Obedience training for hamster

This proud mummy pet owner shall insist that she has the smartest hamster around.

Potato is really extraordinarily responsive. Unlike the TwinSqueaks, who remain oblivious no matter what happens around them, Potato pokes his head out as soon as he hears human voices. If you continue to talk to him, he soon comes out to look at you. He would even stand up like a mini polar bear.

Then, if you give him a treat and rattle the bars of his cage gently, he might climb out of it, right into your hand. Isn't this so sweet and trusting?

Bath time for Potato

Potato the hamster is having a nice time investigating our belongings, while we are cleaning his cage. Hey hamster, be careful of the scissors ok. 

Then, he got a light dousing of shampoo, which he hates. We try not to bathe him, since he dislikes being wet, but sometimes, he smells terrible. The problem is, he has decided to use his bathing sand pit as a toilet instead, though he still rolls in it! Why do animals get such silly ideas into their heads?

Hush

Hush...the fat, furry baby is sleeping.

Potato wants food

Potato knows it is breakfast time. See the wheatgrass thrown carelessly unto his bedding? My macho hamster is no herbivore. He wants meat. Where are the mealworms? 

Hamster in a bowl

The bowl is perfect for one hamster to sit and feast among his food. When we had two hamsters, they would both want to get in at the same time, and end up squeaking and squabbling a lot over it.

Sleep tight

Potato - curled into a tight ball, head at the bottom. So cute :) Hamsters have the cutest sleeping poses.

RIP Peanut

Sad to hear that Mic's hamster, Peanut passed away suddenly.

Peanut was a true rescue story. Mic and family found her abandoned in her cage WITHOUT any water. Why do people keep treating living things like rubbish! They adopted Peanut and cared for her with much love.

Sadly, it turned out that she had a lump which was probably malignant. Is it why she was thrown away in the first place? Before they could bring her to the vet for further inspection, she passed away :(

But I am so very glad that at least for the past few weeks, Peanut had a wonderful life, playing in soft tissue paper, eating yummy food and playing on the wheel, so she wouldn't think that life on earth is all about suffering.

Bye bye Peanut :(

After a meal

Potato just feasted on wheatgerm and mealworms, ran on his wheel, and came out to play on my lap. Now, tired and satisfied, he went into a cosy corner and slept like a log.

Taming a hamster

People ask me how I play with my hamster. Well, it is pretty satisfying to handle him regularly so that he becomes tamer than ever. 

First, I attract his attention by tapping lightly on the cage grills or on his house. Then, I let him explore my hand. 

 See? He comes out on his own. I prefer not to stretch a hand into the cage, claw-like, to grab him. He might bite :P 

You can drape a towel over your lap and let him play on it. Give him a treat so that he would want to come out again the next time.

Mealworm, anyone?

"Nobody likes me, everybody hates me

I'm going to eat some worms..."

Yes, your eyes are telling you the truth. This is a box of worms :P EEKS! But those lyrics above don't apply to hamsters. For us hamster slaves, feeding them mealworm is an act of love. It is rich in protein, and part of a hamster's natural diet. 

The worms are dried to a crisp, and smell faintly of prawn crackers, so they aren't actually too disgusting. Still, my overly busy imagination keeps making me see them wriggle. 

How else can I offer it to him, if I don't pick one up by hand? I can't believe my own courage either. 

 

Potato loves it. He pounced on it like a predator, and crunched it up greedily. Then he searched out the rest of the worms in his foodbowl, and ate them all up as well. Ok, I guess it is worth the effort...you know...I am getting used to touching the worms :P

Picturesque moment

Potato has a picturesque moment, gazing into the distance in contemplation, probably wondering if it is a good idea to go roll in his sandpit again.

Handshake

It is hard for you to believe it, but this is Potato's favourite sleeping position. He must be practising some kind of martial arts! 

Hm...notice that the recent posts are on Potato. Frankly, he is now my favourite pet, because the rabbits are in disgrace, again. They had been so naughty about using their litter box that I am spending precious mornings cleaning up the muddy puddles. They even throw their hay cubes into their pee! So I had been pretty miffed with them, and not taking their photos.

The Hamster and his favourite toy

Here he is again, having an epic fight with the toilet roll core. If I leave a thin layer of paper on it, he gets even more excited, and would strip the core bare in a short while, carrying the loot off to pad his sleeping areas. We are running out of these cardboard cores because he gets through them so fast! 

Home Improvement

Potato is such an active boy that he keeps us up at night with his treadmill marathons. I decided to give add an extension to his home - a loft that looks like a space ship. He likes it so much that he made it the hiding place for his food stash. 

Thanks Habitrail...you really understand what hamsters need.

Cuddly chubby

Potato is so cute and chubby, I wish that there is more of him to cuddle. He is so tiny!

I'm teaching him to climb into my hand on his own. Each time he comes out like this, he gets a treat. It is working quite well.

Simple fun

In comparison to the rabbits, Potato is so much easier to please. All it takes is a toilet roll to keep him occupied for hours and hours. He can nibble it, scrabble in the tunnel, and tear it for bedding. 

So cute to see him hug his favourite toy.

Loving Broccoli

Maybe it is the good influence of his rabbit siblings. Potato loves his greens, fresh or dehydrated. Now he is hugging a floret of dried broccoli.  It is a healthy treat for him, and the gnawing keeps his teeth trim. 

Potato the Acrobat

Of all strange positions hamsters like...this really takes the cake. 

Yes, Potato is actually sleeping now, right on top of his water bottle, suspended in mid air. Does he think he's a bird or something?

Goodbye, Ninja

We received the sad news that Ninja passed away while we were in England :(

Though heavy-hearted, we were not surprised as she had been doddering around terribly for a long time. Truth be told, I am almost glad not to have to go to the vet every three weeks anymore, yet I feel so guilty for admitting to this. I have loved her every moment she was with me, and gave her the best of all she needed. 

Goodbye, my dear little Ninja, my favourite hamster. She is the prettiest and most sweet-natured of them all. *sob* 

Balancing act

There is no doubt Potato is the most agile hamster we ever had. Tickle him in the middle of his wheel-running, and you will see him stand up effortlessly to check you out. The wheel is still swinging. Mind you, even we two-legged creatures would have difficulty balancing like this.