Dav's Roborovskis - Archive 15-04-02

modified by dan 16-10-2004

16-10-2004: We have added a whole wealth of roborovski hamster advice to the site. Please take a look and feel free to contact us with your own questions.

UPDATE: SEE 2-WEEK OLD PHOTOS HERE!

Okay, so here's the history. My family and I bought Dav two Roborovski hamsters for her 22nd birthday. She named them Amy and Jessica as they were both female. They live in a glass aquarium on a side table in our living room and are exceedingly cute (see photo below).

And here comes the update...be ready for it!

AMY IS A BLOKE!

Yep, Amy was a bloke. We found out yesterday (17th March 2002) when we saw some movement in the coconut they sleep in despite Amy and Jessica both being 'out and about'. Yep - we have baby hamsters! Amy is a bloke.

So, what are we going to do? Well, for a start, rename Amy (current suggestion is Emmanuel - I prefer 'Manuel'). Secondly, look after them and make sure the babies are healthy. Thirdly, decide what to do with them? Anyone want some Roborovskis?

This is what the babies look like at the moment. They're only about a centimetre long, and I think there are five of 'em...

HOURLY UPDATE

18-03-2002 08:00
Doing well, the babies squeak when the parents step on them. Amy/Manuel's ear is looking better this morning after being bitten through by Jessica (presumably) yesterday. We swabbed it with Savlon yesterday. Jessica looking fit and happy, running round. Amy/Manuel was sleeping in the entrance to the coconut...uncomfy!!!
18-03-2002 14:30
Just popped home to see some glaziers, and they look okay, although they're sleeping. Jessica has accepted Amy/Manuel back into the coconut which is nice. No sounds coming out, but all looks well...
18-03-2002 18:00
Come back from work. Jessica has let Amy/Manuel into the coconut now, and Jessica is running around like a nutter stuffing her pouches with bedding, running back to the coconut, leaving it there, and going for more. We're quite worried about Amy/Manuel, whose hurt ear is flattened against his head. He also seems very very limp and not interested in life. We'll wait till he comes out to run on the wheel and have a look at him.
18-03-2002 21:00
Phew! Amy/Manuel looks okay - the ear is standing out again and is healing. He is also more active, albeit less than before. Jessica is beating him up quite a bit - poor guy. I hope my wife doesn't do the same when we have kids! Babies look fine...
19-03-2002 08:00
Jessica has piled bedding all around the coconut - Amy/Manuel has been sleeping just outside the coconut, looking very cute and miserable, but resigned to it... According to the books, Jessica should start letting him help from now on.
19-03-2002 18:00
Amy/Manuel is still sleeping just outside the coconut. Jessica is giving him major grief, chasing him round and round the cage, fighting with him. Poor Amy/Manuel! Saw the babies, they look a bit bigger, but couldn't see them much.
20-03-2002 08:00
The bedding is piled very high again, and Jessica was still persecuting Amy/Manuel. We gave them hot cross bun soaked in milk and a bit of little gem lettuce... More later today.
20-03-2002 20:00
Nothing much to report. Amy/Manuel still sleeping outside (incidentally, we've pretty much stayed with Amy as a name). Jessica persecuted Amy a little bit more (so what's different?) Saw the babies move a bit, but there's so much bedding that we can't see much.
21-03-2002 08:00
Woke up this morning to find Amy sleeping in a tube, but Jessica has bitten his back. What a punk! The poor thing's got a couple of bites/gouges in his lower back. Dav wants to take him out, but I think he'll be okay. What a wife though!!!
21-03-2002 18:00
Got home and Amy is sleeping next to the coconut. Jessica came out and ran around and Amy went into the coconut! Jessica seemed okay with Amy being there, looking after the babies. Amy's back is looking better now - they heal pretty quick. Also, on closer inspection, it turned out that at least two of the babies were in the corner behind the coconut and that Amy was keeping them warm. We got a good view of them. They're getting bigger, and are getting a grey fuzz all over them.
21-03-2002 22:00
Jessica chased Amy around a little bit, but all seems fairly well.
22-03-2002 08:00
Jessica's removed the masses of bedding, and we could see the babies quite well. There appears to be 4 of them. Jessica didn't persecute Amy, and Amy's back looks okay again. Babies looking good, and all looking happy.
22-03-2002 13:00
Popped home for lunch - they're both sleeping peacefully - Amy still in the tube though!
22-03-2002 20:00
Well - Jessica has bitten Amy again - and his back is 'covered' in blood. We had to catch him and swab him with Savlon. Poor guy. They've moved their bedding and babies out of the coconut and under the wheel now. We considered removing Amy, but thought that in the long run, it would be better to leave him in.
23-03-2002 08:00
They look better this morning. Amy has slept with Jessica and the babies, and looks a lot better. We got to see the babies quite a bit - they're a lot bigger - we saw them suckling on Jessica. Cool!
23-03-2002 18:00
Got them some more bedding and a mineral stone, which they seem to enjoy. Still both sleeping under the wheel, and no fights as yet. Keep you posted!
24-03-2002 09:00
Got some good views of the babies today, through the bottom of the glass aquarium! They've all got hair now, and you can see the difference between the light and dark hair. Amy is doing better too - sleeping with the family, and his back is looking better. Looked a lot more at the babies, and counted five. One wasn't moving though, and after watching for a while, we sadly decided that it was dead. We removed it and it was indeed dead. 4 left!
24-03-2002 13:00
Had some more looks, and there are still five! There must have been six. The remaining five all look healthy and well. Eyes are still closed though. Keep coming back for updates!
24-03-2002 18:00
Got to see the babies quite a bit more - looking good, and Amy and Jessica are getting on better.
25-03-2002 08:00
Jessica is less protective now - the babies were quite uncovered today - they've got lots of hair, but their eyes are still closed - they're starting to walk about a little bit, although not out of the nest yet. Took some more photos - will put them on the site today.
25-03-2002 19:00
Hamsters all doing okay - saw the babies quite a bit - they're getting bigger and stronger by the hour!
26-03-2002 08:00
Couldn't really see much this morning - they're asleep at the moment. More news later!
26-03-2002 18:00
Awesomely cute tonight. One of the babies was being cleaned by Jessica outside the nest, and it was trying to crawl around. When Jessica saw us, she tried to nudge it back towards the nest, but it crawled forward, out of the nest, and then Jessica pulled it in by its tail! Very funny.
27-03-2002 08:00
They all seem to be doing fine. Jessica and Amy are eating out of our hands again. Last night we managed to clean out the cage a bit - just taking out some of the old woodshavings and putting new ones in, as well as some more bedding. I think they appreciated it.
27-03-2002 18:00
Babies super cute - quite big now, eyes should be opening soon. Jessica and Amy eating out of our hands. Jessica hurt Amy again yesterday - it sucks!
28-03-2002 08:00
Amy seems to be surviving the mutilation by Jessica - and the babies seem okay as well.
30-03-2002 05:00
Yes, it certainly was 5 in the morning. Jon and Brechje, my brother and soon to be sister in law, were over for a ride to Gatwick, and popped in to see the babies. They obliged by coming right out of the nest, walking round the cage, and opening their eyes! Awesome!
30-03-2002 16:00
Babies came out again - Jessica and Amy seem happy to let them be, although when they do try to take them back to the nest, they have considerable trouble! Their eyes are open, although it seems an effort to open them.