my daughters hamster

[Highlander]

we have, well had 2 russian dwarf hamsters.

one was my sons, and other my daughters.

my sons was a vicious little bugger, but my daughters was as tame as anything.

they often had fights in cage, but was told that some do, but it's nothing serious, little sqeeks and roll in sawdust, then all is over.

but today, the squeeks turned into sqwarks, and sawdust flying everywhere.
next thing, my daughters hamster had it eyes scratched out, and ears torn, and face cut.

i took it to vets, but due to waiting to be seen, it died whilst i waited in turn.

i had to take my daughter to gymnastics at 4pm, and got out of vets at 3:20pm, i told her what happened, and she cried her eyes out, and said she loved her hamster, and wanted to bury it, but was going to gymnasts.

i took her to gym, then went straight to Pets at Home, and told them that i bought the hamsters 3 months ago, and told them what happened.

they told me to bring the vicious one back, and gave me 2 new baby ones.

i know it's not the same, but these 2 babies are soooo tame, and you just stick your hand in cage, and they run to you and sit in your hand.

i asked what would happen to the older hamster, and they said he would go into isolation, get checked over and then introduced to another older hamster and taken from there, he assured me that it would come to no harm at all.

 

[Highlander]

i forgot to mention, we are burying the dead one tomorrow after school, and she wants to say a prayer for him.

 

[witchy]

Are you getting something off your chest with this post mate?
Feeling slightly guilty about handing back the angry hamster?

I'm sure your Daughter will love the new ones, I hate seeing kids upset over pets.

IMO you did the right thing.

 

[krazylegz]

ah bless her, but at least you got 2 new nice little uns al

 

[IANB]

Fook me m8 im welling up here.
My son had a similar problem with chipmunks m8. The kids get well attatched to their pets m8 dont they?

 

[Baaheeduk]

We had two Guinea Pigs and the friendliest one died the back end of last year. My daughter was so upset

It's buried in our garden next to our Iguana.

I hate seeing kids upset too, We've all been there with pets though?

 

[Rat]

how has you daughter taken to the new hamsters Al ? Im sure she will soon get over the loss of her previous one

what about your son ? he has also lost his hamster but in a different way is he OK with it

 

[Highlander]

how has you daughter taken to the new hamsters Al ? Im sure she will soon get over the loss of her previous one

what about your son ? he has also lost his hamster but in a different way is he OK with it

they don't know yet.

i forgot to mention, i only see my kids at weekends, and i take my daughter gymnastics on a Monday.

but i have asked their mum if i can have the kids after school today, and do a burial service for the dead one, and then i will let them know about the new ones. she agreed.

 

[Manse]

When we brought 2 hamsters couple of years back for my twin girls we was told never put them in the same cage after they are a certain age (about 6months old i think) because they will fight to the death.
shop girl said ones on show in shop are very yound and are ok but when they get old they had to be parted.

 

[Highlander]

hmmm, wonder why they never mentioned that to me. cheers for that info, so if these start to fight i will have to seperate.

so far so good, they are cuddled up in corner under bedding.

they have been in toilet roll tubes and wheel so far.

 

[Curly]

Our hamster escaped last year. It had been trying to get out for ages by nibbling at the bars and trying to lift the door. It finally achived its goal of freedom.
The following day a neighbour saw it in her back garden.
I don't know how it got from in the kids bedroom to outside.
I have a theory that it tied sheets together and climbed out of the window.

Curly

 

[stevemac40]

When we brought 2 hamsters couple of years back for my twin girls we was told never put them in the same cage after they are a certain age (about 6months old i think) because they will fight to the death.
shop girl said ones on show in shop are very yound and are ok but when they get old they had to be parted.

From what I recall from my hamster keeping days (20 years ago now, i'm getting old). Adult hamsters should be kept apart. However I also recall being told that Russian Dwarf hamsters can be kept together.
Read up on it first as I only had one Russian Dwarf so don't know they can be kept together from experience.

 

[jaffa]

Tricky situation there highlander...what do you intend t tell your son about his hamster. Can't be saying his hamster killed the other as that would make things worse. How about your daughters hamster died and the other one was really lonely so you took it back to the pet shop so it could be with its mum.

My nieces hamster died last year and she cried her wee eyes out. They never replaced it as they knew the same thing would happen if the replacement died.

 

[stevemac40]

Alternatively they do say that owning pets teaches children a lot about the facts of life.

It could be worth being honest that they had a fight and that the naughty hamster has gone off for rehabilitation (though that will probably mean a free holiday on tax payers money, lol).

Though the age of your kids might dictate how you approach that. If they're over 8 then tell them the truth, maybe a white lie is better if they're younger.


On a side note, when I was kid I had my hamster resussitated (sp?) by my aunt by giving it mouth to mouth roud:

 

[Seedy_r0m]

It's not big & it's not clever:

 

[Seedy_r0m]

@ Highlander.

All joking aside. hope your kids don't take it too hard.

I'm sure they'll be OK about it befoer too long.
Young un's are very resilient.

 

[tigro]

syrian hamsters, sometimes called golden hamsters can't be kept together as they will kill each other, but im sure all other types of hamster are able to be kept together

 

[K]

Pets at home have a section at our local.. for rehoming animals.. basikaly people take there unwanted pets and they display them... think they call it adopt a pet:S

Make sure the 2 hammys are the same sex.. ended up with 8 when we had them... our eldest lived for 5 years.. towards the end he was at the vets every month having his teeth and claws clipped because he couldnt look after himself.. he had grey hair.. was funny but in the same sense it was sad.. he now lives the the back garden..

We now have a dwarf rabbit.. pets at home assured us he wouldnt get big.. 2 years on we have found out hes a french lop .. out grown 3 cages.. told pets at home and theyre not interested..

just an idea of his size

 

[Highlander]

update:

i told kids truth about the hamsters fighting, as i always tell my kid sthat i would never lie to them about anything.

i asked my son after school, if i should take his hamster back as it was naughty, and he said "hmmm, i'll have a think while we drive to yours"

we got to mine, and i asked him again, whether he wanted to keep his hamster or take it back and swap it for a friendly one, he said to take it back, as it attacked his sisters hamster.

i shown them the cage, and took yop off, and before i moved the bedding, i said to my son, "do you want to say good-bye to him before we take him back" he said OK.

i moved the bedding, and there was the 2 new baby ones, both my kids eyes lit up, and they stook their hands in onto the sawdust, and both hamsters made their way to their hands and one hamster went to one hand, and other to other hand, they both picked up their new hamsters, and told me i was the best Dad ever.

nice happy ending there.

then we buried the other one and my daughter written a few lines and buried them with the hamster.

 

[Purity]

Glad it all worked out well in the end fella