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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this Mum killed her sons hamster?

67 replies

KittysMyName · 31/03/2017 19:27

A woman I know bought her 3 year old DS a hamster. They went on holiday for a few days, so just "left its bowl full of food and made sure it's water bottle was full." A day after coming home the hamster died and she posted on FB how she couldn't believe it and how upset her and her DS were. She didn't seem to think the death was in any way related to leaving it and her or anyone who commented didn't mention it. They all just said sometimes hamsters don't live very long (she had it for just a few months!)

AIBU to think you can't just leave pets on their own for a few days with a full bowl of food and full water bottle and think it's ok and nothing will happen??

OP posts:
ispymincepie · 31/03/2017 19:29

YANBU that's awful Shock

minionsrule · 31/03/2017 19:31

I'm not sure to be honest, we have had hamsters and the buggers store their food everywhere in their cage.
Hamsters aren't like dogs/cats and I doubt a few days on its own caused it to die, the water bottles hold loads of water and they don't go through that much in a few days.
Our last hamster (well looked after I might add) only lasted 4 months, nothing obviously wrong with it - just went to clean his cage out one evening and he was lying face down Sad

PinkDaffodil2 · 31/03/2017 19:31

How long is a few days? Gone for less than 48 hours, while still not ok, is very different to being gone for a week.

BertieBotts · 31/03/2017 19:31

How long is a few days? I think a hamster would be okay for 2-3 days max with loads of food and water. But I don't know. They do hoard food, don't they? You wouldn't notice signs of illness if you were away.

Semaphorically · 31/03/2017 19:34

It wasn't hibernating was it? They can if the heating is turned down. Seem dead, not dead.

ShowMePotatoSalad · 31/03/2017 19:34

Even though it might not be linked I think it's reckless - what if something happened that meant the hamster couldn't get to its water? If you have a pet even a small one you're supposed to look after it or get someone to watch it.

ragz134 · 31/03/2017 19:34

I would have assumed you could leave a hamster alone for a few days with food and water. But I've never had hamsters...

ShowMePotatoSalad · 31/03/2017 19:34

I agree without heating in the house it could have gone in to hibernation mode or even got hyperthermia

ATailofTwoKitties · 31/03/2017 19:36

I don't know. I've hamster-sat for a friend, and honestly not had to top up the food for a week (though I did change the water). Hamsters are little blighters for just dying on you.

Meekonsandwich · 31/03/2017 19:37

Honestly it's not great but the hamster would be fine. They hoard tonnes of good in their bed. But if they didn't keep their heating on it could have gotten too cold and hibernated. Or had wet tail that they couldn't have checked, because they left it. It kills very quickly.

That's really sad. They aren't really pets for toddlers and small children because their motor skills aren't great and if the hamster bites the children are likely to squeeze or drop them. They need a lot of patience to tame and they are nocturnal so kids don't stay up late enough to see them.

What a shame

CleverQuacks · 31/03/2017 19:38

We used to do this all the time with our hamster and he lived til he was 5! Hamsters eat and drink very little, they hide their food and then eat little bits as needed because they are desert animals where food is limited. I really don't believe leaving it for a couple of days would kill it. Unless as others said it got to cold (we always left the heating on timed when we went away).

DixieNormas · 31/03/2017 19:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
KittysMyName · 31/03/2017 19:40

It was left for 4 days. I don't know if heating was on or off I'm afraid. I do know hamsters store food, and water bottles do hold a lot, but as @ShowMePotatoSalad said, what if something happened and it couldn't get its water (it fell off the cage etc). It just feels wrong to me to leave a pet totally on its own for days.

OP posts:
StillDrivingMeBonkers · 31/03/2017 19:41

That wouldn't kill it. So YABU to accuse her on a public forum

gavel

WhooooAmI24601 · 31/03/2017 19:44

Hamsters just die sometimes for no real reason other than death. We've had a few; some have been invincible things, one died at 6 months old. Luckily the DCs moved onto rabbits which seem more hardy.

YABU to assume it was the owners fault. If it had lots of food and water them being away wouldn't have played a part in it's demise.

hibbledobble · 31/03/2017 19:44

If the water bottle still had water and there was food in the cage I don't think you are being fair.

4 days isn't that long either.

It's also true that hamsters have very short lifespans, and often die unexpectedly. I had many as a child.

StillDrivingMeBonkers · 31/03/2017 19:47

TBH I've had hundreds of the buggers from Pets at Home - they just die willy nilly. I have no idea where they source their breeders from. Ones bought privately do not expire so rapidly. They've had strokes, heart attacks, the hamster equivalent of crohnes Hmm, never had one with normal life expectancy.

*disclaimer hundreds = four.

Pestilentialone · 31/03/2017 19:50

A few days away is not going to kill a hamster. Do you suspect she stabbed it?

Ginmakesitallok · 31/03/2017 19:50

As long as it was left with food and water 4 days alone wouldn't have killed it. Our previous wee furry died while we were away for 2 days - no wet tail, just died. Sad

DJBaggySmalls · 31/03/2017 19:55

It might have gone into hibernation, they do that if it gets cold.

corlan · 31/03/2017 19:57

Hamsters just die sometimes for no real reason other than death

I'm not a trained vet but I'm guessing death is always the reason!

BlueFolly · 31/03/2017 19:58

How the hell has she killed a hamster by leaving it alone for 4 days? You are being ridiculous!

ArriettyClock1 · 31/03/2017 19:59

Meh - it doesn't exactly scream neglect to me.

Our hamster recently died, (he was almost 5!) - but a little water bottle would last him 2 weeks.

BeaderBird · 31/03/2017 20:00

Of course you can leave a hamster alone for a week as long as it was provided enough food and water. The only problem is that you aren't there if if becomes ill or injures itself.

expatinscotland · 31/03/2017 20:00

I had one escape for 6 days and I have no idea what he was eating or drinking but he was fine upon capture.

We also had one just die a couple of days after bringing him home for no reason at all, just went to check on him before DD got home from school and he was dead.

So YABU.