a page for my hammies...

First, you must understand that I love hamsters not because everyone else does. Like some girls would go like, "Ohhhh! It's soooo cute!!!" and be really excited in seeing the hammies, but they forget about the hammies afterwards. No, I mean like, for me, it's like totally LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. 

I used to have these Choir lessons in Wanchai every Saturday when I was still in SIS (like I think I was 10 or 11). Every time I go home, I would walk pass a stinky pet shop which sells mainly birds. However, this cage with some cream-coloured rodents totally attracted me. They have whiskers, round ears and a pointed nose (well, slightly less blunt than rats' and mice's), but they aren't mice and rats; they are usually small in size, not like the guinea pigs; and most of all, they are like, tailless, so they are certainly no gerbils. What are they? Apparently, I forgot how, I managed to get their name. HAMSTERS. 

Since then, despite of the pets I have at home (not really bought by me, but I still love them a lot - a budgie and 5 turtles [1 of them died later], and also some other insects that lived for only one day...), despite of the other adorable animals in the shop (e.g. rabbits), I only set my eyes on hamsters. Only them. They are not only cute to me - and I am not trying to exaggerate, I have this feeling that I was, am, am going to be, one of them (ok, now I sound really like some devoted fans). Every Saturday, my aim is not to sing. My aim is not going to Hardees'. My aim, is to stare at the lovely little rodents, scurrying in their dirty metal cages.

So I finally made my mom buy 2 hammies for me, and after the bad ideas of Mickey and Minnie, I named them Hamham and Mini (haha, they're bad too, I know). They brightened up my life. Not like my budgie, or my turtles - in fact, i never felt the same way before (er, now I sound like I am falling in love). I don't know. My temper is better, and I am like more obedient, and most of all, I am happier!

Hamham, my dear. No other hammies can replace him. I am really sorry I couldn't take a photo of Mini. 

Mini got pregnant; and told me after giving birth to ....some pups. Yes, and I was an idiot then. I always disturbed Mini and family by peeking into her cage and trying to touch her pups (WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!). So, as a basic instinct, Mini ate her pups. I was scared and sorry. I consulted the pet shop owner and they told me not to disturb the hammy family until pups are 2 weeks old. I promised myself I would make sure the next litter would be safe by then.

Mini got pregnant again... but this time things got worse. This time, I didn't even get the chance to see the babies... and Mini was dead. I cried for a day. But who was more miserable than Hamham at that time?

People (or the so-called hamter-experts) tell me Syrian Hamsters (Hamham and Mini) are not supposed to be put together. They are born loners. Maybe I was lucky, or it's just that this saying is totally BS. These 2 little hammies never fought, nor did they even try to bite me. Even though I tortured them (I was young, and did not know the proper way of taking care of these rodents), they loved me. The only naughty thing they did was escaping - but who on earth likes to be kept in a a cage until they die? It's so cute seeing them hiding in places like under the cupboard, behind the toilet, in a shoe etc or sometimes they just show up in front of you as if they are saying, "Hey, I'm getting home now." Anyways, there was once Mini escaped (and ended up in some plastic bags in my Aunt's room) - and that was the longest record - I couldn't find her for three whole days. When I found her and returned her to the cage, I could not believe my eyes - and I was sure they are not fighting. They did a thing - like hugging each other, squeaked (first and last time I heard it) with joy and rolled around the cage like a wheel (still hugging each other). This is so damn touching...

This shows how close Hamham and Mini were. So after Mini's death, Hamham placed his body over Mini's and looked at me - as if he was telling me not to take her away. I cried at this sight.

A few weeks later, I got Hamham a new cage. He seemed to like it a lot, especially the plastic wheel ("oh great it's not the metal wire one anymore!!"). Anyway, life went on. Soon, it was Valentine's day of 1997. I was trying to wake Hamham for a treat. I patted him. I moved him. I shook him vigorously. Nothing made him wake up since then. This was the worst part of my whole life. I couldn't take it and cried for 3 days. 

After then, I made a small booklet titled "Remembering Hamham", with pictures of Hamham, and, ah-hem, 2 songs composed by me (HAHA PRODIGY AND DON'T ASK ME ABOUT THE SONGS) for him. 

Below is a table of the hammies I have had in my life.

Name and Pics	Dates of Birth (mostly estimated)	Description	Status
Hamham (M) - Syrian	Sometime in 1995  (1995-1997)	One of my first hamsters. He is the one I will never forget.	Passed away
Mini (F) - Syrian	Sometime in 1995 (1995 - 1996)	One of my first hamsters. Poor little girl, died too young.	Passed away
Creamy I (M) - Syrian	Some time in 1997	Bought in replacement of Hamham and Mini. Sadly, they were too young when I bought them and they could not survive the winter - they only lived for less than a week.	Passed away
Creamy II (F) - Syrian
Thin Ham (temp.) (M) - Dwarf	30th May 2002	No matter how much he ate, he was so skinny :) At first they could get along pretty well, but after 2 months the babies were born...poor baby, he was always bitten by Fat Mom, and now he is staying alone in a tank. Well, sometimes being a bachelor is good.	Alive
Fat Mom (temp.) (F) - Dwarf	30th May 2002	No matter how much she ran on the wheel, she's fat. She is so fat that I always think that she is pregnant. Don't be mislead by her figure - she is the most speedy of the family - and also the most violent - she was the first one who bit me - but i forgive her, for she bit me when she was pregnant.	Alive
Pig (F) - Syrian	Some time in June 2002	Poor baby :( She only lived for 2 days after I bought her... and most probably died of wet tail (she had a wet tail when she died. When I was suspecting that it was my fault, I went to the pet shop - and realised all the other hammies who used to be with her were all gone. "Curious" I'd say...I love her so much :(	Passed Away
Blackie [Juejue] (temp) (F) - Dwarf	23rd September 2002 (Thin Ham and Fat Mom's first litter)	Blackie... my mom said she was the most stupid of them all... well... I would say that she is the nicest and tamest of them all :) She would gimme a curious look if I say "Juejue" :) She was my secret favourite among the 3 pups... after all, she is special!	Alive
Hyperactive (temp) (F) - Dwarf	23rd September 2002 (Thin Ham and Fat Mom's first litter)	Physically identical to Whitie. The thing is she less tame than her sister (since birth). She is really fierce, like her mother, and she bullies the others. She was the first baby hammy which bit me!!! However, she is damn cute... And one thing - she is extremely active. She never stops running on the wheel.	Alive
Whitie (temp) (F) - Dwarf	23rd September 2002 - 5th January 2003 (Thin Ham and Fat Mom's first litter)	She was the smallest among the 3 pups at first... and I remembered Fat Mom wanted to abandon her when she was one week old...and I didn't know why. Anyways, I saved her :) and she is the strongest , of them all. She slept on my hand when she was 2 weeks old *sweet*  She was the brightest and nosiest among the 3 pups :) Most of all, she is the most gluttonous. I don't know how she died... she turned weak all of a sudden... and died...	Passed Away

Group Pictures of Thin Ham, Fat Mom, Blackie, Whitie, and Hyperactive.
Growth album of pups