All About My Past Hamsters (2007 to 2014)

[Hamsterita]

Cookie was beautiful. I can understand why you like that photo so much. She looks lovely on your hoodie, and it's very sweet.

I like open nests, it's easier to stalk them without them noticing

I like the idea of the treat ball, maybe I'll get one, it sounds fun.

I'm sorry to hear that you had to take such a hard decision, but it was for the best.

[BorisPasha]

Awww Cookie was a beautiful girl, she looks so cute in those pictures I laughed at here getting the better of your relatives when she went to stay, she definitely was a very clever girl. It sounds like she had a very happy life with you.

Sorry you had to make such a difficuilt decision at the end SKB but you did the right thing for her.

[Thin Lizzy]

So loved those very fluffy pics of Cookie. It's always hard making that 'pts' decision but, done with love.

[SKB_Hamsters]

Thank You cypher, Hamsterita, BorisPasha and Thin Lizzy. It was very difficult making the final decision as I didn't want to lose my lovely, sweet, beautiful and cuddly girl. Cookie determination for food was always so sweet to watch - she tried many times to get me to re-fill her recently empty bowl, looking at me with the sweetest expression with her pouches stuffed with food. She had an incredible personality and I really enjoyed every second I spent with her.

Next, I will introduce my 5th hamster, the special...


Toffee


On the 7th August 2013, I decided that I was ready to welcome home another Syrian hamster. I tried a different store to the ones I had previously got my hamsters from. I was shown the female Syrian hamsters they had – this one little banded golden Umbrous girl caught my eye as she was a different colour from her sisters. The p@h staff member tried to pick her up and she leaped from his hand – I could see she was terrified and realised she was very overwhelmed with her sisters being so excited. I felt so sorry for her and knew she needed to come home with me. She was put inside the hamster transport box where she frantically tried to chew her way out, before long her nose was poking through, her box was put inside a larger box, but she started to chew her way out of that one so they put her in a larger thicker cardboard carrier – which luckily managed to contain her.

Toffee was a female long haired Banded Satin Golden Umbrous Syrian Hamster who was such a lovely and sweet girl who also was extremely fearful of most sounds. We formed a very close bond and she knew she could trust me – but was very anxious of anyone else.

I allowed her a week to settle in – I left her cage alone and decided not to do the tissue trick with her as she was extremely fearful and I didn’t want to put my scent inside her cage as I didn’t think this would be best for her. Every night she would frantically run in her wheel – if she heard me she would either panic sprint in her wheel or squeeze into the smallest gap behind her house. After leaving her to settle in and when she started to feel comfortable in her cage I started trying to tame her at her pace. I thought initially I would try to offer her a treat inside her cage to see whether she would be brave enough to take it from me – instead she hid behind her house peering at me – she looked absolutely terrified. I realised this wasn’t going to work. I left Toffee for a few more days – talking to her through the cage bars until she started to look more relaxed. I slipped in a few treats into her cage through the bars when I was talking to her so she would start to associate me with more positive things – which did seem to help her. After a few days Toffee started to look more confident and didn’t freak out when she heard me – so I tried Toffee in the playpen – I placed her complete cage in the playpen and left a line of treats leading out of her cage. Toffee would come out briefly taking the treat within reach of her house and would hide back into her house if she heard the slightest noise. So I decided to sit on the other side of my room – keeping as quiet and as still as possible, this helped Toffee to brave venturing out of her cage into the playpen collecting the tasty treats along the way. Once she started to relax and began exploring the playpen I gradually started to move closer towards the playpen – when she felt overwhelmed she could return back to the safety of her cage. Toffee soon felt comfortable coming out into the playpen when I was sitting next to it. I continued to work with her very slowly. When she started to feel comfortable and fairly confident inside the playpen I decided to film her having fun and exploring but this is when she decided to climb up the playpen and stepped onto my hand – luckily I was filming her at the time so captured this very special moment – I was so happy and proud of her.

Taming continued to progress gradually – some days Toffee was little more nervous than other days. Toffee started to feel more confident with me and I could see that she felt safe around me and was starting to trust – we slowly continued taming – she started to feel relaxed in my hand although one time she was climbing over me she decided to step down onto my floor – this wasn’t ideal as she didn’t like be picked up. So I tried guiding her back into the playpen, and offering her ball to her but she didn’t want to go in either. So I had to try picking her up – I placed my hand either side and scoop her up and she was terrified kept leaping out of my hand as I think she felt like she was trapped – so I had just had to brave picking her up like she was tame, once I picked her up she relaxed and this did help her to feel safe in my hand. After this experience Toffee felt comfortable being picked up.

Toffee now trusted me outside her cage and she felt safe but it was completely different when she was inside her cage. She still didn’t like me putting my hand inside her cage. One day when I was putting some treats inside her cage, Toffee appeared out of nowhere and tried biting my hand luckily I managed to remove my hand before she had a chance to bite. I completely understood why she was territorial of her cage – as her cage was a place she felt safe, secure and where she didn’t need to feel scared. Although with some work and time she soon accepted my hand inside her cage as she realised it brought good things like tasty treats and wasn’t there to hurt her. Toffee also lived in my Savic Cambridge cage, I did initially want to upgrade her cage as the cage was looking a bit worn out but I knew this wouldn't have be ideal to try to move her into a new environment when she felt safe and confident in her current cage. As she didn't like it when I had to clean her cage. Toffee was a big chewer - luckily not a bar chewer – instead she much preferred chewing her wooden house, cardboard box, various chews including whimzees and also the stuffed carrot Woodroll.

As she started to gain some confidence and started to become a little braver, although she was still quite fearful of unfamiliar sounds and movements, I thought I would see what she thought of cuddle time on the sofa. She actually quite enjoyed exploring the sofa and was happy to climb out of her cage into my hand – Toffee had access to some hideaways if she felt scared and also she got to indulge on treats including broccoli and carrots (favourites of hers) when she was having her cuddle sessions. Cuddle times really helped our bond to grow and helped her to feel calm and relaxed – she started to climb into my hand when it was time to come out of her cage. Toffee loved running around in her ball – the safety of the ball helped her not to feel overwhelmed with all the space and she felt safe and comfortable inside the ball.

Toffee also loved to dig and burrow – she had deep substrate in her cage and her play area (which she access to during cuddle times) – I always loved watching her burrowing as you could see the happiness on her face. Although she did also like pilling her substrate in the corner of her cage and many morning I awoke to a massive pile of substrate on the unit her cage was on and all over my floor – but she was having fun so I didn’t mind cleaning the mess up.

Although Toffee trusted me occasionally when I was handling her, Toffee would hear an unfamiliar noise and panic. In the process she would bite me really hard and try to leap from my hand – luckily I manage to catch her or prevent her from leaping. I always knew when she bit it wasn’t aggression but fear. She really was such a sweet and cuddly girl when she felt relaxed so it was sad seeing her scared and fearful as I knew this wasn’t who she truly was. These where a few reason why I was worried about her staying with a relative when I was away. This is why in December 2012, she had a holiday with me in the UK – at first Toffee was a little unsure about being in her carrier and in her travel cage but she relaxed quickly and enjoyed her holiday with me.

Toffee was such a wonderful little girl she had such a lovely personality. She meant everything to me and I couldn’t imagine not having her in my life. But…

On the 30th May 2014, Toffee had started to get really bad diarrhoea, so Toffee was taken to the vets immediately. Once the vets examined Toffee, they confirmed to me what I had initially suspected – Toffee unfortunately had wet tail. My heart sank and I started to cry (I’m in tears just typing this) – I was given to options to see whether she would respond to medicine or have her PTS. This was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make– I didn’t know what to do but I couldn’t face myself just giving up on her without at least trying seeing whether she would respond to medicine. The vets took her out back gave her antibiotics – in the process she bit the vet. The vet trip was fairly stressful for Toffee. I tried everything I could to help Toffee fight against the horrible illness of wet tail – seeing her in so much discomfort was so difficult and upsetting but Toffee meant the world to me and I couldn’t give up on her. Toffee started to make improvements and started to look better. But on 2nd July 2014, Toffee passed away in her sleep she looked comfortable and at peace again, but it was really upsetting realising that she was no longer with me.

Toffee – 7th August 2013 – 2nd July 2014

Out of all my hamsters, Toffee’s death was the hardest to accept – seeing a hamster suffering with wet tail is such a hard thing to witness especially when I was willing her to recover and doing everything in my power to help her – Toffee did put up a good fight. I also felt so bad that I didn’t have her PTS, so she could be free from pain sooner but as she was still young and I hadn’t even had her for a year which made this impossible decision even more impossible. Losing a hamster before their time I so hard and difficult to come to terms with – I even considered not getting another hamster because I didn’t want the possibilities of experiencing wet tail again. After a while I really missed not having a hamster – when I was ready I welcomed home Sherbet and now I have Pumpkin. Toffee taught me so much about and started my interest in hamster behaviour – I’m very grateful for everything she taught me. Toffee still lives on in my heart with my 5 other sweet girls and my 2 guinea-pigs who I still miss loads but I know they are all together with one another.

Here are a few of my most favourite photos of Toffee.

IMG_0631_zpsnqmgbriq.jpg

The last photo is the very last photo I took of Toffee (before she had wet tail), curled up asleep in her play area - this shows her beautiful banded pattern and her long fur.

[Thin Lizzy]

I had tears in my eyes reading about Toffee's battle with wet tail, she had such a short time with you but, you gave her your unconditional love. Seeing those pics proves what a happy, wonderful life she had with you. Absolutely stunning!
Everytime, I click on this thread, I feel hungry lol! Funny thing is I actually bought toffees on Friday.
Wonderful thread SKB xxx

[cypher]

So sad that you lost Toffee to wet tail SKB, it's always hard recalling the sad times but Toffee's story is so full of love & reading about how you gained her confidence & built such a great bond with her was really touching, a short life but one full of love & happiness for you both.

[BorisPasha]

Toffee was a beautiful girl, I love that first pic off her sitting with the green bird. She sounded like a very special girl and so very sad that you had to loose her at such a young age.

[Coco61]

What a really beautiful girl Toffee was. Sorry her loss hit you so hard. Then her influence led you to 2 more special fluffs. This is a very touching thread.

[Pebbles82]

She was a gorgeous little girl - such a look about her and expressions. So sad she was taken by that horrible disease. I'm so sorry. She had a year of love and wonderful care with you though. You shouldn't have angst about not having her put to sleep. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and we don't have foresight. You tried to save her and pursued treatment and I am sure she knew that.

[Rads]

SKB,
You are quite the author, I have enjoyed reading your thread on your beautiful hamsters, Cotton is beautiful and Cookie looks so much like a fluffy version of Pip.
Good photos too!