All About My Past Hamsters (2007 to 2014)

[Hamsterita]

Did you have a thread about sherbet? I suppose you had because you said that here you're only going to talk about 5. Could you link it to me? I would like to take a sneak peek and know a little bit more about her too.

[SKB_Hamsters]

Hamsterita, yes I did have a thread for Sherbet. Here are a couple of thread I started for Sherbet -
All About My Sherbet (I started this thread when she was nearly 2 years old but I have also included some information about when she was a baby and her personality)
Sherbet's Playtime Photos (pictures from a playtime)

[Hamsterita]

Thank you! I was taking a quick look and poor thing! She had quite an accident, thankfully you took good care of her and you could spend more time together!

I keep posted to know more about cotton and the other girls!

[SKB_Hamsters]

Cotton

My First Syrian
I had went into pets at home on the 3rd August 2009, to get some hamster essentials, but when I saw Cotton – I instantly fell in love with her and I just had to bring her home. Although she was bought the day after Caramel passing she was never intended to replace her. Cotton was a female satin Golden Umbrous female Syrian Hamster, apart from being mostly brown she had little white feet which looked like little white cotton socks – therefore this is how she got her name and the nickname Cottonsocks. Cotton lived in a Savic Cambridge cage. Monkey nuts were Cotton’s favourite treats – it was so nice watching and listening to her cracking open the shell – she also enjoyed her woodlands carrot bowl (similar to the nibble pots but round and little larger).

Once she had settled in I started taming – the first day of taming was going well she would happily climb into my hand but then she bite my finger – this knocked my confidence and I was very nervous of her. I knew I couldn’t give up and tried a new method using the metal playpen. I placed her cage into the playpen and removed the metal top – this allowed her to explore whilst still having her own space where she felt safe. Cotton happily explored the playpen. I was still very nervous off her and couldn’t bring myself to lower my hand into the playpen – as I was afraid that she may bite me again. What Cotton did next amazed me – she started to climb up the metal bars of the playpen – which I didn’t think she would be able to do. I presented my hand to her to climb onto as I didn’t want her to fall down – she happily climbed onto my hand and I lowered her back into the playpen. Cotton continued to climb the playpen and therefore I kept presenting my hand to her – this really boosted my confident and trust for her – it was like she was showing me the best method to tame her. I continue to use Cotton’s taming method to tame all my Syrians and I find this method works really well – it also helps them to know they can trust me and also that I can trust them although this does encourage them to climb out of the playpen.

Cotton was such a sweet and gentle girl – she was fairly trusting to new people and would happily allow other people to hold her – although she was unsure of sudden movements or noises. What I loved about her is that she always knew when I was upset, she would wake up and sit by the cage door looking at me with the cutest expression on her face. She would happily allow me to pick her up. Normally Cotton didn’t like to sit still for long but she would sit still and allow me to cuddle her – she always knew how to cheer me up.

Cotton was such a smart Syrian – constantly amazing me with her intelligence. Apart from climbing up the metal playpen to escape she had managed to work out an easier way to escape which required a lot less energy – just simply finding the two panels which join together, lifting the panel up and pushing it open – it amazed me watching her do this - I even filmed her doing this and none of my Syrians since have worked this out. She also learnt how to climb the stairs – which she really enjoyed doing this – even once managed to work out how to open her ball but luckily she couldn’t resist the sound of me shaking the tub of monkey nuts. Although she was smart I couldn’t litter train her, she much preferred kicking the sand out of the dish and kicking some out of her cage and preferred to just pee in the corner of her cage.

As well as having the occasionally playpen session – it was a little difficult with her knowing how to open the playpen – every day she had her evening cuddle time session. She really enjoyed exploring the sofa and climbing over me she especially liked to sit behind a cushion where she would groom herself in private although once is did naughtily chewed and hole in the sofa. Although she did have one bad habit – peeing on me – which wasn't pleasant but not nearly as bad as when my guinea-pigs used to do it. But I had to ensure that once I got her out that I had to put her in her play area where she could have a pee before being handled.

As Cotton aged she began to slow down – she still continued to enjoy her cuddle time and also likes to snuggle in a blanket where she would fall asleep. A few days before I was due to go on holiday, I had sadly noticed that Cotton had a few red lumps on her body – which turned out to be cancer. Other than the cancer she was happy and healthy so she continue to be her usual old self – she stayed with my relatives whilst I was away – she was well looked after and spoilt. On returning from my holiday I brought her back home where I had noticed that her cancer was malignant and it had spread over her body she had numerous lumps and one tumour next to her mouth. That evening I cuddled her in a blanket, comforting her. Cotton sadly took her final breath in my arms and peacefully entered her forever sleep. I continued to cuddle and stroke Cotton for a while – in the hope she would wake up but she had sadly had left me to go the bridge. This was devastating watching her take her final breaths but comforting to know she had wanted to spend her final moments with me. Cotton passed away on the 6th August 2011.

Cotton – 3rd August 2009 to 6th August 2011

Here is a photo of Cotton with her favourite treat Monkey Nut - IMG_1623_zpsgau0y0qo.jpg

I also don't have many photos of Cotton but here are a few more attached below.

Picture 1 - 3 - Cotton as a Baby
Picture 4 - Cotton Sitting at her cage door

[cypher]

What a lovely girl Cotton was SKB, it was nice to read about her & how you gained confidence together & formed such a wonderful bond, a very clever girl too!
They do all teach us something don't they, I always feel I have lots to thank each & every ham for as I learn something new with them all.
Love the photo with the monkey nut, can really see how much she's enjoying tackling that & the photos of her as a baby are just so cute.

[BorisPasha]

Awww what a lovely SKB. I really enjoyed reading it Cotton sounded like quite a character and very clever too. She looks very thoughtful in those pics and very beautiful.

[Hamsterita]

OH! I don't know how I missed your last post.

Cotton reminded me of Blacky. Blacky also learnt really quickly how to scape from his metal playpen, climbing and pushing the weakest corner too. But I didn't find it amusing, I find it rather stressful for me because I thought that he was safe there while I was cleaning or spot cleaning and obviously he wasn't, I hadn't a carrier at the time and... you know

Cotton was a very clever hamster for sure, and she was pretty too.

I'm sorry that she isn't with us anymore, but I'm glad that you could spend her last time with her.

[Thin Lizzy]

Aww flipping heck, this thread has me hooked and Cotton such a beauty! So lovely reading about her character and her time with you.

[SKB_Hamsters]

Thank you cypher, BorisPasha, Hamsterita and Thin Lizzy. Cotton taught me so many valuable lessons about hamsters and we developed such a close bond over the 2 wonderful years together. She left me with so many happy memories and I feel lucky that she decided that she wanted to spend her final moments with me. Hamsterita, I also thought the metal playpen would be a safe secure place for her to be in whilst cleaning her cage as I used to do this with Honey and Caramel I was also unaware that Syrian hamsters could easily climb out.

Next I will introduce you to my 4th hamster...


Cookie

Cookie was my Long Haired Cinnamon Dominant Spot, Female Syrian Hamster, who I welcomed home on the 14th August 2011 – initially I had went to the p@h store that I had previously got my hamsters from but they had no female Syrian hamsters for sale or adoption – so I decided to try another store which was nearby (the same store I later got Sherbet from in 2014). When arriving at the store and shown the Syrian hamsters – these 3 little fluffy long haired female Syrians caught my eye. I observed these girls for a little while. All of them were doing their very best to impress me, but Cookie managed win over my heart.

Taming Cookie was really quick and easy – she was such a confident and friendly natured hamster – before I knew it she was tame, always wanting cuddles and have time out of her cage. As Cookie loved spending time out of her cage – she became fixated on chewing the cage door especially the latch – I had to secure her door shut (as my brother's hamster had managed to escape from his cage a couple of times) and also attached many different chews to the door to stop her from chewing – but she would soon chew through the chews and was back to chewing the cage door. Looking back on thing now – I think she would have liked a larger cage as she also lived in the Savic Cambridge cage.

As Cookie was food orientated, I hide many of her favourite treats inside boxes and cardboard tubes which would distract her from bar chewing and would rather focus her attention on getting every tasty treat out from inside. As she really liked working to get her treats, one day I decided to try Cookie with a treat ball - the ones which are designed for Rabbits – to see whether she would like this. I put some of her favourite treats inside – like walnuts and sunflower seeds – I then placed the treat ball in her playpen when she was having her play time. Cookie worked out the best way to get the treats out after a couple of tries – she would turn the ball so the opening was at the bottom and moved the ball – by her doing this the treats fell out the treat ball which she quickly would stuff into her pouch. This treat ball really satisfied the desire of Cookie to work for food. Another occasional treat Cookie used to enjoy was the stuffed carrot Woodroll – she would really enjoy trying to get every piece of the carrot filling out as well as chewing the wooden log.

Other chews Cookie loved were the antos and the ferplast good bite chews. When I got Cookie the p@h staff member recommended the antos chews to me, as I asked what the hedgehog shaped chew was inside the hamster cages. I got one for Cookie as well as my brother’s Syrian hamster – I did research them to make sure they were safe before giving one to both of them. I have used these antos/whimzee chews ever since.

In 2012, when Cookie stayed with my relatives whilst I was away – I provide them with my tub of hamster food and told my relatives to fill her bowl up midweek. But Cookie soon had my relatives under her control – she emptied her bowl and my relatives filled it up, once the bowl was filled up Cookie emptied it again – this went on every day I was away. When I returned I was told what had happen – I was shocked to see her food tub half full as I had only just filled it up with a new bag of food before I had went away. Cookie was so naughty – but luckily I managed to recover some of the food from her massive pile in the corner of her cage – she was very proud of her big stash. Cookie knew that this didn’t work with me but thought she would try her luck on someone else – smart girl.

Cookie didn’t like to sleep in a house when she was young as she preferred to make her own nest. I would corner of one corner of her cage with a bendy bridge and fill it with bedding for her. I did try putting a house in her cage a couple of times – where she would take all the bedding out to make her own nest although once I did catch her sleeping with her head in the house and the rest of her outside – this was really cute. Although when she got older she did occasionally sleep inside her wooden house or a tissue box.

Cookie loved her evening cuddle times where she would happily and confidently explore the sofa and if I had a hoodie on she would like to snuggle inside and go to sleep. When Cookie was young she would really enjoy going in her hamster ball she used to navigate around any obstacles – she hardly ever knocked anything – however when Cookie got a little older she rather have cuddles than time in her ball. Cookie never quite understood that humans also needed to eat and that I didn’t have pouches – as whenever I had her out when she was asleep inside my hoodie if I had a little snack before long I could see her little nose poking out of my hoodie and feel her whiskers tickling my face. Cookie then tried searching for the food, before realising that the food had just disappeared. It was very sweet and funny seeing the confusion on her face – as she thought all food was meant for her tummy.

A week before my holiday in 2013 - my holidays always seemed to be at the wrong times – I had noticed that Cookie had blood on her paws which I didn’t know where it was coming from – no visible wounds or anything to indicate where the blood had come from. I kept a close eye on her. Later that week, I could hear a strange noise coming from her cage; I picked Cookie up and burst into tears seeing blood coming out of her mouth and nose. She was rushed to the vets, they examined her didn’t know what the cause was – but they suspected the blood may have been coming from her lungs. Cookie was given antibiotics – which luckily she really liked and would hold the syringe licking up every bit of the medicine. I was also told that if she got worse I might have to consider having her PTS. Cookie was her usual elderly self and there had been no more blood. She stayed with my relatives whilst I way away – who continued with her Cookie’s course of antibiotic and she would snuggle in a blanket in the evening after taking her medicine. When returning from my holiday – Cookie was still well but it looked like she had aged considerably in a week. Cookie enjoyed her cuddle in the evening and she snuggled in her blanket. When Cookie had woken up from her sleep she didn’t seem her self – that when I noticed she couldn’t move her back legs and when she tried to walk she just dragged her legs behind her. It was very difficult seeing the state she was in – I had to help her drink, eat and go to the toilet as she couldn’t do this on her own. Cookie still loved to spend time with me – she would fall asleep in my arms whilst stroking her. On the 5th August 2013, after assessing the quality of Cookie’s life and seeing her continuing to decline I had to make such a hard decision and decided it was best to have her PTS. This was so hard and such a difficult decision to make but I knew it was the right one to as it was so upsetting her struggling to do normal hamster things without my help.

Cookie – 14th August 2011 – 5th August 2013

Here is my favourite photo of Cookie getting comfy on my hoodie.

IMG_0029_zpsyyykrd26.jpg

Here is a few more photos the first one of when she was a fluffy baby. Cookie was a big girl.

[cypher]

What a beautiful girl & lovely to read all about your time together, a real little character, she had a wonderful life with you & has left you with so many great memories.
Sorry to hear you had to have her pts in the end but it was obviously the only & kindest thing to do, her life was so full of love & you gave her the final gift of peace & no suffering.