Re: Whats the difference between death and ... something else?
At her age and with her showing signs of declining before she passed you can be quite sure she had passed over MJ.
Rigor Mortis sets in when they have passed and the body becomes cold and stiff. Sometimes they lose fluids from nose or vents. After a while the body will soften again.
Hamsters seldom 'hibernate' or go in to torpor at normal room temperatures and if it is fine for you it is fine for them. Definitely not in an English summer temperature. Cold hamsters will usually show tiny whisker twitches and the body does not feel 'stiff'. There is still an element of softness to it.
If you look at the nail beds in a hamster who has died they normally show a black colour where the blood has clotted there. This does not happen in cold hamsters who still have a heartbeat.
Try and not dwell on it and know in your heart that she had passed over and in the comfort of her own nest after a long and happy life.
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