All About My Pumpkin

[SKB_Hamsters]

Thank You cypher, AprilPearl, Coco61, Dreamtree1234, Hamsterita and Thin Lizzy for your replies. Pumpkin doesn’t often dig but however has been really enjoying burrowing lately, normally I don’t get to watch her burrowing as she often does it during the night and I normally see the remains of a burrow or entrance in the morning. It’s a shame I can’t provide her with deeper substrate as I’m worried that she might be able to climb out of her cage if I accidently forget to shut the lid – as she can almost reach the top now when standing on her toys (she about 3cm short of being able to reach at the moment).

Pumpkin is really pleased that the weather has cooled down – last Wednesday, Pumpkin had felt the heat a little more than the previous day, but with some cold peas and a chilled granite tile she was happy again.

Originally Posted by dreamtree1234

BTW, never, EVER be concerned about including too many pictures of your gorgeous Pumpkin. The more of her cuteness shared the better!

Don’t worry I will be able to share a lot more of Pumpkin’s cuteness now that I my new 16GB SD card was delivered yesterday.

Originally Posted by Hamsterita

… I love the granite tile. I wanted one, but I can't find an affordable one, so I suppose that I will have to make an order to rodipet or something like that.

Before using the granite tile I used to use a ceramic kitchen/bathroom tile for my previous hamsters, they also work well too.



Well Pumpkin Being Pumpkin! - Photos, Updates and Haul

I really missed not being able to use my camera due my SD card being full – I don’t like removing my hamster photos completely from my SD cards in case something happens to my computer and I lose them. So was very pleased when my new 16GB SD card arrived so I could take lot more photos of Pumpkin. She was very energetic last night only sitting still long enough for one clear photo.

Here is Pumpkin sitting on her favourite grass nest – which conceals the secret entrance to her top-secret burrow (Well that’s what she thinks!). Here is the innocent face of my sweet cuddly troublemaker ...

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As I was in the process of typing this post – I was listening to Pumpkin having a snack in her house and was hoping that she might make an appearance. A short while later I saw Pumpkin sitting in her grass nest having a groom as I was watching her. She then decided to go on a little forage to gather the few remaining pieces of forage herbs that I scattered for her the other night – I thought this would be an ideal photo opportunity.

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Recently I noticed that the inside nail on Pumpkin’s back right foot was getting a little long – I had been keeping a close eye on it and whilst trying to contemplate what was the best thing to do – either seeing whether she would allow me to cut it (with some help) or whether I might have to take her to the vets. My Cotton used to have a similar issue with one of her inside back nails too and I managed to cut that myself whilst distracting Cotton with a chew/treat to occupy her – well I tried this with Pumpkin with no success as she not food motivated and was way to fidgety for me to feel comfortable clipping her nail. So I thought I would have to take her to the vets – which was something I was a little reluctant in doing, because Pumpkin isn’t a fan of people and it take her a while to warm up to new people as well as going just to get one nail trimmed I thought it might be too stressful, but it was looking like this would be my only option. However last night whilst Pumpkin was enjoying her cuddle time I remember that I read on the forum once about using a sieve – I tried this although Pumpkin was still at little fidgety she sat still long enough for me to trim a little of the end of her nail – which I was quite happy about. Her nail is still slightly longer that the rest but I’m hoping that it may be of an okay length for her to wear down the rest.

Pumpkin has been continuing to pee in her house, although I thought she had stopped as I had been seeing her out during the day more and using her sand bath – but she is currently using both hopefully soon it will just be the sand bath. I thought I would replace the cardboard box I was using for her house back to her DIY wooden house. I had removed her DIY house after I first noticed she was peeing in there as I was a little worried she might decide to pee on the part she had chewed and it might soak into the wood. So I have sanded the chewed part down and covered it with plastikote.
The house make checking her nest a little easier as the roof lifts off. I mentioned in a previous post that I had decided to place a ceramic corner dish in her cardboard house for her to possible pee in – well Pumpkin had other uses for the bowl instead of using as my intended purpose of a toilet.
Well this is what Pumpkin decided to use her toilet for instead …

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… at least Pumpkin removed the sand so she could nicely organised her food and treats in it instead. Typically she peed right beside it!


Lastly I thought I would share the few recent products I have purchased for Pumpkin. I had been eagerly hoping that P@H would do a summer range like they did last year this year too. I kept looking on their website but couldn’t see anything. The other weekend I noticed when browsing their website I discovered their summer collection. Which is called “Totally Tropical” and I just couldn’t resist as the items are so cute and colourful. I got 4 items from the small pet collection: The Flamingo Wood Chew (it does have cotton rope legs which I will be replacing with sisal string), Toucan Wood Chews, Flower Lei Garland and the Pineapple and Banana Loofah chews. I’m looking forward to using these when I do Pumpkin’s next cage layout.

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I’m currently planning on a few DIY hamster projects for Pumpkin’s birthday (end of next month) – so her presents can be extra special. Hopefully they will work out ok. At the moment I’m planning a few things out and deciding what to buy, if I’m correct both birchwood and beech are safe for hamsters? As I have never bought hardwood before and just want to double check.

Just as I was finished typing this reply Pumpkin just came out of her house and had a pee in her sand bath – I gave her a few sunflower seeds as a reward.

[Burakki]

Pumpkin is such a sweetheart! I love the photos and collages you make of her! When I have the time I'll go and read the thread from the beginning!
I really like the tropical toys you got her. Looking forward to seeing her appreciating them!
The last photo of the collage is priceless! She was probably thinking that you were planning on taking her treats away. You go, Pumpkin, don't let anyone steal your precious!

[cypher]

Lovely photos of Pumpkin on her grass nest & out for a forage
Well done with the sieve trick, I've never tried it myself but thought it sounded like a good idea, glad it worked for Pumpkin & you didn't have to stress her out with a vet trip.
I had to laugh at her alternative use of the corner tray, they do have to do things there own way don't they
I hope she stops peeing in her house soon & makes life a little easier!
Looks like a nice haul there & I'm sure the birthday projects will be great, look forward to seeing them.

[AprilPearl]

Gorgeous first picture of Pumpkin. Love that satin coat. I know what you mean about worrying about losing pictures. I had most of my pictures of my guinea pig stored on my phone and accidentally deleted the album shortly after he died. Thankfully, we managed to retrieve a lot of the photos with the help of some software, but since then I have always been careful about backups.

Pumpkin is so neat! Clever of her to make that dish into a store!

[dreamtree1234]

SKB, I am so glad that your SD card arrived, and you were able to take pics of gorgeous Pumpkin. I am just like you; I try to never delete any good pics off of my SD card either. I am always afraid that something will happen to the pictures so I always like to have the cards as a wonderful backup with the originals in case something unforeseen happens to the copies. As always, I absolutely love Pumpkin in all of her wonderful pictures. I have to say that I laughed at the final pic in her latest collage. I just love hammies' expressions when they are protecting their yummies. It is SO funny that they actually think that their mums or dads will be trying to steal them even though we were the ones to give it to them in the first place. Pumpkin is SO silly, and what a great expression on that adorable face of hers. LOL!

Pumpkin is so hysterical making a perfectly new use for her corner, pee dish. Congrats to her for peeing in her sand bath. I sure hope that she continues to do so in the future so it will make things much easier for you. I am also so happy for you that the sieve worked out well for trimming Pumpkin's long nail. What a great trick that I have never heard of before; I will have to try my best to remember that one when the time comes for Eros to need a nail trimming.

I love all of your purchases for Pumpkin's next cage theme. I can't wait to see how it all looks when you are finished and Pumpkin has a chance to have fun with all of her new toys. I am sure that you will come up with something absolutely amazing and special for her coming-up birthday. You always create such lovely things. I look forward to seeing them.

[Thin Lizzy]

I so love catching up with Pumpkin, she always makes me laugh and her expressions are classic. Lovely pics of her on her grass nest, finding a treat and I love the toys you've purchased, she really is a very lucky girl.

[BorisPasha]

Awww lovely to see so many wonderful pictures of Pumpkin SKB, sorry for being so far behind with her updates.

I find it hard to pic a favourite picture of Pumpkin as she always looks so lovely, but I think I have to say that I like that very last one where she is not wanting to share her treat It's a different face from usual, she even looks a bit mean and serious in it but still cute

I think they always do what they want to do with their toilets/stashes despite our best intetions. Sometimes I wonder if they just do something different to remind us that they are independent and they will decide what is what lol.

Your summer haul from P@H looks really nice, cheery colours. I shall need to have a look the next time I'm in. I'll look forward to hearing and seeing what Pumpkin thinks about her new things

[dreamtree1234]

I wish that the U.S. had more stores geared at lovely toys and treats for hammies. There are only two stores an hour away that have a small selection of hammy items to choose from where I live. You are so lucky.

[Drago]

Just catching up- Pumpkin has such a sweet face, she's absolutely endearing. That's so funny, her removing all the sand and filling it with treats lol. What is that big green thing in there? All those new toys look nice, like dreamtree, I wish our stores carried hamster items. All we have are a couple straw huts, and a LPS that sells a few (overpriced) chew sticks. I always end up ordering online!

[dreamtree1234]

I was also wondering what that huge green item is that's in Pumpkin's corner dish. I just assumed that it may be another one of her specialty chew toys. LOL!