All About My Sherbet

SKB_Hamsters · 05-22-2016, 09:30 AM

I decided to make this thread to keep you updated on Sherbet after her health problems (for info on this here is my other thread Sherbet - Health Updates )
Sherbet is my almost 2 year old Rust Dominant Spot Banded Female Syrian Hamster, who I have had since she was 6-8 weeks old. She is an absolute sweetheart who loves to be centre of attention, her cuddles and to snuggle around my neck.

Sherbet is quiet a laid back and lazy hamster at times but the rest of the time she is this hyperactive hamster who enjoys her playtime (as can be seen here Sherbet's Playtime Photos) . Sherbet is quiet a clumsy and a not very bright hamster as she can't open a monkey nut (although this could be put on to fool me!). She has so much character so there never a dull moment with her but she likes to keep me on my toes.

Her face is the cutest thing I have ever seen, which means you can't get annoyed at her when she tries to get attention, bangs her toys against the edge of the cage (she finds her bowl works best for that). If your hand enters her cage she will be climbing into your hand in a flash. Sherbet loves her food - as her tummy comes first - but her love for food can show her slightly angry side especially if she thinks you are hiding something from her when you are not this is the only time she has bitten, luckily it wasn't my finger but it was an accident.

Sherbet means everything to me, and our bond together is amazing if I'm not sitting with her when she used to have her free roam playtime she used to come a find me.

Sherbet is doing really well after all of her health problems despite her age she has pulled through, and fought through every obstacle in her recovery including a surgery. Sherbet was so happy to be back in her Ferplast Mary cage yesterday - as she had been housed in a slightly smaller bin cage when she was unwell as she needed to rest and it made it easier when I had to take her to the vets for surgery. She was so excited trying all her toys and had a run (well maybe more like a walk) in her DIY bucket wheel (MY DIY Bucket Wheel). Last night Sherbet enjoyed a bit of digging well maybe not digging as such maybe more like pilling her Fitch into a big pile in the corner of her cage - a Fitch castle. When I went to see her she was pretending to be getting some shredded up tissue for her house but as soon as the light went off she continued making her Fitch castle. So she was trying to fool me again, she is my little troublemaker. So she is happy to be back home in her cage. Her appetite is getting better and she tucks into her food, she likes the additional treat I make up to go with her soaked supreme science pellets and her porridge - yesterday she had finely chopped chicken and some crushed banana pellets, today she has some crushed sunflower seed hearts. I looked at her teeth last night and I think I can see her top two teeth growing back but in the mean time she is enjoying her soft food.

I will keep you updated on Sherbet and all of her mischievous (and also her well behaved) moments.

Pebbles82 · 05-22-2016, 09:34 AM

Looking forward to hearing more about Sherbet

Glad she is doing well.

SKB_Hamsters · 05-22-2016, 02:30 PM

I'm glad she doing well too. She had cuddle time this evening which she enjoyed. She is getting more active and she was so happy to get some sunflower seed hearts which I bought for her today(I was initially going to unshell sunflower seed for her but I though it would easier to just buy the hearts as she can't unshell them herself until her top teeth regrow). I'm just trying to put some weight back on her but as her appetite is increasing and she is eating a bit more solid food she might start to put some weight back on soon.

Pebbles82 · 05-22-2016, 02:46 PM

I bet she enjoyed the sunflower seeds

SKB_Hamsters · 05-22-2016, 02:54 PM

Yes, she really enjoyed them. They are one of her favourite treats so she was happy to have some I had to crush them a little to make it easier for her to eat though.

SKB_Hamsters · 05-23-2016, 05:25 AM

I was just browsing through my photos on my photos on my computer trying to organise them better, but I found the photos I took of Sherbet when she was a baby, which I thought would be nice to share.

A Little Story about when I went to get Sherbet in July 2014
When I went to get Sherbet she was one of 3 female Syrian hamsters the store had, both her sisters where trying to impress me and win me over however I had already fallen for Sherbet by her colour and pattern, but Sherbet was still fast asleep (she is so lazy). As soon as she had woken up and looked at me I knew she was the hamster for me, her face just won me over, how could I say no!. The pet shop staff were sad to see her go as they said she was there favourite and I could see why. The first few weeks of having her there was a heat wave, I had to try to keep my room at a constant temperature but Sherbet decided to curl up asleep on one of her cage platform, to keep herself cool.

Taming Sherbet, was so easy she was already really friendly when I got her, when I was trying to put her in her cage from my carrier she wouldn’t go in the cage but kept trying to climb into my hands, but I didn’t let her climb into my hands as I like to wait a week to ensure she is settled in before I handle my new hamsters. I used the playpen to tame her she was so happy to run around and she would run towards me when I had treats and used she would sit and eat them were she was (until she realised she had pouches). Sherbet was tame before I knew it and would happily allow me to pick her up and cuddle her, but I didn’t realise then what I let myself in for a really hyper hamster who would love to be handled, to be centre of attention and an absolute sweet heart with the cutest face in which it hard to say no to.

The one thing I noticed most about Sherbet is that she is the smallest Syrian I have had especially compared to Cookie (comparing the photos of both of them when they were babies Sherbet looks tiny and they are both from the same store, as all my other 4 hamsters had been from other pet shops), but she is still a right handful despite her size.

These are not the best quality photo but this is down to her constantly running around or trying to take photos through the cage bars. But they really show her personality off from such a young age.

cypher · 05-23-2016, 06:17 AM

Aww lovely photos of Sherbet when she was just a youngster

I'm glad to hear she's continuing to do well too.

SKB_Hamsters · 05-23-2016, 06:28 AM

Thanks Cyper. It was so strange seeing these pictures her as a youngster especially as she is nearly 2 years old, all the photos I have off her when she was a youngster are all blurred as she never sat still.

I'm glad she is still doing well and that I keep seeing improvements in her. She came out this morning for something to eat and then she got a cuddle.

cypher · 05-23-2016, 06:29 AM

She's being well spoilt (in the nicest possible way!) just as she deserves

SKB_Hamsters · 05-23-2016, 07:11 AM

Yes she being spoilt but she deserves to be spoilt especially after what she has been through.

Just made up a new batch of food for today with her soaked Supreme science selective pellets today she has a few crushed sunflower seed hearts, pumpkin seeds and a grated piece of walnut and a little peice of finely chopped chicken. Also she had some grated carrots which she really enjoyed. She gets so excited when she finds her food especially after I found a way to incorporate all her favourite food with her wet food(her natural treats which she could eat fine before but would struggle to now missing two teeth). So I think this makes her feel better. As Sherbet loves her food!