less graceful hamster?

KatiePillow · 11-27-2010, 06:32 AM

My dwarf (most likely hybrid as she was from a pet shop, but leaning towards the campbells side of things) has been looking...well..pudgy recently..And she seems less...graceful..
She's also a bit pudgy...well...she seems bigger. I realise that It's probably just..being chubby...but she was with male until last monday (incorrect sexing) but I was told they don't get chubby during pregnancy, until right at the end...and she isn't acting heavily pregnant, she runs in her wheel, and digs her way around her cage..rolls in her sand bath etc

She doesn't seem to be eating excessively, in fact she just seems to bury all her food..so I don't see how she could be getting so chubby.
She has mealworms occasionally, but I don't feel comfortable cutting them out of her diet until she's been alone for 21 days, just to make sure she isn't pregnant.

Do they get less graceful when pregnant? or is it just that she's a chubster?
>.<

**Hope** · 11-28-2010, 11:21 AM

I'm not sure Katie, but they do get a little more grumpy and may be morel ikely to have a nibble.

Dwarfs are very round and sort of 'budda' looking, and this develops as they age, boris went from looking like a ping pong ball to a tennis ball!

The first is of Boris at about 3-4 months, and the second he is about 11 months old. He hasnt really got bigger as in longer, but he has filled out somewhat! Thought these maybe helpful to help you judge??

KatiePillow · 11-28-2010, 12:02 PM

Does that happen to all hybrids? he's a cute little chubster =] is that his natural kinda...weight? Or does he eat lots? I'm unsure about sandy...sometimes she looks really big and other times she doesnt...it almost looks like her rib cage is larger, so maybe she's just filling out.
She's bigger than her brother...but her brother lives with my boyfriend who only gives him one meal worm a week D: I've been giving sandy one a day (in case she's pregnant....and also to buy her love)
>.<

**Hope** · 11-28-2010, 12:07 PM

Females are usually larger, so thats normal

Yup this is his usual weight, I dont think he is overweight at all. Memeber Rachk's dwarf ww Huxley weighs the same as boris so I assume its pretty normal for them to look round and chubby. Its not just hybrids its all campbells and ww species that have this round shape. I have heard of people starving dwarfs as they think they look fat being the shape they are, so they keep them skinny so they look 'nicer' but I think this is just rediculous anot to mention cruel!

KatiePillow · 11-28-2010, 12:46 PM

That is cruel, I haven't reduced her food at all, she doesn't over eat, she has never emptied her bowl, she just buries it o.o; but I check and it's got a lot of food in it..if anything I'd worry that she doesn't eat enough. She's very active too..but those meal worms...she's an absolute chubster with those =]
And my boyfriend doesn't starve the boy, he just doesn't want to spoil him too much, so uses the worms as a training tool

Podling · 11-28-2010, 01:05 PM

Awh I think dwarves are much cuter when they are chubby! Skinny dwarves just look... well... skinny I guess.
I don't know Katie, so long as she acts the same I'd hope she's ok, and wasn't she still quite young when you found out they weren't the same gender? Maybe you're just seeing it more because you're worrying about it?
I guess by now there's not much you can do anyway except for hope that you don't get any unexpected additions though I'm sure you'd rather be prepared for it... Ugh I don't know what to say really! Hope everything turns out for the best!

KatiePillow · 11-28-2010, 01:34 PM

thank you. I have a spare cage, a spare aquarium, another spare cage on the way and a lot of boxes for emergency bin cages, so I'm prepared,

And I'm sure you're right, I am just seeing it more since it's a possibility, They were together until they were about...14 weeks? We got them at 12 weeks (ish) so it's a possibiliy, but I'm sure we're clear, I've been keeping an eye on her, She's just looking less graceful than she used to, she's completely tamed to me now though

Had my uncle over earlier and he tried to grab her from her cage =/ She bit him, but it served him right tbh, you just have to be cautious with her and she isn't vicious, so that makes me less worried about the possibility of her pregnancy =]

and she is a little cutie =] and she's still growing, so it's probably just a bit of growing weight..
never helps to be prepared though

Podling · 11-28-2010, 02:15 PM

It's good that you're prepared just in case, and I'm sure if it did happen you'd cope much better than you may expect anyway, but yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if it was just worry more than anything else so I'd kinda just go along the route of what will be will be because it's past the point you can control it whatever happens (that may sound less positive than I intended but I promise it's a positive comment!)
Not surprising she'd bite if he moved towards her suddenly, probably any hamster would! Now at least your uncle knows not to move so quick around her at least so hopefully if he comes visiting again he won't spook her

I wish you luck whatever happens, I'm sure it will all be ok ^_^

KatiePillow · 11-28-2010, 02:39 PM

Thanks =] and don't worry, I realised it was positive =].
He was able to pin her upside down like..he looked at her and was like 'yeah, that's definitely a girl' and I haven't been able to pin her upside down yet

so that was good =]

Podling · 11-28-2010, 02:44 PM

Aha, that's good. It reminds me of the guy in the rescue today who felt Fudge incase she was a he but her man parts hadn't descended yet (I'm not sure if that was a more or less crude way of putting it, I was going for less...) I was fairly surprised she didn't bite him so I can imagine you trying to pin yours down would be a struggle, they're always so wriggly hehe