I cant help but laugh after seeing about three new posts to my "Might adopt a Syrians thread saying how they were sorry I didnt get to adopt it in the end.
Well my husband came home from work bearing a gift in a box that was cut full of holes. I took it reluctantly worried it was some joke and something was about to jump out at me, but when I flipped the lid back there was an adorable long haired golden colored Syrian hamster staring back at me and sniffing the air..
Yes it was Gerald, that hamster I was hoping to adopt!! Apparently in the end the kid decided they didnt want it and my husbands co worker brought him into work for my hubby to bring home to me.
I had a little anxiety attack I think when I realized I didnt have a cage for him :P, But we got a 10 gallon from the attic and I made a temporary cage.
I feel horrible though, the owners for some reason never gave me the old cage he was in, all they sent over was Gerald and a water bottle and a small wood wedge toy thing. He has no wheel to run on and not nearly the right amount of cage space.
I wasnt that surprised to see that he was sent over with cedar shavings in the box. They looked awfully uncomfortable, large hard pieces of wood. Im sure he must love his new carefresh bedding. I was horrified to see what they were feeding him, at lest I think they were feeding him. There was a small plastic bowl with what look like Budgie seed or wild bird feed. I cant say I have ever seen hamster food being sold that looked so basic like this, usually there is corn and alfalfa pellets and sunflower seeds. They even sent a zip lock bag with him that had more feed in it that make me believe they were in fact giving him this.
Ill take some picture of it tomorrow and of Gerald. Im sad they kept the cage. I cant see any reason of wanting to keep it unless they plan to get another rodent.
I stopped at wal-mart and bough more carefresh, Im going through it like crazy now, I have two roborovskis in a fairy large tank, one gerbil in the bin cage I made and now a Syrian hamster. I was going to get a bin but they didnt have any I liked with locking lids so ill be looking for one tomorrow. That hamster needs a larger cage and wheel fast!
Gerald is a huge hamster. Not fat just big lol.. I dont know Iv ever seen a ham that large. They think hes one or two years old. I gave him lab blocks and mixed that in with hamster feed so as not to stress him out by changing his food. But its way better then whatever he was on before.
The first time he sniffed a lab block picked it up in his mouth and ran around the box with it, it was so cute.. It was like he was trying to find a place to horde it. He managed to get a full sized lab block in his cheek pouch! I was worried he might not be able to get it back out but he did.
Hes extremely friendly and very docile, he crawled on my husbands hands are arms and just kind of sniffed around.
Im a little worried about him, being in a new place and a small cage, new bedding and new food. But I gave him a cardboard house thats nice and dark and warm and he seems to like that. He seems a bit shaky I think from nervousness but hes exploring his new environment and checking it out.
I gave him a sand bath for something different to do so its not so boring in there. I hope he takes well to the change and doesnt catch wet tail.
Well Ill get picture tomorrow and hopefully a bigger cage.. Im so happy I was able to save him!! Im running out of room for rodents here lol