyone that's really helpful. Do you know how cold is too cold? Willows feet are always cold nowadays even if the room is 20 which makes me worry about her. The bathroom where all my hams are at night drops really low if I don't have supplementary heating and there were a few nights before I got my act together with the radiator when it went down to 14 but they all seemed fine. Perhaps I've just been overdoing it a bit in my efforts to get it right and the temp has been up n down too much.
Velma, how close is too close would u say for a radiator? I put it about 1.5 feet from where she sleeps as she seemed to be forever trying to pull more bedding into her nest till there wasn't room for her! She is also scratching a lot which she sometimes does when she is bored or frustrated or under the weather a bit.

[cypher]

Cold feet is a bit worrying they should really feel quite warm, it may just be that like us circulation isn't so good as they get older, best to keep the temp at a steady 18-20 if you can, you've probably got the radiator about the right distance though.
Lots of shredded tissue for her nest should be enough to give her some extra warmth if she needs it, I don't know if it would be possible with your set up but when it's cold at night I put a snuggle safe pad under my cages (which are also on fleece dog blankets for extra insulation) not touching the base though, mine have shelves under the cages fortunately so I pop the pad on there a few inches below so they get extra warmth without over heating.

[velma]

I'd say you want the radiator to be warming the room, not overheating the cage. Cypher''s advice about the heated sounds good. Enough to begetting the benefit without making the cage too uncomfotable. Is there a room that's not the bathroom for overnight? They can sometimes feel a bit damp and chilly. If you're concerned can you get her to a vet?

[herbi7]

Thanks cypher, I could put a heat pad under the cage at night with a gap as at the moment it's standing on the floor with towels rolled up underneath so she's protected from the cold floor. During the day it's not so easy as the cage stands on a chair in the bedroom. I think I did a bit better last night, I heated up the bedroom in time for playtime and she got up a little bit earlier and her feet didn't feel so cold either. The problem we have is my flat is local authority and not insulated in the roof. And since I am upstairs and there isn't a loft space or false ceiling any heat I put on disappears in about half an hour. It's really hard to keep the temp constant. Funnily enough Velma the bathroom is the easiest to keep warm and cosy as its so tiny, as long as I make sure I prepare properly for cold spells, I had reservations about them being in there but with certain changes like not drying my washing in there any more and drying off the bath after I've used it it seems to work quite well. I'm keeping them apart from a stray kitten who comes into the living room, it wasn't exactly a plan more a necessity! There is a really good small animal vet local to me who was very gentle and patient with willow when we went before so I know I can take her if I'm still worried. I'll try and get her environment right and predictable for her first and see if that doesn't the trick.

Thanks for all your help! X

[herbi7]

Ps I'm always so grateful for this forum! You guys r always so helpful and knowledgeable, it's reassuring! ��