Hamsters Arrive

On Saturday, June 6, 2009 I took Rachel and Kate to the store to buy hamsters. Both girls love animals and have been asking for more pets for ages. We already have a cat, a dog, and some fish. But, with animal lovers - and a mom who grew up with lots of pets - it doesn't take much to decided more creatures should be using up oxygen in our home.

Rachel graduated 5th grade this year - which is the end of elementary school around here. And, around here, completing elementary school is a big deal. The year ended with a series of 5th grade events including a day long field trip at a forest preserve, an after school dance with DJ, and a graduation ceremony. Those with older children kept saying, "Wait until you see what they do for 8th grade." Apparently we're all about celebrating children's milestones on the north shore.

So, the hamsters are really a graduation gift for Rachel. But, it's a family event so Kate got one too. They live in the living room with cages that attach. Just central to the family right from day one.

(For those of you who are detail oriented, they are two male robo hamsters. Wikipedia has a good page about them including pictures. The pictures aren't of our specific hamsters, but you get the idea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roborovski_hamster)

Rachel's named her hamster Snickers. Kate's is named her hamster Walter. Rachel's cage is a primary color, multi level habitat. Kate's is a pink princess habitat. Rachel asked the sales man practical questions about care and feeding. Kate asked if we could get the hamsters a pet bird. Yet another day when my daughters seem to be different species. Both in love with their new pets - but in really different ways.

Kate talks to hers. She makes up elaborate stories about the adventures she and Walter take together. She is obsessed with giving Walter more food and treats. Rachel is all about caring for Snickers. She checks his cage and encourages him to try new things. She's impressed with his accomplishments and tells everyone how smart and strong he is.

And, the hamsters are a lot like their owners. Walter will follow Snickers around and try what he does. Walter also likes to sit in his food dish and sleep a lot. Snickers is more adventurous and faster than Walter. He's consistently harder to catch and has bitten me twice. (In his defence, I would bite a giant hand scooping me up too.) Snickers literally climbs the walls and jumps from the highest levels in his habitat. The two spend a lot of time together in each other's cages, but they seem to return to their own space.

Each has a wheel in his cage and both spend a lot of time (at night) running and running and running. Snickers is much, much faster than Walter. Sometimes Walter climbs onto Snickers wheel with him and runs behind him. Snickers is faster and so Walter is always slipping down and either bumping his face on Snicker's butt or being kicked in the face by Snickers. When Walter tries to get off, Snickers jumps down and noses Walter back on for another round. An effort to encourage more exercise?

On June 10th, both girls re-named their hamsters. Rachel named her "Giant." Ya know, it's funny because he's so small. Kate named hers "Brown Eyes." His eyes are actually black, but I don't think she's trying to be funny. I still call them Snickers and Walter. We'll see what sticks.