Little Baby Todd :D

Munchalot · 06-03-2013, 06:41 AM

So this is Todd. He is a pure Winter white, around 9 weeks old, and a gorgeous little boy. I picked him up on Saturday and he has been a little angel. Settling in really well, was totally unfazed on the way home, and then on the second trip up to college with me (little cutie went straight to sleep in his little box).
He's really good for handling. I allowed him some time to settle in, but in the brief handling I've had taking him between enclosures he's been brilliant. Not a single jump or scat, and he has't bitten anyone yet. Infact, adorably, when I put him down in the new cage to sniff about, he came straight back to me and sat back in my hand. Little sweetie.

He's in his winter coat at the moment, because of the periods of light in the shop (which I work in). It's very dim out the back with the hamsters, and the lights are on only for opening times from 9:00 - 5:30, so to the hams it's winter time. He's coming out of it now though.
He will slower darken again, but for the moment he's quite pale. I'm waiting to see if he turns out to be a Normal or a Sapphire.

I am hoping to breed him in the future, and so far he's been a perfect candidate.

Gazmo · 06-03-2013, 06:42 AM

aww how goegeous

jesselle · 06-04-2013, 02:41 AM

Wow he's a cutie

Where's he from? You'll want to be absolutely sure of his lines before breeding.

Munchalot · 06-04-2013, 03:03 AM

Thanks! He is most flattered.

Well, he is from a pet shop, but it's one I work at here in the UK. We're a small independent store and only sell Winter whites and Syrians, no other hamsters; and one of my colleagues used to be a registered breeder and shower, so he has no love for hybrids. We know all of the breeders and they're good at what they do. We often supply animals for young breeders - I myself have purchased breeding syrians through our store before.

**Silver** · 06-04-2013, 03:23 AM

So you have no papers to say this gorgeous little one is a pure WW?

If that is the case no NHC breeder will knowingly sell you a pure dwarf to breed with this little love

xxx

Munchalot · 06-04-2013, 03:32 AM

I could probably contact the breeder to request confirmation, but I'm pretty sure he himself shows, and he has no dealings with Campbells. We only use pure WW, we don't like Campbells. They don't sell, and we want to keep the species individual. We are one of the very rare pet shops that actually makes an effort to keep WW and Camps distinct. The only place around here that sells Cs and hybrids is Pets At Home.

Besides, I'm not looking to show or count as a serious hobby breeder, just breeding for pets. That was the only reason I bred syrians, it was very rewarding and great experience, and I gave very lovely good-natured pups to friends.

**Silver** · 06-04-2013, 03:43 AM

Campbell's sure do get a bad rap in life.

Pure C have amazing personality's & only have the bad rep of being nasty due to them actually being Hybrids that have not had human contact because they were bred in rodent mills.

I have a pure C & she has the sweetest little personality ever, she actually was very shy & timid to begin with, now confident & has not once ever bitten or even thought about biting.

I really wish people would not base Campbell behavior on Hybrids

xxx

Munchalot · 06-04-2013, 03:57 AM

Oh no of course! Campbells definitely have their charms when of pure lineage. I'm not saying they are all nasty, it's just we don't sell them. If we were to sell both varieties, it would be harder to keep them pure, and we wouldn't be sure of what we are getting. Plus it's so hard around here to acquire 'pure' camps.
WW sell very well in this area, the well bred ones are are lovely little animals with the sweetest temperament.

I have evidence of how hybridization can ruin an animals temperament - I have another dwarf from Pets At Home, who do not indicate which species they are, because they admit to mixing the two species together in the tanks and buying in mostly hybrids. My hammy, which I adopted from them, is albino, so I know has Campbells in him, but I could not confidently say he was definitely a C. He's a horrible little sod. He's fine once he's in your hand, but if you were to put your hand in his cage or try to pick him up from the tank or even on the floor, he bites every time. And it's a nasty bite too. :/ He was okay when we first brought him back with us, but no matter how we spoil him or how gently he's handled, he won't have it to be.
Hybrids really are ruining both species.

**Silver** · 06-04-2013, 04:05 AM

That little one is a hybrid, nothing to do with Pure C

Hybrids are not chosen to breed because of their temperament, they are bred back to back until the female dies for profit. They also have no human contact apart from being placed in a temp box wile there cage is cleaned out. They are even fed through a cage on top so the hams can reach their food but the person feeding them dosen't need to go into each cage. The water is fed through a system of pipes so once again no human contact. This is why they can be nasty.

Perhaps it's because there are just Hybrids & hopefully pure WW's in your area that people are buying the hopefully pure WW's. Not saying you should start selling hopefully pure C but if there was some Pure C in your area I am sure they would sell well too

xxx

Munchalot · 06-04-2013, 06:23 AM

I suspected as much. :/

I'm sure they would. But the terrible thing is, that people are so used to seeing simply "Russian Hamster" in the shops, so broadly termed so the store can get away with selling hybrids and mysteries, that most people don't even realise there are two distinct species.
At work I try to make an effort to explain that the ones we sell are Winter whites, and different to what they might buy at Pets At Home, because people come to the assumption that Russian hamsters as a whole are nasty. :/