According to the vet, the exposed skin looks healthy, no flakes to indicate dryness or possible mites. I initially suspected ringworm or mites because during a mites breakout last year & all of the hamsters, except her, were affected. So I thought that maybe it’s her turn to contract mites.

The vet thinks that it’s a psychological issue, mainly that she’s so bored that she overgrooms herself. She can’t groom anymore than the lower back of her body because that’s as far as she can reach.

I don’t understand how she can be bored because she has a lot of things in her cage: a wooden hidey house, a relatively large wheel for her size, plastic & cardboard tubes, ledges to climb on. I’ve since added more stuff in her cage & given her some chewable sticks that I have for the chinchillas & a 42-puzzle playground (that she NEVER goes into even though I hide treats in it!) to the point that there’s little walking space in her bin cage. The vet also suggested that I give her foods that are rich in good oils to encourage fur growth and more toys to keep her entertained. She doesn’t like the plastic ball because it scares her so I’ve only put her in the plastic ball a couple of times when I first got her.

Well, fast forward to today (about 4 weeks later), Pinky has certainly stopped overgrooming herself:

Lesson learned? Pack your hamster’s cage with tons of toys!

In memory of Baby Hamster

And those long whiskers are not for looking cute only, according to Live Science:

Most rats have poor vision, but they make up for it with the “whiskers on their snouts. They use the long hairs, also called “vibrissae,” in the same way that blind people use canes. By whisking the hairs across objects the come across, rats and other rodents form mental pictures of their surroundings.

It’s part of a larger picture & I didn’t notice the girly’s pointy nose until I zoomed in on her

The calendar comes in 2 colors: pink & blue.

In the pink one, Almond & Joy are featured on my birth month; in the blue one, Baby Hamster is featured in the month of January.

I’m so happy that Baby Hamster is featured. That way, even though he’s gone (& missed much), I feel that he has been commemorated by being featured on the calendar.

With that being said, I’m going to a professional printing shop to print both of the calendars & have them laminated

]]> http://www.chinchillanation.com/2010/01/17/2010-calendars/feed/ 0 http://www.chinchillanation.com/2010/01/04/good-night-kat/ http://www.chinchillanation.com/2010/01/04/good-night-kat/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:39:52 +0000 Ippo456 http://www.chinchillanation.com/?p=836 Earlier last month, I brought Kat to the vet again because the lump that was removed from her bum had became much larger (WARNING: graphic image). At that point, blood was coming out of the lump, but not a lot (like when Brain was bleeding), more like droplets. The vet explained that the lump was definitely cancer & the bleeding was because the cancer cells needed more blood supply. The vet was hesitant about surgically removing the cancer as he had previously done so. It would be futile if Kat were to undergo a second surgery with the risk of the cancer coming back again. So I brought her home & pampered her, knowing that her days would be outnumbered. The occasional bleeding was treated with antibiotic cream (as instructed by the vet) & she was still very active up until her very last day.

My 2009 didn’t end so well. On 31st of December morning, I found Kat lying outside of her nest. Her body was already cold & stiff. I saw that this time there was much more bleeding & that could be the cause of her death. I called the same funeral service that had cremated Baby Hamster & Brain & they were nice enough to pick Kat’s body up from my place that very same day. I wish that Kat could have held out a little bit longer & celebrate 2010 with me. But considering her condition, she held out long enough.

All the furries & myself wish all a happy holiday (only DH is featured this time because the others were sleepy during the photoshoot, which was held during broad daylight).

I finally have some free time & decided to make a DIY wreath. Cost: $0.

ps: don’t mind the ugly beat-up door.

And inside says .. (right click on image & choose “View Image” for larger)

It’s a condolence greeting regarding Brain from the Animal Clinic! All the vets (even the one who relocated out of state) & the vet technicians signed the card! They are truly the best people you can trust your animals to If you look up Animal Clinic on Yahoo! Local, there is nothing but good reviews about the place. It’s people like the ones at the Animal Clinic (yes, the place is literally called the Animal Clinic) that inspire me to want to care & do more for animals. This card made me smile despite the fact that one hamster after another is getting sick

Seems like there’s 1 girly who is always hogging the food bowl. I don’t want to get them a bigger food bowl because they’ll just end up pooping inside the food bowl 0_o

What Baby Hamster is eating is not the broccoli florets your normally find in the supermarket. Because it’s been quite warm lately, my broccoli plants have started going to seed. That’s why the broccoli that BH is eating looks slightly different. Had I cut the broccoli later, it would’ve flowered.

This was my last yield of broccoli To see how the garden has progressed throughout the summer, see here.