Smidge doesn't come out to play as often lately :(

[smidgey]

Smidge usually wakes up from 7-9pm, and is very active from the minute she wakes up, wanting to come out of her cage and enjoys 30mins in her ball or running around. But lately she is sometimes still in her bed at 9pm, and only comes out when I open her cage to give her some food. Even then she still hasn't wanted to come out of her cage a couple of times, so hasn't had any time out of her cage. When she does come out, she eats a bit and has a drink, then goes straight back to bed, rather than running about, or playing in her wheel. Is this normal? She's absolutely fine other than this, eating and drinking as normal :confused:

[katjacks]

iv had basically the same problem with mine lately aswell, how old is your hamster? is she a syrian? i wrote a post on here yesterday as am really worried about my hamster which is strange what time does smidge normally get up at now? jacko is usually still in his bed at 12 but i hear him moving about about 9.30 but then goes back to bed, i feel awful because hes not coming out of his cage and i dont get to hold him much

[karinanlyla]

I'm also having a similar thing with Tedd atm he's a syrian and is 5 months old. He used to get up anytime between 8.30 and 9.30 but now it's anytime between 11.30-1.00 and I'm in bed then! I hear him on his wheel so I know he's still active but feel sad cause don't see him as much and he doesn't go in his ball as much or be held. I have been putting it down to getting darker earlier.

[gellerbing]

im having the same problem with rocket, hes also a syrian, he used to come out about 8pm (which he still does but only for food), now he doesnt come out until gone 12am :(

[katjacks]

mmmm very strange, when i used to put my hand in the cage when he was awake he used to come to me and want to be out but now if i put my hand in he runs away as if hes too tired to come out does what he needs to do gets food etc and goes back to bed but if i grab him and hold him he likes been out and when he goes back in cage he tries to get out again for a short while then goes back to bed, i wonder if it is something to do with the change in weather as it has been pretty weird weather this year in the uk hasnt it lol making me feel a bit better knowing others are doing the same thing ive been getting really worried

[lorrapaw]

Felix has been exactly the same for a month or so i rarely see him before midnight and hes not up for long but otherwise he is fine. Someone on here says it could be with changing seasons.

[smidgey]

Smidge is a Syrian, she's about 7 months old. After me posting this she got up at a more normal time last night, about 8.30pm! She usually gets up anywhere between 7 and 9pm, but lately it's nearer 10 or sometimes not at all. Or she comes out of her bed but doesn't want to come out of her cage. Glad it's not just Smidge so maybe it is change in seasons!

[Granny Pepperhouse]

I think it definitely has something to do with the seasons changing - and possibly because folk are starting to put central heating on in the evenings, which could fool our hammies into thinking it is still 'warm daytime' rather than 'cooler evening' -until later at night when we all go to bed and the central heating goes off.

[smidgey]

Yeah I hope thats all it is!

[narnie83]

I'm feeling a bit relieved about the responses here, because I have been worried by the amount that Alyosha's sleeping lately, and that he never seems to use his wheel anymore, and mostly comes out to collect food, which he then takes back to the enormous nest he's built himself. If I get him into his ball he doesn't run around like he used to - mostly just grooms and sniffs a bit. I was worried that with the lack of exercise he'd get overweight, but is only 180g, which is fine for a Syrian. But as he's my first hamster I'm not sure at what point 'a lazy phase' becomes 'a sign something is wrong'.