Hamster hibernation brings a sweet reminder (CC)

[lovemywhirlygirls]

My 11yo dd has a hamster that has been with us for about 3 months. In an effort to cut back on heating costs, we have cut our heat back to 68. We are in a 2 story house from the 30s and the second floor gets very little heat from the heating system (something that needs to be replaced).

 

Biscuit the hamster lives on the second floor in my dd's room. Yesterday morning, I was in the shower and my dd came running in crying and carrying Biscuit saying she was dead. Not 5 minutes before I had fussed at dd for needing to have more bedding in the cage because it stays so cool up there. Thankfully, my brain flew back to the research we had done before buying the hamster and I called to my husband to please get up and run check "hamster hibernation" on the internet while I hurriedly finished my shower.

 

Sure enough friends, that little creature, cold to the touch was in hibernation mode. She was all curled up in her little cozy ball like she sleeps and looked so peaceful...but felt so cold. After checking the internet and calling area vets, we snuggled her up in front of a heater, in my hands (hot from the shower) and on a heating pad and syringed small drops of sugar water in her mouth and petted her "vigorously yet gently". She came back to us over the period of several hours and by the afternoon was her same old self....ok, maybe she was a bit hopped up on sugar water...but she's FINE! We are so grateful. She really is a sweet little thing and has brought my family (me included) joy. Note that we now have an area heater running upstairs in dd's room.

 

The first thing my dd did after running into the shower crying was to begin praying out loud through sobs. It was so sweet to hear her pleading for the life of this little creature (was she dead or was she hibernating?) that she loves so much. Later, I reminded her that God loves us in the passionate way that she loves Biscuit. Hopefully we'll remember that fact a bit more readily and not need to be reminded in such a dramatic way in the future.

 

Science & theology before breakfast. Gotta love it.

 

Thanks for reading.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

oooh, what a scare!

We keep the house cold too, but not quite that cold. Yet, each time the hamster gets up a little later than usual, I fear for her!

 

Glad Biscuit is fine!

[Jean in Newcastle]

But even if you had let her hibernate for the winter it would have been fine, right? After all, isn't that what God designed hibernation mode for?

[RhondaM.]

But even if you had let her hibernate for the winter it would have been fine, right? After all, isn't that what God designed hibernation mode for?

 

I wondered too so I looked it up...here is what I found:

 

What is hibernation?

 

Hibernation is the slowing or stopping usual activity during the winter for some animals. Usually it includes the slowing of the animal's metabolism. Most commonly, people think of bears hibernating. Gophers, Ground Hogs, as well as some species of bats, frogs and snakes hibernate. Black and Brown bears are efficient at hibernation. They eat more in the fall and store lots of fat. While they hibernate, their metabolism, heart rate, breathing, all slows down so they do not burn as much energy. Syrian hamsters, however, are not so good at hibernating. Mainly, they need to be awake so they can drink and prevent dehydration. They can, and do, slip into hibernation sometimes as a last-ditch effort to survive. In slowing down their heart rate and breathing, they conserve energy and produce a little more warmth, but the need for water is still there. Dwarf hamsters are not known to hibernate. They originate from very cold places like Siberia and very high in the mountains of Mongolia and China. Domesticated, however, they are not free to burrow deep into the ground to find warmth. The same precautions should be made for all hamsters to keep them from getting too cold.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Sounds like it was a good thing you woke her up then.

 

Made me think of when I was a child and we had no central heating. We had electric blankets on our bed to keep us warm but the rooms got so cold. My bird froze to death one night.

[StaceyinLA]

I'm sure it was a bit scary during the midst of it, but your daughter's prayers and love for her little creature - TOO sweet! If only everyone could be so loving and compassionate with all God's creatures.

[Tree House Academy]

That is a precious story!

[Johanna]

Ok, I am freaking out here....we just last week discovered my dd's hamter was dead and not breathing and somewhat stiff.....oh no.....I hope he really was dead and not hibernating!!! I sure wish I knew this.....I would have tried what you tried....dd was devastated for days over her little buddy :confused:

[lovemywhirlygirls]

Johanna,

 

I'm so sorry for your dd's loss. Little Biscuit was not stiff. She was still really pliable (the only word that comes to me right now). Just cold and REALLY asleep. If your hammie was cold and stiff, I suspect that it was already gone.

 

I think the site my dh found when he ran to the computer was hamsterific.com or something like that. If you google hamster hibernation it comes up. It's a good read as an fyi.

[lovemywhirlygirls]

Thanks for your comments, Ladies. Apologies for being radio silent after posting this. Yesterday was a wildly busy day at church. I work part time there and attend, so I got virtually no screen time yesterday.

 

Hope you have a great day!