A tale of two hamsters.

[Baron]

Gather round, people, for I shall tell you a story of how not too keep Syrian hamsters and how I hope multiple people considering a Syrian, or any hamster for that matter, will think about their cage and feeding. How much more bigger a cage must be, how important proper feeding is, and toys for this matter.

About two days ago I went to a person, who does love their animals but...their cage sizes and what they feed their hammies are not very good.
They breed with their hamsters, and when his females or male have reached the age of about 1 tot 1 year and a few months, they usually stay there until their dying day. I have been here before, a few months back to pick up an old male syrian. He's very sweet, I named him Hank. He's the one in the flowerpot!


Hank, later Arthur


Hank had been living in a mini duna with a 20 cm/8 inch wheel with nothing more then a feeding bowl and a plastic house he almost barely fit in. His substrate levels consisted of one or two hand full strewn in the duna, that was it! His food was....rabbit food! The one with alot of grass seed and those tiny black pellets they really didn't enjoy. A brand you can buy a the local supermarket level rabbit food.

From the age of 8 weeks until about 1,5 year, he has been in this situation.
I took him home, housed him in an criceti 15 and started to properly feed him, provided him with acces to the playpen and gave him a big wheel.

In comes a former friend of mine, she saw Hank and fell in love with. After about two weeks Hank was starting to look better then ever. I had some private issues around this time, so she offered to take him in. Luckily she lived right in the neighbourhood, so it wasn't much of a hassle to bring him over. He didn't really some too care anyway about being moved, slept through it all. Trip took about 4 minutes tops.

From what I've heard, he's very lively and started to become less lethargic an slowmoving. And he's nearing two now around may. He climbs into the cage bars and begs for attention, which he gets loads off. Sadly, I don't really speak this person anymore besides the occiasional update of Hank, now renamed Arthur.

Aurora:

She's from November 2016, and was kept in pretty much the same conditions like Hank/Arthur was. She's kinda small, skinny and has had three litters.

When I came over for the male, his former owner noted that they also had a older female hamster. They showed me her and I remember thinking: "If ony I had the space, I would have taken her home with me."
She was named Leski, an amalgamation of the names Lesda and a dutch variant of Nibbles, Knibbel. Lesda was a name thought up by a child.

Well, after Arthur found a loving home and my issues were resolved, I found the old owner advertising with a litter of syrian pups on a second handsite.
I asked them about Leski, and they confirmed she was still alive and with them. I told them I was interested in adopting her.
I had been thinking of Leski for the past months and was very happy to know have the room and cage ready for her. I had been in touch with the old owner for a bit, but lost contact after a few weeks.

I was capable of picking her up the very same day! They seemed happy Leski went on to a new home.

As usual here, whenever an animal comes living with me, they receive a new new. New start, new name! So, I asked a friend on skype for suggestions. She loves the singer named Aurora, and with this and wanting to have a wintery themed name in mind, she's now name as such.

Aurora now lives in an Hamster Heaven with big wheel and my heart kinda broke that first day.

She's was stuffing her cheeks with toilet paper, something she never had acces to before. Also it alsmost seemed she was gorging herself on the food.
At her old place, Aurora got a bowl full of rabbitfood and that was to suppose to last a week. Could she have been hungry?

She also was very curious, sniffing all the things in the cage and seemed very interested in holding different sized food particles.
That first night she was a bit stressed, climbing the cage bars, but I just let her settle in. Last night she ran in her new big wooden wheel and was like: Wow...she's so tiny! She really looks like a still growing syrian on the pictures, doesn't she?

After her running bout, she retired for the night.
I have to admit, I was a bit worried and afraid she would suddenly pass away, considering the other syrians here are very active. So I peeked in her house, and I am glad to say she's still with me!

I gave her a choice between a wooden multichamber house and one of the kind she was used to at her old place. The first night she slept in the plastic one, but has since moved on to the wooden one. Aurora seems to feel safer in here, more comfortable.

I really hope this old lady will stay with me for a while! Chances are, I will return later this year to pick up another female or male, around the end of 2018. Or Perhaps at the start of 2019. They live in the same town as me.

I do like young hamsters, but whenever I have free spot, I look around for an animal that's older. Or animals that have been kept in not so nice conditions. Otherwise I look for animals owners can't take care of anymore.

I do wonder though if her small size is because of her feeding habits?

I hope to post a few more updates in the coming days/months here for anyone interested.