My daughter and I have a senior hamster - she is over 3 so a good age for a Syrian and quite doddery on her paws now.
Yesterday I found her curled up in an open corner of her cage - not her bedroom area where she always sleeps - this is completely out of character for her, so I assumed the worst. She was also completely unresponsive when I gently touched her - again, completely out of character.
I was 98% certain she had passed, but because of something I read as a child about peopl burying hamsters thinking they were dead when they were actually just hibernating, I wanted to be 100% sure, so decided to leave her over night - I placed some chunks of apple (her favourite food) near her, and also a bowl of water (I have had some concerns recently that she has some form of dementia and no longer knows how to use the water bottle, so have been giving her water in a bowl also, to cover all bases).
I was basically stunned to go in this morning and find her walking and climbing around her cage just as normal. And when I put food in she actually put on a burst of speed to get to it!
Has anybody else had this, and have any ideas what could have happened? Do they sleep more deeply when elderly? I'd been sorting out a suitable box to bury her in - that's how certain I was!
Also, any great tips for elderly hamster care would be really welcomed. She isn't bonded to us in the way other hamsters I have had have been - sadly she was too old when she came to us and hadn't been socialised so she has learnt to tolerate us rather than love us - but she's still a lovely little thing, and I'd like to give her the best care we can in her elderly months.....