# Saved a mouse... lost a hamster.



## Awaiting_Abyss (Nov 19, 2012)

Last night when I got home from work at midnight, it was 50 degrees F in the house. The heater was off, so I immediately went to check on my animals (after turning on the heater).

Everyone was fine and snug except one of my female mice, Triona, who recently had a litter (her litter is almost two weeks old now). She was completely stiff and not moving. I picked her up and she was like an ice cube; absolutely no warmth on her body. Her head limp. So I picked her up and wrapped her in nesting tissues and took her in the den with me. I sat on the couch and put her against my chest and put my hand around her to keep her there, then my husband put a blanket over us. So I sat like that for over an hour with her. At one point two cats and my chihuahua joined me on the couch... so it was me, two cats, a chihuahua and a mouse snuggled up together on the same corner of the couch. Slowly Triona started moving around more. She started licking my hand so I'd stroke her head. Then after a while she started acting like a mouse again. She crawled up my chest and got under my thermal robe that I was wearing and slept for a while on my shoulder until I decided she was fine and put her back with her babies.
I haven't seen her nurse her babies yet though.. Luckily her daughter is taking good care of them (the litter is a mixture of Triona's and her daughter's babies).

After that I went around and made sure everyone had plenty of food, water and nesting material. When I checked on my dwarf hamster, Momo, I gave him more food and called him, but he wouldn't come out of his hut. So I picked up his hut and there he was, curled up as if he was sleeping but he was dead. :/ He was quite an old hamster though. I had him for 2 and a half years, and he was an adult when I got him. Rest in peace, Momo. You will be missed.


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## shadowmouse (Sep 17, 2010)

Oh, that is sad. I can't believe the cold had that much of an affect on them. I know plenty of folks that keep their mice in sheds and barns in places where it gets much colder than 50 degrees F. I guess the extra bedding should help if it should happen again.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Nov 19, 2012)

I guess its because my mice have never lived outdoors, so they're not used to those temperatures. Last year I lived in an apartment that I shared with my brother so we kept it warm during the winter. Now I'm in an old mobile home that doesn't hold heat very well :s


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## shadowmouse (Sep 17, 2010)

Oh, that is too bad. We live in a mobile home as well. We get warm spots in our house. So we set the heat on lower and then turn the fan to ON. That way it circulates the warm air better. I also run a warm mist humidifier and that keeps the room nice and toasty. Less fire risk than a space heater too.


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