Ginger the Long Haired Hamster
As a long-haired golden hamster, Ginger is a little golden puff ball. She was a rescue hamster. Someone had bought her, then returned her to Petsmart. A sign in the store mentioned a hamster to “inquire about adopting.”
Apparently, store returns or escape artists cannot be sold at full price. Once a hamster has left the safety of its cage, it could become pregnant or carry disease. If you ever want a free hamster (or other rodent), watch for those signs! I had to fill out adoption paper work, just as if I was purchasing her. The only catch was that she was not guaranteed like a regular purchase.
It is my theory that golden hamsters of the long-haired variety have a thing about socks. That would be socks a person is actively wearing on their feet. I have been nibbled several times by Ginger, but the pro at sock nibbling was Goldilocks (God rest his soul).
Many moons ago, I was deeply engrossed in Never Winter Nights. Playing online means “you screw up, you die”. Even if death is not permanent, it can have severe penalties. Suddenly, my foot was being attacked! Goldilocks had reached through his exercise ball and snagged my sock. Then he hauled the sock into the ball and began nibbling on it. As I looked down to disengage myself from this attacking rodent, my character was attacked by a dragon!
Some nights it just doesn’t pay to log in.
Ginger had an odd quirk at first: she refused to jump back into her cage. I would have to find a flat surface to turn her out of her ball, then scoop her up and place her into her cage. She managed to escape my grasp several times. I wondered if it was old age and aching joints, but I think now it was simple fear. When she finally came to the realization that I wasn’t trying to hurt her, Ginger began jumping from the ball.
Now I simply hold the ball next to the cage. The hamster crawls from the cage into the exercise ball. Both hamsters roam the house at the same time. One of their favorite games is “knock the top off and escape”, so I use pieces of tape to secure the cover. They don’t seem bothered by the other’s presence. When it is time to go back to bed, I open the ball and hold it next to the cage. They crawl down and hop the last few inches to the cage bottom.
I have to admit hamsters are adorable little varmints.
Apparently, store returns or escape artists cannot be sold at full price. Once a hamster has left the safety of its cage, it could become pregnant or carry disease. If you ever want a free hamster (or other rodent), watch for those signs! I had to fill out adoption paper work, just as if I was purchasing her. The only catch was that she was not guaranteed like a regular purchase.
It is my theory that golden hamsters of the long-haired variety have a thing about socks. That would be socks a person is actively wearing on their feet. I have been nibbled several times by Ginger, but the pro at sock nibbling was Goldilocks (God rest his soul).
Many moons ago, I was deeply engrossed in Never Winter Nights. Playing online means “you screw up, you die”. Even if death is not permanent, it can have severe penalties. Suddenly, my foot was being attacked! Goldilocks had reached through his exercise ball and snagged my sock. Then he hauled the sock into the ball and began nibbling on it. As I looked down to disengage myself from this attacking rodent, my character was attacked by a dragon!
Some nights it just doesn’t pay to log in.
Ginger had an odd quirk at first: she refused to jump back into her cage. I would have to find a flat surface to turn her out of her ball, then scoop her up and place her into her cage. She managed to escape my grasp several times. I wondered if it was old age and aching joints, but I think now it was simple fear. When she finally came to the realization that I wasn’t trying to hurt her, Ginger began jumping from the ball.
Now I simply hold the ball next to the cage. The hamster crawls from the cage into the exercise ball. Both hamsters roam the house at the same time. One of their favorite games is “knock the top off and escape”, so I use pieces of tape to secure the cover. They don’t seem bothered by the other’s presence. When it is time to go back to bed, I open the ball and hold it next to the cage. They crawl down and hop the last few inches to the cage bottom.
I have to admit hamsters are adorable little varmints.
posted by Janie B @ 6:00 PM
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