Winter blues or is she just ageing..?

MaryRobinson · 01-20-2020, 08:38 AM

Hi all,

So we have a beautiful rescue Syrian called Mimi. Got her last June and have no idea how old she is - she was the unwanted pet of one of the staff's daughter where i worked and came with zero information. She still moves well, weighs the same and looks tip-top... but she's not as keen to come out of her Detolf these days - probably since November.

Do hamsters get affected by the seasons? I am in the UK and it's dark a lot at the moment so I was wondering whether this might have changed her body clock. She used to be up and waiting at 8.30pm; now she might bible about a bit at 10pm but seems to wake up at 11pm onwards now. She will still rush around then and I hear her doing housework around 6pm, but she isn't awake as much as she used to be.

Is this inevitable hamster middle/old age or could it be the seasons too..?

Thanks!

LunaTheHamster1 · 01-20-2020, 09:41 AM

It could be the season, my Luna was like that last winter, Hardly saw her unless I stayed up late, but come the spring she started getting up earlier again. My other 2 hamsters also tended to get up an hour or 2 later in the winter than summer.
It can also be a sign of getting old or an illness. But with the illness, I would only think that if there were signs of something else going on and you already said you have checked her over and that she is still mobile etc.

Pebbles82 · 01-20-2020, 11:48 AM

I think it’s probably a winter thing - they instinctively seem to stay warm in the nest more and start doing this around September I find, and coming out more as the nights get lighter and warmer. You could try leaving an oil filled heater on near her cage and see if it makes a difference. I found when I left one on evening and overnight, the hansters used to come out more and liked the warmth. Not too close to the cage though.

MaryRobinson · 01-20-2020, 01:59 PM

Thank you both! That's an interesting thought. Actually I'm pretty sure when I work from home and have the heating on she comes out earlier... (not that this is a cold house; it's new build so is pretty much hermetically sealed so no danger of her going into torpor etc.!)

Hopefully when the clocks change again she might be tempted out a bit earlier... I can't say I blame her, plus her nest looks very cosy!

SupermanCDC · 01-20-2020, 04:55 PM

It is probably the season that is changing. My hamster last winter which was 6 months old changed the colour of her fur during winter. From a blackish colour to a lighter grey colour. Don't worry, you hamster should be fine and feeling very warm right now. Juts make sure that you be aware of the temperature in your room and keep it in a suitable temperature which is around 20 degrees celsius.

Great Job for adopting one and good luck future on with your hamster!

MaryRobinson · 01-21-2020, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SupermanCDC

It is probably the season that is changing. My hamster last winter which was 6 months old changed the colour of her fur during winter. From a blackish colour to a lighter grey colour. Don't worry, you hamster should be fine and feeling very warm right now. Juts make sure that you be aware of the temperature in your room and keep it in a suitable temperature which is around 20 degrees celsius.

Great Job for adopting one and good luck future on with your hamster!

Thank you. Yes I work in this room so it's always heated. Both my hams have got different coloured coats - Mimi went a deeper auburn in the winter.

Yes, she's our second adopted fur baby and she is such a lovely girl!