# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**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, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/41 "2016-04-20T12:09:37Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > Do any of you realize you’re answering a thread that’s 3 years old? it got better… ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/42 "2016-04-20T14:25:58Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > 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)? I know adult women who keep mice. They just happen to like mice. I don’t think there’s an age limit to owning rodents. And even if it **would** be considered very odd in some circles, since when do SDMB posters care about that? We’re all pretty odd already. [QUOTE=Celyn] 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. [/QUOTE] I’ve never owned hamsters ('cuz I’m not a weirdo like you 😛 😉 /jk), but I see that a lot of people on the internet want to know the same thing, and the general opinion seems to be that it’s just fine to leave a properly prepped hamster by itself for up to four days. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/43 "2016-04-20T14:27:00Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > Do any of you realize you’re answering a thread that’s 3 years old? We put it in the freezer and it revived! 🙂 (And yes, **ddsun** already pointed out the zombie-hamster aspect in the second post after revivification.) ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/44 "2016-04-20T15:14:40Z")
Hamsters are solitary creatures. A pair would end up fighting to the death. Ask me how I know ☹ ---
**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, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/45 "2016-04-20T18:14:45Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > Hamsters are solitary creatures. A pair would end up fighting to the death. > > Ask me how I know ☹ How do you know? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/46 "2016-04-20T18:37:10Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > Hamsters are solitary creatures. A pair would end up fighting to the death. > > Ask me how I know ☹ _Sometimes_ a mated pair or siblings will do OK, in a larger cage. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/47 "2016-04-20T19:20:07Z")
Hamsters don’t much interact with humans even when we are around, so I don’t see how not being around would be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/48 "2016-04-20T19:31:50Z")
"Boo will have clean wood shavings, you evil bastards! " ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/49 "2016-04-20T19:42:12Z")
My investigation into this would begin with determining who was the beneficiary on the hamster’s life insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/50 "2016-04-21T00:44:56Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > Hamsters are solitary creatures. A pair would end up fighting to the death. > > Ask me how I know ☹ Ooh, so one could, in theory at least, make lots of money by getting people to bet on hamster gladiator games? 🙂 (Not that I would, oh dear me no). 😃 Thanks to all who said it is OK to have hamsters. I might do that. I think even have plasticky wheels these days, which might cut down on the nocturnal squeaking. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/51 "2016-04-21T00:48:20Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > Do any of you realize you’re answering a thread that’s 3 years old? Oh yes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/52 "2016-04-21T01:03:11Z")
Do you know where the hamster food was made , was there anything from China in his cage ? It could had been lead poisoning if he had any toys made in China . ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/53 "2016-04-21T02:21:38Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > Hamsters are solitary creatures. A pair would end up fighting to the death. > > Ask me how I know ☹ Yes, my introduction to this principle was putting a male and female hamster together. She flipped him over like a ninja and went for his throat. I jammed my hand in there and her teeth clicked against both sides of my finger bone, punching entirely through my finger. Both hamsters were unscathed. > [@Celyn](#): > > Ooh, so one could, in theory at least, make lots of money by getting people to bet on hamster gladiator games? 🙂 > > (Not that I would, oh dear me no). 😃 > > Thanks to all who said it is OK to have hamsters. I might do that. I think even have plasticky wheels these days, which might cut down on the nocturnal squeaking. 🙂 There have been news reports of police busting up at least two separate illegal _finch-fighting_ rings. Humans are dumbasses. For nocturnal squeaking, WD-40 the wheel axle. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/54 "2016-04-21T02:44:48Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > Ooh, so one could, in theory at least, make lots of money by getting people to bet on hamster gladiator games? 🙂 > > (Not that I would, oh dear me no). 😃 Calling dibs on “Hammibal Lecter” as my gladiator’s name. ---
**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 21, 2016, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/55 "2016-04-21T03:00:08Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Calling dibs on “Hammibal Lecter” as my gladiator’s name. “Hammesterball Lecter” is more punny…aka terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/56 "2016-04-21T17:46:58Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > “Hammesterball Lecter” is more punny…aka terrible. Okay I rescind my dibs, yours is better. 🙂 I’m going with Hamsterus Rex instead. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/57 "2016-04-23T00:50:37Z")
> [@RIP\_Chewy](#): > > Yeah, my hammie died of a stroke awhile ago. Usually it’s not too much pain. Welcome to the SDMB. It appears that your resurrection of this zombie thread about hamster death traumatized our resident hamsters to the point of inability to perform their function of keeping the Board operational. Unfortunately, such an incident cannot be permitted to pass without substantial consequences. Please report to the room with the sign that reads: “Caution: Beware of Goats”\* \*Do not be misled by the sign. There is no guarantee that your consequences will involve a goat or goats. We often employ giant squids. ---
**Author:** ![teddybound](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@teddybound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teddybound)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923/58 "2016-04-23T17:56:17Z")
It has been many many years. But I still miss my hamster very much. No more pets for me! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-what-did-my-hamster-die-of/651923.md?page=2)