ForgottenAgain
On the rollercoaster of sadness
- Oct 17, 2023
- 1,034
I recently rescued a female hamster, very sweet and gentle. She is 5 months old and during all that time she merely survived, not lived.
She lived in a tiny cage where she could only eat, drink and sleep...she had nothing there for entertainment, literally just 1 bendy bridge and a handful of bedding.
I took her in, she is now in a proper enclosure with a lot of enrichment, and I noticed how she was eating so little. Even if I gave her a treat, she would look at me and turn around to go away. Leaving the treat in the cage, she wouldn't touch it, would be there on the next day.
Now it's been a week and yesterday was the first day I saw her eat a treat I gave her. She even took it from my fingers which is a huge step for her. I feel like I've been watching this animal being depressed - barely eating, not coming out of her house even after we sleep and with a little face that looked melancholic.
This made me think if a hamster can feel depressed or if I'm projecting on her but, I don't think I am.
She is incredibly gentle and calm, it has felt nice to see her running on the wheel, playing in the sand, foraging for flowers...feels like a mental recovery for her.
She lived in a tiny cage where she could only eat, drink and sleep...she had nothing there for entertainment, literally just 1 bendy bridge and a handful of bedding.
I took her in, she is now in a proper enclosure with a lot of enrichment, and I noticed how she was eating so little. Even if I gave her a treat, she would look at me and turn around to go away. Leaving the treat in the cage, she wouldn't touch it, would be there on the next day.
Now it's been a week and yesterday was the first day I saw her eat a treat I gave her. She even took it from my fingers which is a huge step for her. I feel like I've been watching this animal being depressed - barely eating, not coming out of her house even after we sleep and with a little face that looked melancholic.
This made me think if a hamster can feel depressed or if I'm projecting on her but, I don't think I am.
She is incredibly gentle and calm, it has felt nice to see her running on the wheel, playing in the sand, foraging for flowers...feels like a mental recovery for her.
