Keeping Cool In The Heat!

Summers get really hot, so it's important to keep your hamsters cool! If you're hot- THEIR HOT!! So, be sure to keep your fan on, them away from windows where sunlight might be shining in and cool water open at all times!! Some hamsters love the sunshine, just for not along time! If you're to take your hamster outside, don't be out for more than 10-20 minutes. Look around to see if there are hawks or sparrows around, they will want your furry friend. Then just play with them! Grass is a better environment for them, but make sure you didn't put fertilizer down, for if your hamster were to eat the grass? It could make them sick! And, I think the smell could get to them.. 

In a different direction, Sparkles will be two next month! My lil baby isn't a baby anymore!! I'm keeping sugars away from her, and giving her more time to sleep, and time at night to play around. For her age, she's in great shape!!! She still looks like the little hamster I brought home <3. 

Have a good day, and keep them hammies safe!

P.s. If your power is to go out in the middle of the night or during the day, and you can't keep the house cool, (which has happened to me) get a mug and freeze it for a bit, then when it's cold, put it in their cage! It'll keep them nice a cool. Keep their water bottles in the freezer for a little bit too (not long enough to freeze the water though.) Get them out and put them on a ice pack, don't let them chew on it though. Hopefully that will keep them cool for the night!! 

New Addition

Hello everyone! It's been awhile since I've written. Though maybe it's because I now have three amazing hamsters to take care of, or maybe because I'm just that lazy. You guys have no idea about my third hamster, and that's why I'm writing.

She is a Campbell Hybrid. It's the easiest way to say it. She is 100% hybrid. Let me tell you her back story;

Little Wispa, yes that is her name, was bought by my brother. She was a replacement hamster of his previous one, who'm of which died from dehydration. You would think he would take more control of his new hamster, and not make the same mistake twice, well, we were wrong. After a week of getting it, he no longer cared. I began the one to play with her, give her real food, and clean out her cage. One day I was tired of it, it was obvious he no longer cared about the hamster her brought into our lives. So, I took her cage and left. Once he found out about my hamster stealing, he threatened to tell. I wasn't worried. Not a bit because I knew my parent would take my side on this one. And they did. Wispa no longer lives in a Critter Trail, but a cozy ten gallon tank. She is no longer fed just oats, but hamster food to help her grow. When I had stolen her, she was maybe two-three months of age, she should have been growing, but she wasn't. I figured, since she wasn't getting well fed, her body didn't want to grow. After a few weeks of living with me, she began to grow little by little. But I noticed something. She drank a lot. She either slept for twenty-four hours straight, or she was up the entire day. I knew something was wrong. I had done some research and I figured she was diabetic. The oats she was given everyday (a full bowel), weren't very good, especially for a dwarf.

Wispa is now on  a diet, and only eats certain things. She is the sweetest thing, and I've bonded with her so much.

In other news, we do have an Instagram, and a Youtube!! Both users are mypethamsters, and we'd love it if you could subscribe and follow! Thank you to everyone who takes the time to even look at my blog!! I'll be posting more defiantly!! See you guys later! Bye! 

Hamster Sitter

If you are leaving town, or state, be sure to leave your furry friend home. The stress of the car ride or plane ride can kill them! It's scary to think of leaving them home with someone watching them, I mean what if something happens to them?



To prevent these worries, be sure to tell the sitter everything about your ham! You proble go through a routine everyday (I do!) so tell the sitter about it, that way your hamsters know nothing is changing!



If you want to make sure your ham is in perfect hands, ask a family member who has experience with daily pet care! Be sure to write everything they need to know on a piece of paper, just in case they forget!




Leave your number with them, so if anything happens they can call!



I seems kind of obsessive, but they are living creatures just like you and me, they need just as much as care too.


~~~



The reason for this post is because I had left state a few days ago, leaving my hams in Texas, while I am here in Colorado. At first I freaked, I wanted to take them with me! I love them like children, and I wanted them to be safe.



But being hamsters (creatures that can only stand mild climate), they wouldn't last in Colorado (it being -3 at night). I mean, Sparkles almost went into hibernation a few days ago because I turned on my ceiling fan! They wouldn't last in the temps I'm in now.



So my uncles watching them, he has experience with animals, he has a pet bird, it's 21 years old I believe! So I knew my hamsters were in good hands. But just incase I wrote him a care guide for Charlie and Sparkles. He has my mothers number as well!


Don't be afraid to leave them at home, it may be a scary thought at first, but you will get through it!


Have any questions? Ask away!

Hamster Loss

I learned something very important today.


1. Never EVER get pine bedding


2. It hurts when you lose a hamster.





Today being the first of February, Harry had past away. We believe it was from the pine bedding.



Pine bedding can hurt there respiratory system, and I just learned that today, the hard way.




But I've read that when a hamster dies, you get a new one. I wanted to wait a few days, but when we went to the pet store (to get CareFresh stuffing) I saw a little tricolored Syrian hamster sitting there. I knew he was the one. One thing lead to another, and now there is another Syrian living in my room.




His name is Charlie, and he is a cutie!




Once Harry was buried, my mother did research and found Pine Bedding is horrible for them. I immediately took Sparkles from her cage and put her in her ball. I wasn't letting my baby girl go away too.




Her cage is now clean, and Charlie is happily in his cage!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




R.I.P Harry, you will never be forgotten!





This is Charlie!!

Tips!

Most people find Syrian hamsters to be just a pet, something that doesn't need much care. But they do need care, and are living thing's just like you and I.



But what frustates me is when I try helping and reaching out to make sure your hamster has a good enviroment and you reject me.



Yesterday on Instagram, this twelve year old girl post's her hamsters cage. It was perfect for a dwarf hamster, but she has a Syrian. So like a good person I tell her she need's a bigger cage, wheel, etc. Instead of taking my advice, she well yells at me.


Saying the cage is perfect, and how I'm jealous of it. Note the cage had tubing. How the hamster wouldn't get stuck, which it would. 



I try telling her that she need's a large cage, like mine. She goes to the photo and says it's to small. Note in the United States, the cages are horrible! If you want a good cage your proble going to need a 20 gallon tank or make a bin cage. I try telling her, this is the largest cage they sold for Syrians.




She wouldn't listen to me, and it's her own fault. Her hamster will make it 1-2 years. Which is the normal living for a Syrian. But if you take really good care of it, making sure the cage is the right size, or if the wheel is a good size. They could live for awhile.



My brothers Dwarf Rabbit was suppose to live 1-2 years. It lived 5. We had a good cage, gave it food, water, and it lived a happy life. I hope Harry and Sparkles live that long, I try my hardest everyday to make sure they are happy and healthy.



Tips: 


1. Let you hamster run around your floor (block small areas; under your door, dresser, night stand, and under your bed). They love to explore! I let mine run around on my bed, so I don't have to worry about them getting into sometthing they shouldn't be.


2. Give your hamster food 2-3 times a week. They store food, so if you give it food everyday, they will evntullay get fat.


3. During play time make sure you have water out, they will be running around a lot, which means they will get dehydrated if no water.



4. When in ball, make sure it's clean! Wash it out every now and then. If your hamster poops a lot, that means he/she is scared. To prevent this put him/ her in the ball everyday for just a little bit, everyday just a little bit longer ( a minute or two).



5. I have a water bowel for my Syrian, but a bottle for my dwarf. (Manly because she burrows a lot). I find it better to have a bowel because it's more natural, and you don't have to worry about the bottle stop dispensing water.

Syrian Caging

If you are looking at this blog, it mean's you have/are thinking about getting a Syrian or as they are sometimes called Teddy Bear Hamsters! This blog will be about how to care about your little guy or girl! Now, before you rush off to the pet store, you want to have your cage ready! What will you need in the cage you ask! Well, I'm just about to tell you!

  TANKS/CAGES AND STUFFING
You will need a large cage, your Syrian will get big (almost to the size of a guinea pig!) For my Syrian I choose a 10 gallon tank! It gives him PLENTY of room to walk around and roam!Wired cages are also good, but keep on the look out for them chewing on it! This is a sign that they don't have any chew toys and need another way to wear down there teeth. Soon they will break there teeth, causing forever bleed, leading to death! Now the stuffing is your choice! I do recommend the cottony kind! They are absorbent, and soft! What I do NOT recommend is paper. Paper isn't that absorbent and but can be a great first layer!


  WHEELS
If you are getting a tank you will need a stand up wheel! You will need around a 9' wheel! Do NOT and I repeat do NOT get a wired wheel, it is horrible for there paws! Now, if you don't get a large wheel, it can lead to back problems in the future. So take caution! There are many good wheels, but I recommend the Silent Wheel. They are very silent, and great wheels! Silent wheels come with a stand, but it can be taken off to put on wired cages!

  WATER AND FOOD
Tanks don't have anything to hold water bottles, so you will have to either tie or tape it to the tank. I don't really recommend it, for my Syrian I use a bowel. If you are going to use a bowel, you will need a stand of some sort to hold it. It's best to keep the food bowel near. If you keep the water bowel and food bowel on the ground, stuffing will get into the water and food bowels. Your Syrian must be able to climb onto it, so don't make it super high, and not have stairs or something to get up to it. The food, can be most food pet stores sell, if you want to give them some human food, make sure it's healthy! Like: Carrots, grapes, strawberries, and maybe every now and then bacon. Syrians from what I have heard love bacon. I don't recommend giving it to them, but you can try!

 SAND
You can have sand in you cage, but not outside sand!! At your pet store they have sand to put in your cage/tank! What does sand do you ask? It can be there baths! They love to roll around and play in it! It's best to have a container filled with the sand. If you don't sand will be everywhere and it's pointless...You don't have to have sand in the cage. It's just a room filler!


 HOUSING
Your Syrian needs privacy just like you and me, so giving them a house is perfect! Make sure it's not to small! An igloo is great for them, it's also a plus, they chew on it! Tree stumps are also great, it gives them high elevation! Syrians love that! When ever it start's getting cold they will start to nest to keep warm at night, don't mess with there nest! They won't harm you if you do, it's just it takes them awhile to get it perfect! So it's best to let it be!Now! Are you dying to meet my Syrian? Well here he is!
He is a long-haired Syrian, and a giant sweet heart! He does get stuffing in his fur so I brush him daily to keep the fur from mating! But that is for another post! I did have paper as stuffing, and I learned the hard way...A big cleaning mess!