I've seen many ham owners panic over the 'he runs on his wheel and then 'passes out' cold ' worries.....Given how they attack those wheels, I find it kinda cute that they just have to collapse and snooze. The expression on Ziggy's face , after an outing and a run is priceless.....kinda like Snoopy with a 'sigh' caption over his head, nose drooed over his doghouse. Ziggy manages to find a tube, or the entrance to his wheel to drop his head out, and stare, exhausted.....If I didn't know better I'd think he was suddenly depressed. My guess is suddenly exhausted....still too cute for words.
Better he does the mopy face after running on the wheel. He also does it when he doesn't get out when he wants, which makes me uber guilty....and HE knows it!!!!! LOL
Like DrK said.....ask away. I almost asked last night if my Zigger was dying since he slept mucho, and his only lively time I could see was twenty minutes. He got all grumpy and morose when I tried to jazz him up with some activity or another outing. Day by day, these lil critters tend to keep me guessing, and like someone else said here, I get hypochondriac over it all. The slightest change in behavior!
I was truly prepared when I woke, and put food in the cage, to find out he died. His laziness was that profound yesterday. Never mind it was 70 percent humidity, in the upper nineties and I felt pretty much like he did!
He's fine, we made up for it today! He free ran, did his wheel, explored the bed, got obnoxiously cuddled (and physically checked over) , introduced to baby carrots, slept and came out again....! He even spent some time wandering around on a guitar.....he seems to like music. Cutest thing is to play something and look at the cage and find a rapt audience of one.
Needless to say, he is passed out, on the second level platform, like a dog in front of a fireplace.
In terms of progress? I just picked him up off the floor in mid free run of the room, and he barely cared.....taming is slow work. When I get in a mood, I tend to think all I do is feed the little piggy and open doors for him. I'm not even sure he cares if it's me or someone else doing it. When he comes to the cage door when I come home, I tend to think....ah, yes.....you want OUT! You wouldn't care if a CAT opened the cage door!
It's an amazing process, sharing your life with another critter. Not always easy, or fun....but sooo worth it. As the many stories here and elsewhere attest, taming is a process, and a key ingredient is time.
Good call, often, to let sleeping hammies lie. Like any other creature, these solitary beasties can decide to sleep in.....I'm sure your hammy appreciated it
Ooops, I heard a seed being dropped in the WHEEL. Another round? I'm too tired........no one said it would be easy, lol.............