Hibernation in hamsters. What are the symptoms of hibernation in hamsters? Well, in terms of how to understand that a hamster is hibernating.

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The winter period affects each animal differently. For some, activity decreases during this time, while others even fall into deep hibernation. This is why not all people know whether hamsters hibernate.

Hamsters hibernating at home

Do hamsters hibernate?

The life cycle of the rodents in question is extremely simple. In the summer, they stock up on food for the winter, when there is nothing to eat in the gardens and meadows.

When the air temperature drops and the length of daylight hours shortens in natural conditions, the animal may fall into a state of suspended animation until spring, because the food reserves prepared in the summer will not be enough for it.

At this time, his body temperature drops by several degrees, breathing becomes rare and shallow. The body receives nutrients from the fat layer that appears during the warm season.

Hamsters' hibernation is interrupted several times during the winter; they wake up to have a snack, after which they go back to sleep.

How to wake up

It is necessary to create conditions that are exactly the opposite of those in which the hamster went into torpor. Move the cage to a brighter and warmer room,

with an air temperature not lower than +20-22 degrees. You can put his favorite “snacks” next to his nose.

The hamster can be wrapped in a warm cloth or placed in cotton wool. And, of course, give him more food so that after waking up he can replenish his strength.

Don’t expect that when you come to your senses, your homeboy will immediately start spinning his favorite wheel. For some time he will behave sluggishly, rest a lot, and only after a day or two all life processes will resume in the same rhythm.

Never try to warm up your hamster using radiators.

heating using electric heaters. Such extreme awakening can only cause harm. A numb body has a lower pain threshold, and the animal will not be able to let you know that it is too hot. The experiment may even end in the death of the pet.

Schedule

We almost never see hamsters in the wild because they are nocturnal. They obtain supplies only in the dark, because this is a safe time when predators and people sleep. Domesticated rodents of various breeds are also “active” at night when people are sleeping.

Not everyone, even experienced owners, knows that domestic hamsters hibernate just like their wild relatives. The fact is that the state of torpor does not occur in all animals and not every season. Most often, owners, seeing their beloved little pet motionless and cold, decide that he has simply died.

If something like this happened to your animal, do not rush to bury it - first make sure of its death. It may be that he simply fell into a state of temporary stupor.

The correct daily routine of an animal

Many breeders complain that the rodent sleeps for a very long time. We can say that a pet thinks the same about its owner, who sleeps at night. But what kind of regime do hamsters have?

Hamsters are nocturnal animals, but they have a routine, just like people. To understand the health status of your pet, just look at how much he sleeps. The norm for rodents is as follows:

if a hamster sleeps 8 hours a day, then this indicates that he is very active;
sleep at 10 o'clock indicates that the animal is in good physical and mental condition;
if a hamster sleeps for 14 hours, it means you have acquired a lazy person;
but if the duration of sleep is more than 14 hours, then not everything is in order with his health.

It is worth remembering one single rule: if the rodent is resting, then there is no need to touch it. You shouldn’t wake him up just to give him a treat or take him for a walk. Wait until the animal gets some sleep, and then have fun with it as much as you want. Teach him that after sleep he begins a period of special activity, games, food, self-care.

You can’t, because people have a lot of germs in their mouths. In addition, when you bring your face closer to the hamster, its whiskers (vibrissae) perceive this as a sudden obstacle, and the hamster may become very frightened and jump out of your hands.

Why are there bumps near a hamster's butt?

Males have large testes (testes).

Why does my hamster have two identical black sores on his back?

Syrian hamsters have two identical scent glands on their backs, with which they mark their territory.

Why does the Djungarian hamster have a sore on its stomach?

All dwarf hamsters have a scent gland on their abdomen, with which they mark their territory.

Is it possible to clean a hamster cage more often to prevent odor?

It is enough to wash the cage once a month with baby soap and rinse thoroughly. To avoid smell, you need to remove the contaminated litter from the toilet corner every 3-4 days, wipe it with a damp cloth, and replace it with fresh one.

Can you give your hamster treats?

You cannot give your hamster treats from your table. Review the list of permitted products. Never give drops, they have no beneficial substances, just harmful “chemistry”.

Can you walk your hamster outside wearing a harness?

A harness for nimble and freedom-loving hamsters is a dangerous invention, and besides, hamsters cannot be taken outside at all.

How to tame a hamster?

Taming is based on patience. It takes a few days for the hamster to get comfortable and get used to your smell. Offer him a piece of hamster biscuit, a nut in the palm of your hand near the open door, and not in the cage. The hamster will take the treat and soon go into the arms.

Where is the best place to put the cage?

The hamster's place should be in silence, twilight, in a ventilated room, but not in a draft, not in the kitchen or in the bathroom or hallway. A hamster should not live on the window and near the radiator, as well as on the floor, on the refrigerator and near the TV (computer)! Place your hamster in a place where you feel calm and comfortable, and he will live much longer.

What does a hamster need in a cage?

Is it possible to bathe a hamster?

Why is my hamster itching all the time?

Many people think that the hamster itches, but this is how he washes himself and extracts his scent to mark his territory. He lathers his coat especially strongly after the owner’s dirty hands, and also if he gets into a new place, or if you wash the cage too often.

Should you wash your hands after handling hamsters?

Rather, you should wash your hands BEFORE hamsters. Because the hamster’s delicate body cannot cope with the microbes and bacilli that swarm on our hands.

Can I wake my hamster up to play during the day?

If awakened, the hamster may die from stress. By disturbing the rhythm of their life, you shorten it. Keep quiet during the day when the hamster is sleeping to protect his health.

Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and the care of companion animals. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. He has been working at the same animal clinic in his hometown for over 20 years.

Number of sources used in this article: . You will find a list of them at the bottom of the page.

What to do if your hamster doesn't move? What could be the reasons? Hamsters can hibernate, during which their heart rate and breathing rate drop. Sometimes it is even difficult to tell whether the hamster is sleeping or for another reason. If you find that your hamster is not moving, here is what to do.

How can you tell if your hamster is hibernating?

In winter, they hibernate because the hamster's body is not adapted to being without food for a long time. Thus, it saves strength and vital energy for further functioning. Domestic rodents that do not need to obtain food are also susceptible to seasonal torpor (genetic memory).

Therefore, owners should know the symptoms so as not to confuse his condition with death.

Like other breeds, hibernation in Syrian hamsters is caused by the following symptoms:

Immobility.
Lack of reaction to sudden sounds or touches.
Frozen and cold body.
Weak, almost imperceptible heartbeat and breathing.

An animal can remain in this state from several hours to two months, so learn to periodically check the breathing of a hibernating animal. To do this, bring a mirror to your nose - it should fog up.

State of numbness

The process is expressed in the slowing down of all processes in the animal’s body, the most important functions are maintained at a minimum level. The difference between this state and hibernation is the duration.

Torpor is a short-term hibernation when the pet switches to an economical mode (the activity of the rodent’s body decreases by almost 70%).

Owners may think that the animal has fallen asleep or died.

This condition is compared to coma.

In order to understand whether a hamster has died or is hibernating, you need to know the symptoms of torpor

The main signs of this condition are:

rapid or, conversely, barely noticeable breathing;
lack of response to any external stimuli;
loss of consciousness;
reduction in metabolism by approximately 30%;
the animal’s body temperature decreases noticeably, but it does not become numb as in death;
the pulse either slows down or becomes very rapid, etc.

For hamsters living at home, torpor is not always a sign of health. Perhaps the pet is simply cold or hungry. The condition can last up to seven days, and sometimes for a longer period. After this (if no harm was done and the conditions of detention are good enough), he returns to his normal state.

It is difficult to distinguish torpor from hibernation.

After all, breathing is almost not felt, but in appearance it looks like a dead person. When you put the animal on your hand, you notice how the legs hang down and the body simply goes limp. On the second day, the animal’s body hardens, and it does not react at all to stimuli.

What causes

For domestic representatives of the species, the state of suspended animation is not considered the norm, because the hamster cell does not have a pronounced seasonality.

It is necessary to figure out why the animal does not wake up and eradicate the reason so that this does not happen again.

Numbness occurs due to:

Cold. If the room temperature is within 150C, then the likelihood that the hamster will hibernate increases. Lowering the temperature to 10 degrees will lead to definite stupor.
Darkness. Although constant exposure to the sun is harmful to the animal, veterinarians do not recommend keeping it in darkness. The rodent associates darkness with winter and goes into suspended animation.
Poor nutrition. Lethargy and drowsiness in pets indicates a lack of minerals and vitamins. This leads to the body switching to “economy mode”.
Stress. Shocks also cause hibernation. In this state, it is easier for the animal to cope with the emotions it has experienced.

However, the most common reason is fear. During panic attacks, your pet may faint or fall asleep, so take care of your pet's mental health.

How long and when do hamsters sleep?

Nature created hamsters as nocturnal animals, so in the dark the cage becomes a haven for the small predator, because it’s time to hunt. And if you delve a little deeper into the nature of these funny kids, it becomes clear why the hamster sleeps when everyone around him is awake.

Sleeping all day long is considered absolutely normal for a hamster; this is how rodent physiology works.

It is very undesirable to wake him up, since stress will be provided to the small organism, and after suffering, a sleep-deprived animal can become restless and even aggressive. Often his defensive reaction becomes the offender.

If you often practice such sudden awakenings or tease a sleeping person, your hamster may well get sick. All this will definitely have a negative impact on the pet’s life expectancy. Therefore, when buying a living “toy” for children, you should first find out for yourself about the psychological characteristics of the animal’s life, and then explain this to the child.

How long do hamsters sleep?

The norm for a small rodent to sleep is 6 - 10 hours a day. Nature has provided for everything, therefore, protecting themselves from the dangers of the night, hamsters sleep during the day and store up energy for the entire coming night.

Djungarian hamsters, like other species of rodents, love to sleep during the day. One can go to bed at 8 am, another at 10, everyone chooses their own time.

If a dwarf sleeps for 14 hours, you shouldn’t be surprised, it means he’s just a big sleepyhead. But after stressful situations, the poor fellow is able to sleep for up to 20 hours.

Just like people, animals are greatly affected by life changes, such as moving. After experiencing the excitement associated with a change of place of residence, a hamster can behave differently; there are two characteristic lines of behavior of a rodent:

Activity. The hamster's genuine interest in everything that surrounds him, the desire to explore, experience and test everything new. Settling down in a new place, making every corner of the house comfortable, from the toilet to the dining room. That is why the animal has very little time to rest - 3-5 hours. The adaptation period can take from 3 days to a week.
Dream. The hamster hides from prying eyes all the time, gets out of the house only to eat, and most of the time, approximately 20 hours, sleeps soundly. It will take up to a week to get used to it.

This is a completely normal reaction of a rodent and there is no reason to worry. If you hear somewhere that a hamster sleeps at night, don’t believe it. These cute animals have a mirror mode to ours. They should stay awake at night and there is no need to try to retrain them, there will be no result, but you will certainly be able to harm your little friend in this way.

What to do with a hamster in a state of suspended animation

If a pet rodent goes into hibernation, owners have two options - wake it up or do nothing. You should choose based on the physical characteristics of the hamster and the causes of suspended animation.

It is imperative to wake up a hamster that has fallen into a state of suspended animation due to the cold (especially if it is small). Otherwise, he will most likely die from exhaustion. To do this, the baby needs to be warmed, but only with his own heat, without using lamps or heaters.

Take your pet in your hands and stroke it. After an hour, you will notice that his temperature has risen and his heart rate has increased. When the muscles begin to contract, you will understand that he is coming to his senses.

If the cause of torpor is stress, do not wake the hamster right away - let him sleep for a day.