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Old 05-07-2021, 11:46 AM   #1
Sapp01312018
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Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 2
Question Is Linguini sick?

Hello all,

My name is Anastasia, and my girlfriend and I recently got a hamster about a month ago . My cat Ritchie has deemed it his mission to knock the cage over onto the floor that our precious Linguini is in, and proceed to chase him around our apartment while we are at work. As far as we know we don't know if Linguini has been severely hurt, and everything that we have found online is saying that he either has a bacterial infection, or has had a stroke. All the vets near me that deal with exotic pets do not have any available appointments for the next few days, and we are concerned that Linguini may not make it through the night.

She (or so we think she is a she) has not seemed to be eating or drinking much water since Ritchie knocked her cage off of its stand. Also, she doesn't use her wheel at night like she was before. I walked over to her cage this morning (5/7/21) and noticed that she did not burrow last night, as well as she was cold. Our apartment did not get below 67 degrees last night, although it may have hit 50 degrees outside, but not indoors. This is our first hamster, and I am afraid that if something bad happens to her that it may be our last. We love her with all of our hearts and don't want anything bad to happen to her.

Her breathing doesn't seem labored, although at times it seems to speed up and slow down. She had diarrhea this morning, and that is what sent off the red flag. She used to love running on her wheel and I have caught her a few times climbing the side of her cage, but she wont do that. I have but a washcloth in her cage and she had crawled inside of that and seems to just be sleeping. She also is getting I think poop stuck in her butt. I pulled a piece off of her today, and it had almost like a clear string type thing attached to it, no bigger than 1/6 if a centimeter in length, and very thin. I don't know if there has been pus coming out of her butt or near it, but she didn't have solid poop today.

We don't know what else to do. She is in her own room now with a door that can close so that Ritichie can not get to her anymore. What do we do, or what can we do????

If we can't get her to a vet in the next few days, what can we do at home to possibly help her recover or make her more comfortable?

TIA
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Old 05-08-2021, 02:42 PM   #2
Imogen
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Location: Essex, England
Posts: 215
Default Re: Is Linguini sick?

I'm not really an expert on this and there's others that may have on-hands experience with hamsters but from what I'm reading myself either your hamster has either taken quite some damage from the impact of having the cage knocked off. I'm only replying since I've seen no one has replied to you yet.

With the clear string thing you mentioned your hamster may have worms? Not entirely sure though since it could've been something she picked up and the faeces has dried with it stuck in it.

In future though, always make sure you keep a hamster or small rodent inside a different room that your cat will never be allowed into.

I got a hamster just about 3-4 weeks ago and he's been kept inside my room ever since with the door shut 24/7, this is because I have two cats. They're not dumb and they stalk my bedroom door all the time now but they will never ever get in and would never stand a chance at knocking off a massive home-made bin cage that is even hard for me to lift.

Cats are born to kill/play with small rodents and having had your hamster somewhere the cat couldn't get may have avoided this complete situation.

As I said, I'm no expert and it may have not been the impact. My hamster escaped my room 2 days ago when I let him free-roam for the first time and he started climbing up the back of a wardrobe and decided to fall about 5'4 feet back down to the floor but he seems okay. My cat was watching him under the wardrobe but luckily I got to him first before he became my cats dinner.
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Old 05-09-2021, 05:04 AM   #3
Ria P
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Location: Wiltshire, UK
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Default Re: Is Linguini sick?

I think the only person who can help your hamster is a vet.

Please phone around to get an emergency appointment because your hamster may be suffering. If you can't get an appointment with an exotics vet a general one is still better than nothing and they would be able to prescribe painrelief, antibiotics or whatever they think may help.

You have already learned the hard way that a hamster and a cat should never, ever be left in the same room.

Should your hamster make a full recovery or you decide to get another hamster in the future, either way they need a cage bigger than one a cat is able to knock over.

Best wishes to Linguini and i hope that she will recover to live the life she deserves.
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Old 05-09-2021, 05:29 AM   #4
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Is Linguini sick?

I agree you really need to take her to a vet. It is quite likely she has been injured if the cage was knocked to the floor. If not injured then she could have severe stress or shock as sometimes just the smell of a cat nearby can cause them stress. They are prey animals. So hardwired to fear predators (even our hand coming from above can be seen as a predator).

The diarrhoea needs treating at least as they can quickly die of dehydration. It will also give answers and possibly be reassuring if she is checked over by a vet. Make sure she can reach water. Maybe lower the water bottle and move it nearer to her. If she can’t move you may have to hold it for her to have a drink or let her lick it off a teaspoon. I wouldn’t put a dish of water out as if she’s injured she may drown in it face first eg. Put a bit of cucumber nearby to help with rehydration. It may just be shock and trauma but the diarrhoea needs treatment . I have to say though that she will have been thrown across the cage with the impact snd it is quite likely she is injured. A vet will be able to tell you if this is external or internal.

As the others say - cats need to be kept away from hamsters although I know you didn’t imagine the cat would actually pull the cage down.
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Old 05-09-2021, 05:13 PM   #5
Sapp01312018
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Join Date: May 2021
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Default Re: Is Linguini sick?

Unfortunately after this post I came home from work and she passed. (((
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