☆ i ♥ h a m s t e r s ! ♔ shelly's hammy blog ❥

Stop Hybridization!

2011-05-02T01:13:00.001-07:00

There are two species of hamsters kept as pets that are capable of interbreeding; the Campbells and the Winter White. These hamsters live in completely different areas; therefore the possibility of hybridization occurring in the wild is unlikely. When interbreeding occurs, the female must always be a Campbells because they have a wider head than Winter Whites. The offspring of these animals are often larger than the standards for either the Campbells or the Winter White.

The mixed breeding of the Campbells and the Winter White dwarf hamster is occurring out of ignorance and greed. Many commercial breeders believe that cross-breeding will allow new color mutations for the Campbells and Winter Whites, giving them an opportunity to advertise a “rare” hamster for more money. Hybrid hamsters will only produce hybrids. Breeding for new colors between the two is only delaying the process naturally since it’s harder to find pure stock, depending on where you live.

Colors aren’t the only thing being passed down; diseases commonly found in one of the species are showing up in the hybrids. Glaucoma from the Winter White lines and diabetes from the Campbells are among the most popular diseases between the two. A strict diet must be enforced to reduce the chance of diabetes.

If interbreeding became popular enough, it would eventually make it nearly impossible to find Winter White or Campbells aside from the few breeders who keep track of their lines. Hybrids have a high chance of producing infertile offspring, so it would prove difficult to support an indefinite line of hybrids.

I personally believe that no hamster fancier would intentionally breed hybrids.

Where To Get A Hamster

2011-05-02T00:37:00.000-07:00

You finally made the decision to get a hamster. Congratulations! Now here comes another tough decision. Where should you get your hamster? There is a big difference between most hamsters being sold in pet shops and the hamsters you can get from quality breeders. Pet shop hamsters are mass produced in breeding mills, and are often sold with illnesses or battle wounds. Russian Dwarf hamsters from the pet shop have a high chance of being a hybrid. Quality breeders know the genetic history of their hamsters, and they are often bred to have a better temperament. Plenty of hamsters find their way into rescue shelters every year. These hamsters still have lots of love left in them to give to someone who will appreciate them. Which do you want to choose?

It’s no secret that chain pet stores such as Petco and PetSmart get the majority, if not all, of their rodent stock from breeding farms and mills. The producers of such get-ups are in it for the money. This means that the animals are mass produced to make as much money as possible. The people behind it do not care about the quality of their animals. The hamsters are then shipped around to various stores, and shoved into small containers with a bunch of other hamsters. Quite a few hamsters often come home with battle wounds, or illnesses they had before reaching the pet shop, and pass shortly after creating a heartbreaking situation that pulls on every animal lover’s heartstrings.

Since the Winter White and Campbell Dwarf hamsters can interbreed, there is a high chance that most hamsters labeled as either are a hybrid. To the untrained eye, it could be hard to tell the difference between the two. Winter Whites are bullet shaped with a thick dorsal stripe, whereas Campbells are paler with a puffier shorter face. Hybridization became popular because people wanted to create new color patterns such as “Lilac”, “Pudding”, and “Mandarin”. Interbreeding the two together is doing nothing for either species. If interbreeding takes over, you will not only see a decline in pure dwarfs, but also the hybrids as they are often infertile. In my own opinion, any quality breeder or hamster lover would not breed the two together.

Reputable breeders breed hamsters to have certain attributes. They are usually experienced and knowledgeable in the species they are breeding. They will let you know if they feel you would be the perfect fit for owning the species you are trying to obtain. Breeders care about the species as a whole and the quality of the animals they produce. The pups are bred to have a good temperament and are healthier. They keep records of their lines. Some breeders will allow you to interact with the hamster to get to know its personality, and also see the parents since the pups will inherit personality traits from them. Beware, not all breeders will breed to the same standards, so pay close attention just like you would at a pet shop. Not everybody has access to a quality breeder, so rescue centers are another great place to check out.

Many hamsters are bought for children as pets and then discarded to the shelter. The reason being the kids lose interest in the responsibility of caring for the animal, they failed to do the research on the species beforehand, or the animal is aging and they don’t want to deal with it. These hamsters deserve your love and attention, too. Rescue hamsters can be some of the sweetest hamsters because they will appreciate all of the nice things you do for them. Be extra patient with them because you have no idea what their past is like. Adopting a hamster is a great way to not only brighten your day, but greatly impact a hamster’s life as well.

Check online, such as petfinder.com, or craigslist.com. I personally see many hamsters up for adoptions online, some even with the cages. Be wary of the owners who claim to not have time for their hamster anymore, but keep the cage, and the ones who ask ridiculous adoption fees. They should be looking for a good home for the pet, not a way to make some quick cash.

Pet shops are the easiest way to go, and have hamsters available at almost any time. These hamsters are often not up to par. Reputable breeders have hamsters bred for health and temperament. Rescue shelters aren’t just for cats and dogs, they have hamsters, too! These hamsters are just waiting to open their heart up to you. In conclusion, the choice is really up to you to decide where you want to get your hamster, but some sources will have better animals than others.

Which Hamster Is Right For You?

2011-04-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

How many times have you wandered by the cute hamsters in the pet shop and thought about getting one? Chances are you've done it at least once! Hamsters can make a great pet for people, but are casually cast aside as an easy children’s pet. Each species is different, and some may not be the best choice for you.

Syrians are the most popular species of hamster kept as pets. Sometimes the pet shops label them as "Teddy Bear". Syrians come in a wide variety of color and coat patterns, including long and short hair. Adult hamsters usually grow to be between 7-9 inches long with a short tail. Syrians are solitary animals, and only come together in the wild to mate. After the age of 8 weeks, all Syrian hamsters should be kept in separate habitats. Syrian hamsters use their scent glands located on their hips to mark their territory. They are also the slowest. If getting a hamster for a child, a Syrian would be the wisest choice. Be warned, Syrians do not like light, and sleep almost all day. Youngsters can be quite jumpy while being handled. They require a wheel of at least 8 inches in diameter. Syrians are very good housekeepers, and will usually designate an area of the cage for storing food and using the bathroom. Syrians can also be vocal hamsters, with some being more of a chatter box than others.

Once believed to be one species, the Campbells and the Winter White are actually two species commonly referred to as the Russian dwarf hamster. These two species are capable of interbreeding. Interbreeding the two can cause sterilization, and diseases previously seen in only one species are found in both. Also, the female always needs to be a Campbells because they have larger heads and Winter Whites will have trouble giving birth. Pet-shops never label them as hybrids, so they are usually sold to customers as one or the other. Because of both unsuspecting owners not realizing they own a hybrid, and the popularity of interbreeding for new color combinations, the Campbells and Winter Whites are declining. Both species are social and can live in groups if introduced young. Just because they can live together, doesn't mean they will get along with each other, let alone members of the same species. Both species can be prone to diabetes. Sugary foods such as corn, peas, and carrots should be kept to an absolute minimum. Signs of diabetes include frequent urination and heavy drinking. Hamsters can be tested for diabetes using human test strips.

Campbells are more popular than Winter Whites. They are found in many colors varieties, such as Argente, Mottled, Umbrous and Platinum. Campbells have a distinct cream tint along the arches on their side with a thin dorsal stripe. Their eyes are the placed evenly between their nose and ears with a rounded face and furry feet. Campbells grow to be about 3-4 inches long, with the males being larger than the females. They are often referred to as being more outgoing with humans than its counterpart. Their eye sight is poor, and they rely heavily on their sense of hearing and smell to recognize their home environment. Some Campbells become territorial. This means they are protective of their habitat. If this happens, be patient with your hamster and use a tool as an elevator for scooping out the hamster. Campbells are most active at night and dusk, only waking during the day for brief moments.

Winter Whites get their name from the ability to change their coat to white during the winter season in order to camouflage in the wild. Winter Whites currently only come in a few colors; Agouti, Sapphire, and Pearl. They have a thick black dorsal stripe which widens around the shoulders, a bullet shaped body, and three distinct arches on their sides aligned with darker ticking. Their eyes are big and bold with a longer nose, and fur on their feet. They grow to be about 3-4 inches long. Winter Whites are usually more shy and timid than the Campbells. They love to have plenty of hide-a-ways to duck into when feeling insecure. They can dart away, though not as quickly as the Roborovski. When attempting to handle a Winter White, they may squeak and become defensive. This is different than aggression. Be gentle, and speak softly while handling. Like most other hamsters, Winter Whites are most active at night.

The smallest of the dwarf hamster species is the Roborovski hamster, commonly referred to as Robs or Robos. Roborovskis come in only a few colors, Agouti and White Faced, though new color mutations such as “Spotted/Pied” and “White” are slowly emerging. Roborovskis grow to be about 2 inches long. They are the fastest of the hamster species. They rarely stop moving, and because of this, do not make good pets for children and often end up in rescue shelters. They can be timid and do not tame like other hamsters, but are curious enough to walk across your hand while inside their cage. People misjudge them and think just because Roborovskis are so tiny that they do not require much space. This is false. Roborovskis do best in large set-ups. While their legs are tiny and thin, they are able to run many miles in one night. Their speed demon antics are entertaining, earning the nickname “Goldfish of the Hamsters”. Roborovskis rarely vocalize themselves and prefer for their habitat to be kept dark. Like the other dwarf species, Roborovskis can be kept in pairs if introduced properly.

The last species of hamster kept as a pet is the Chinese hamster. They are usually grouped together with the dwarf hamsters due to their size, but the Chinese hamster is not technically a dwarf hamster. They are not as common as the other hamster species because of their strict breeding conditions. California does not allow you to own or transport a Chinese hamster without a permit. Unlike other hamsters, the Chinese hamster has a long tail which they use for balance and grip. They love to climb and can jump real high, and do best in a cage that allows them to take advantage of these skills. Chinese hamsters grow to be about 4-5 inches long, with a slender body that resembles a mouse. They are usually a dark grey-brown with a dark dorsal stripe down their spine and a white underside. Chinese hamsters can be timid and fast-moving, but most of them have a good temperament.

The five hamster species can be quite different from each other. The Syrian hamster is the most popular, largest, and slowest. Campbells and Winter Whites have been interbred tremendously and there are a lot of hybrids on the market. Winter Whites are vocal and shy, and the Campbells are more outgoing. Roborovskis are the smallest and fastest, and do not make the best choice for children or inexperienced hamster owners. Chinese hamsters are not found in a lot of places, and have a long tail for climbing. Hopefully reading this guide has given you a better understanding of each of the species.

Sorry for slacking!!

2011-03-14T23:20:00.000-07:00

I guess it's a good thing I didn't buy my domain, since I have been in a blogging slump. It sucks, because I love blogging. I've been blogging for 10 years! Everything is going great with the hamsters. Periwinkle is turning into a "beggy", but it's not her fault, it's ours. I weighed her today, she's 50 grams. She was born on Dec 23rd. I don't know if she's too fat for her age or not, but she gets excercise. I need to just watch what I feed her. In the next few days we will be going to the grocery store and I can get them something fresh to eat as well. That also means we can pick up some carefresh! Finally! Hamilton is funny, he stuffs all the toilet paper into his igloo and petting zone box. If I lift up the igloo the TP is in the same shape as the igloo, lol. Also, I love bringing Periwinkle out to play with her on the bed. She runs around, but she will run back into your hand if you put it by her so it's not a problem to control her. They're both so cute, so here are some long overdo pictures!

Weights & Pic+Vid OVERLOAD!!!

2011-02-28T01:39:00.000-08:00

I decided to weigh Sir Hamilton & Periwinkle tonight. It would help if I knew how much they were supposed to weigh. Hamilton weighs 169g or 5.96oz, and Periwinkle weighs 41g or 1.44oz. I also put a name tag on Hamilton's bin for decoration. I love the all the color :)

Who Lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea?!

2011-02-27T04:57:00.000-08:00

I know it's kind of ridiculous, but today while in the bakery my boyfriend noticed a Spongebob luau themed cake. On top of it was a pineapple carrying case. I want it so bad! Just to use for a hidey-house for Periwinkle. It's so cute! The cake was about $50 at Albertsons, but I found the supplies online for less than 20$.

I have some pictures and videos I'll hopefully post in the next couple of days :)

Miss you, Nanomoonchkie

2011-02-22T17:00:00.000-08:00

It's been one week since I lost Nano. I feel very down today. Not only that, but it's one week until my friend Kaylin's birthday. She passed away in 2008. Hopefully I'll be able to pull out of this funk soon. I don't like it at all.

Nothing interesting has been happening, but I feel bad for not updating. Still handling both Periwinkle and Hamilton every day. Periwinkle does not like to be disturbed when she's in her little bed that she made underneath her Critter Castle. She was squeaking up a storm the other day when we tried to get her. She was SCREAMING! Thankfully hamsters voices aren't that loud. I gave her a sunflower seed and she sat there squeaking at us while eating it. I couldn't help but laugh. The cute little bugger. Oh Periwinkle, you aren't as scary as you try to be!

Sir Hamilton McFluffy - A is for Apple

2011-02-20T04:17:00.000-08:00

We bought an apple last week for Nano when she was dehydrated. (Rest in Peace, babygirl, I think of you every day). Instead of letting the rest of it go to waste, I decided to give a tiny piece to Hamilton since I haven't given him many fresh foods. It's not good to give Syrians lots of sugars, but I figured since I've drastically cut back on his treat intake that a little apple slice couldn't hurt. He seemed to love it! Nano would only take TINY little bites, but he was chomping away at it. We've been bringing him out of his cage every day trying to get him more socialized as well. He's soo soft.

Hamster Beading & Pet Shops.

2011-02-20T00:36:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine runs a site called KandiPatterns.com. It has a lot of beadwork involving the peyote stitch. They are usually for bracelets, but I decided to start making them but keeping them flat. I saw she had some hamster ones on her website, so my boyfriend made one for Periwinkle. When she finally has a bin cage, we will attach it onto the top. I also want to get one made for Hamilton.

Today we went to two smaller petshops just to look around. The first one we went to was Royal Pet Center in La Mirada, CA. This pet store made me very sad and emotional. Their hamsters were kept in tanks. I don't think they were even 10 gallons. There were atleast four syrians to a tank. They didn't have any hideaways, or a wheel. Just some food and bedding. It looked as if one had a few small scabbed wounds on him/her. They also had two red eyed white dwarf hamsters that looked older. They were losing fur, but I don't know if it was because of age or something else. They also had no wheel or anything but food. Next was Pet City in Whitter, CA. Their hamsters were in much better conditions. They had open air cages, plenty of space, two wheels, hideaways, tunnels, etc. The syrians looked like two different litters in the same area. I say this because some looked like they were much younger/smaller. One that was sleeping in a tube looked like he had a wound, too. :(

Both of these situations obviously touched my heart very much, having just recently lost Nano, but I knew I couldn't say something right then because it would of not come out the way I wanted it to. Should I say anything? Should I try to get my boyfriend to take me back so I can try to sneak pictures? Do I just avoid these shops?

I was really hoping to find a smaller pet shop near by that I could support when I buy my supplies, but I guess that was a bust.

Still missing Nano! (+Periwinkle photos)

2011-02-18T17:35:00.000-08:00

Things are still kinda gloomy since the passing of Nano. She was such a big part of our lives for so long. I miss checking on her when I woke up, and before I went to bed. I miss opening her cage and rattling her food bowl, and having her run over to me. I miss her cute antics. I even miss her bites. It's going to be hard not having a roborovski, but we are not ready for another one so soon. Especially another agouti one. If we were to get any roborovskis, we would want two of those new "pied" babies. We cleaned out her cages yesterday and gave the Crittertrail Outlook to Periwinkle. We didn't have a way to attach a waterbottle to that cage, or a wheel with the Discovery Deluxe, so she has the original Crittertrail that we gave her, and the Outlook on the bottom, used mostly so she can dig around. We also gave her the 6.5" silent spinner Nano was using. Periwinkle already is bigger than Nano, and Nano was too small for the 4.5", so Peri really needed it. I hear her use the wheel, but she doesn't like us to watch her when she runs. Maybe she thinks she's invisible. Periwinkle is also using the pink Critter Castle that I got Nano and Micro back in 2009. It's my favorite hamster accessory, and all 3 of them seem to have enjoyed it so far. To be honest though, I can't help but feel guilty being happy to give these things to Periwinkle. I still feel bad about spending so much time focusing on Peri the week before Nano died. But I know it will get easier in time. Periwinkle was really upset that day, maybe she could sense it.

Yesterday a friend came over, and we took Periwinkle out to introduce the two. She wasn't afraid to walk on his hands or anything. I am really proud of my little berryboo! Part of me is thinking about entering her in a hamster show, but I still need to see if she wouldn't mind being in a small cage, and if she will do alright in the ball. I have some more "exciting" news.. but I'll save that for a new entry. Here are the pictures I've been slacking on posting..

Rest in Peace Nano & Micro.

2011-02-17T03:42:00.000-08:00

On April 19th 2009, I purchased two little female roborovski hamsters named Nano & Micro. I had always wanted a hamster. Jim and I decided we wanted a pet, so I suggested robos. As soon as we went to see them at the store, we fell in love. Roborovskis are the smallest breed of hamster. They are about 2-3 inches long. Jim picked out Micro because she was the only one awake and running on her wheel like a little speed demon. I picked the tinest one in the cage and named her Nano.

Over the first three months, Their cage expanded rapidly. Despite their small size, robos require a lot of space to run around and play. Since Micro & Nano were our first little babies, we decided to spoil them. They truly lived in a hamsters paradise. Contrary to what most people think, They actually use every square inch of the cages. The set-up consisted of the following parts and accessories: CritterTrail one cage, CritterTrail outlook cage, CritterTrail discovery deluxe, CritterTrail x cage, CritterTrail school bus, habitrail ovo transport unit, 3 silent spinners, 1 CritterTrail treat dispensary, various little hideaways & tons of super pet tunnel tubes.

We were so excited to bring Micro & Nano home. I would spend lots of time just watching their cages and smiling at all the silly little things they would do. Like.. when we first got them the silent spinners, they would go into the wheels and run so fast. Due to the ball bearings that they would flip around the wheel & fly out. Don’t worry! It never seemed to phase them, as they always got right back on. Their favorite treat was sunflower seeds. They loved to take them from my hand, pouch them, and go stash them for later in their hideaways. I even joined the California Hamster Association and entered them in a hamster show! They won 1st & 2nd place for fastest in the ball for the dwarf class & 1st & 2nd place for roborovski dwarf breed female standards. They have their gold and silver medals hanging above their cages.

On the night of Monday April 5th 2010, Micro started showing signs of being ill. She wasn’t as active as she was in the morning, and I found her just sitting under her water bottle. She looked like she didn’t have much energy. I went to pick her up, and she didn’t try to run away at all like she usually did. I examined her all over, and all I noticed was a little mark by her lip. i thought she just had a booboo. I flipped her over onto her back, and that’s where I was absolutely shocked. I saw a tumor. It wasn’t that big, but it had to have popped up rather quickly because she was always showing me her belly. I put her back in her cage and kept checking on her.

On the morning of Tuesday April 6th 2010, she wasn’t doing much better. I woke up and checked on her and brought her out of her cage. The tumor was much larger than before. I called my boyfriend at work, and also the vet. I made an appointment for two hours later, the earliest I could. The vet examined her, and told me the news that I had been trying to deny to myself all day. She wasn’t doing well. She was dehydrated, and confirmed my suspicion on her illness. He told me she had 1-3 weeks left to live, & gave me some medicine for her lip. I went to the store and got her pedialyte & came home to rest with her. I held her and took some pictures with her for memories. i didn’t want to stress her out, so I put her back in her cage. About ten minutes later, I checked on her again.. and she had passed.

Though Jim and I were extremely heartbroken, Nano didn't seem to be bothered too much by her passing. She became really needy for awhile, though. She would do anything she could to get our attention, and beg for treats. We had to move in October 2010, so her cage had to be condensed down to just three CTs. It made her pretty mad, but she learned to live with it. She used every space that she could. She stayed active. She loved to run on her silent spinners, and took up chewing cardboard rolls.. but I think her favorite hobby was making her beds. She spent so much time perfecting them.

I was never able to tame Nano, but that didn't stop me from loving her with all of my heart, and then some. She would try to bite me anytime my hand was in the cage, even if it wasn't trying to touch her. She was a ninja. She loved sunflower seeds, the tiny sunflower seed looking seeds, and spinach. Apples made her extremely hyper.

I figured since I got them at the pet shop in April, that they were about 2 months or so. Nano lived to be about 2 years old. Nano was active all the way up until Feb. 14th 2011. Late that night I found her laying under her water bottle looking exhausted. I was sent into shock mode right away, as that was the same way I found Micro. It was 3:30am. I noticed blood where she had been laying, and after examining her, I came to the conclusion that she was constipated. At this point, she was still walking around her cage. She was drinking water. My boyfriend and I stayed up all night with her, doing everything we could. We gave her olive oil. She hated it. The only time in her life she did not try to bite me was because of the olive oil on my fingers.

As the sun started to rise, and after I felt like I couldn't cry anymore.. My boyfriend and I came to the conclusion that it was her time to go. We knew this was going to be our last day with her, so he stayed home from work and class to be with me and her. I know people are probably going to hate me for this, but I am not going to lie. We did not end up taking her to the vet. We did not want to stress her out even more by taking her out of her cage, making her sit in her critter keeper for awhile (she always hated when we transported her in that) and being handled by strange people. We made her as comfortable as possible.

My little trooper even went to her favorite spot when she knew it was time for her to go. She fought hard and strong until the very end. It was the saddest thing I ever saw, up there with the passing of Micro. My boyfriend and I cried so hard, even though we had been crying all night and day. Since we live in an apartment complex, we wanted to bury her somewhere more permanent that we could visit. We chose to bury her in my moms garden next to her sister, Micro. We drove about 2 hours to get there during the worst traffic time, but she was worth it.

Micro and Nano taught me so much about hamsters, and I am so lucky to have had them in my life. While my little babies are gone in the physical sense, they will forever live on in our hearts. I was lucky enough to record a lot of their life through pictures and video, and blogs online. I also have their medals and ribbons from the hamster show on my wall near the bed as a constant reminder of just how special they were. My moonchkin moonchkies. My moonpies. My Nano-butt. My Micro-kins. I will love you forever. Meet me at the Rainbow Gates.

Who would of figured that $15 could be so irreplaceable.

(more photos in the gallery, and videos on my youtube channel ~jaybeestarr)

Nano isn't doing so well.

2011-02-15T04:45:00.000-08:00

Everyone, please keep my little OG baby moonchkie, Nano, in your thoughts. She isn't doing so hot tonight. She was fine earlier in the day, but when I checked on her tonight, she was looking very lethargic. I looked around her cage and saw some blood. She seems to be constipated. I can see fecal matter sticking out of her bottom about 1/8th-1/4th of an inch. She is very uncomfortable, I can tell. She just looks like she's upset, too. I saw her drink, so she is staying hydrated. I gave her some apple slices as well. I am going to call the vet as soon as I can.. but that won't be for atleast 3 more hours. I just wish someone could give me some advice on how to help her in the mean time. I feel so guilty and upset for spending so much time with Periwinkle lately. :( I am not ready to say goodbye. My boyfriend is not ready to say goodbye. I hope that she makes it through this. She is our baby girl.. I am not a religious person, but if you are, please pray for her. I know she is just an animal to most people, but she has always been more than that to me. Even when she was biting me and being unruly.. I never stopped loving her like a best friend. She was there for me when no one else was. I love you Nano..

Princess Periwinkle & Sir Hamilton McFluffy

2011-02-14T14:05:00.000-08:00

Periwinkle is doing well with our taming sessions. Sorry I haven't been updated, been a little busy offline. I still make sure to bring Periwinkle out every day to handle her. Sometimes she is a little bratty about wanting to come out of her cage, but once I get her up on my hands, she's happy just walking around. I think she will have a lot of fun in the playpen for freeruns. I can't just let her walk around on the floor yet because without my hands on her, she goes a little faster. Periwinkle is either molting or changing color. I can't tell. I just know her coat looks different. She is also growing up, so perhaps it is just molting. My little baby doesn't even look like a baby anymore except for her little baby ears.

Hamilton McFluffy is doing well. He sleeps most of the day, but I can hear him in the middle of the night having a blast on his wodent wheel. He still has the same treatbar from two weeks ago because I have yet to let him finish it. He would of eaten the whole thing in one day if I left it in his cage. I want to work on taming him, too. While he's nice enough to pick up and hold, I don't think he really likes it. I'd like to make him not as scared. It probably just has to do with not having constant socialization for the better half of his life. He really likes to come out in his ball and run around.

Time for pictures!

Princess Periwinkle

2011-02-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

Periwinkle is doing SOO good with our taming sessions. I bring her out every single day so she can interact with us. I don't know why it just dawned on me yesterday to rub her bedding on my hands for her scent. It works like a charm! She would come into my hand and start crawling up my arm. One time I even tried to put her back, and she didn't want to get out of my hands. Jim handled her, too. We let her walk around on our love-sac for a little bit. I think she had a good time. Her fur got a little greasy from our hands, but thats nothing a little sand can't fix. I can't believe just a week ago tomorrow morning, we were picking her up for adoption. She would squeak, and hide.. and now she's not nearly as skittish and she's very curious about the world around her. I've noticed that she's starting to look less like a baby, too. My little girl is growing up!

Nano Moonchkie & Princess Periwinkle

2011-02-10T22:51:00.000-08:00

Nano woke me up this morning by chewing on the bars in her Discovery Deluxe. She started doing it shortly after Micro died. I used to disconnect it at night, but for the past two weeks or so I've left all her cages connected at night, and she stopped. But this morning she was doing it again. I gave her some new food and that was enough to distract her. When she is in those moods, it's really hard to get her to focus on anything else. I usually am trying to get her to leave the cage via tube so I can cap it off. Since she is starting to lose her fur, her legs look so tiny. Look!

We've been handling Periwinkle every day to get her used to us so she doesn't forget. She didn't squeak at us at all this time. I tried gloves, but she treats my hand and glove the same, so I figured hands would be more personal. Plus it was easier to hold her without them. Jim has a much easier time scooping her up than I do. Perhaps it is because his hands are a bit larger, or he is more confident. I was spot cleaning Peri's cage, and when I tried to pick her up afterwards, she was eager to go on my hand. Tomorrow I will try rubbing my hands in her bedding to get her scent on them and see how that works out.

Jim handling Periwinkle

Her baby ears were standing up so tall!

Oh there you are, Peri!

She gave a side profile in case she has a run in with the law, LOL

Sir Hamilton McFluffy

2011-02-09T22:53:00.000-08:00

Sir Hamilton was being his usual sweetheart self tonight, so I decided to let him have some treats. The extra grease in his fur has gone away, and he's very soft! McFluffy would eat the whole treat bar in one sitting if I let him. He was trying to pull it into his bed when I set it away to lure him out. I was quick enough to catch a photo of him dropping it.

Just a quick notice to everyone.. I tried to purchase the domain ihearthamsters.net through Blogger/Google, but I had the wrong credit card number from my parents and it timed now. Now when I try to re-register, it doesn't let me pick that domain and tells me to contact support. I've already called GoDaddy, the people who were going to host me, but they said that it's nothing on their end, and that the domain is not registered. Hopefully Google will clear the order soon and I'll be able to upgrade. :)

Princess Periwinkle

2011-02-09T15:33:00.000-08:00

It might just be my eyes playing tricks on me, but it looks like Periwinkle's fur is getting lighter. It's probably due to the fact that the area we keep her in stays pretty dark for the most part. In the wild Winter Whites they change color when they can sense the weather changing and the shortening of the days, and so they can hide easier in the snow. I've always wanted a Winter White because of that reason. The lady I got her from said hers have still changed color in captivity, so here's to hoping I can trick Periwinkle! We just had her out for a little bit. Jim was able to just scoop her up from her cage and place her into the bin. He has a far easier time picking her up than I do. I wonder what I am doing wrong. I tried giving her some sand this time in a bowl. She started squeaking a bunch, so I let her go back into her cage for a little bit. We will try again later.

Nano Moonchkie & Princess Periwinkle

2011-02-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

I could tell already this morning that today was going to be a good day because Nano was up and being active. She was being super spastic. Perhaps she noticed I took her yellow TV away from her Discovery Deluxe, but she never used it anyway! I gave it to Peri, but replaced that spot in Nano's cage with the little Super Pet bed. Ever since Saturday, she's been spending most of her time sleeping under her Critter Castle (I really want one of these for Peri!). I think she was mad that I made her be out of her cage so much this past weekend, and getting her nails clipped. Clipping them though seems to have helped her, because she ran for a very long time.

Speaking of running.. I finally saw little Miss Periwinkle running on her silent spinner! Jim thought he heard her the other night, but it could of been Nano. I saw her yesterday afternoon, though I don't have any photographic evidence. I hope she will use it more often. I said "Good Morning" to Peri today, and gave her a couple of random things from a seed mix, which she seems to love. When I open the little box on the top, she wants to walk right over the edge and explore. Every little bit of progress counts!

Princess Periwinkle

2011-02-08T17:48:00.000-08:00

Isn't she just the cutest little hamster ever? She was taking seeds from my hand today. She loves sunflower seeds, but I'm not giving her many because I don't want her to become diabetic. She gets a TINY bit of seed mix (not even the size of your normal spoons you eat with) and mostly ProLab blocks. I opened the cage today and she was so eager to come out and say hi, I had to shoe her back in real quick before she escaped. I also tried giving her a sandbath, just to see what she would do with it. She didn't roll around in it, she just wanted to dig in it. She was making a mess, so I took it out and put her back in her cage. I saw her climbing up the sides of her cage today, all the way to the top! My little monkey! I can't wait until I can give her more space. I think she'd really enjoy having lots of room to dig underground tunnels.

Hamster Cages: iMac Fantasy

2011-02-08T03:27:00.000-08:00

If I could have any hamster cage in the world, it would be the iMac Fantasy! I have wanted this hamster cage ever since I first saw it. Of course it's a European based cage, and it costs an arm and a leg to purchase and get shipped over to California. It comes usually with just the one bottom level, and the top, which doubles as a second zone. Almost like the petting zones in Crittertrails, but better because it takes up the length of the cage. You buy add-ons for the cage, which include the platform and wires and you can continue to build upwards. It is the PERFECT solution to having multiple set-ups and saving space. It also comes in bright eye-catching colors. I would trade all of my Crittertrail and Habitrail products to be able to own the iMac with a few levels. I would do almost anything for this cage.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaferina/561004697/in/set-72157622420417479/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27oct/3197581144/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chocolatebubbles/4114533117/lightbox/

Nano Moonchkie

2011-02-07T23:39:00.000-08:00

How many times have you heard, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you"? Well, no matter how many times I've tried to tell that to Nano, she doesn't listen. I don't expect her to, though. She is almost two years old, and I haven't had any luck taming her yet. She is your typical roborovski. She's skittish and quick. She's a bit cage aggressive. I just had her attention, and I was trying to give her a treat and take a picture. She decided she wanted to bite me instead! This time I managed to get a picture. The pink thing is the yogurt drop, and I dropped it because she bit me.

I took Nano to get her nails clipped on Saturday. My friend, Linda, is able to hold Nano and she stays perfectly still. It's so weird. She just closes her eyes and relaxes, letting us trim her nails. She's got the magic touch! The ham-whisperer! Nano got looked over, and she seems to have something wrong with her spine. When you touch her, you can feel all the bones along her spine and one of them has a bump. It doesn't seem to be bothering her though, and I don't think there's much a vet can do to help her out. Other than that, her fur is thinning and her chest is balding. I get so sad just thinking of this. It's been a great two years, and I don't want it to end any time soon.

Princess Periwinkle

2011-02-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

It is almost the end of the third day that we have had Periwinkle. Socialization sessions with her are going great, way better than I expected them to. She was born on December 23rd, 2010, so she is still quite young. Her colony was picking on her, and she was often by herself so she was separated away from her group. When we got her, she was still quite skittish. She would vocalize her panic, squeaking even when you just walked by the cage. She would hide as soon as she knew she had your attention. She's adjusting to her Crittertrail. We changed the standard u-tube on the side to a spiral so she could just walk up it. The only thing I haven't seen her use yet is her wheel. I am hoping she will eventually get the hang of it. Periwinkle loves to burrow around in her fluff and make nests out of toilet paper. I have big dreams for her, and I can't wait to watch her grow.

Sir Hamilton McFluffy

2011-02-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

Hamilton McFluffy is so photogenic and friendly. I think he hams it up for the camera! He spends most of his time in this silly petting zone that used to be a part of his Crittertrail. It's his favorite sleeping spot. I found out this weekend his shiny coat has to do with him being a Satin. Here are a few photos I took of him today.

Welcome to i♥Hamsters!

2011-02-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my own personal little corner on the web! I am thinking about purchasing the domain name, so be on the look out for that soon! The only natural first post is an introduction post, right? My name is Shelly. I'm 22 years old, and I live in Southern California. I live with my boyfriend; Jim, and our 3 hamsters, one of which we just got two days ago! We have been keeping hamsters for nearly two years, so by no means do I claim to be an expert. I had always wanted a dwarf hamster when I was younger, but my parents always said no. Like every other kid, I didn't understand why I couldn't have it. Looking back now, I am glad I was unable to buy a hamster at that time because I would of not been able to properly care for a furry friend the way that I would now.

I got my first hamsters on April 19th 2009. My boyfriend and I had recently moved into an apartment and had wanted a pet. Our room mates already had a cat, so we had to think of something that would be fine just living in our small room. I looked into dwarf hamsters, and the minute we laid eyes on the Roborovskiis, we fell in love! We purchased two little girls. Jim, picked out Micro because she was running on her wheel, and I picked out Nano; the smallest of the group. Our first set-up for them consisted of the Crittertrail X-Treme, the Crittertrail Mini and the little yellow bus, though it soon to become a massive set-up! A Crittertrail Outlook, a Crittertrail One, a Crittertrail Discovery Deluxe, a Crittertrail X-Treme, a blue transport Habitrail Ovo, the little yellow bus and lots of tubes quickly became their paradise. It took about two hours to clean with two people. Micro passed on April 6th 2010 of a mammary tumor that seemed to grow nearly overnight. We took her to the vet, but there was nothing they could do. She died later that day. Micro Moonchkie is one of the main reasons I wanted to create this blog. Nano is still doing great. She is nearly two years old. She is showing signs of aging, such as hair loss and thinning, but she's still rather active throughout her cage.

We adopted our second hamster from Jim's mother and sister during our Christmas 2010 vacation at their house. He is a long haired satin golden banded Syrian hamster. They originally purchased him during Summer of 2009, so he is about a year and a half old. They named him Hammy, but I felt that was far too plain for such a great hamster, thus Sir Hamilton McFluffy of the Syrian Longhairs was born. He loves his new found "freedom", upgrading from two Crittertrail cages into a nice big cage with a senior sized Wodent Wheel. McFluffy is quite the contrast from Nano. I am able to pick him up and play with him, and I don't have to worry about him running away in a split second. He makes me very happy.

Periwinkle, a Sapphire Winter White, came into our lives rather suddenly. On Feb. 4th 2011, a friend of mine sent me an email asking if I would like to adopt her. Her birthdate is December 23rd 2010. She was picked on by her colony and had to be separated from the group. She was quite fearful, but just needed time to trust. How could I say no? I picked her up the next day. She is about six weeks old. I was quite apprehensive about getting a new hamster that is afraid of me since Nano always bites me, but I've already seen so much improvement with Periwinkle. She used to squeak and hide every time she saw you paying attention to her, but here we are, just a few days later and she doesn't mind people watching her. She doesn't squeak as much. We are working on socializing with her every day. I have high hopes for her. She currently lives in a Crittertrail cage, but I am looking to upgrade her to a bin when she's a bit older.

Sorry for such a long post, but I seem to have gotten everything covered. I upload videos of my hamsters all the time, so if you would like to check out more, please visit my Youtube Channel for many more videos of my furry friends.