wee beastie!

[jazzfish]

I, um, seem to have inherited a hamster.

I came back from a meeting yesterday and my boss was complaining about her hamster. "The cat is really upset-- there's this snack, right there, already caught for him, and he can't eat it! He's started peeing on things."

So why does she have a hamster in the first place? Because her son's girlfriend W. is tender-hearted. There was a woman in the pet store where W. was buying dog food, trying to return a hamster. Seems the woman's daughter had bought a hamster, after being specifically told she couldn't have one, and had kept it in the pet-store box for several weeks until Mom found it.

"We can't take it back," says the cashier. (Perfectly understandably.) "Well, then," says Mom, "I'm just going to go let it go in the parking lot. I'm not taking it home." After a round or two of this, W. said "Fine, give me the damn hamster," and bought a cage and various hamster accessories to go with it.

Anyway, $boss isn't sure what to do with the hamster. (I'm not sure why W. can't keep it, maybe she's in a dorm or something.) And I've been sort of kicking around the idea of a small pet for, oh, over a year now, and I used to have hamsters when I was in junior high. So I said "You know, I could take it."

So I'm now the proud owner of a robo-hamster. She's about half the size of the Syrian hamsters I used to have. Hamster miniaturization technology has come a long way. She's also extremely fast, fast enough that I couldn't make out her feet when she was running on the wheel. She comes in a cage with a wheel and a loft, and has a small hamster-ball and a decent amount of extra food and bedding and chew-toys. She also has an opaque plastic tube, but no hamster-house on the main level. I may have to fix this.

According to $boss she's very skittish and squirrely, and doesn't take well to being held. We shall see about that. I have carrots and red peppers to bribe her with, and may see about getting some variety of unshelled nuts for chewing purposes. (Not almonds, I know.)

This is my first experiment in solo pet ownership in, um, ever, really. On the other hand, I figure that if I can take care of a lucky bamboo plant through four years and three moves I'm probably ready to move up to small mammals.

(Pictures, and a name, will be forthcoming.)

Comments

[pictsy.livejournal.com]

In my experience, the little ones are mean. The only game you can play with them is "How long can I hold you before you bite the fuck out of me?"

[tulip-tree.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the new pet - have fun! :)

This entry made me smile a lot. For one thing, your boss's description of her cat's objection to the hamster is awesome. And for another, the name "robo hamster" reminded me of yesterday's xkcd, which was also hilarious:
http://xkcd.com/

[uilos.livejournal.com]

Consider the use of tape when playing with the hamster ball. The one I had in high school learned that if he banged the ball hard enough against the wall, it would pop open for him, so we had to tape the ball shut whenever we let him out.

[jazzfish]

Oh well. They're cute, at least.

[jazzfish]

:) Thanks. I hope to!

My boss is quite awesome. Although not as awesome as the robo-ball-Eee from yesterday.

[jazzfish]

The lid already has scotch tape on it. I'm not sure whether this has already been an issue or if it's just a preventative measure. :)

[ancientsong.livejournal.com]

Wee how fun!

Can't wait for the pics.

Name suggestion?

[merseine0613.livejournal.com]

You could spoonerize "wee beastie" into Bea Weestey.

Lame, I know... but it's a shot.

[lilac-breeze.livejournal.com]

Oh my, how sweet of you to rescue the little one! And congratulations on your furry new companion!

I don't know if you saw my post on them a little bit ago, but I've recently adopted two robo brothers myself. I've wanted a pair of robos for a very long time, and while they're living up to their reputation by being very hard to tame, I know it'll be worth it. They're already warming up to me, so I'm making progress, apparently. :)

Good luck hand taming your new little one! I can't wait to see pictures of her, and to find out what you decide to name her!

[jazzfish]

I figure I ought to let her get used to having a new home before I start setting off a camera flash in her face. So, probably this weekend for pics. And maybe even a name, by then. :)

Re: Name suggestion?

[jazzfish]

If I don't come up with something better she's going to end up being "Wee beastie" by default. Which is fine, but what happens if/when I get another one?

[jazzfish]

Thanks! I noticed that you'd gotten two new ones, but I didn't realise they were robos. Of course, until Monday I didn't realise there were actually different /species/ of dwarf hamsters. All my previous exposure has been to Syrians, and this was 18 years ago, when dwarf hamsters were just starting to become popular in the States.

I'm honestly not sure whether I'll be able to tame her or not: a month in a box followed by a month with a cat around may have gotten her too skittish, and I don't know how patient I am. Still, we shall see.

[europasings.livejournal.com]

Aw! I can't wait for pics. how cute!!

[lilac-breeze.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, they're robos (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v300/Felara/hamsters/EdAl10.jpg) all right. :D

Yeah, dwarf hamsters haven't been domesticated for very long. Good luck finding a vet, many places I've called had no idea what a dwarf hamster even is, let alone how to treat one. :/

I've always had luck with my hamsters. It usually only took me a week or two to let the little ones warm up to me, and then they were comfortable with me holding them. My two robo boys have been a real challenge. They were completely terrified of me until recently. I recommend getting some kind of bin with high sides, and letting her run around in it while you just kind of lay your hands in the bin with her. Eventually she'll get used to your smell and she won't be as jumpy. That's what I've been doing with my boys, and it seems to be working. Oh, and treats, treats definitely help you to win them over. XD Talking to them is good too, so they get used to the sound of your voice.

If you need any advice or anything, let me know and I'll do my best to help! Good luck!

[jazzfish]

I recommend getting some kind of bin with high sides, and letting her run around in it while you just kind of lay your hands in the bin with her.

This sounds like an excellent idea. Will try and see how she does with it.

Any particular treat recommendations? She seems uninterested in leafy greens and only slightly interested in carrots and bell peppers.

[lilac-breeze.livejournal.com]

The bin thing worked wonders with my hamsters. I had to use a cup to scoop them out of the cage, since they're still not ready to come to my hand just yet, but once I put them in the bin they were fine with me petting them. Just be patient, and she'll be your buddy in no time. :)

Too many fresh veggies can be bad for hamsters, so it's best to feed those kinds of things in moderation. Well, any food is okay in moderation, really - expect for chocolate. Chocolate is never good for pets, but you probably already knew that.

As far as other treats, mine have always loved yogurt drops. They come in a variety of brands and flavors, so you can try out a few and see which ones she likes. These (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753552) are good to get since they have a bunch of different things. Mine have always gone crazy for these (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2750438) in particular. And it's good to get something hard for her to chew on so that it will keep her teeth from getting overgrown; something like this (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2750439).

I hope I haven't annoyed you with all this rambling. ^^;