Hand-Me-Downs

Last count, we now have 21 hamsters and counting...

Yes, they are breeding like there is no tomorrow!

The population explosion is beyond what we can cope... "Oh, they breed almost every month..." was the response I got when I told the sales person at Pet Safari about the babies arrival.

Yikes! Now they tell us.

It started out as a class project as I said before, which made our son wanted one as a reward when he did well in his final year examination.

These little creatures were all so adorable when we had two of them - a male and a female, when our son wanted for passing his final examinations last year.

Yes, we thought it was a great gift idea for our son on responsibility too. Now we are responsible for building a "Hamster City" right in our home.

Wonder if it would be cruel if the male is neutered?
Would it be possible? Has anyone ever done this before...?

Need to research on this. Gut feeling... it is a stupid thought.

Anyway... this afternoon, my son and I headed-off to his friend's house in Sennett Place for hand-me-down hamster cages.

My son's friend was a nice boy, and his mother was thoughtful enough to give away an unopened pack of pine-shavings they had for their long dead hamsters.

Quite worn-off and rusted here and there, but the gesture was very, very nice indeed.

I was afraid that the rust will make the hamsters sick, so since we were heading to Pet Safari at Eastpoint in Simei, I bought two sets of cages.


I was looking for a cage that was cheap enough but large enough for mother and babies to be in comfortably. It would also be ideal enough as give-aways when we find suitable and caring people to adopt them.

The best I could find there cost S$26.88 each, before less 10% with the member card. I bought two sets.

One, for Julie, the expectant mother to be who had her twins barely a month ago. And another for Princess who is stuck in a plastic Terrarium that was used for Awang, our Red-eared Slider terrapin.

Yes, the sales person was right! Babies born about every month. Yikes! Double yikes!

Nonetheless, all are dear to us. Each one has its own character when we watch them and interact with them. A Wify puts it they are "oh... so cute," while pouting her lips whenever she hold one in the palm of her hand.

I agree, and we am quite fond of each one of them. It is quite hard and sad to give them away, but I start to feel an infestation of "cute little rodents" in our home and its over-whelming just trying to cope with the baby-boom... every month.

One healthy sex life, I must say. Oops! I said the "S" word. My first.

Put only males or only females, and they will fight with one another. Put the two genders together and they will multiply exponential.

So, with good and comfortable cages, coupled with caring families who are willing to take them in, slowly but surely, we have no choice but to give them away for adoption. It is the only solution.

Our son came out with the idea of have photos of each of them before we send them off for adoption. He already created "Birth Certificates" of each one of them.

With a passport-sized photo to fit into each certificate, the name and the family-tree, this should be an interesting project for us. I am asked to take photos. Its his way of saying good-bye to each of them and remember them still.

Wish these beautiful creatures will have good families to love and care for them.