kyrilliondaemon
07-23-2013, 06:53 AM
Brought home with Scruff as part of a pair, Dusty spent her first few hours with us convincing us that she wasn't a pair, she belonged as a four...
And promptly threw us headlong into keeping groups by getting reunited with her old cagemates, Timmy and Bump.
http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/s720x720/389524_2560265535795_135743769_n.jpg
Within the group it was clear that everyone had different roles, and Dusty was quite clear from the start that her job was protecting them. She didn't always get on perfectly with her cagemates, but she did clearly care about them. She was a lovely girl from the start, always friendly and sociable with both us and her cagemates, although we never did convince her that we didn't want to be nipped in greeting... It was just part of who she was and that was fine with us.
The girls stayed together well for quite a while, celebrating their first Christmas together...
http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/s720x720/390696_2909596148842_793547661_n.jpg
Then they celebrated hamcake day together...
http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/s720x720/401289_3348691685956_685321923_n.jpg
And had a nice group pile up once they'd eaten
http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/395503_3348708646380_360663882_n.jpg
Dusty even had a brief solo career as a model
http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/s720x720/417109_3429530026864_1351094507_n.jpg
http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/s720x720/429053_3429532186918_1087348851_n.jpg
A while after the girls turned one, they decided it was time to part, so Dusty and Scruff moved out from Timmy and Bump. They got on a lot better in a pair than they had before, and as Scruff developed an eye problem Dusty quickly reminded us of her role as the protector. We treated Scruff with eye drops which we gave while Scruff was in the cage as it was less stressful for her... After a few weeks we think Dusty decided she'd had enough, we clearly weren't helping so Dusty stepped in. She took to hiding in wait for us, then rushing out to nip and try to deter us. It never did stop us, but we did appreciate how nice it was of Dusty to try and defend her friend
In time Dusty decided that while she loved protecting her cagemates, she wanted some space of her own and she moved out to live alone. After a brief time in a ZZ2 she moved to the Luna 400 where she lived out her days as a happy, single hammy. Apart from her friendly neighbourhood gargoyle anyway
She gave him a good nibble to check what he was...
http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/217167_4583160546906_1412451046_n.jpg
...then climbed all over him
http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/392115_4583161146921_1606931360_n.jpg
Dusty always loved to be given treats and would snatch them from fingers before we could blink. She'd snatch and pouch, I'd supply more, she'd snatch and pouch... Eventually she'd decide she'd had enough of those treats and would snatch them to drop them on the floor instead, but even when she didn't want them she still just liked to be given them. It was a great game that started when she lived with her sisters and continued right throughout her life.
She also loved climbing and exploring...
http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/29577_10200386347131121_1035207726_n.jpg
...including past the hammock we put to try and keep her safe
http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/75380_10200308700590006_1229159140_n.jpg
Dusty outlived all of her ex-cagemates, but in February this year Dusty started to look older, and seeing how old she was getting I admitted that I wasn't sure if she'd be with us by the end of the month and that I really didn't expect her to be with us by the end of March. Dusty seemed to take this as a challenge, and at the start of May she celebrated her second birthday. She stayed around even longer, and while she no-longer used her shelves, she was using the full floor of her cage right up to her last day.
Unfortunately her condition deteriorated a lot overnight, and as a result we had no choice but to ask the vet to assist her over the bridge yesterday.
Rest in peace Dusty, our very brave, stubborn little lady
http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/390666_2909609029164_1464774823_n.jpg
And promptly threw us headlong into keeping groups by getting reunited with her old cagemates, Timmy and Bump.
http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/s720x720/389524_2560265535795_135743769_n.jpg
Within the group it was clear that everyone had different roles, and Dusty was quite clear from the start that her job was protecting them. She didn't always get on perfectly with her cagemates, but she did clearly care about them. She was a lovely girl from the start, always friendly and sociable with both us and her cagemates, although we never did convince her that we didn't want to be nipped in greeting... It was just part of who she was and that was fine with us.
The girls stayed together well for quite a while, celebrating their first Christmas together...
http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/s720x720/390696_2909596148842_793547661_n.jpg
Then they celebrated hamcake day together...
http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/s720x720/401289_3348691685956_685321923_n.jpg
And had a nice group pile up once they'd eaten
http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/395503_3348708646380_360663882_n.jpg
Dusty even had a brief solo career as a model
http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/s720x720/417109_3429530026864_1351094507_n.jpg
http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/s720x720/429053_3429532186918_1087348851_n.jpg
A while after the girls turned one, they decided it was time to part, so Dusty and Scruff moved out from Timmy and Bump. They got on a lot better in a pair than they had before, and as Scruff developed an eye problem Dusty quickly reminded us of her role as the protector. We treated Scruff with eye drops which we gave while Scruff was in the cage as it was less stressful for her... After a few weeks we think Dusty decided she'd had enough, we clearly weren't helping so Dusty stepped in. She took to hiding in wait for us, then rushing out to nip and try to deter us. It never did stop us, but we did appreciate how nice it was of Dusty to try and defend her friend
In time Dusty decided that while she loved protecting her cagemates, she wanted some space of her own and she moved out to live alone. After a brief time in a ZZ2 she moved to the Luna 400 where she lived out her days as a happy, single hammy. Apart from her friendly neighbourhood gargoyle anyway
She gave him a good nibble to check what he was...
http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/217167_4583160546906_1412451046_n.jpg
...then climbed all over him
http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/392115_4583161146921_1606931360_n.jpg
Dusty always loved to be given treats and would snatch them from fingers before we could blink. She'd snatch and pouch, I'd supply more, she'd snatch and pouch... Eventually she'd decide she'd had enough of those treats and would snatch them to drop them on the floor instead, but even when she didn't want them she still just liked to be given them. It was a great game that started when she lived with her sisters and continued right throughout her life.
She also loved climbing and exploring...
http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/29577_10200386347131121_1035207726_n.jpg
...including past the hammock we put to try and keep her safe
http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/75380_10200308700590006_1229159140_n.jpg
Dusty outlived all of her ex-cagemates, but in February this year Dusty started to look older, and seeing how old she was getting I admitted that I wasn't sure if she'd be with us by the end of the month and that I really didn't expect her to be with us by the end of March. Dusty seemed to take this as a challenge, and at the start of May she celebrated her second birthday. She stayed around even longer, and while she no-longer used her shelves, she was using the full floor of her cage right up to her last day.
Unfortunately her condition deteriorated a lot overnight, and as a result we had no choice but to ask the vet to assist her over the bridge yesterday.
Rest in peace Dusty, our very brave, stubborn little lady
http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/390666_2909609029164_1464774823_n.jpg