# Mystery: What did my hamster die of? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 3, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923 "2013-03-03T16:51:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/21 "2013-03-04T05:23:48Z")
He probably had been sick for awhile before you noticed. Animals generally conceal any illnesses or injuries as long as possible. In the wild, showing signs of vulnerability is a way to end up getting eaten. So animals often don’t look sick until they’re on the verge of dying. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/22 "2013-03-04T11:07:04Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > He probably had been sick for awhile before you noticed. Animals generally conceal any illnesses or injuries as long as possible. In the wild, showing signs of vulnerability is a way to end up getting eaten. So animals often don’t look sick until they’re on the verge of dying. This, particularly prey animals. But, since you want specific conditions, there are two main geriatric conditions which can cause death in hamsters. Since this was a hamster living alone, I’m not including possibly infectious diseases which could be more common in colonies. The conditions are amyloidosis and atrial thrombosis (blood clots in the heart). The later can be also caused by the first one, as kidney failure due to amyloidosis can lead to clotting problems which can lead to getting a blood clot in the heart. For more information about these diseases, this is a good link: [Hamster handout at Veterinary Partner](http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=679). ---
**Author:** ![teddybound](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@teddybound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teddybound)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/23 "2013-03-05T07:38:43Z")
Thanks so much guys. I really needed closure over Hammie. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/24 "2013-03-05T15:00:25Z")
In my experience I have found that most mammals that die were alive the day before. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/25 "2013-03-05T15:48:26Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > And I thought freezing only worked on harddisks. Yeah, it’s the hammer part that’s probelmatic with hamsters. ---
**Author:** ![nion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nion)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/26 "2013-03-06T06:06:03Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Lupus It’s never lupus! ---
**Author:** ![RIP\_Chewy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/858c86/32.png) [@RIP\_Chewy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RIP_Chewy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/27 "2016-04-19T22:28:34Z")
> [@AndrewL](#): > > Sounds like it could have been a stroke. Yeah, my hammie died of a stroke awhile ago. Usually it’s not too much pain. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/28 "2016-04-19T23:10:19Z")
Obligatory mention of zombie hamsters. Interesting because apparently you can freeze them and then re-animate them. (Don’t try this.) > [@Fiveroptic](#): > > Yeah, pretty much. Hamsters excel at three things with “dying” being #1. “Pooping” is #2 (heh, I crack me up!) and “biting” is #3. But nothing dies as well as a hamster. I’ll just say that goldfish are also excellent at dying. 100 gallon tank with full filtering, stable pH and chemical levels, only 3 fish in the tank, and they’ll still die. They’re like the sheep of domestic pets. Able to die in new and inventive ways for no particular reason. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/29 "2016-04-19T23:12:57Z")
> [@nion](#): > > It’s never lupus! Could be, though. If your hamster gets loose out in a field and gets eaten by a wolf, it might be lupus. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/30 "2016-04-19T23:31:48Z")
Was there a tiny noose and a puddle of water in the cage? ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/31 "2016-04-20T00:06:33Z")
🙂 ---
**Author:** ![combatvolcano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@combatvolcano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/combatvolcano)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/32 "2016-04-20T00:07:08Z")
Hamsters really are “tame” and not really what we think of as “domesticated”. Wild animals generally do not show outward signs of weakness because in the wild this gets them eaten. When it is time for them to go the end is usually swift. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/33 "2016-04-20T02:52:44Z")
Oh, I don’t think a swift could carry off a hamster, could it? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/34 "2016-04-20T04:14:06Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > Oh, I don’t think a swift could carry off a hamster, could it? African or European? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/35 "2016-04-20T04:35:56Z")
Taylor Swift kills hamsters? ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/36 "2016-04-20T04:43:56Z")
> [@simster](#): > > African or European? Ha! A trick question, eh? The unladen bird of Monty Python was a swallow. It might well have been very swift, but I don’t think the matter of its speed was properly resolved. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/37 "2016-04-20T04:48:09Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Taylor Swift kills hamsters? No, silly! That was Freddie Starr. 🙂 (Or not, really). ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/38 "2016-04-20T04:52:21Z")
Here’s a hamstery question (or two) 1 - Would it be VERY odd of me, adult woman of many years older than the usual hamster-keeping age, to get a hamster or two as pet (s)? 2 - Were I to adopt a hamster, would it be massively cruel, or might it be all right, to leave it all alone for the occasional weekend? With plenty of food and water, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/39 "2016-04-20T08:52:54Z")
Do any of you realize you’re answering a thread that’s 3 years old? ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/40 "2016-04-20T09:25:44Z")
Which goes to show that some SDMB threads have a considerably longer life span than Syrian hamsters! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923.md?page=3)