So, a few months ago we found a new home for Buster. It was just too much. He refused to housetrain and would potty in the house out of defiance. He chewed on EVERYTHING and constantly jumped in Cate's face. We gave him to a family we know with teenage daughters and they love him very much. A few days after the kids kept saying how much they missed having a pet. Not missed Buster, just having A pet. So, I considered our caged-in options and decided on hamsters.
I took Thomas and Cate to the pet store in Clarksburg and together we picked out 3, one for each of the older kids. After school that day they were named Sportacus (Patrick's), Stephanie (Beth's) and Ziggy(Thomas') after Lazytown. Later on it occured to me to check for gender on each of them. i quickly discovered we were very mixed up. Stephanie is a boy and Sportacus and Ziggy are girls. I let the kids continue on in their ignorant bliss until yesterday. I was wondering if we would get any babies and we have. Sportacus is the proud mother of at least 6.
Yesterday Beth asked me if she could get the hamsters down to play. I agreed and a couple of minutes later she ran into where I was and said,"I think I saw a baby hamster!" I ran in and sure enough, there in a nest of bedding so lovingly prepared by the mother-to-be were 6 tiny little hairless, blind hamsters. Now, we have dwarf hamsters and full-grown they are only about 4 inches long. A newborn is 1 inch long.
I panicked and called the pet store for advice. They told me to immediately remove the father (Stephanie) so he wouldn't eat them. Yes, eat them. I also had to remove Ziggy so she wouldn't see them as a threat. So, now Stephanie and Ziggy are in the smaller cage I keep around for when I'm cleaning and can't touch the big cage to clean it for 2 weeks. Beth is horribly upset that Stephanie (Stephen?) is a boy and we are hoping to do some trading with my SIL so this doesn't happen again. They already have a rabbit and two guinea pigs (Rocko and Fat Tony). What's a few dwarf hamsters?
Make Bows No More
11 years ago
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5 comments:
That is hilarious! I guess your kids are pretty into Lazy Town, huh? I love your blog. Keep it coming!
I've read all of your October and November posts and loved them all. As far as us relieving you of some hampsters-Andy says no, but I may be able to help find a home-I'll keep you in touch. I think you should just get this one article out to as many people as possible and someone will take pitty on you:-) BTW, I'm thinking of changing the name of our bunny. With guinea pigs by the names of Rocko and Fat Tony, a bunny named Princess Ginger just doesn't fit. Besides, I think we pulled an "O'Neill" anyway and are considering naming "him" Guido-what do you think?
Maybe that's why they run arround in their cages all night, idenity crisis!
This is why rodents don't make good pets-- they reproduce way too fast for you to do anything about it. That and every time I pick up a hamster or guinea pig it bites me. Hmm, maybe it smells my cats . . .
Ah, the miracle of birth! How funny that these babies were not planned. Oh well, it's good that you think you have found a good home for your little rodents.
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