Why, many ask. I'll tell you!
But first, some back story...
I always wanted a hamster when I was little. They were so small and cute and fluffy. But my mum didn't like them. No hamsters for me. Don't get me wrong, I loved my dog to pieces, she was my best friend and I still miss her now, but I still yearned for a small cute bundle off fluff. When I was in secondary school at some point I looked after my friend Kathy's hamster, Molly, when she went on holiday. Molly was very sweet, and i was sad to have to give her back. But still no hammies.
So I left home, went to uni, spent far too much time drinking and not enough time studying as is the wont of a student-type. I got over that and moved in with Clare, and, a few years on when we were happy and settled, I longed again for a pet. Although our tenancy specifies 'No Pets', I asked at the estate agents and they were happy for us to have hamsters.
A couple of months later, in October 2006, I went to TwinPet in Porth and came home with Pumpkin, a baby golden banded Syrian hamster. Her Imac Fantasy cage already set up, I remember putting her in her new home, and her hiding under her yellow wheel for ages until she wasn't scared any more. We weren't sure at first if she was a girl or a boy, so we went for a gender neutral name. Asides from that, Pumpkin was a good choice, as we got her close to Hallowe'en, and she was round and orangey in colour.
Taming her was fun. After initial research showed that gloves weren't a great plan when taming hammies because they can't get used to their smell, I went gloveless. Turns out hamster bites hurt! I went back to the gloves after that! Once she was used to me picking her up with the gloves on, I took one off to get her used to me stroking her with my bare hand. Gradually both gloves came off. She never bit again.
Pumpkin was such a friendly little thing, great at 'monkey-barring' across her cage when I got hold of a Ferplast Mary cage off our local Freecycle list. Although an active explorer when she was young, as she got older, she'd sit and snuggle on me for ages, just chilling out. Proof:
This won her the grand title of Miss April in the Hamster-Heaven.com 2009 Calendar Competition. Sadly, she never lived to see her image on the wall (not that she would have been able to anyway - hammies have notoriously bad eyesight!). She had a stroke at some point between October 7th 2008evening and the following morning. I found her crouched at the side of her wheel, shaking, unable to stand or eat, and I took her to the vets as soon as possible. My poor little girl was so poorly, I had to do the hardest thing and have her put to sleep. She's buried in the woods not far from my house, and I still miss her sweet little face. At just over 2 years old, she had a good long life for a hammie, and I'm glad she was able to spend it with me.
Before Pumpkin went to the Great Wodent Wheel in the Sky, however, the hamily had grown. Clover, a long haired satin black eyed cream Syrian had come to us from Gill at Wyeside Hamsters in Hereford.
Clover's got a very different personality to Pumpkin. You might think that sounds silly, but hammies really do have their own pint-sized personalities! Clover's a bit of a nervous one, a lot more jumpy, but still a lovely friendly girl. She's a lot darker now than when we first got her - creams tend to go more apricot in colour as they age. She's a real sweetie and, at 16 months old now, she isn't showing many signs of slowing down yet.
Not long after Pumpkin died, I was planning on getting a new addition, not to replace her, but just because havign an empty cage seemed wrong. I was going to get another from Wyeside, but, as with anything, litters can't be predicted completely, and there wasn't a baby for me. Gill knew someone else who had hammy-babies though, Julie from Chocolate Hams in Leicester. It was sooner than I had planned, but I was able to collect Faun (Long Haired Sable Roan Syrian) from her at the Bath Hamster Show in November 2007.
Faun is such a softie - she's as chilled out as Clover is manic. Even though she's only 8 months old, she's so laid back, chilling out of me for cuddles for ages. She's got her funny ways though.
I knew lady-hams go into heat every four days, and was told it's fairly obvious when they do, as they stand still and raise their tail in the air. I'd never seen it with the other two, though. With Faun, bless her, you can't miss it - what a hussy! It's earned her the nickname of Horny Fauny. She's not going to get to try it out though - I haven't got the time or expereince for babies yet, so she'll have to remain frustrated, poor thing!
Her other delightful habit, which, Julie said, is shared by her mum and sister, is she likes to wee out of the cage. Ingenious really, but what a dirty girl! She was using one corner, which we have covered with a potty - unfortunately, she was now started using the other three corners of the cage, so we shall have to get something else to block the rest of the corners off, naughty thing. It does make me laugh though, when I'm not too busy being grossed out by her!
So, why hamsters?
Well, they've got the cute factor, for sure. Little beady eyes, and fluffy and compact - tiny pink paws and have you seen them washing - it's adorable!
They're also a perfect pet for someone out all day. Being primarily nocturnal, they wake up once I'm home, Clover usually about 5pm, and Faun at about 8pm. They are fine with as little as ten minutes cuddle time every day, although the more they have the better, as long as they get breaks in between (they can get thirsty quite quickly...). They only need to be cleaned out every 10-14 days, so minimum fuss. I can do both cages in just under an hour from start to finish, including hoovering up afterwards (I make mess! :p). Their food is inexpensive, as is bedding depending on the type you get. The biggest expense comes if you need the vets for anything, although, touch wood, I've been lucky so far. Other pets are awake during the day, if you're in work, they're not getting the fuss and attention they deserve. They need jabs from the vets, they need walking, you can't leave them overnight (I don't like doing it, but I have left the girls for up to 2 nights before).
And the hamster community has some of the nicest, friendliest and craziest people I've met online. I really recommend the forums on www.madabouthamsters.com and www.yetanotherhamsterforum.co.uk for those new to hamsters. Hammies really are lovely - I wouldn't be without one now!
