It was cold, and the hamster had been sleeping, presumably hibernating. Then don't feed it, tomorrow spring will say...
Figure | Pixabay
Wait a minute! Many tragedies have happened like this, and the owner is still ignorant! For hamsters, hibernation can be dangerous.
Had to sleep
In order to survive the harsh winter environment of food shortage, some animals will go into a comatose state and lie still. During hibernation, the animal's body temperature decreases, its metabolism slows down, and its energy consumption is greatly reduced. There are many hibernating animals, such as bears, marmots, frogs, snakes and so on.
Hamsters also have a certain ability to hibernate, in a sense more hardy, but their hibernation ability is much inferior to the hibernating "professional households" mentioned above. Animals that are accustomed to hibernation will have an organized and premeditated advance reserve of a large amount of energy for wintering, and the hibernation of hamsters is more of a helpless gamble, so this unprepared hibernation is particularly dangerous, and if it is not good, it will take a small life. Some people call the unprofessional hibernation of hamsters "pseudo-hibernation".
Why sleep?
The decrease in ambient temperature is the main reason for hamsters to hibernate. However, not all hamsters are the same, in the low temperature, some hamsters will hibernate, some will not, and some will hibernate but eventually die of hypothermia. This ability to hibernate is most likely determined by genetic factors.
Another important factor affecting hibernation is light. Under the same temperature conditions, if the light intensity is weak and the time is short, the hamster is more likely to enter the hibernation state.
Even if the environment is warmer, the lack of food and water will allow hamsters to hibernate to save their physical strength, but domestic pet hamsters will basically not have this problem. In addition, isolation and tension will also slightly change the hamster's hibernation behavior, but it is far less affected by temperature and light.
In short, the harsher the environment, the easier it is for hamsters to hibernate.
No rats sleep tonight
Hamster hibernation is dangerous. Because they are small, body temperature loss is faster than in large animals, and they are prone to die of hypothermia. Hamsters have even more limited energy reserves, and if they hibernate for too long, they will exhaust and die. In addition, although the hamster's kidneys can adapt to the dry environment, the hamster during hibernation must often get up to drink water, otherwise it will dehydrate and die.
Therefore, when the weather turns cooler, it is more important to pay more attention to the temperature and the condition of the hamster. Hamsters themselves love to sleep, if you suspect that they have entered hibernation, you can grab a handful of bedding sprinkled on the sleeping hamster, if after a period of time, the hamster on the bedding is gone, it means that the hamster has risen up and moved, the owner can rest assured. On the contrary, it is necessary to find ways to increase the temperature of the cage and keep the hamster alive.
Weak and pitiful but need to eat | Pixabay
Hamsters don't really sleep to death, they just reduce their mobility. At this time, it is necessary to quickly provide warm measures and a large amount of high-calorie food; otherwise, because the sleeping hamster will not wake up to forage, it will eventually starve to death.
How?
Hibernation first aid
Although the owners will take good care of the hamsters to prevent them from hibernating, there are occasional mistakes that cause the hamsters to lie in the cage with cold hands and feet and lifelessness. Don't rush to wipe your tears first, hamster hibernation is to resist the harsh environment, so in the hibernation state they are not so easy to sacrifice, as long as they are found in time, rescue method, or can be saved.
At the heart of first aid is raising the body temperature of the hamster. You can place the hamster on a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, or gently hold the hamster with your hand to warm them up. When the body temperature rises, the hamster will slowly wake up, at this time, use a dropper or syringe to feed them some warm water (it is better to add some sugar), and be careful not to get the hamster wet. When the hamster is fully awake, it can be fed some good digestible paste food. The increasingly energetic hamsters can recover on their own by sending them back to the rat cage and placing them in a warm place, and giving them enough food and water.
There are many stories about hamsters, about the heartbroken master who buried the "dead" love mouse in the yard, only to find that the hamster miraculously reappeared in front of him a few days later. This is where the hamster's slightly chicken-like ability to hibernate plays a role.
Author: SILENTGHOST
An AI
Put the "hibernating" hamster together with the cage in a warm and clean place, pinch the right hand, slowly sprinkle the delicacy with the left hand, and recite the mantra "Sleep you MB up hi" seven hundred and forty-nine times, which can ensure the safety of the hamster's home!
This method is extremely psychic, the circle of friends, and the circulation merit are immeasurable!
(Welcome to forward to the circle of friends ~)
Nutshell
ID：Guokr42
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