Dwarf Scare

Question
Hello,

This weekend I had my dwarf hammy in his little plastic ball. He was running around. I was crossing the room. He came out of nowhere really fast and before I could stop, I accidentally kicked the ball with my foot. When I got to him he was frozen. I kept trying to talk to him, but he seemed catatonic. My heart stopped. I thought I might have killed him. Then, slowly he started to move a little and within five minutes he was same as before as if it never happend. I immediately put him back in his tank and he resumed normal play. Why did he remain frozen for so long. Was his bell rung or was he just still out of fear? It really gave me a scare. Needless to say, whenever he's in his ball I won't be walking around doing chores. Just in case, I'll suspend all activities while he's having ball time. Thank you in advance for your thoughts on this.

Answer
Hi Sparta,

Your hamster more than likely went into mild shock.  Shock also occurs when a hamster is dropped, or if it jumps out of someone's hand.  Sometimes it is hurt, and sometimes it's fine, like with your hamster.  As long as you haven't noticed any limping or any kinds of deformities (such as a toe at an odd angle), you don't have anything to worry about.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Kelly