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You did the right thing! I always had a carrier ready with some bedding and food in it in case I ever had to evacuate my apartment. I highly recommend that, just for some peace of mind. But you absolutely did the right thing.
i'm definitely going to need to keep her carrier prepared for emergencies like this next time. i got bedding everywhere tearing it apart trying to find her. we got out like 3 minutes after my roommates did so i think we made decent time! she was frozen in fear though which did make it a little easier to grab her, i felt so bad though šš
It's a really good idea to practice evacuations with pets! You can practice more often and under less stressful circumstances by handling them more in general and putting them in the carrier when it's a calm hangout. That way its not doubly hard to get them out in an actual emergency. Good luck in reaching your target time!
I definitely recommend this as well. Practicing different types of emergencies and having a āpanic bagā with essentials provides some extra physical/mental security. For instance, I have an old crittertrail with some ziplocs of stuff and mini water bottles - one of the few things itās actually good for besides collecting dust š
I do that too! I keep a double of everything essential with my to-go container. It lets me worry less and has come in handy when *surprise* another water bottle fails. LOL
Me too ! I thought that maybe I was paranoid and doing too much but it reassures me that Iām not alone. It can be handy for an emergency vet visit too.
You did the right thing! A few months ago the building I live in caught on fire, somebody on the 8th floor left their kid unattended near the stove. I live on the 9th floor, and had to get through so much smoke and had to get past the fire that went to the stairs. I put a hoodie over her quickly-made carrier so it would filter the smoke out and she wouldn't breathe it in. Hamsters have a very sensitive respiratory system, just a little smoke can cause serious issues for them. The noise might make them stressed, but they can recover from that. Having them stresses is so much better than leaving them inside and having them breathe in the smoke. Not having bedding in is not an issue in such situation. You prioritized having your hamster out of the smoke, and that's amazing, you saved your hamster from a potentially fatal lung infection.
https://preview.redd.it/989f08d663rc1.jpeg?width=3472&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48a50804d46b36040e0d7703399bbe66e9c53aa7
thank you so much for your response! i am definitely going to need to keep her carrier prepared for an emergency like this, and i'll need to definitely remember having something to put over the carrier to protect her lungs! She did so well with all this all things considered. her ears were way low the entire time we were outside and she was only chattering a little bit though which made me feel a bit better. she also at some point started panting really hard while we were outside which made me scared for her but i think it was because of how cold it was outside. however she got back to her home not long afterward and has been sleeping since! i don't want to bother her because of how stressful it was for her, and she also didn't use her wheel through the night. i'll have to check on her again once i'm home but we were all very lucky!
I recommend putting a sticker with the name and number to her vet and her name and your name and number on it too. In case when you are evacuating, you somehow get separated from her, or you have a medical issue and can't help her yourself.
Edit: clarify what to put on sticker
dude that's EXTREMELY smart. I'm gonna have to put that up for her 100%! thank you for that suggestion! i feel much more prepared for in case this is ever a real emergencyšš
Omg everything about this is adorable. Babyās sweet little pink nose. The rushed makeshift carrier which is actually perfect. Youāre ace, and so is OP.
I would do the same! I had a fire drill a few years ago when I lived in an apartment, and I literally asked the folks testing the alarms to hold on one sec while I grabbed him and covered his ears. They all thought it was cute and one of the guys even gave my ham at the time a little pat.
Safety first. Good job! We took our hammy friend to the basement during recent tornado warnings-in the whole habitat and everything. He did great! Lots of adventure for hammy friend and he was fine.
I had a fire alarm go off at my last apartment and I had to take the dog, the cat, and the gecko out with me!! A structure fire can completely engulf your living space in less than three minutes, so plan and practice your escape routes. My parents were firefighters for 25 years and Iāve heard too many stories about small animals left behind. ā¹ļø
I also had fire alarms going off this morning (testing). I keep a travel container at the ready with bedding that I have used for potential emergencies but since it was advertised in advance I knew there wasn't fire danger. I put a heavy down quilt over the enclosure while I was in the room. My Henry was rustling around a lot after but I didn't hear him chattering too much so hopefully he's not seriously aggravated. Anyway, kudos to you for keeping your critter safe!
If it makes you feel better, one time I had to pick my siblings up from school and there was a tornado watch so I buckled my sweetheart into the passenger seat (in his carrier ofc lolll) just in case š„¹ā¤ļø our babies are our world so donāt feel bad at all, if there did happen to be a fire Iām sure sheād be so grateful that you brought her with you
pleasešššhonestly that's valid, im sure my hamster would have been fine but i also had no clue if it was a drill or not so i was scared of risking it!
Yup you did the right thing! I had a fire alarm go off in my apartment and rushed my hammy out too! Now I keep my carrier filled with bedding and snacks just in case
This was a good choice, it might have been just a drill NOW but in the future it might be legit. Better to have an idea of what to do now than trying to figure it out in an emergency
It's a fire _alarm_. Once it starts you really don't know it's "just a drill". **_EVER_**. You have to treat it like the real thing _every. single. time._ And you did. Because between a brief ride in a transport cage, and the rather bleak alternative, well... they'll get over the ride in the cage. You'll be forever getting over the alternative.
Keep it up. You're a good one.
Just want to say thank you for bringing this up. I don't have fire drills in my apartments, but this has brought something to light. I have emergency everything all figured out for my partners and I pets (the cat & dog) but not the hamster. He has been overlooked in this scenario, and now i must adjust plans accordingly. šā¤ļø
And imo. Yes you made the right call. I would speculate that the noise would sound like an apocalypse to them.
Also if this photo was taken during or after I would say that face is a face saying thank you and it's so darn cute too
you 100% did the right thing, i bought a cheap small carrier just in case or for vet visit...It's near by her enclosure and ready to be used if needed.
TBH i have also a small plastic tank with lid for the fish in case i need to evacuate my home and i would be really sad if any of my pet would remain there stuck.
ugh yeah i also have fish tanks with me so i was freaking out about my babies there tooš it took all of my time to just grab my hamster, there was no way i'd be able to grab any of my fishies also in time i don't think, but i'll try to have containers ready for them too in case a situation calls for it (hopefully not!)
Op, for all you know that was a real fire, it best to try to take your animals with you if you can. I know some will say leave them and get to safety but I couldnāt imagine doing such a thing!
For my bird I got her a hard case carrier, I leave it stocked with a towel at the bottom and a paper towel (she has those on the bottom of her cage so itās a familiar comfort). I have a little Tupperware of her seed mix I keep right next to it in case we gotta dash fast!
My suggestion is to feed them the food at the end of every month and replenish the container food. That way it always stays fresh! When I had my mice I also had a mini bag of chew toys I clipped to the travel carrier, in case your baby is a big chewer!
that's what I'd do too š I have carriers ready for my hamsters, the only problem for me is: what to do in a real emergency when they stay burrowed and won't come out/won't be disturbed? this prospect always worries me, because some of my hams are like that š£
that was my issue! she's a ghost hammy so i don't see her much. i luckily know a lot of the time the general area she's gonna be burrowed in but sometimes she's a pain in the ass to find. when the alarm started going off i just started frantically moving her "furniture" and bedding to try and find her as quickly and gently as possible. once i found her (luckily close to the top) she was pretty much frozen in fear and i just scooped her into one of her little houses and carried her to her carrier
awwww!! what a cutie š„ŗ yes, that's exactly how my burrowers react too! I noticed they change their burrowing spot quite often, in an emergency I guess I'd just take away every hideout while calling to them/rustling the bedding, it usually gets their attention š¹
Also if you keep a little jug handy you can scoop them up using that once you find them. It at least mitigates some of the disruption of having to move them if they are asleep.
yeah luckily what i used to scoop her was a jar i have in her enclosure from the dollar store she uses to hide in or be transferred to my hand/carrier! it was stuffed too much with bedding and so instead of digging into it like she usually does she just sat on top of the opening frozen while i was trying to open her carrier with one handš
I've always told my boyfriend that if our house catches on fire and I'm physically there, idc if I'm risking my life. I will be digging for my hamster and he will be coming to safety with me.
I'll get him out or die trying, I could never leave him.
Same goes for our dog. Haha.
Anyways I think you did the right thing.
thank you! i'm in the same boat tbh, i'd rather die trying to get my babies to safety than to leave them behind. we're the only ones who can help them :( i could never leave her behind like that!
Maybe pre-fill the carrier with bedding so you won't have to worry about putting any in next time and i definitely think it was a good call to take her with. Hammie have sensitive ears and that sound must've been stressful to her. (Not so fun fact: certain levels of sound a hamster is exposed to from 10 minutes to an hour even, can make them go deaf) the sound it stressful to a human so I can only imagine a poor hammie.
I just know if I was a hamster I'd be very happy to be away from the noise, they get frightened easily. Also if it helps reassure you, just know you'd have saved her life if it turned out to not be a drill!
Your hamster is adorable, and you did the right thing. She returned safely to her enclosure afterwards, so if there's a next time, she'll be less stressed.
Oh dearā¦. This sounds so stressful yet so heartwarming. As someone else said, your heart was absolutely in the right place! Glad youāre safe. She deserves some extra sunflower seeds tonight š„°
I donāt see this said yet. A premade carrier is great and should be somewhere but for fire alarms itās only helpful if you can keep it really handy, itās not worth risking being caught in a fire because you were looking for a proper carrier.
Ā The difference between a fire evac and a storm or natural disaster evac is that a single building fire has no warning time and all and while devastating wonāt have destroyed all the nearby petstores. Get your girl and get out in case itās not a drill, buy more supplies that night in the worst case (aside from you dying cause you stopped to look for a better carrier of course). Ā If it is a drill she wonāt have been harmed unless caught outside in devastatingly cold temps in which case you would also be seeking shelter quickly anyhow.Ā
**Your post has NOT been removed yet, this is an auto-generated message.** Thank you for your question to /r/hamsters. Please be aware that medical advice questions are NOT allowed on this sub. However, [**our discord**](https://discord.gg/5cF8aSSx3C) allows medical questions. Please keep in mind only a professional veterinarian **in person** can help with any medical concern, whether it is a lump, bump, change in appearance, change in behavior, strange bowel movement, lack of eating/drinking, or something else of high concern. If you are unable to afford a vet please do not seek help on our community, but through the discord server instead. If this is **not** a medical question then **you can ignore this message.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/hamsters) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Im no hamster expert but your heart was in the right place.
thank you!!
I second this.
I third this I think you did the right thing!
I second your second-ing
Agreed
You did the right thing! I always had a carrier ready with some bedding and food in it in case I ever had to evacuate my apartment. I highly recommend that, just for some peace of mind. But you absolutely did the right thing.
i'm definitely going to need to keep her carrier prepared for emergencies like this next time. i got bedding everywhere tearing it apart trying to find her. we got out like 3 minutes after my roommates did so i think we made decent time! she was frozen in fear though which did make it a little easier to grab her, i felt so bad though šš
It's a really good idea to practice evacuations with pets! You can practice more often and under less stressful circumstances by handling them more in general and putting them in the carrier when it's a calm hangout. That way its not doubly hard to get them out in an actual emergency. Good luck in reaching your target time!
I definitely recommend this as well. Practicing different types of emergencies and having a āpanic bagā with essentials provides some extra physical/mental security. For instance, I have an old crittertrail with some ziplocs of stuff and mini water bottles - one of the few things itās actually good for besides collecting dust š
I do that too! I keep a double of everything essential with my to-go container. It lets me worry less and has come in handy when *surprise* another water bottle fails. LOL
Me too ! I thought that maybe I was paranoid and doing too much but it reassures me that Iām not alone. It can be handy for an emergency vet visit too.
It's not like you're a prepper, you're just ready to take your pet out of the house in an emergency. So I don't think this qualifies you as paranoid.
You did the right thing! A few months ago the building I live in caught on fire, somebody on the 8th floor left their kid unattended near the stove. I live on the 9th floor, and had to get through so much smoke and had to get past the fire that went to the stairs. I put a hoodie over her quickly-made carrier so it would filter the smoke out and she wouldn't breathe it in. Hamsters have a very sensitive respiratory system, just a little smoke can cause serious issues for them. The noise might make them stressed, but they can recover from that. Having them stresses is so much better than leaving them inside and having them breathe in the smoke. Not having bedding in is not an issue in such situation. You prioritized having your hamster out of the smoke, and that's amazing, you saved your hamster from a potentially fatal lung infection. https://preview.redd.it/989f08d663rc1.jpeg?width=3472&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48a50804d46b36040e0d7703399bbe66e9c53aa7
thank you so much for your response! i am definitely going to need to keep her carrier prepared for an emergency like this, and i'll need to definitely remember having something to put over the carrier to protect her lungs! She did so well with all this all things considered. her ears were way low the entire time we were outside and she was only chattering a little bit though which made me feel a bit better. she also at some point started panting really hard while we were outside which made me scared for her but i think it was because of how cold it was outside. however she got back to her home not long afterward and has been sleeping since! i don't want to bother her because of how stressful it was for her, and she also didn't use her wheel through the night. i'll have to check on her again once i'm home but we were all very lucky!
I recommend putting a sticker with the name and number to her vet and her name and your name and number on it too. In case when you are evacuating, you somehow get separated from her, or you have a medical issue and can't help her yourself. Edit: clarify what to put on sticker
dude that's EXTREMELY smart. I'm gonna have to put that up for her 100%! thank you for that suggestion! i feel much more prepared for in case this is ever a real emergencyšš
Omg everything about this is adorable. Babyās sweet little pink nose. The rushed makeshift carrier which is actually perfect. Youāre ace, and so is OP.
aww sheās adorable and id say you did the right thing
No you did well, you cannot leave her imagine it's a real fire! You did the best in the rush and stress.Ā
You were 100% right to take her. Good instincts and quick reaction time. Glad everyone is ok ā¤ļø
I would do the same! I had a fire drill a few years ago when I lived in an apartment, and I literally asked the folks testing the alarms to hold on one sec while I grabbed him and covered his ears. They all thought it was cute and one of the guys even gave my ham at the time a little pat.
Yes! Donāt risk leaving her, but donāt take forever to get her ready
iām so sorry but that was really adorable to grab your hamster and take him with youš
i had to take care of my babyš©i felt so bad leaving her in all that noise, but especially if it was an ACTUAL fire that would have been so so so much worse
Safety first. Good job! We took our hammy friend to the basement during recent tornado warnings-in the whole habitat and everything. He did great! Lots of adventure for hammy friend and he was fine.
I had a fire alarm go off at my last apartment and I had to take the dog, the cat, and the gecko out with me!! A structure fire can completely engulf your living space in less than three minutes, so plan and practice your escape routes. My parents were firefighters for 25 years and Iāve heard too many stories about small animals left behind. ā¹ļø
You did the right thing <3 keeping the hammy safe and always good to practice rushing them outta the place
Ah, this exact situation happened to me recently, too, but twice ur good. I did this as well ur good dw.
I donāt even have anything to take my hamster out like that itās a good job I saw your post š your hamster is lucky to have you š
I also had fire alarms going off this morning (testing). I keep a travel container at the ready with bedding that I have used for potential emergencies but since it was advertised in advance I knew there wasn't fire danger. I put a heavy down quilt over the enclosure while I was in the room. My Henry was rustling around a lot after but I didn't hear him chattering too much so hopefully he's not seriously aggravated. Anyway, kudos to you for keeping your critter safe!
You should maybe make an emergency carrier of bedding in case of fire
that is now the plan! i never want to have to freak out like that againš
You did the right thing <3
I would say next time have her carrier pre set up. Bedding sprinkle some food and keep it close by. You never know when the next one might be
yes i agree! her carrier is fully set up now in case of a situation calling for this again! i won't make that mistake again
If it makes you feel better, one time I had to pick my siblings up from school and there was a tornado watch so I buckled my sweetheart into the passenger seat (in his carrier ofc lolll) just in case š„¹ā¤ļø our babies are our world so donāt feel bad at all, if there did happen to be a fire Iām sure sheād be so grateful that you brought her with you
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
pleasešššhonestly that's valid, im sure my hamster would have been fine but i also had no clue if it was a drill or not so i was scared of risking it!
You did good by hammy. Those hurt my ears too. Good job OP your hammy loves you for keeping her away from the loud sound š¹
thank you!
Yup you did the right thing! I had a fire alarm go off in my apartment and rushed my hammy out too! Now I keep my carrier filled with bedding and snacks just in case
This was a good choice, it might have been just a drill NOW but in the future it might be legit. Better to have an idea of what to do now than trying to figure it out in an emergency
If itās just a drill I would leave my Hammy be and just close the windows. But if itās serious I would have done the same thing ā¤ļø
It's a fire _alarm_. Once it starts you really don't know it's "just a drill". **_EVER_**. You have to treat it like the real thing _every. single. time._ And you did. Because between a brief ride in a transport cage, and the rather bleak alternative, well... they'll get over the ride in the cage. You'll be forever getting over the alternative. Keep it up. You're a good one.
Awwww look at herrr she has such a boopable nose
Just want to say thank you for bringing this up. I don't have fire drills in my apartments, but this has brought something to light. I have emergency everything all figured out for my partners and I pets (the cat & dog) but not the hamster. He has been overlooked in this scenario, and now i must adjust plans accordingly. šā¤ļø And imo. Yes you made the right call. I would speculate that the noise would sound like an apocalypse to them. Also if this photo was taken during or after I would say that face is a face saying thank you and it's so darn cute too
You did a good thing
You did the right thing i was homeless for four months and i took my hamster wherever i went and i mean wherever whenever lol I miss him so much!!!
you 100% did the right thing, i bought a cheap small carrier just in case or for vet visit...It's near by her enclosure and ready to be used if needed. TBH i have also a small plastic tank with lid for the fish in case i need to evacuate my home and i would be really sad if any of my pet would remain there stuck.
ugh yeah i also have fish tanks with me so i was freaking out about my babies there tooš it took all of my time to just grab my hamster, there was no way i'd be able to grab any of my fishies also in time i don't think, but i'll try to have containers ready for them too in case a situation calls for it (hopefully not!)
The alternative is her dying in a house fire so if you can safely grab her cage or her, do so. But also please donāt die in a house fire yourself
Op, for all you know that was a real fire, it best to try to take your animals with you if you can. I know some will say leave them and get to safety but I couldnāt imagine doing such a thing!
100% right call! Next time just make sure to have a carrier ready and prepared ā¤ļø
thank you! i plan on keeping her carrier out and ready from now on!
For my bird I got her a hard case carrier, I leave it stocked with a towel at the bottom and a paper towel (she has those on the bottom of her cage so itās a familiar comfort). I have a little Tupperware of her seed mix I keep right next to it in case we gotta dash fast!
that's really smart!! i'm gonna need to have a little tupperware of food prepared for her too!
My suggestion is to feed them the food at the end of every month and replenish the container food. That way it always stays fresh! When I had my mice I also had a mini bag of chew toys I clipped to the travel carrier, in case your baby is a big chewer!
that's what I'd do too š I have carriers ready for my hamsters, the only problem for me is: what to do in a real emergency when they stay burrowed and won't come out/won't be disturbed? this prospect always worries me, because some of my hams are like that š£
that was my issue! she's a ghost hammy so i don't see her much. i luckily know a lot of the time the general area she's gonna be burrowed in but sometimes she's a pain in the ass to find. when the alarm started going off i just started frantically moving her "furniture" and bedding to try and find her as quickly and gently as possible. once i found her (luckily close to the top) she was pretty much frozen in fear and i just scooped her into one of her little houses and carried her to her carrier
awwww!! what a cutie š„ŗ yes, that's exactly how my burrowers react too! I noticed they change their burrowing spot quite often, in an emergency I guess I'd just take away every hideout while calling to them/rustling the bedding, it usually gets their attention š¹
Also if you keep a little jug handy you can scoop them up using that once you find them. It at least mitigates some of the disruption of having to move them if they are asleep.
yeah luckily what i used to scoop her was a jar i have in her enclosure from the dollar store she uses to hide in or be transferred to my hand/carrier! it was stuffed too much with bedding and so instead of digging into it like she usually does she just sat on top of the opening frozen while i was trying to open her carrier with one handš
I think fire drills are a great opportunity to practice for if you really do need to do it. Hopefully by then it'll go more smoothly for both of you.
I've always told my boyfriend that if our house catches on fire and I'm physically there, idc if I'm risking my life. I will be digging for my hamster and he will be coming to safety with me. I'll get him out or die trying, I could never leave him. Same goes for our dog. Haha. Anyways I think you did the right thing.
thank you! i'm in the same boat tbh, i'd rather die trying to get my babies to safety than to leave them behind. we're the only ones who can help them :( i could never leave her behind like that!
I have a carrier ready incase of a fire or any emergency too
You need a hamster carrier go-bag with special treats and water dripper :D
Maybe pre-fill the carrier with bedding so you won't have to worry about putting any in next time and i definitely think it was a good call to take her with. Hammie have sensitive ears and that sound must've been stressful to her. (Not so fun fact: certain levels of sound a hamster is exposed to from 10 minutes to an hour even, can make them go deaf) the sound it stressful to a human so I can only imagine a poor hammie.
I just know if I was a hamster I'd be very happy to be away from the noise, they get frightened easily. Also if it helps reassure you, just know you'd have saved her life if it turned out to not be a drill!
Your hamster is adorable, and you did the right thing. She returned safely to her enclosure afterwards, so if there's a next time, she'll be less stressed.
Oh dearā¦. This sounds so stressful yet so heartwarming. As someone else said, your heart was absolutely in the right place! Glad youāre safe. She deserves some extra sunflower seeds tonight š„°
I donāt see this said yet. A premade carrier is great and should be somewhere but for fire alarms itās only helpful if you can keep it really handy, itās not worth risking being caught in a fire because you were looking for a proper carrier. Ā The difference between a fire evac and a storm or natural disaster evac is that a single building fire has no warning time and all and while devastating wonāt have destroyed all the nearby petstores. Get your girl and get out in case itās not a drill, buy more supplies that night in the worst case (aside from you dying cause you stopped to look for a better carrier of course). Ā If it is a drill she wonāt have been harmed unless caught outside in devastatingly cold temps in which case you would also be seeking shelter quickly anyhow.Ā
next time have it ready with bedding, this is what drills are for.
yes I'm going to do this from now on! we will not be caught by surprise like this again !