Hibernation hamster!!!

MissMoony97 · 11-15-2014, 09:55 PM

Hi all. I have just done the most incredible thing I have ever done. My beautiful little girl, Cotton, is a almost 2 year old Satin silk Syrian. She was up all Friday night jumping around her cage, and of course went to bed in the morning. So I got into bed tonight (Saturday night) and noticed she wasn't awake yet which was unusual and I have a weird feeling that something wasn't right. I looked into her cage and found her looking dead in her bed. I instantly react with tears, and touched her, she was quite cold so I started to fear the worse. I gently moved her so I could see her bottom and was relived to see no signs on wet tail. I them noticed her breathing, it was shallow, but she was breathing! I then thought, is she hibernating? So I looked online and read what to do to help bring her out of her hibernation. My partner picked her up and held her in his arms, gently rubbing her to try and stimulate her muscles and bring warmth. We sat near the radiator and covered her with a thin blanket, while still holding her in my partners hands against his chest. She slowly started to move, after 30 minutes her nose and whiskers started to twitch, another 30 minutes and her eyes were open. This went on until she was on her feet and walking (clumsily) around. We hydrated her with water and kept rubbing her to warm her up. Now 4 hours later she is back in her cage, still a bit wobbly and a bit cold, but she is alert, drinking and eating. I am lost for words at how beautiful it was to nurse a hamster in your arms until they slowly woke up. It was truly magical.

Btw the photo is upside down for some reason lol

Thin Lizzy · 11-15-2014, 10:16 PM

Hi Miss Moony, what a miracle that Cotton has come out of hibernation. If it wasn't for that weird feeling you got, she might not have been so lucky. Increase her bedding and try and move her next to a heater, if you can't have heating on 24/7 then try a hot water bottle and wrap a a towel or cloth and place it outside her cage near to her bed. So glad to hear she's OK.

POLAR WHITES · 11-16-2014, 05:51 AM

as you might know its bad for them to hibernate, I would increase her bedding move her to warmest part in the house and if you cant leave the heating on as it is expensive you can buy heat mats to go under the bottom of her cage that you would use for reptiles and this will gave her added heat,

cypher · 11-16-2014, 05:58 AM

Good to hear she seems to have recovered & well done for bringing her round after that but I'm curious, given her age & that it hasn't really been that cold if there may be something else going on? I'd keep a close eye on her & of course make sure she is warm enough, especially at night, hopefully she'll continue to be fine.

MissMoony97 · 11-16-2014, 09:40 AM

Thanks all. Our flat does get cold at night so I will be buying her a heat pad tomorrow. For now she is next to the radiator

she is back to her old self completely today, running around and active, eating and drinking well. It's amazing! I have read that Syrians may go into hibernation in the months between November and January? Don't know if that's correct? I am keeping a close eye on her, just I'm case. But I am so happy she is doing well, I would of been heart broken to lose her. She is one of the loveliest hamsters I've had x

Skeever · 11-16-2014, 09:45 AM

Hibernation is the wrong word. That would mean they can sleep a long time and feed off of bodily reserves. A hamster in a torpor/stupor state does not get nutrients or water and can die. This self protective mechanism against cold is not altogether pointless but it's not a normal process for them to undergo. Waking them is sometimes problematic, as many people have reported.....

Goes a long way though in explaining the Sedaris story about his Mom miraculously resurrecting their pet hamsters in the oven

NiceCrocs · 11-16-2014, 10:01 AM

Like Skeever said, it's not hibernation in the usual sense; hamsters do not hibernate in the wild. Dwarf hamster are well-suited to the colder climates; they come from the plains of Mongolia and Siberia, and remain active all winter.

Syrian hamsters do not hibernate either, but they are not well-suited to the cold; they hail from south Turkey and Syria, which are dry and warm, and have mild winters. A syrian going into a torpor state is sort of the hamster equivalent of going into shock. In the wild, this would happen only as a last ditch survival effort. It's very dangerous for a hamster to go into torpor.

Because of this, it's important that you take steps to keep this from happening again. A heat pad is a great investment, if you get one of the reptile ones, they are self-regulating and won't get too hot

I'm very happy to hear Cotton is feeling better and that you were able to get to her quickly <3 give her a little hamster pat from me, please xx