Last Thursday I came home from work to find that Jení had passed away in her food bowl, she looked like she was sleeping so I can only assume she went very peacefully.
At a year and seven months of age she wasn't what I would consider old in normal hamster terms but for Jení its more than we could have hoped for.
Rescued at just 3 weeks old with her sister Kiku, both had been victims of careless backyard breeding. Their grand parents belonged to a youth who refused to stop breeding his female back to back with her own siblings and selling the pups for profit. Three of the pups then went on to live with a friend of mine who was told that they were all female. Sadly (and not unsurprisingly) the careless breeder got their sexes wrong and one of the hamsters was a male, this was only known when both of his sisters gave birth a month later.
Unfortunately, by the time my friend had noticed the babies the male had already been able to mate with his sisters a second time. Both females were just over month old and the stress of two litters was very hard on them and so breaking the rules of leaving the pups with their mum for at least 5 weeks we decided that in the best interest of one of the mums and all of her pups that her first litter were taken away just after the birth of the second at just 3 weeks of age. This was a litter of two females and one male.
The male went to live with my cousin and sadly passed away last year at just over a year old, both females stayed with me and were watched closely for any signs of deformity, development problems and neurological damage.
Amazingly both pups grew up into healthy adults with not a single sign of genetic problems, not only that but they went to take second and third place in all of the classes they were entered into in their first show and though from the beginning we doubted whether they would make it to their first birthday or not they went beyond and stunned everyone!
Kiku and Jení were always very close, best friends certainly. Never a moment spent apart, never a fight, never a problem. Sadly Kiku hasn't coped very well in the last few days without her sister so I have paired Molly from my litter with her to see if it helps her get back on her feet. So far it seems to be going well.
Jení was buried in the back garden next to Thistle, over looking the pond which is full of wildlife in the summer. I think she'll enjoy it there.
Sleep tight my little Jení, I'll make sure your sister is taken care of and I know she will never forget you and neither will we. xxxxxxxxxx
Jení Amai Hana 28/06/11 - 24/01/13
Rest in peace, gorgeous girl.
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