Zak

[Maz]

He had a delivery this morning

View attachment 873

I think that’s Christmas dinner sorted!

Those look really tasty! Christmas Dinner sorted indeed!

I found them online and bought some from Minipetz (not arrived yet). I got apple and carrot. Wish I had got cheese and chicken now! I think the apple will be popular, but thinking about it, neither of them are that fussed on carrot! Maybe the filling will be tastier than ordinary boiled carrot though. I suppose there is fruit sugar content to think about with a Chinese hamster as well.

 

[elusive]

Zak never liked carrot either but he likes the crock carrot so maybe yours will too, can’t say I’ve tried one myself but I doubt they taste like plain carrot!
I’m always careful with fruit & sugar but by the time they get old I don’t worry so much as long as it’s only a little bit of something.

 

[Member ID2]

Do Chineseys generally live longer?

You are right about the crocks treats. I have so far only found the apple, carrot and herb ones but not chicken or cheese.

I've always wanted a Chinese hamster and was very tempted not long ago at Porton Aquatics. What stopped me was that i was after a Robo living in the dreadful Spelos so wanted to keep a space free.
As it happened, the people decided to sell the Robo.

One day a homeless Chinesey will cross my path.

 

[Maz]

You're right Beryl - those options aren't on the Minipetz page. Rat rations do seem to have all the flavours though.

 

[Member ID2]

Or package pets or vetsend. Couldn't see them on RatRations at all. Ebay or etsy i don't trust.

 

[Maz]

This is the link to them on Rat Rations

Crock - Versele Laga

ratrations.co.uk

 

[elusive]

I sometimes buy them here, no chicken at the moment though, I did have another site where I bought chicken but I had to buy five packs & I can’t even find it now!
https://www.scarlettsratessentials.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=+crock+complete

My male Chinese have tended to live longer Beryl, my females sadly not but some do. I think the days of Chineseys needing adopting may be pretty much over now as very few places sell them but you never know one may be lucky enough to find it’s way to you.

 

[Maz]

There's a "family run" pet store in a city about an hour and a half away from me that sells Chinese hamsters - but I do wonder where they get them from. Family run doesn't necessarily mean family bred. I suppose I could ask them! But I don't really want to get another hamster just now. I have my hands full already. Raffy is very demanding!

 

[Member ID2]

Porton Aquatics sells chinese hamsters and they had white ones a while ago. I didn't even know that white is a chinese colour.
I always check their adoption tank when i'm there.

There are people in the small ads breeding the grey ones now but i wouldn't buy from a backyard breeder.

I have come across a couple of chineseys in the small ads people no longer wanted but first one i had no space (a rescue friend got him) and the second one people stopped responding.

 

[elusive]

It sounds like you may yet have a Chinesey then Beryl!
I’m quite surprised to hear they had the white ones (known as black eyed white or BEW’s) they tend to be rarer than the dominant spots & the normal/agouti are the most common, there is another colour that I can’t remember the name of now which is only recognised in Germany but is like a variation on the dom spot & I think there’s a blue colour too not that I’ve ever seen one.

 

[Member ID2]

There's a new colour called sapphire advertised by a breeder on preloved.

Thing is that i don't care what a hamster looks like but light coloured ones are more practical for a pair of oldies with bad eye sight when they are free roaming in the evening. The hamsters that is.

Interesting that Zak is not keen on carrot as no hamster here likes carrots.

 

[Maz]

I put a bit on the home page about colours - but just seen I only have the three colours on there. I could have sworn I'd put something on about the blue ones! Maybe I forgot - I found an article about them somewhere. Is there just sapphire or is there a marbled sapphire as well? Or maybe I'm thinking of robo colours now!

 

[Member ID2]

I have a photo of the sapphire ones but don't want to hog Zak's thread.

 

[Maz]

Oh good point - sorry Elusive! Yes I've also just seen a photo of them . I'll add it to the home page colours!

 

[elusive]

Sapphire is what I was thinking of when I said blue, near enough I guess!
I always lose the white ones in the substrate Beryl but I get what you mean about the free roaming
No worries about posting on Zak’s thread btw.

 

[Member ID2]

Thanks.
Yes, i was thinking today that i need to get some blue carefresh as a substrate topping for Lilly's white kaytee.

 

[Maz]

I think I would worry about that too - being able to see a white hamster in substrate. I think I like the "normal" and "dominant spot" colours best. They look more natural somehow. I think the Blue/sapphire colour looks really unusual - not quite right somehow. More like mid grey all over.

Edit - just seen Beryl's solution above lol.

 

[elusive]

Living with an ageing ham is a bit of a rollercoaster, many of us have been there but I never really get used to it, we have good weeks where Zak continues to astound me with his youthfulness & not so good weeks when I’m like an anxious mother hen!

This week he’s been really quiet, off his food a bit not even finishing his crock treats & I hadn’t seen him run in his wheel for more than a few steps which is so unlike him.

Yesterday morning he was up & about & seemed to have his appetite back enjoying his treats properly & pouching a load of pine nuts which were always his favourite but he’s rarely bothered with them now but in the evening he was so quiet, he’s made himself a little nest in a coconut by the door & spends most of the evening in there & doesn’t have far to go if I come bearing gifts.

I was really getting quite anxious about him again when I went off to sort a few things before bed, came back into the room to find him running in his wheel as if he didn’t have a care in the world1 He stopped & looked at me as if to say “I thought you’d gone!” Little tyke At least I slept well knowing he was just having me one!

He was on form this morning enjoying his breakfast & had great fun climbing into a little pot of sunflower hearts, not sure if he ate or pouched any but he enjoyed throwing them all over the floor!

Just in case he got bored with only four flavours of croc complete I thought I’d try something new & got him some of the Vet IQ healthy. bites, nutricare flavour, no idea what they’re supposed to taste of but they smell really fruity, I tried him with one & he ran off to hide in his cork tunnel to eat it, “mine all mine!” he hasn’t done that for so long I guess it was a hit then!

Can’t believe this will be his fourth Christmas with me, it will be his favourite baby macaroni cheese for tea

 

[RainbowBrite]

What a smart boy! If he is quiet when you are around then he knows he will get more treats. Hehe. I am so pleased to hear he is doing so well. Wow, your fourth Christmas together is just so wonderful!

Zak is very lucky to have such a wide range of treats. He will enjoy his macaroni cheese.

 

[Maz]

It sounds like he just has a rest now and then in between the youthful spurts of energy. It must be a worry though. I still worry when they do something different and mine aren't very old!

It's wonderful this will be his fourth Christmas with you! How old is he then? That must mean he's over four years old?!