Having a pet hamster at home requires you to be knowledgeable of its natural habit. That means you have to know when your pet hamster is about to hibernate and its signs. Some breeds of hamsters are not suited for the cold and may end up dying when they go into hibernation.
If you wish to have a pet hamster at home, you can read the reasons why you should choose a hamster as your pet.
However, it is really natural for hamsters to go through hibernation, especially when the season gets cold. The problem is that some people may not be able to tell whether their hamster is sick, hibernating, or even dead. That’s why it is very important for you, hamster parents to be aware of these 7 signs of your hamster hibernation.
- Shivering
Before your hamster begins its hibernation cycle, you can simply tell the signs. One of those signs is when the hamster starts to shiver. It shivers because the temperatures start to get colder and colder. Your hamster won’t be able to hold the cold temperature, so it will begin to hibernate.
The best way to overcome this sign is by keeping your hamster’s habitat as warm as it can. Try to put a warm lamp that is able to heat up its enclosure so it won’t be too cold.
Also make sure to read these common diseases in hamsters so that you can prevent it from dying.
- Lethargic
Your hamster starts to a bit lethargic and lazy when it begins its hibernation. It won’t be moving as often as it did in the past as the temperatures get a bit too cold.
Lethargy can be a sign of your hamster falling ill. However, if your hamster is still in perfect health, then it could be the sign that it will begin to start hibernating.
Lethargy can affect any animals, including cats. If you have a cat at home, you can understand lethargy in cats.
- Binge-eating
Binge-eating is one of the most common signs of hibernation in any species of animal, including hamsters. It is considered normal for hibernating animals to start binge-eating as they would need all the food during the winter when they enter the long state of hibernation. During the period of hibernation, they won’t be able to eat anything.
So, if you notice your hamster is eating far more than it does, then it may actually be storing food for its energy in time for winter. After all, the excess fat is needed to keep the body well-nourished during the state of hibernation.
- Check for its breathing
This thing can be a pretty challenging. Hamsters that are hibernating are likely to be breathing very slowly to the point that they may appear to be dead or very sick. However, when they hibernate, you still can tell that they are breathing.
Try to inspect it closely to see whether it is taking short but deep breaths. If it does, then it is hibernating.
- Food and water is untouched
During hibernation, it is normal that the animal will be in a state of suspension. When that happens, it tends to be inactive as it falls into a deep slumber. It won’t move around, even for eating or drinking.
If a hamster is hibernating, it won’t be eating its food or drinking its water.
- Stiffness
When hamsters are hibernating, they will become so stiff. They are so stiff so that people might think that they are dead. During hibernation, your hamster’s whole body will become so stiff. It may appear lifeless and may not even move an inch even if you try to manipulate the hamster body to move.
It doesn’t mean that your hamster is dead. Try to apply a bit heat to the hamster’s habitat and gradually increase the temperature (more than 20 degrees Celsius). You might notice soon that the hamster starts moving its limbs again. The limbs movement may be weak due to lack of water when it hibernates.
- Feel cold to touch
When it’s hibernating, your hamster shouldn’t feel warm at all. It should feel so cold that you may think you are feeling a dead body. However, body temperature is not always an indication to tell whether your hamster is dead or just hibernating. Animals are naturally cold to touch, especially during winter seasons.
However, if you try to warm it and it is still unresponsive even after a few hours or days, then your hamster may fall ill or have even died due to cold temperatures.
Hamster may die due to several reasons. They can also die suddenly due to these reasons hamsters suddenly die and signs of dehydration in hamsters.