Tammy22
05-13-2008, 09:31 AM
Hi Everyone,
I have a very big and very serious confession to make!
I feel so stupid and irresponsible, but there really was nothing I could do to prevent it.
After reading a little more of this post you will probably know exactly what is coming, and also probably roll your eyes and say ‘Not another irresponsible person!!’ – but I really want to explain that it was a complete mistake.
You probably all know that I own two Syrian hamsters, a Male and a Female.
The female is a Short Haired Golden who is approx. 12 – 14 months old, who I got from a ‘breeder’ who doesn’t keep any genetic records and sells any remaining babies to her local pet shop.
The male is a Short Haired Cinnamon Banded who is appox. 6 months old, who I got from a local ‘breeder’ who doesn’t keep any genetic records either.
The fact that neither of them had pedigrees didn’t bother me in the slightest as I had no intention of breeding them. I only cared about them being healthy and tame, and coming from healthy and tame parents, which they were and did!
A few weeks ago I had a friend visiting me and we spent the whole day getting out all of the hamsters one by one and playing with each one for about 20 or 30 minutes each. The day before this I had been cleaning out the cages and had swapped a few of the hamsters around into different cages. My friend had been handling ‘Troy’ my male Syrian and wanted to handle one of the Roborovskis, so she went to take ‘Troy’ back to his cage and then came back and started to handle the Roborovskis.
About an hour later I went back into the hamster shed to put some cages back which I had removed. I put the cages back and had a quick glance over all of the other cages. Then my heart went into my mouth as I noticed ‘Troy’ in my female Syrian’s cage!! ‘Panda’ my female Syrian, was still standing and Troy was cleaning himself all over!
I panicked and then dived into the cage and removed Troy quickly. I put him back into his own cage and then just completely panicked! I checked them both for injuries and none of them had any, but they had been together for about an hour, so I one way it was a good thing she was in season because I think one of them would have been dead otherwise! - especially since he had been put into her cage :shock: !!
I would never have even considered mating these two hamsters. Panda was over 12 months old and had never had a litter so I thought she would have serious complications with giving birth to her first litter so late in life! She isn’t the best Golden either as she came fourth (last place) in the Alcester Short Haired Golden class – so I wouldn’t have bred from her. I also wouldn’t have mated the two because they both have the possibility of carrying the White Bellied Gene!
As you can probably imagine, I was going out of my mind with worry, but desperately hoping she hadn’t gotten pregnant! I actually lost weight because I was worrying so much!
By the time 11 days had passed, it was very clear that she was definitely pregnant, and probably having a large litter too, because of the size of her.
I phoned the vet which I use in Roborovski emergencies and told her exactly what had happened, she was really understanding, and she asked me the approx. date she would give birth if she was pregnant, and then said she would be on hand just incase there were any complications (although, she wasn’t sure if there was anything she could do I didn’t contact her straight away!), so I had to watch her extremely carefully!!
On the 7th of April she went into labour and I was hovering over the phone all day, but she gave birth to more than 15 babies!! Seemingly, without any problems at all, except that I think the first one was either born dead, or was squashed by Panda while she was giving birth :( as I don’t think she had any clue what was happening to her at all!
15 babies survived which I think was an absolute miracle as this was her first litter and she was over 12 months old when she gave birth to them! None of them have any deformities either and there isn’t even a runt either!!
I am so pleased that this horrible accident, which could have turned out so bad, turned out to be a complete miracle, but I feel so bad about it and so irresponsible! My friend who accidentally put Troy into the wrong cage lives quite far away from me, so I don’t see her very often, and I haven’t told her what has happened – I certainly don’t blame her, it was completely my fault because I should have gone with her to put Troy back in his cage.
I am so proud of Panda, she did a great job feeding and looking after them and they are all so chubby and healthy!! She couldn’t have done any better than she has done!!
I just feel so irresponsible and so guilty :oops: , because you were all so nice to me when i mentioned about starting to breed Syrians - at which time i was desprately hoping she wasnt pregnant!
Hope you all understand this was a mistake.
I thought i best tell everyone before someone else mentioned it, because a few of the prospective new homes have been looking on here as i told them it is a great place and very friendly :) - and also because i might be taking a few to Blenheim Palace Display and putting them on the Sales Table - so most of you would find out there anyway :roll: - i just want to be truthful!
So if anyone wants a new hammy...... pics on here soon!
Kind Regards,
Tammy x
I have a very big and very serious confession to make!
I feel so stupid and irresponsible, but there really was nothing I could do to prevent it.
After reading a little more of this post you will probably know exactly what is coming, and also probably roll your eyes and say ‘Not another irresponsible person!!’ – but I really want to explain that it was a complete mistake.
You probably all know that I own two Syrian hamsters, a Male and a Female.
The female is a Short Haired Golden who is approx. 12 – 14 months old, who I got from a ‘breeder’ who doesn’t keep any genetic records and sells any remaining babies to her local pet shop.
The male is a Short Haired Cinnamon Banded who is appox. 6 months old, who I got from a local ‘breeder’ who doesn’t keep any genetic records either.
The fact that neither of them had pedigrees didn’t bother me in the slightest as I had no intention of breeding them. I only cared about them being healthy and tame, and coming from healthy and tame parents, which they were and did!
A few weeks ago I had a friend visiting me and we spent the whole day getting out all of the hamsters one by one and playing with each one for about 20 or 30 minutes each. The day before this I had been cleaning out the cages and had swapped a few of the hamsters around into different cages. My friend had been handling ‘Troy’ my male Syrian and wanted to handle one of the Roborovskis, so she went to take ‘Troy’ back to his cage and then came back and started to handle the Roborovskis.
About an hour later I went back into the hamster shed to put some cages back which I had removed. I put the cages back and had a quick glance over all of the other cages. Then my heart went into my mouth as I noticed ‘Troy’ in my female Syrian’s cage!! ‘Panda’ my female Syrian, was still standing and Troy was cleaning himself all over!
I panicked and then dived into the cage and removed Troy quickly. I put him back into his own cage and then just completely panicked! I checked them both for injuries and none of them had any, but they had been together for about an hour, so I one way it was a good thing she was in season because I think one of them would have been dead otherwise! - especially since he had been put into her cage :shock: !!
I would never have even considered mating these two hamsters. Panda was over 12 months old and had never had a litter so I thought she would have serious complications with giving birth to her first litter so late in life! She isn’t the best Golden either as she came fourth (last place) in the Alcester Short Haired Golden class – so I wouldn’t have bred from her. I also wouldn’t have mated the two because they both have the possibility of carrying the White Bellied Gene!
As you can probably imagine, I was going out of my mind with worry, but desperately hoping she hadn’t gotten pregnant! I actually lost weight because I was worrying so much!
By the time 11 days had passed, it was very clear that she was definitely pregnant, and probably having a large litter too, because of the size of her.
I phoned the vet which I use in Roborovski emergencies and told her exactly what had happened, she was really understanding, and she asked me the approx. date she would give birth if she was pregnant, and then said she would be on hand just incase there were any complications (although, she wasn’t sure if there was anything she could do I didn’t contact her straight away!), so I had to watch her extremely carefully!!
On the 7th of April she went into labour and I was hovering over the phone all day, but she gave birth to more than 15 babies!! Seemingly, without any problems at all, except that I think the first one was either born dead, or was squashed by Panda while she was giving birth :( as I don’t think she had any clue what was happening to her at all!
15 babies survived which I think was an absolute miracle as this was her first litter and she was over 12 months old when she gave birth to them! None of them have any deformities either and there isn’t even a runt either!!
I am so pleased that this horrible accident, which could have turned out so bad, turned out to be a complete miracle, but I feel so bad about it and so irresponsible! My friend who accidentally put Troy into the wrong cage lives quite far away from me, so I don’t see her very often, and I haven’t told her what has happened – I certainly don’t blame her, it was completely my fault because I should have gone with her to put Troy back in his cage.
I am so proud of Panda, she did a great job feeding and looking after them and they are all so chubby and healthy!! She couldn’t have done any better than she has done!!
I just feel so irresponsible and so guilty :oops: , because you were all so nice to me when i mentioned about starting to breed Syrians - at which time i was desprately hoping she wasnt pregnant!
Hope you all understand this was a mistake.
I thought i best tell everyone before someone else mentioned it, because a few of the prospective new homes have been looking on here as i told them it is a great place and very friendly :) - and also because i might be taking a few to Blenheim Palace Display and putting them on the Sales Table - so most of you would find out there anyway :roll: - i just want to be truthful!
So if anyone wants a new hammy...... pics on here soon!
Kind Regards,
Tammy x