Vectis Hamily Updates

[Vectis Hamstery]

Hello HC! Sorry for being quiet but May's been a hectic month with 3 rally obedience trials (one was our first 2 day trial), a hamster show that I was show sec for, and an educational hamster display as well as going away for a week and all the usual life, work dog, and hammy stuff. Plus I lost my camera!

The hamsters have being doing well with the heat. This time of year gets busy in the hamster room with the Houten newbies, pups and pairings, and old or unwell hamsters. When I went away I made a hamster list for the pet sitters and had a new category - palliative care My petsitters are very observant and good with hamster care so I wanted them to know which hamsters I knew would not be for heroic vet treatment. Two of the expected hamsters died while I was away - one young lad with an aggressive tumour the vet had explored under anaesthetic and found to be inoperable, and one frail three year old Syrian. Another two of my old lady Syrian hamsters have also passed since then, as well as one elderly Campbell from my boy herd. The boy herd are doing ok but were unsettled for a day or two after losing Cicero.

In happier news I'm delighted to announce pups! Lyra has had her 2nd (and last) litter of duprasi. She's had 3 pups - one for each of her legs Her first litter is all reserved and some have gone to new homes while others are awaiting collection. I also have a litter of six sapphire winter whites who are 4 weeks old and a litter of Chinese hamsters born to my BEW pair who arrived today! I lost my camera so have no pics of the pups but found it this week so will get taking photos this weekend!

Rogue was presented with an annual award for the 2016 rally obedience season for most improvement last weekend. I'm so proud of my funny little monkey. He loves his new toy prize!
IMG_5460 by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr

The educational display was a fun and busy day that I did with a friend on behalf of the Southern Hamster Club. We're efficient at getting out stand set up and this venue thankfully provides the tables!
IMG_5505 by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr

The display boards are handy for information, as well as blocking access to the hamsters resting behind the stand (we take plenty so they can rotate on and off display throughout the day)
IMG_5480 by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr

The event's theme was 'Children's Fun Day' so we took some substrate and treat examples as well as DIY toys:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/vectis...posted-public/
IMG_5472 by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr

Phoenix modelled the 'room for improvement' cage before the display opened (under close supervision just out of camera shot of course). I was going to take a photo of her inside it until my friend asked if I really wanted to spend the day trying to extricate a large Syrian hamster from a small plastic tube...
IMG_5493 by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr


Queenie had a good day at her first display!
IMG_5523 by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr

[Fluffagrams]

Sorry to hear about your recent losses but great news about all the little ones born - I'd better not look when you start posting photos of the BEW pups as the last lot I saw photos of were just so tempting.

It looks like you had a great day at the fun day and a big well done to you and Rogue on the award.

[BorisPasha]

Sounds like you've had a really busy month Vectis. Sorry to hear about your losses but it sounds like they had nice long lifes.

I'm excited to see the pups, especially the winter whites Have they all got homes to go to? Is it too far to travel with a hamster all the way from Southampton to Scotland lol?

The educational stand looks like a great initiative to get the message out there to potential hamster and existing owners

A big well done to Rogue too, he's looking very proud sitting with his rosettes and quite rightly so

[Pebbles82]

Congratulations on the Duprasi litter Rogue is a clever boy and Phoenix shows quite clearly how the tubes are too small for a large Syrian!

[Drago]

So sorry to hear about Cicero and your lovely Syrian lady, play well at the bridge little ones X

Congrats to you and rogue on the obedience award! Congrats on the new litter of doops as well

[cypher]

So sorry for your recent losses Vectis, run free & play well at the bridge little ones.

Lovely news about the pups, WW & dooplets are going to be so adorable, can't wait to see photos...

The educational stand looks great, Phoenix is doing a great job there!
That photo of Queenie is just too cute

[AprilPearl]

Very sorry about the little ones who have left you Vectis must have been hard to lose so many at once, when even one loss is such a heartbreak.

Congratulations on the new arrivals. Can't wait to see some pics!

Rogue is a sweetie. I've always wanted a chihuahua.

That picture of Queenie makes me laugh. And oh, it's another picture in which you can see that tiny little stump that Syrians seem to have in addition to the four fingers on their front paws. I always think that it shows they are in the process of evolving thumbs...

[Hamsterita]

I'm sorry for your losses but I'm glad for the litters and for the rest of the good news. Rogue is a cutie and he deserved his prices! And the stand sounds amazing, I wish there were things like that where I live!

[Vectis Hamstery]

The education stand was fun. We've done one at the brickworks a few times and it's always good. I just have to find somewhere to store the rotastak I was donated for display work now!

I've had a busy day today cleaning out the hammies. I've done about 2/3 of them and still have about 20 cages left to do. I'll need to pop out for more substrate tomorrow on the way back from Rogue's walk in the New Forest.

Here are the Kittidens - the winter white litter. There are 3 boys and 3 girls. This photo was taken just before they were split up. The girls have stayed with mum Kittiwake for now and the boys are in with daddy Denmark. Den will be going back to his home in 2 weeks.
Kittidens by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr

These are two of the three pups in the Dobly II litter. They are now 5 weeks old and the girls are in with mum and the single boy has got his own cage.
Dobly II by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr

Altair and Aquila, another duprasi pair, may have pups in the nest. She was due from yesterday and is being secretive. Today I paired up another duprasi pair and 2 pairs of Chinese hammies. I still have 4 pairs living together who came back from Houten. It might get quite busy here! Houten years are always hectic in the hammy room.

Originally Posted by BorisPasha

I'm excited to see the pups, especially the winter whites Have they all got homes to go to? Is it too far to travel with a hamster all the way from Southampton to Scotland lol?

I haven't yet looked at the WW waiting list. Dad's owner doesn't want a pup so they're all mine to rehome. They're only babies and would get very tired feet walking all the way to Scotland

Originally Posted by AprilPearl

I always think that it shows they are in the process of evolving thumbs...

Please don't give my Syrians ideas! The amount of trouble they'd get into if they had thumbs

[Fluffagrams]

Aren't those little ones just adorable.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for your other pairings and hope that more pups are on the way soon.