Animal Lovers Web Blog

The world of animal lovers is not, as you might imagine, always full of sweetness and light. There are times when as animal lovers we can all get a little hot under the collar. We have found that baby hamsters can be a particular trigger in this regard.

We all know that the internet is a wonderful medium that can empower anyone with a computer, a modem and an ISP to become a publisher. It provides the ability for almost anyone to air their thoughts, feelings, views, interests and activities not only publicly; but to a global audience! Obviously any tool this powerful must come with some downsides - that’s just one of the laws of nature.  You could liken this to the well known truism that there is no such thing as a free lunch or possibly even more relevant - every silver lining has a cloud!

Being well aware of the way of the world and not exactly wet behind the ears it should not really have come as any great surprise to us then to discover that when you put yourself “out there” in any arena where people have strong feelings and care about something a lot, not everyone is going to agree with everything that anybody does or says and that, of course, includes us. That is not a problem to us, in fact, anything more complicated and of more consequence than boiling an egg (actually there are even different opinions on how to do this!) will have a whole gamut of opinions on which is the best way to do it. That is a good thing and by the courteous and constructive sharing of information and views people can modify their behaviour and that is how progress and improvement occurs.

What we were not quite prepared for when we first launched our animal website in November 2007, was the strength of response that can unintentionally be provoked amongst fellow animal lovers. By actions and behaviours that are very well meaning and with the best intentions towards animals and that these are not always expressed courteously or constructively.

Social networking for example is everywhere these days and obviously to have a presence on these sites involves the risk of adverse or inflammatory comments. In our experience YouTube almost has a monopoly on this. I’m not saying that YouTube is not a wonderful resource, it is, and it is financially free. It does come though at the price of sometimes ill considered and groundless flame comments being posted, criticising one thing or another in some people’s perceptions of your videos, often without having read the video description box and these comments are mostly left by people who have posted no videos of their own!

YouTube is not the only place where strong opinion is expressed we have found that emails, forums and blogs are just some of the other vehicles by which people will let you know what they think. A good example recently started with what I thought seemed like a good idea, to do a photo journal of the development of a baby hamster in pictures on a daily basis for the first two weeks in the lives of our latest litter of baby hamsters. This started well on day one and day two when we posted some nice pictures of the baby hamsters all huddled up in the nest, pink, hairless and cute in an almost ugly kind of way at this stage. On day 3 the brown stuff hit the fan…

Now we don’t think entering hamster breeding accidentally is big or clever, but despite multiple reassurances that our original dwarf hamster pair were same sex - within two weeks of having them we had we accidentally become hamster breeders. We didn’t think we were big when this happened and we certainly didn’t feel very clever. We know only too well that there are already too many homeless hamsters in the world and that there is very little justification for breeding yet more, particularly by first time or amateur breeders. However, it had happened and we couldn’t reverse that. Our first step, of course, was to separate the parents; this resulted in practically demented and agitated behaviour from both mother and father, so we relented and put them back together again. They have been a sweet and happy couple ever since and we have predictably had more litters, most of which we have kept ourselves and any that we have re-homed have been in single sex groups to good homes and with reassurances about no further breeding intentions.

Perhaps we were naïve but we certainly were not aware that there are certain types of baby hamster pictures that some people think should not be shown (or taken?)… Back to the day 3 pictures…

From our experience of our other hamster litters and the bond with the parents that we have developed we have been fortunate enough to be able to handle the hamster pups from the very early stages. So to show the detail of the baby hamster, which was partly what the photo journal was all about; the day 3 pictures included some pictures of us handling some of the young hamster babies.

It quickly became apparent the strength of feeling that some people can have about pictures like these.  We can understand some of the logic and reasoning behind this belief but cannot agree with the view that pictures of baby hamsters before the eyes open or being handled should not be shown at all. Surely that is a form of censorship and to not show pictures of young baby hamsters does not mean that they do not exist and it is naïve to think otherwise. The pictures are interesting and educational and with adequate warnings regarding hamster breeding and the small risk of cannibalism in dwarf hamsters, we believe that it is perfectly legitimate and justifiable to display these pictures of baby hamsters. We are also not aware of any evidence that displaying baby hamster pictures encourages people to breed hamsters or that in dwarf hamsters after the first litter that handling the hamsters encourages cannibalism. This experience is also echoed by other experienced dwarf hamsters breeders.

We believe that animal welfare is always uppermost in our thoughts, feelings and actions and with the amount of animal neglect and cruelty that exists in the world we sometimes wonder why people with the time and energy to go on crusades against perceived wrongs in the animal world don’t direct it towards the places and people where it would do more good.

John

Animal Lovers Web.com

Wow, what a day we’ve just  had! My daughter and I went to the Bradford Small Animal show in Harrogate in the  UK today. It is an annual event where they competetively show rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and some other animals. We had never been to a small animal show before so we didn’t know quite what to expect, but we really enjoyed the day and we had an absolute ball.

It was held in two massive halls where around 3000 small animals, mostly rabbits but with a fair number of guinea pigs and much fewer hamsters were on display. We were free to walk around and view all of the animals and  we could also get up close and handle the animals, when they were on the judging tables. The animals owners and the judges were extremely approachable and willing to chat and give information regarding the animals, which made for a real friendly and informative atmosphere and they were also happy for people to take picture of their animals.

As well as the show animals themselves there were a number of trade exhibitons with animal feedstuffs, housing and various other animal related bits and  pieces. Around the perimeter of the halls there were also stalls manned by various animal breed clubs and societies, where the club members were happy to discuss their particular breeds of interest. There was even a television celebrity vet, Matt Brash from ITV Yorkshire’s Zoo Vet At Large who was also very approachable and happy to chat with the attendees including ourselves and my daughter even had her picture taken with him, and, of course, we had to buy his book, which he duly signed!

Although rabbits outnumbered all of the other animals by some margin and there was a fantastic array of beautiful rabbit breeds of all sizes shapes and colours, I particularly enjoyed the guinea pigs. I saw for the first time a number of guinea pig breeds that were new to me, including my personal favourite the Lilac Fox. This was a stunningly coloured smooth coated guinea pig with lighter eye circles and a very light coloured belly. I spoke in some detail with the breeder and look forward to hearing more about this breed from him and quite possibly acquiring one or two to add to our current pair of guinea pigs.

The only dissapointment for us was how few hamsters there were on show and nearly all of the Syrians were just curled up in a ball in their cages trying to get some sleep. Maybe what the Syrian hamsters need is a nocturnal small animal show to really shine! There were quite a few dwarf hamstes and a few long haired Syrians, which were nice as we hadn’t seen to many of them in the flesh before. Anyway it certainly made a great day out and we have already pencilled in it in the diary for next year and plan to find a few more similar small animals shows to attend in the spring and summer.

John 

Animal Lovers Web.com

After our bad experience at trying keeping male rabbits together, it should not really have come as a surprise to find out that our boy baby dwarf hamsters were no longer the best of friends.

At six weeks old, we had finally mastered  sexing dwarf hamsters and all of our baby hamsters had been accurately identified as boy or girl hamsters and separated into two cages.  Out of an initial litter of seven, we found that the boys outnumbered the girls by five to two, but as we expected a couple of the males to be going to a new home shortly, we left them to enjoy each others company for a little while longer.

It became apparent that all was not well over the weekend as increasingly worrying screeches and squeals emanated from the boys cage.  We weren’t sure whether it was initially just over boisterous play (ever the optimist!) but closer observation lead us to single out a rogue hammy who seemed to get his kicks out of terrorising the other boys.  Clearly he preferred his own company and, once presented with a new bin cage of his own, peace was restored to the boys quarters again.

Our confidence that the boy dwarf hamster’s new-found harmony would last through the New Year was unfortunately short lived.  An ear-piercing squeal this evening sent us rushing to find one of the boys blood-soaked with bites to his nose, several puncture wounds on his back and other wounds to his feet and abdomen.  He was a very sorry and ragged mess.  We quickly assembled an old cage and, following some TLC, left him alone to rest and hopefully recover from his ordeal.

We’re not sure if he was the result of an ambush by the other 3 dwarf hamsters,  they all looked remarkably unscathed and the hamster which was attacked had been a late addition to the boys cage due to difficulty sexing him accurately.  We just need to hope that the remaining males continue to get along or we’ll be over-run with cages, never mind hamsters! 

Trouble, our Syrian hamster, became increasingly unwell over the weekend.  He didn’t seem to be eating much food and his mobility was becoming very compromised by his hugely swollen abdomen.  Every time he woke up, he couldn’t open his eyes and we had to bathe them regularly to try and help him to see.

It seemed inevitable that Trouble would have to be put to sleep and, with a heavy heart, an appointment was made at our vets last night.  We made Trouble a comfy home inside a cardboard box for his last journey and, chocking back the tears, popped him into the car.

The vet was very understanding and a familiar face to us.  He knew Trouble and his health problems very well and felt that it was the right time for us to say our goodbyes.  No matter how many times people say that “You’re doing the right thing” or “Well, he’s had a good life” - the pain of making the decision to have your beloved pet put to sleep feels very raw, with your heart and head pulling in very different directions.

Trouble died very quickly once he had his injection and he looked so peaceful and calm, it was hard not to think that he was just asleep.  The vet placed him back in his carry box and we took him home. 

The evening hours were difficult for us.  Trouble lay in his box and, as we stroked him, we chatted about all the memorable things that had made him OUR special little boy.  In between crying and laughing we realised just how special Trouble was and the important place that he had within our family.

Trouble spent the night in Laura’s bedroom next to her bed and today we buried him in a memorial garden so that we will always have a special place to remember our beautiful Syrian hamster. Sleep tight sweet one, we will always love you xxx

Diane
Animal Lovers Web.com

Trouble our Syrian hamster is starting to show increasingly worrying signs of his advancing years. For a couple of months now he has suffered from very swollen testicles and we were aware that his old age was starting to catch up with him. Visits to the vets had reassured us to some extent that there really was no active treatment that would relieve his symptoms anymore and that he just needed lots of our love and cuddles so that he could enjoy the twilight years of his life.

Over the past couple of weeks, Trouble has developed a distended abdomen, to such a degree that we have now had to remove the tubing from his cage and make sure that he couldn’t get into any tight spots, as it’s difficult for him to turn around very well. Trouble doesn’t appear to be in any pain and his abdomen, although very large, feels soft. We suspect that he may have ascites, which is a collection of fluid in the peritoneal cavity, commonly associate with liver failure and tumours. It may be that Trouble has developed secondary disease due to his testicular probems.

Trouble still comes out to see us and he seems to enjoy his daily exercise in the hamster pen and has certainly not lost his appetite! We were worried however that he could in pain and so we took him to the vets yesterday for a full health check. The vet was very kind and empathic to our concerns and understood that we really don’t want Trouble to suffer. Obviously, we would rather not have him euthanized but felt that a professional opinion was needed to guide us. The vet confirmed our suspicions to the cause of Trouble’s problems. He did not feel that there were any treatments that would help to alleviate any of his symptoms and that really it was just a matter of time before Trouble would pass away.

Fortunately, our vet agreed with us that Trouble was still well enough to come home provided that we kept a close eye on him. If there is any deterioration in his health e.g. loss of appetite, weight or signs of distress, then we will have to reconsider Trouble’s future and make some difficult choices.

It was with mixed feelings that we came home with Trouble, knowing that this will be our last Christmas with him. We can only hope that he manages to live that long. He really is such a lovely, placid little boy hamster, who won’t be short on love and affection in the last few weeks of his life.

Diane
Animal Lovers Web.com

Our dwarf baby hamsters are now three weeks old and we were getting to the stage of needing to think about sexing the hamsters and separating them with their respective parent. Unfortunately, Sunny (dad) has hastened up the whole process by having a sudden personality swap! His nomination for father of the year has been removed after his repeated attempts to attack the babies and scare them half witless. Although no babies appeared to be physically harmed, he made his feelings towards them known with lunging, high pitched squeals and threatening behaviour.

This posed a real problem for us as we had planned to put the male babies in with him but realised that this was now probably an unwise option. Fortunately, we have had some really great advice from some dwarf hamster experts on our new hamster discussion forum . We realised that we had no option but to separate Sunny from the baby hamsters, both male and femal, as the risk that he would have seriously harmed or killed them by the morning would have been too great.

Laura and Diane hastily reassembled an old cage and sadly removed Sunny from the family home. It was with a really heavy heart, as he had been such a supportive and helpful dad up until this point. We didn’t know how he would react to being taken from his partner Elly and all the babies - we were soon to find out!

Sunny became quite frantic once on his own, desperately scratching the sides of his cage and trying to climb out, it was terrible to see him in such distress. We decided that this was too cruel and made a short term decision to reunite him with Elly, but to leave the hamster pups together on their own. Our friends on the forum assured us that, although the babies were still suckling from Elly at times, they would be able to look after themselves. We had certainly seen them using the water bottles and taking solid food, so we felt assured that they would be OK.

Well, Sunny and Elly are back together - Sunny is so delighted and has unfortunately been displaying his great affection as only male hamsters know how. Let’s hope we don’t hear the patter of more tiny paws too soon! Elly is still a young hamster and we don’t really want her to be breeding, but it’s a bit of a problem as they get so distressed when apart. It was suggested to us that we could maybe separate them with a wire partition so that at least they could see and smell each other. We’ll need to think carefully about what’s best for them both.

As for our hamster babies - talk about when the cat’s away! They have had a ball without mum and dad around and have really amused us. Check out the video and you’ll probably agree that they don’t seem to be missing the old folks too much at all!

Diane
www.AnimalLoversWeb.com

The baby dwarf hamsters are getting bigger, faster and cuter every day. They are also growing in number as was evident from our surprise discovery last night. We had thought that there were only five but…

Just before bedtime last night, we checked to make sure that the hamsters were OK, and we couldn’t resist peeking underneath one of the cardboard tubes that they often like to nestle under. It was one of those “double take” moments, when it seemed that there were more bodies than there should have been. Certainly there were at least three fawn coloured babies and at our last count, we had only ever seen two.

Scooping them all up for a closer inspection, we managed to count at least seven babies - we think! Anyway, their cage will be due for cleaning soon, so it’ll be a good excuse for a proper head count. We’ll have to be extra careful sifting through all the wood shavings to make sure that we don’t miss (or crush) any!

Diane
www.AnimalLoversWeb.com

Now at around two week old our hamster babies are finally losing their inhibitions and are out and about quite frequently and are incredibly cute. Once you’ve seen newborn lambs and chicks you think you have seen the cutest things that the animal world has to offer, then it surprises you again with a baby animal at least equally cute.

Hamster babies are tiny and they seem to have a head that is disproportionately large for their bodies, which just adds to their cuteness. When we first started to handle them they would just sit there, frozen to the spot. Now though, they are having a sniff around and even having a little nibble at our fingers.

We have two lovely fawn coloured baby hamsters and three that have exactly the same markings as their mother, which is darker brown with a blackish dorsal stripe. We did count at least eight to begin with but some do seem to have disappeared, without a trace. Unfortunately, one of the babies seems to have a problem with its eye, which doesn’t seem to be opening properly. We are going to ask for some advice regarding this from a hamster expert on our hamster discussion forum. We are still hoping that it is not too late and that the eye may be ok. You can just see this briefly on the videos below.

We are now thinking about having a go at sexing the  hamsters soon as we will need to separate them at about 3 weeks. We are also dreading separating the parents, as they do make a lovely and very considerate couple. From observing the daddy hamster over the last two weeks I think many human dads could learn a thing or two about how to be a good partner and father!

John

www.AnimalLoversWeb.com

We continue to be very impressed with our young Dwarf russian hamsters and their parenting skills. We haven’t captured much footage of the baby hamsters yet, largely as a result of the very protective behaviour of the parents. We did  have a laugh though at the behaviour of the mother hamster recently when we tried to get a look in the nest.

The video below shows the hamster frantically digging in the bedding materials, trying to cover the entrance to the nest, then as if that wasn’t enough, she comes further out to get more material. Almost covering herself in the process.

The baby hamsters did spill out to the area just in front of the nest box last night, but typically, when trying to film animals, as soon as you get the camera…it’s all over. The mother hamster had dragged them right back in, and guess what? Correct, buried them in more bedding materials.

John

www.AnimalLoversWeb.com

We are very pleased to report that on checking the hamsters this morning, we could definately see a few pink little bodies wriggling around, deep in one of the hamsters bedding boxes. So our little hamster pups have not been eaten after all, what a relief!

Amazingly, what this means is that our two Russian Dwarf hamsters must have carried all of them from the box they were born in to the box they are in now, which is quite an obstacle course of a journey. I would love to have captured that on film. Unfortunately, we have not been able to get any pics yet, as we are very apprehensive about approaching the cage at the moment. We are very excited about this hamster litter and we don’t want to do anything to compromise their safety. The babies have also been buried quite deeply under the bedding materials, so are very hard to get a view of at the moment.

Like rabbits, if a human scent is detected near the babies, the hamsters will kill them. So we are observing from a distance for now and will get some pics as soon as we can and upload them to our animal website.

John
www.AnimalLoversWeb.com