Hamster lockdown thread

[Vierville]

It won't be any time very soon as we are still in the midst of shambolic lockdown so most stores are closed or only open for essential items and absolutely no deliveries are permitted.

I think it is only fair to wait until I can provide absolutely everything they need before getting them...and there is the small matter of convincing my wife! To be fair she loves gerbils too and also wants some but she's working from home for the foreseeable future so the contents of her office have moved into the hamsters' room and there is no space! As it is she is between the hamsters and the WW1/WW2 artifacts collection with her riding equipment and saddle sitting in the middle of the room!

Behind her desk is a display case of bayonets and bullet-riddled WW2 helmets which I have warned her to perhaps cover if she has to skype anyone...

[Pebbles82]

That sounds like interesting shambolic at any rate! No interesting WW memorabilia here. One room is full of bags of stuff “in quarantine “ and two washing baskets- one for “potentially contaminated” clothing, one for normal clothing. Plus a cupboard full of supplies and an enormous catering pack of teabags on top (think my priorities were a bit skewed - the first thing I stocked up in was a lot of tea - decided I couldn’t live without that and stay sane!).

Kept the living room looking fairly normal but the downstairs loo is now a “dirty room” for hand washing and disinfecting things and the kitchen the “clean room” for normal hand washing. I am still not organised and need to get the house tidied up to make it easier to clean and keep the floors cleaned. Too much clutter around. I ordered some large plastic boxes to help with de cluttering but then they took up space being quarantined before disinfecting! We’re being belt and braces about anything delivered in case it has the virus on - hard surfaces like metal and hard plastic it can last a long time.

Meanwhile the hamster’s veg diet has become less varied! Depending what veg we have each week. One week I had no veg so substituted a raisin or a piece of apple.

Anyway - we have managed to stay self isolated for nearly two months now without going anywhere. Both OH and I are high risk. He is still working on the farm though.

Nothing to do with gerbils - sorry! But was fascinated to hear about how people’s homes have adapted to this situation. My “office” used to be the bedroom but I can’t get on with computer repairs right now as too busy surviving! So all my work has been stored away in boxes and at least we have a tidy, clutter-free bedroom now. If anything good comes from this awful situation it will be that I have de-cluttered!

[Teddy001]

Originally Posted by Vierville

So I figured that since so many of us are going to be in isolation or lockdown at home, we will probably be seeing more of our hamster friends that usual. I know this is true for me, I will not be going to work for a long time.

So I thought we could share our hamsters' antics and some photos of what they've been getting up to. I know it would cheer me up to see what everybody's hamsters have been doing.

I caught Baldrick emerging from his sand box this morning after having a good roll around in the sand, he noticed me just at the moment I took the picture and gave me this really inquisitive look.

Nanuk had just got his medicine for the morning and I managed to get his handsome side while he was staying still in my hand.

My third little one, Norman, has been out but just briefly. They are all back in their nests now, quiet as mice.

Would love to see or hear what your hamsters have all been up to?

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Attachment 50252

Sorry, the top photo somehow rotated 90 degrees...

Aww, so cute!! How do you add photos? Lol

[Ria P]

Originally Posted by Teddy001

Aww, so cute!! How do you add photos? Lol

When replying scroll down to Manage Attachments and click on it then click on Choose File then Upload, wait till uploaded (a blue line will run across top) then click on Close This Window top right which will take you back to your reply with photos attached.
Looking forward to see your photos.

[Vierville]

I spent some quality time with Norman last night. I seem to handle him the least as he isn't out very much and when he is, he's busy running on his wheel so I don't want to disturb him. He isn't a hamster who does a lot of 'hanging around', he comes out to run or eat.

So last night I intercepted him and took him out of his cage for a bit, he's really well behaved just very quick!

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I also have come to realise that anything imported is fast running out here and all our harbours and airports are closed to 'nonessential' imports. I've already seen this with the brand of butter spread we usually buy and so yesterday I went off and got a good supply of Kaytee Clean and Cozy. Only two pet stores sell it here and one is sold out already, I was lucky to get what I did! I also got some packets of Versele-Laga mini hamster nature so while I might not have nice butter spread, my hamsters will have Kaytee and mini hamster food!
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[Ria P]

Originally Posted by Vierville

so while I might not have nice butter spread, my hamsters will have Kaytee and mini hamster food!
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Glad you got your priorities right!

Lovely to see a photo of Norman. He's so fluffy and cuddly looking.

[Vierville]

Originally Posted by Ria P

Glad you got your priorities right!

Lovely to see a photo of Norman. He's so fluffy and cuddly looking.

Thanks Ria P. Yes, Norman is very soft and fluffy, he's actually a much smaller hamster than Baldrick and Nanuk.

If he would only sit still long enough for me to cuddle! He did a very cute thing though, as you can see in that photo he streeeeetched himself out over my hand which I've never seen any of them do before.

[Pebbles82]

Aw Norman. Hamsters are a bit reclusive here at the moment but here are some wild primroses (you can see Charlie's memorial stone next to them) and the bluebells which have just come out in the last few days.

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[Vierville]

The flowers look beautiful! We're going into winter here now so I am thinking of planting pansies or violas on our balcony when the garden centres eventually open. We can't get anything now.

European spring flowers are so beautiful, my heart and soul most definitely are in Europe. Today was quite a sad day for us as it was the day we were meant to leave for Normandy, the Somme and Belgium on a holiday we'd planned and looked forward to every day for seven months and coinciding with my birthday. One of the most beautiful joyful little things about being there this time of the year is the lovely spring flowers and in particular the poppies that are only just emerging.It's not such a long way from the UK but from South Africa, its a really major trip that requires months of planning as we'd planned a packed itinerary and to be honest this evening we both felt really flat sitting in our apartment not only under lockdown but under actual enforced curfew, the only sounds being the occasional police sirens on the road outside. Truly dismal.

[Pebbles82]

Snap. My birthday was the 7th Was yours the 7th or 8th? We Taureans have sensitive souls! Unfortunately any minor celebration has been postponed due to a stomach upset.