A week in the life of my hamsters - February

[Hamster Haven]

The advantage of getting a hamster from a rescue is that they know the personality and temperament of the hamster which makes it easier to find one who is awake the same time as your daughter.
Unlike Syrians who have more of a routine, dwarfs are often morning or daytime hamsters.

Pet shops with adoption tanks don't usually get to know the hamsters but organisations and charities do.

I didn't realize that about dwarfs! Wally is starting to come out earlier after we take him out between 6 and 7 (he'll come out in his own around 9 some nights now), but the last frontier is for him to not hide if we come in when he's up at 9pm... like just to let us watch him play on his own would be nice

 

[Member ID2]

Not all dwarfs of course but they are more likely to be up during the day than Syrians.

Wally is making very good progress and he may allow you into his life a bit more yet.

 

[Member ID2]

Day 3:

Lilly: apparently, i knocked my water bowl over last night.

 

[Member ID2]

Beryl: you did knock your water bowl over so i had to give you a different one.

 

[RainbowBrite]

I bet she knocked it over by running around at her super fast speed!

 

[elusive]

She looks so innocent sat there!

 

[Member ID2]

I replaced Lilly's bowl with an egg cup we use as porridge bowls but had to hide one in the cupboard to even out an odd number.

My OH has this amusing habit of counting everything and tries to avoid odd numbers.
He does not have OCD, it's just something he's always done.
Same as leaving his favourite food to the last wheras i eat my favourite food first and prefer odd numbers.

 

[Member ID2]

Eddie surfaced late evening and didn't want to come out. All he wanted to do was to run on his wheel. This wheel suits him and he seems to be very pleased with it.

While i sat watching him i heard Lilly next door who wanted out again. Lilly spent more time racing around the floor and she run on various wheels when she heard Eddie wheeling.

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[RainbowBrite]

Sounds like there is a lot of competing between them all!

 

[Maz]

I bet Eddie thinks he's gone to heaven! He must be a happy boy with that lovely wheel and set up.

 

[Member ID2]

Sounds like there is a lot of competing between them all!

I think it's the number of having two of each species now that has something to do with it. It's never worked out that way before.

 

[RainbowBrite]

I think it's the number of having two of each species now that has something to do with it. It's never worked out that way before.

I love hearing it all. It is like a Soap for me hearing about all the dynamics.

 

[Member ID2]

I bet Eddie thinks he's gone to heaven! He must be a happy boy with that lovely wheel and set up.

I think he's so happy now that he has adopted a typical hamster lifestyle. Sleep all day, have a lie in, get up late and wheel all night.
Whatever makes them happy is fine with me.

 

[elusive]

Eddies does look like he’s loving the wheel, living the good life bless him!

 

[Zara]

Love the photo of Bernard, what a cutee

Lilly and her water bowl made me chuckle, she must’ve just knocked it completely out of the way to break it like that???she looks a bit sheepish to me, as if to be saying….. oops.

And Eddie and his wheeling, what can I say, he looks so happy, fabulous! as Elusive said living the good life.

 

[Member ID2]

I observed Jack closely last night. He asked for out of cage time but didn't stay out for long. Part of his routine is a jog on his wheel after he's gone back to his cage but he's skipped that the last few days. He has some food, pouches some and goes back to bed.

He seems to be very tired but doesn't show signs of pain. He acts like a hamster who is either old and approaching the last few months of his life or a hamster whose heart is starting to fail. I can't feel any lumps and the vet who saw him last month checked him over as well.

If he loses more weight then there is something far wrong and i'll take him to the vet who would probably put him on metacam. Henry went that way when he was around Jack's age. Vet tried antibiotics without effect so kept Henry on metacam until he died at home at 22 months.

Jack moves around fine and has no problems accessing his shelves but exerting himself affects him.

I want to do what is best for Jack so am very much hoping to get this right.

 

[Member ID2]

Clive has been sleeping a lot as well since Jack's so tired. Not that long ago they were behaving like a pair of naughty toddlers.

I'm pretty sure they are very aware of each other to the extent that they adjust their behaviours to match the other's.

I think that hamsters are incredibly sensitive and pick up on situations and moods as well.

 

[Member ID2]

Today is a work day so i won't see the hamsters tonight and my OH will give them their fresh food later.
Inconvenient having to work but can't be helped. I start work at 18.00 and finish tomorrow at 10.00. Same again on Wednesday and that's it for the week then.

 

[elusive]

Sounds like you’re doing the best thing for Jack, he sounds content & not showing any signs of pain so I don’t think you can do much else unless as you say things change.
I think you’re right about how sensitive they are too, I’ve noticed the same here when I had two or more hams.

 

[Zara]

It must be so difficult as they grow older, but you’re very in tune with each of their needs and although Jack does sound like he maybe slowing down he does still seem content, so the only way forward is taking each day. Nice that he still feels up for a bit of out of cage time even if it then leaves him feeling a bit too tired for wheeling.

Very clever they can pick up on each other’s emotions and react accordingly. It makes them all caring siblings even though they cannot live together. Maybe sharing the roaming space helps as they can scent the others.

Have a good eve / night at work. It sounds like a long one.