So I decided that since I'm not using this blog regularly at the moment, I'm canceling the "Pro Plan" on here through Typepad to save money, so you may see some changes to the design and layout of the blog since the free plan doesn't allow me to keep my custom Crookshanks design. I'll try to minimize the damage, but from what I've seen, it will not be a pretty sight design-wise. lol My apologies in advance for the weirdness this is about to inflict on the site, and thank you for your understanding!
Again, for anyone interested, you can find me on Instagram, YouTube, and Tumblr! :] [smiley]
***Trigger Warning: Please be aware that this post discusses chronic health issues, mental health disorders, ableism, body parts (including genitalia and reproductive system organs), and other similar issues. Please exercise caution when following links as there may be further triggering content on the sites, including images or graphics. Take care of yourself!***
Hello, dear ones and especially fellow spoonies if you've come here for the download!
I know I've been inactive for SO long, and I'm very sorry for that; I had great, huge plans for this little blog of mine, but you know how life goes-- you make plans, life kicks your plans into the dirt and stomps on them for a bit before you're able to try again or do something new. I'm still in the process of dealing with multiple health issues, but I'm still here! I think about this blog so much, and I look forward to the day when I'm able to come back regularly instead of just popping my head in every once in a while as I am now.
I will be trying to occasionally write some stuff up to kinda practice getting in the groove, but I wanna let you know that the content may be very different from what I had originally anticipated writing. lol I made this blog with the intent of having it be a social justice forward blog along with crafts, general geekiness, and food awesomeness, but I've had to take a huge step back from the social justice scene due to my health, so from now on, while I will still be doing my best to be as socially aware as I can, it will no longer be one of the forefront issues discussed on here. I'm still adhering to those comment guidelines and will still be doing my best to make everything as accessible as I can handle, though! <3 [heart] I also won't be adhering to a schedule anymore, either. It's gonna be more of a "I'll post when I'm mentally and physically able" kinda thing. lol
(If you'd like to keep in touch in other ways, I have a few social media pages for my dwarf hamster named Q-Tip! :D [big smiley] She's got her own youtube page, tumblr, and instagram accounts, all under the handle "Hammy Adventures." You can check them out here: Instagram, YouTube, Tumblr. Please note that while I'm providing captions on youtube, I don't provide transcripts of the videos or image descriptions on the photos. I really wish I could [and if anyone wants to volunteer to do that, please let me know! Help is most welcome!], but my mental health gets greatly aggravated and feels overwhelmed, and this has been an outlet for me to take care of my mental health, so I apologize for that.)
So for today's post, I thought I'd share this health journal I've created to help me with my various issues! :D [big smiley]
I want to go ahead and share the free health journal pdf I've made here so that if you're here for that and that only, go for the download right away! PLEASE do not feel pressured to read anything on here in order to use it. It's a no-strings-attached, completely free download, and I want you to use it if it will help you. Feel free to alter it to suit your personal needs, too! All I ask is that you credit me when or if asked where you got it. :] [smiley] Please feel free to share on any blogs or tumblrs or any other site so long as you credit me and link back to this original post; in fact, I encourage people to do these things so we can get more chronic illness and disability trackers out into the internet stream and enable more and more people to have access to these resources. :] [smiley] Good luck, spoonie! :D [big smiley]
Let me tell you a little bit about the journal. I've got multiple disorders and issues to keep track of, and I went online to get an idea for a more detailed health tracker, but I had such a hard time finding what I wanted! I was looking specifically for something that went into a lot of detail for each day because I need a visual reminder of each area of my body to remember to write down my symptom or issue. I felt like most of the journals people made were for people who are not disabled or who don't have multiple chronic issues to track, so I got frustrated and decided to make my own, hyper-detailed version. ALSO, every single one of those was catered to cisgender male bodies (even when made by a female-read person!!), and I wanted to have something to reflect my body.
So I made this! It's an eighteen page document, but the first four pages are a one-time print and fill kinda deal-- kinda like an intake form at the doctor's. I know that I myself have trouble remembering everything I need to remember, so in case anything ever happens and I'm not able to communicate my condition to anyone, my partner can simply turn to this book for any information he needs to give the people attending me. These first four pages include my name, date of birth, smoking status, alcohol consumption, my pharmacy info, insurance information, allergies, medications taking, known health conditions, current doctors who may be pertinent, surgeries, and family history. :] [smiley]
[Image Description: A preview image with a purple background and four white sheets of paper with black ink on them in a journal format. On the bottom right, there is a white banner with black text on it that reads "Chronic Illness Health Journal, Pages 1-4."]
The next pages (pages five through nine) are the daily health tracking pages. (Again, this is personalized to meet my needs, so if this isn't what you need, please feel free to alter it to suit yours. :] [smiley] If you share your version, which I very much encourage you to do, I just ask that you please credit me as the original source. <3 [heart]) The daily pages include weather of the day; sections to make note of your temperature, weight, blood pressure, and heart rate that day; an area dedicated to uv index and pollen count; medications you took and non-medication treatments you use that day; overall mood and well-being; how you slept the night/day before in addition to any naps you took; a period tracking area (I have endometriosis, so that's why this is included for a daily issue); a pain chart with a body that has breasts and a vagina; a whole entire page (back and front) dedicated to taking notes on those pains and tracking the level of intensity, duration, and frequency; a small food and drink section, with a special nod to how many cups of water you've had that day; and, finally, a small physical activity section with an area to note the weights, sets, and reps you may use in addition to how long the activity is (for the record, I don't use that terribly much-- I use this to note where and how long I was able to walk that day or stand given my heels' bone spurs, so don't feel pressured to use it as an exercise issue!).
[Image Description: A preview image with a purple background and four white sheets of paper with black ink on them in a journal format. On the bottom right, there is a white banner with black text on it that reads "Chronic Illness Health Journal, Pages 5-9."]
And finally, pages ten through eighteen! This continues with the daily tracking, and it includes sections on hearing and vision; head, brain, and face; upper extremities, neck, and back; chest, torso, and internal organs; lower extremities; and overall (like for issues that spread across your whole body). For each section, I've tried to include as much as I could think of to help me (and thus you) remember what to keep track of. I've realized that I have so many issues and pains throughout the day that in order to keep functioning, I've simply begun to ignore them. While this helps me get through the day, it's not necessarily the best way to remember things that pop up as problematic. xD [amused face] lol So since I need to be visually reminded, that's why you'll find so many sections and questions. It's because I won't remember a lot of the time. lol This is great, though, because now when I have a pain or problem, I can go to my notebook, jot it down quickly, then move on with my day. :] [smiley] (Not gonna lie, I'm pretty proud of myself for finding a way to do this and not get dragged down by pain all day. lol) I've also included several sections for infections given that I have dermatillomania and other body-focused repetitive behaviors that can induce infections (I usually have at least one on my body most of the time).
Next, there is a mental health section. Please note that I will be discussing suicide related issues in the next paragraph, so if that is something that triggers you, please proceed cautiously. <3 [heart] When you see the bold font again, this is a safe place to return to reading if you want to skip this part. :] [smiley]
I have about seven or so mental health issues, and I generally have suicidal thoughts every day. It's very rare that I have an entire day in which I don't contemplate suicide. They vary in their intensity, though, so while I do consider it every day, I'm not always actively making plans, which is why this section is set up this way at the top asking me if I've had suicidal ideations, if I've made plans or researched how to do it, if I've taken any steps toward following through with it (writing a note, for example, or counting pills and their toxicity in my home, etc.), and if I've taken any steps to preventing the suicide (distracting myself, calling a friend to say hi, watching a movie, etc.). The other sections are set up to keep track of the disruptiveness of my disorders-- kinda like the pain scale, but this helps me to recognize the various emotional and behavioral issues of the day. I've included a section for each disorder (your copy is blank, so fill your disorders in) next to a rating scale of one to ten for seeing how disruptive to your day it's been. I've also added an area for notes, any known triggers for the episodes (remember, there isn't always one-- sometimes our brains just don't have good days, so don't feel pressured to find a definitive cause!), and the coping method used, if any. And at the bottom, I've included a small section for any notes you might want to add. I'm big on having flexible areas for unexpected notes. lol
This section below is safe to return to if you're skipping the mental health section! :] [smiley]
The final pages are dedicated to doctors' visits and tracking medications you've been prescribed or suggested to take. This is great, in my opinion, for remembering any allergies you've had to medications, bad doctors who have prescribed you medications that aren't good for you, remembering why you stopped or started a medication and when, and so on. I also like this for the purpose of emergencies. If I'm unconscious and can't tell a doctor that I've taken a medication or injectable dye safely before, this might help them determine whether or not something is okay to give me. It's great for lots of things, too, frankly. :] [smiley] lol And I know for so many of us with multiple issues going on, there're often looooots of doctor visits, so I've included several sections to help keep track of who we see, whether or not they saw us on time, the purpose for seeing them, notes on how the appt went and what you discussed, any referrals you might need, your vitals at the time of the visit, any medications or treatments prescribed, and any follow up visits you need to remember to schedule or keep. :] [smiley]
[Image Description: A preview image with a purple background and four white sheets of paper with black ink on them in a journal format. On the bottom right, there is a white banner with black text on it that reads "Chronic Illness Health Journal, Pages 10-18."]
So that's it! The whole journal. :] [smiley] I put all of mine into a big blue binder with a sturdy spine, and I divide it up into sections as follows:
In the front of the notebook is a clear pouch attached to the cover inside, and this is where I keep loose materials such as care instructions for my wrist braces, old letters from my previous therapist, my sticky pad and washi tape, and other stuff. When I have all my supplies on hand, I've found I'm much more likely to actually use the notebook properly than if I have to go grab everything every time I go to use it. lol
Next is a pink divider that covers the front page of my daily entries and the cover page of my health journal. There's a divider in front of it to protect the paper and my privacy in case I need to access something outside and don't want others to see.
Behind the pink divider are the cover page and "intake" forms with permanent information like allergies and emergency contacts and such. I've marked the top right corner of the cover with some pink washi tape to more easily find it. I also did that with the beginning page of each day's tracker, and for these I added the date so I can flip through quickly to locate what I'm looking for. I have about two weeks' worth of these daily pages now, and I'll print out more as I go. The plan at the moment is to go month by month. When I finish one month, I'll figure out a way to condense all the information into just one or two pages to summarize. When I make that document, I'll try to remember to come back on and share with you what I've come up with. :] [smiley]
After that section, I have a blue divider that holds my current and previous prescriptions, along with extra (blank) copies of the doctor visit pages. Behind this section, I have a purple divider that has blank white paper to be used for summarizing any doctor visits that I go to and don't receive a printout of a visit summary.
And the final section, behind a bright green divider, holds all my after visit summaries, receipts for medical supplies, blood work results, mri and other testing results and prescriptions, pertinent medical information, and more. Basically, every time I go to the doctor, this is where I put very detailed notes since I have an awful memory. lol I write down what we discussed, what my next steps are, what follow ups I need to do, any prescriptions they've given me, my overall comfort or concerns with that doctor, and so on. To make it easier to locate these, I place them in the notebook in reverse chronological order (so the front page shows the most recent visit I've had followed by the one prior to that visit and so on), and I place a big yellow sticky note on them with the date in large letters and the doctor's name. This way, when I go back to look up what I need to do or am waiting on, I can find them pretty quickly and easily. :] [smiley]
So there you go! My colossal notebook of health tracking. lol Below, I'm including a quick video on this for those who need a visual to understand things like I do. The video is simply showing everything I've written above to describe the layout of the journal, so please use this paragraph as the transcript for the video underneath. There is no dialogue in the video. :] [smiley]
[Image Description: A quick, one minute and twelve second video giving a visual demonstration of the description above.]
Again, please, please, please feel free to print as many copies of this as you want for yourself and to alter it to suit your personal needs. If you want to share this with friends or on your own blog or website or tumblr or whatever it is you wish, I just ask that you credit me (Jessi James from Crafty Crookshanks) and link people back to this page so they can check out the original work. :] [smiley] Now, go forth, my fellow spoonies! Track your symptoms in confidence! :D [big smiley] lol Love, luck, and spoons to you all! <3 [heart]
[Image Description: A white background with brown text that reads "Hamham Time! Helpful tips and advice on caring for your dwarf hamster."]
PLEASE READ:
Please bear in mind, I am not a veterinarian, I am not an expert, and I can only share the information with you that I have gleaned from extensive research on the internet. If your hamster is showing signs of illness, severe stress, etc., I highly, highly encourage you to take your hammy to the nearest veterinarian as quickly as possible. When hamsters begin showing physical signs of distress or illness, it usually calls for immediate care and expert attention, so for the sake of your sweet pea, take them to a vet! <3 [heart] I also very much encourage you to do your own research on dwarf hamster needs to decide what you think is best for your critter, including how to care for your hamster, how to maintain its environment, how to keep it healthy and entertained, and what foods are acceptable to feed your hammy.
Please also keep in mind that this post will only be addressing the needs of the Roborovski Dwarf Hamster-- for ANY AND ALL other species, including, but not limited to, Chinese Dwarfs, White Russian Dwarfs, Syrians, etc., some of the care and advice provided in these blog posts may NOT be helpful and may even be dangerous for your hamster (for example, you do not want to feed certain food types to some hamsters because of their high risk for diabetes or lethal allergies; you also may not want to use some of the dwarf hamster toys for Syrians since they're much bigger in size than a dwarf hamster is). Please prioritize the health and safety of your hamster and dedicate a significant amount of time to researching their care on trustworthy websites.
***Trigger Warning: Please be aware that this post will be discussing Roborovski dwarf hamsters and sharing images of them. There will also be images in the Safety and Health section that demonstrate various diseases Roborovskis are prone to and include images of tumors, infections, scabs, pus/wet tail, and more that may be disturbing to some viewers. Please also be aware that this post is very lengthy, so if you're triggered by enormous amounts of text, please exercise care when reading.***
Hey, friends!
So I like to do research. I'm weird that way to some folks, but I like it. I really enjoy learning more, and I really enjoy sharing it with people, too! :D [big smiley] (In fact, when I was a kid, you could frequently find me researching and creating campaigns for raising awareness about substance abuse and such and posting flyers around the school-- heh heh. I was seriously such a dork, and I love it. xD [amused face])
Anyway, I thought I would use this post to address some important information about dwarf hamsters-- their natural environment, some basic needs they have, and general noteworthy bits of info that I feel need to be shared more often for raised awareness. :] [smiley] This is all information that I feel everyone should be aware of before getting their hamster(s), and it is not stuff generally provided in the places you can get hamsters or their necessary supplies, such as pet stores or shelters.
[Image Description: A close-up photo of Q-Tip, a white Roborovski dwarf hamster, sitting in my white hand with chipped pastel blue nails. She is looking directly at the camera, and one of her paws is resting on my fingers. There are two small pinkish heart stickers in the bottom right corner. In the bottom left corner, there is a white banner with black text on it that reads "Roborovskis!"]
[Image Description: A white rectangular background with black text that reads "I. Introduction" with a brown, leafy design underneath.]
Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
Phodopus roborovskii
[Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Rodentia, Family: Cricetidae, Subfamily: Cricetinae, Genus: Phodopus, Species: P. Roborovskii]
Overview
Roborovskis, also known as Desert Hamsters, are the smallest type of dwarf hamster in the world, and they're also the fastest, likely due to their larger-than-usual feet and legs for a dwarf hamster. Roborovskis usually range between 4.5 to 5 centimeters long and weigh about 20-25 grams during adulthood. They have four toes on their front paws and five toes on their back ones. They live in colonies of about ten or so in the wild, and they're found in desert and grassland areas in Asia-- China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. Robos are also known for how much ground they cover; the distance they cover each night is estimated by many sources to be equivalent to about 4 human marathons, which would be like a person covering 104.8 miles-- in one night. That's a lot of running!!
Here's a short clip from the documentary Wild China by BBC showing Robos in the wild-- so cute! xD [amused face] (Please note: The link provides closed captions on the video, and there is a copy of the transcript below my signature here in this blog post.)
[Video Description: A short, two minute and four second video showing Roborovski dwarf hamsters at night in the desert as they forage for food, scuffle about, nest, burrow, and roam around in small groups and as individuals.]
Robos generally tend to live approximately two to three years but can have lifespans reaching into the four year and longer range in extreme cases. They're known to be most active at night, but they are also active at dusk and dawn and sometimes throughout the day.
In the wild, Robos create burrows that reach up to about three feet underground and typically contain one nesting, or sleeping, area with several different areas used for caching food. They eat, according to one study in the Chinese Journal of Ecology, about 2 grams of plant seeds daily, though it was unclear as to whether or not this weight included foods beyond plant seeds, which make up about 85% of their diets. Robos spend much of their waking hours foraging and collecting food to place into these storage areas; this is critical for winter, given that they don't hibernate like some other small critters. Robos achieve this task by stuffing their cheek pouches with food such as seeds, vegetation, and insects where they locate it, then carry it back to their burrows to empty out into the food cache.
Reproduction
Roborovskis are able to reproduce very soon after being born; in fact, there is a study by Natalia Yu Feoktistova that states that Robos born in the spring can begin reproducing as soon as June, giving the hamsters about two to two and a half months of pre-reproduction time. Roborovskis can reproduce all year round, though, and are not limited to one season or another, but according to most sources, they tend to mate in spring through early fall, not reproducing in winter as often. Robos with wombs are able to conceive in four day cycles, and the pups gestate for about twenty-two to twenty-six days. Robos with wombs are able to birth three to five litters of up to eight pups in a row-- that's a lot!-- and they are often able to begin reproducing successfully within hours of delivering their litter.
[Image Description: A square photo of a group of six newborn Roborovskis in a pile of wood shavings. They are all a bright red-pink color, have sealed eyes, and have no fur. At the very bottom, there is the hint of an adult agouti Roborovski's bottom. In the top left corner, there is a white banner with black text on it that reads "Newborn Robos."]
Litters of Robo pups tend to have between four to nine babies, each born with closed eyes and without fur, but the litters average at about six pups; their coloring (pigmentation) develops around four to six days, followed by the development of fur around six to eight days old. Around day ten to twelve, they can be found walking around and exploring their surroundings with their sense of smell, touch, etc., as their eyes are still sealed shut, and they will be covered in a short bit of fur all over. A few days later, around the two week mark, their fur is generally completely developed, their eyes are open, and they resemble teeny tiny versions of their parents! :] [smiley] Once they reach four weeks, they're considered independent from their parents, but sources suggest that they are only fully able to look after themselves at about six to seven weeks old, and by that time, they are also sexually mature.
[Image Description: A group of five baby agouti Roborovskis at about eight days old in a pile of wood shavings. Their eyes are still shut, but they have the beginnings of their fur and coloring all over, and their ears are formed along with their eyelids. In the top right corner, there is a white banner with black text that reads "Baby Roborovskis."]
All Robos are about the same size, but they don't all have the same coloring! A Robo in the wild has a light brown, sandy color on top with a white underbelly and two white patches above the eyes that resemble eyebrows. Domestic Robos with this coloring have slightly darker sandy fur than their wild cousins. This type of coloring is called agouti.
In addition to agouti, domesticated Roborovskis are known for various other colorings, some of which are more common than others:
Agouti
Agouti colored Robos have a light brown, sandy color on top with a white underbelly and two white patches above the eyes that resemble eyebrows.
[Image Description: A photo of a pair of Agouti Robos sitting side-by-side on a patch of wood shavings. On the bottom left, there is a white banner with black text that reads "Agouti."]
Snowbears, or Head Spot Robos, are all white Robos with a small patch on their heads of agouti coloring.
[Image Description: A photo of a snowbear Robo with a small patch of brown and dark brown on its head sitting on a patch of wood shavings. On the bottom right, there is a white banner that reads "Snowbear."]
Husky Robos are similar to white-faced Robos in that they have white faces but instead of a sandy colored top coloring, their fur is a slightly orange color.
[Image Description: A photo of a single husky Robo sitting on a patch of green bedding. On the top left, there is a white banner that reads "Husky."]
Mottled, or Pied, Roborovskis are mainly white with white faces with large patches of agouti coloring along their bodies.
[Image Description: A photo of nine or ten mottled Robos all grouped together, some sleeping, some looking to the right side. They are all resting on some wood shavings mixed with colorful bits of what appears to be hamster food. On the top left, there is a white banner with black text that reads "Mottled."]
Platinum Robos, also known in some areas as Isabella or Faded Roborovskis, are largely white with a hint of their original agouti coloring that is often gray or very pale brown. They usually have white faces, and their agouti coloring generally fades to an all white coloring as they age.
[Image Description: A photo of a platinum Robo with very pale gray and brown coloring up top and white everywhere else. It is sitting on a solid brown surface of some sort. On the bottom right, there is a white banner that reads "Platinum."]
Cinnamon, or Red-Eyed, Robos are similar looking to agouti colored Robos except for their coloring, which is a lighter caramel color with a darker undercoat. They also have "red" or dark brown eyes instead of black as most Robos do. This is the result of a recessive gene.
[Image Description: A photo of a cinnamon Robo on some sort of brownish, textured ground. On the top left, there is a white banner that reads "Cinnamon."]
White faced Robos are sometimes mistakenly labeled as huskies by people not familiar with actual husky coloring. White faced Robos are essentially the same as agouti Robos except for their all white faces.
[Image Description: A photo of a white face Robo as it looks at the camera. It is lying flat out on a white-read person's hand. On the bottom left, there is a white banner that reads "White Face."]
White-from-Pied/Pure White/Black-Eyed White (BEW for short)
White-from-Pied Robos are also known by two other names: Pure white Robos and Black-eyed whites. These Robos are fairly uncommon and are simply all white all over. This also happens to be Q-Tip's coloring! :D [big smiley] So here she is in the photo below!
[Image Description: A close-up photo of Q-Tip, a pure white Robo, as she sits on my gray couch tucked between a purple skein of yarn and a white skein. Superimposed on the photo is a top-and-bottom frame of tiny pink flowers, and there are two peach and pink-colored heart photo stamps in the bottom right corner. On the top right, there is a white banner that reads "Pure White."]
Roborovski Groups
Another thing about Roborovskis is that, as mentioned above, they are social critters. This is the complete opposite of Syrian hamsters who are extremely solitary animals.
This does not mean, however, that all Robos will do well in groups (called colonies), nor does it mean you should get your currently solitary Robo a friend.
Roborovskis can sometimes do well in a home together in pairs or smaller groups under specific circumstances. Sometimes, even in these circumstances, some hamsters simply don't get along and will end up fighting and having territorial disputes. If you do have a pair or a group of Roborovskis, you should always make sure you have a back-up home for any hamsters that need to be separated from others-- this includes all the basic hamster habitat necessities you'll find below and not just a temporary house. Once Robos begin fighting seriously enough to be separated, it's time for the separation to be permanent.
[Image Description: A photo of three Roborovski hamsters-- all appearing to be agouti in coloring-- as they squish themselves together in a cute, blue and peach colored ceramic house that is slightly raised by two legs and has the form of two ears at the top. The Robos are all facing outward, and on the bottom left, you see one hamster lying still and flat with its whiskers and pink nose pointing out with another Robo on top of it of whom only its nose is visible. To the right, there is a third Robo poking its nose and whiskers out inquisitively on the side of the first hamster.]
(Just wanna include a quick note on the above photo-- you should definitely go check out hesedetang *'s photostream on Flickr!! Sooo many lovely photos of their sweet hammies, other pets, and life in general on there. <3 [heart])
Roborovskis can do well together under the following conditions:
They have enough space.
They don't have to squabble over resources such as food, water, exercise wheels, toys, and places to sleep and hide in. The general rule is one item per hamster; so two hamsters would mean two wheels, two food bowls, two water bottles-- just to be safe.
They come from the same litter. If they were not birthed from the same mother at the same time, they will not do well together. Ask the breeder or person you're getting your hamster from if they are from the same litter; keep in mind that just because some hamsters are housed together before you get them does not mean they are from the same litter. Do not ever bring a new Robo into the existing home of your first hamster. This is extremely dangerous for them and can get one killed.
They are of the same species. Some people will view hamsters as all the same. This is not the case. Syrians should never, ever be paired with any other hamsters and will kill your Roborovski. Robos should also never be paired with any other dwarf hamster other than another Roborovski. For example, Chinese dwarfs should never be paired with Winter Whites should never be paired with Roborovskis should never be paired with Campbell dwarfs, etc., etc. These are all different species-- not just different colorings of one giant dwarf hamster species.
They are of the same sex. This is crucial to note as pairs or groups of mixed sexes will end up copulating and having litters together-- even if they are sibling hamsters. Deliberately breeding hamsters yourself is something I do not recommend in any capacity as it takes a great deal of knowledge, experience, and care. There are a great deal of hamsters out there who need loving homes as is!
Even if you meet all the above, your hamsters may simply not get along. Roborovski hamsters, as social animals, do have their own way of working out disputes and engage in a bit of pinning and harmless squabbles and squeaking, but these can escalate when there's a real problem between two or more hamsters. Signs to watch for daily are the intensity of any fights they have, the duration of these fights, whether or not one of the hamsters is becoming territorial and not allowing others near certain materials in their house, and whether or not one hamster has drawn blood from another. If one hamster is particularly thinner or smaller than the others, it may be a sign of the other hamster(s) not allowing it near the food supply, causing malnutrition. Likewise, food access could also be a problem if one particular hamster always has food in its cheek pouches, which may indicate that it feels so insecure about its access to food that it needs to keep food with it at all times.
Signs of fighting can also include scabs, thinned fur, and balding patches of fur around your hamster's bottom; this is the area where hamsters often are targeted by others. Your hamster may also spend much of its time attempting to escape from its habitat due to its high levels of discomfort and unsafe feelings. This can sometimes be squabbles between individual hamsters, but it can also be a group issue, involving two or more hamsters isolating another. There can even be instances in which the entire colony will gang up on a single hamster, leaving them seriously injured if not dead. If you ever see blood, separate your hamsters into completely separate housesimmediately because they can and will kill one another. It happened with my previous hamsters, and it was absolutely devastating. I don't wish that for anyone else's hamsters or themselves. It's truly awful and is very stressful and painful for your hamster.
If, however, you see that the squabbles tend to be mostly of the social hierarchy variety, you can help try to ease the tension by providing more space, toys, exercise wheels, food bowls, water bottles, and houses for your hamsters so there's less of a need for them to argue with one another. If this doesn't ease the issue, be sure to have a separate home ready to go in case of more serious fighting.
If you're nervous about getting multiple hamsters, there is absolutely nothing wrong with playing it safe and only getting one hamster. :] [smiley] You will, however, need to make up for the social aspect that your hamster will otherwise miss by being alone. In essence, you need to be your hamster's family.
[Image Description: A photo of a pair of agouti Robos stacked on top of one another in a white-read person's hand. They are both calm and content looking.]
I cannot stress enough how important it is to care for the emotional well-being of your pets. (And this goes beyond hamsters, by the way.) I see too many people in person and online who dismiss their animals as emotionless beasts, creatures that don't need or deserve caring and love and affection. This could not be further from the truth. Your hamster needs affection and love and socializing, especially when they are social critters in the wild as it is. Just as the overwhelming majority of humans will suffer without emotional wellness, so will your hamster. They can become stressed and have physical ramifications from the lack of affection. Stress also happens to be one of the leading causes of death to hamsters, as well, which is why this is so important.
So make sure you spend time with your baby Every. Single. Day. No exceptions unless you are ill! I would recommend at least ten to twenty minutes each day with your hamster a few times a day, especially in the morning and at night when they're more naturally inclined to be active. :] [smiley]
[Image Description: A white rectangular background with black text that reads "II. Habitat" with a brown, leafy design underneath.]
Natural Habitat
Robos in the wild live in either deserts or grasslands and are largely nocturnal. As a result, Robos have evolved to make the most out of their water supply, needing to drink less frequently than other hamsters (this doesn't mean you shouldn't always have a ready supply of water for your hamster, though!), and to bear colder temperatures rather than super hot ones. Therefore, you should be sure to keep your hamster's house in a cooler, dark area of your house with minimal noise. Be sure to make accommodation changes for your hammy with seasonal changes and keep their house comfortable and safe in the varying weather! (For example, extra bedding material and maybe a hamster-safe snuggle pouch in winter and lots of cool toys and treats such as frozen, hamster-safe baby food in summer.)
Basic Cage/House Information
Many people think (myself included initially) that because dwarf hamsters are smaller, they don't need as much space and such as Syrian hamsters and will purchase smallercontainmentunits to house their hammies in. This couldn't be more wrong!
As you hopefully noted in the video above, Robos need a lot of space to roam around in, especially given that they're accustomed to moving around so much. And the more hamsters you have, the larger the space needs to be to not only provide enough living space but to also prevent your hamsters from killing one another over territory.
[Image Description: A white background with dark brown text at the top that reads "Examples of Poor Hamster Homes" with a light brown leafy divider in the middle of the text. There are six examples shown of modular hamster houses, some with wire bars and some made entirely of plastic. There are varying colors-- blue, pink, white, green, and so on, but all have entirely too little too space, and all but one has several levels or containment areas.]
The minimum standards for dwarfs vary throughout the world, but the larger the house for your hamster, the better! Below, I've listed the requirements that I've been able to locate. Sadly, I wasn't able to find much beyond Western standards in my research. I've listed them from the smallest minimum to the largest. Please keep in mind that these are the bare minimum sizes, so you should never go below the lowest size.
United States and Canada: 360 square inches/24 inches by 15 inches/61 centimeters by 38 centimeters
Europe (except Germany): 589 square inches/31 inches by 19 inches/80 centimeters by 50 centimeters
Germany: 741 square inches/39 inches by 19 inches/100 centimeters by 50 centimeters (however, Germany recommends a size of 1,521 square inches/39 inches by 39 inches/100 centimeters by 100 centimeters)
Now, there are a lot of different types of hamster houses out there, but the one I recommend above and beyond all others is an aquarium.
Yup, an aquarium. :] [smiley]
There are several reasons why aquarium's are better than modular houses; here are just a few:
Safety: Aquariums, given that they're made of glass, are safer for your hamster than any plastic modular habitat. If your hamster chews a lot-- as most do, a plastic home can be quickly gnawed through and allow your hammy to escape. There's also the chance that your hamster could ingest the particles of plastic, and that's definitely not something you'd want for your hamster! There's also the matter of many carcinogens in plastics to be concerned about.
Height: Aquariums are generally pretty tall, so this gives you lots of room to play with in terms of how you form your hamster's habitat. This has allowed for a lot of creativity in our home for Q-Tip in terms of levels. It's not often that hamsters are able to escape these types of houses, either, in comparison to latched and modular houses, given that you ensure there's no way for them to climb out or over on the tops of the house contents.
Security: Aquariums are solid and therefore unlikely to be moved around or shaken by your hamster. If you have people in and out of your hamster's living area, it will be harder for their house to be knocked over. You also don't have to worry about your hamster getting stuck in one part of the house as you would with any plastic tubes, and you can easily reach in and get them should you need to.
Space: Space, space, space! Lots of room for your hammy to move around in! Remember, Robos are desert critters, so they're used to having a large expanse of space at their disposal, and aquariums are really good for that. Plastic modular houses don't generally provide either the space needed or the type of environment (flat) that hamsters need, mimicking only their burrows and nests, which hamsters are not always in while in the wild.
Easy to clean: Seriously, these are so much incredibly easier to clean than any modular house out there!! They're a lot less time consuming to clean, as well, and I find that I spend much more time "decorating" and planning Q-Tip's most recent layout than I do cleaning it. :] [smiley]
Price: Depending on where you get your hammy's house from, the prices will vary, but I've found that getting an aquarium costs less for the amount of space than a modular house would if you take into account the number of accessories you would need to purchase to meet the minimum standards.
So yeah! I definitely recommend an aquarium. I honestly cannot recommend that you get a plastic house or a modular house for your hamster given my own safety concerns about them. (Modular homes are also generally bad for your hammy's feet-- especially if they're entirely made of wire.)
Contents of a Healthy Robo's House
[Image Description: A photo of Q-Tip's 40 gallon breeder tank with white bedding in it and decorated in a Walking Dead theme. In the house are a variety of toys along with a large platform in the back, giving the tank a second level. Most of the toys are made of craft sticks or cardboard and are decorated with colorful paper cut into the shapes of trees, zombie silhouettes, and flames. Additionally, in the tank are a green and white wheel, a white, hamster-safe clay house, a glass jar with rocks in it, a wooden block, a seashell, several cardboard tubes, a rose-colored food bowl, a clear water bottle, a few larger rocks, a green Whimzees alligator, a spray of millet hanging by a string, and a string of popcorn dangling. There is also a string of crochet bunting on the outside top of the tank in red, brown, orange, gold, and olive green all on a brown piece of yarn holding it up.]
Every Roborovski hamster house (for one hamster only) should have all of the following at the very, barest minimal:
An exercise wheel (one per hamster) (ensure that your hamster's wheel does not have rungs with empty space between each rung-- this can be very dangerous for your hamster given the high likelihood of your hamster's foot becoming entangled in between the rungs and can break your hamster's leg or worse): I recommend a Silent Spinner. This is the only wheel I've ever found that actually doesn't end up squeaking all the time. (Note: An exercise wheel is simply a requirement, not a suggestion, for keeping a hamster. This is non-negotiable, given your hamster's need to exercise. This is also not size specific-- meaning, even if you have a very large home for your hamster, it still must have awheel.)
Food bowl kept regularly filled with dwarf hamster-specific food mix (while a bowl or platter is not absolutely necessary to feed your baby, I would always recommend it so that you're able to more accurately gauge your hamster's eating habits)
Hanging or standing water bottle in a position they can reach easily (don't ever use a water bowl as this is very dangerous for your hamster)
A safe place to hide and sleep in such as a hidey hole or a ceramic house
Lots of safe, comfortable bedding-- at the very least, a deep layer of no less than two inches (do NOT use cedar shavings, pine shavings, corn cob bedding, unlabeled beddings, softwood shavings, kiln-dried pine shavings, any scented beddings, cotton fluff, or most kinds of cat litter-- all of these are harmful to your hamster. These can cause respiratory damage, death, or painful injuries to your hamster)
Keep in mind that the more Robos you have, the more of these supplies you'll need to prevent territorial fights, injuries, and deaths.
A note on bedding:
There are many, many different types of bedding out there in the vast bedding world, but you should be warned that many are not safe for your hamster, and you should always, always, always avoid using them. These include the following:
Dangerous Beddings to Avoid
Bedding with lots of dust (dust is hazardous to your hammy's respiratory system)
Cedar shavings (toxic and very hazardous to your hamster's respiratory and nervous systems)
Corn cob bedding (contains an abundance of fungus dangerous to your hamster's health, especially when wet)
Cotton fluff (extremely dangerous for your hamster as it can become entangled in your hamster's teeth and claws and limbs, causing internal damage from swallowing/choking and cutting off your hamster's circulation in the limbs)
Kiln-dried pine shavings (contains pine; despite claims to the contrary, kiln-drying does not prevent the pine content from harming your hamster)
Pine shavings (toxic and very hazardous to your hamster's skin and respiratory system)
Softwood shavings (these are made of materials such as pine and cedar and fir trees)
Any scented beddings (can be harmful to your hamster in a variety of ways)
Any unlabeled beddings (these may contain hazardous types of material)
Also be careful about using beddings made for other small animals such as rabbits. Many of those beddings use materials that are hazardous to dwarf hammies.
[Image Description: A white background with three images of unsafe bedding types displayed on it-- each with text underneath identifying it. At the top, there is dark brown text that reads "Examples of Dangerous Beddings to Avoid for Your Roborovski." There is a light brown, leafy divider behind the text. The types of beddings shown are, from left to right, a clear bag of brown corn cob bedding from the brand Kaytee, a yellow box of cotton fluff from the brand Living World, and a clear and green pine bedding from the brand Kaytee.]
Safe Beddings to Use
Aspen wood shavings (this is one of the only acceptable form of wood shavings to use, but it's not as comfortable for your hamster's feet as other types; if you use this as your primary bedding because it's cheaper, consider mixing it with a softer type of bedding to stretch your budget while keeping your hamster comfortable)
Granule types of bedding
Hemp bedding
Homemade toilet paper bedding (homemade paper pulp bedding)
Paper crinkles
Paper pellets
Paper pulp (Q-Tip gets this kind in the form of the Carefresh Ultra or Carefresh Complete brand :] [smiley])
Shredded paper (like with the aspen, this is not as comfortable, so consider mixing it with a softer bedding; also, be sure to use paper that does not have printed materials on it unless you know for a certainty that the ink is hamster-safe)
[Image Description: A white background with three images of unsafe bedding types displayed on it-- each with text underneath identifying it. At the top, there is dark brown text that reads "Examples of Safe Beddings to Use for Your Roborovski." There is a light brown, leafy divider behind the text. The types of beddings shown are, from left to right, a clear and yellow bag of aspen bedding from the brand AlfaPet, a group of green and transparent bags of paper pulp bedding (Ultra, Confetti, Natural, and Colors) from the brand Carefresh, and a clear and blue package with white paper bedding from the brand Kaytee.]
So those are some of the basic necessities; however, I feel your hamster deserves so much more than just the basic necessities in life, don't you agree? :] [smiley] Here's what I always ensure Q-Tip has in her house in addition to the bare minimum:
Levels: I try to mimic Q-Tip's natural environment as best as I can by providing her with different levels in her house. In the wild, Robos will encounter small mounds of sand, brush, and so forth, and I try to provide her with stimulation by keeping these levels in for her to roam in. This also improves the use of the space, giving her more than just the 30 inches by 12 inches to run around in, and with Robos, the more space, the better!
Lots and lots of bedding: Given that she has lots of levels, I tend to keep some areas a little more lightly covered, but I always include the minimum two inches throughout her house and always include deeper patches of about three inches or more for her to burrow in. She also tends to use these piles to nest with, so that's another great reason to ensure plenty of bedding. :] [smiley] In winter, especially, I ensure that she has lots of extra fluff to surround herself with to keep warm.
Textures: I like to provide Q-Tip with different textures to play with and experience. For example, her house is covered in the soft paper pulp bedding, but I like to add small sections where she encounters only rocks or aspen bedding or bath sand, giving her something to explore and play with as she sees fit. :] [smiley]
Several places to hide and sleep in: My partner created Q-Tip her first underground area, which he called a mineshaft, and we've been expanding upon that idea ever since! We have her mineshaft (a tunnel like item) and an underground cave (a multi-room underground area with a short entry tunnel) that she really loves, and we also include boxes for her to hide in, toilet paper rolls, a jungle gym she really enjoys both hiding in and playing on, homemade platforms, small bridges, various homemade houses, and other types of toys.
Lots of toys and chew toys: In addition to having lots of places to hide in, we always want to provide Q-Tip with stuff to play with and keep her engaged, so I try to make her new things to explore, replacing them with new ones, and then re-introducing the older ones later on to mix things up. This includes things like her Whimzees alligator chew, apple wood sticks, various in-shell nuts to gnaw on, seashells, rocks, twigs, cardboard toys (her favorite) and-- my favorite-- a swing that doubles as a hanging food platter and dangling bits of food stringed together on some sewing thread. :] [smiley]
[Image Description: A white rectangular background with black text that reads "III. Food and Water" with a brown, leafy design underneath.]
Food
A common couple of misconceptions about food for dwarf hamsters are that A: they don't need to eat a lot because they're smaller and B: that they only eat seeds. These are both false!
Dwarf hamsters need to eat just as much as Syrian hamsters. So don't decrease how much you would provide your hammy just because they're smaller! I generally tend to fill Q-Tip's bowl anew each time I clean her house, and I supplement this with foods like oats, millet, sunflower seeds, mealworms, and such throughout her house for her to discover (and to encourage her to climb and dig and such in new areas). I will also give her a bit of fresh food such as fruits, veggies, etc, once a day or every other day or so.
Be careful, however, when feeding your hamster fresh fruits and veggies-- hamsters are very susceptible to diarrhea and water-rich foods such as lettuce and celery can often lead to diarrhea in your hamster. Diarrhea is a quick killer of hamsters, so this is something I take very seriously.
Dwarf hamsters also are omnivores, and, as such, they eat a large variety of foods, including seeds and beyond. I really recommend that you check out my tumblr account where I shared an extensive list of safe and dangerous foods for your Roborovski (along with other hamster species), and I would also highly recommend that you do some research into the topic yourself, as well. :] [smiley]
Please keep in mind that the food issues I'm discussing on this particular post are Roborovski-specific, and if you have a different species of dwarf hamster, such as a Chinese dwarf, you need to look elsewhere for information on what is safe for them to eat. Some dwarf hamster species are prone to issues such as diabetes and cannot eat certain foods, such as fruits, and should be fed differently from a Robo.
As to your hamster's regular diet, I strongly recommend that you purchase a brand that specifically is made for dwarf hamsters. (We feed Q-Tip Vitakraft Vita Prima Sunscription Dwarf Hamster Formula.) General hamster food is made for all types and doesn't always meet the nutritional needs of your dwarf, so it's best to find one that does. I also recommend that you always check the ingredients of your hamster's food, too. Be certain before you buy it that it doesn't contain sugar or other ingredients that can be toxic to your Robo.
[Image Description: A photo of a bag of dwarf hamster food mix. The bag is yellow, green, black, and transparent and has an illustration of two dwarf hamsters at the top. The text all over the bag reads "Made in USA. Sunseed: Sunthing special. Vita Prima Sunsrcption: Dwarf Hamster Formula. Nutritionally Complete Diet for Dwarf Hamsters. High Diversity Formula, Omega 3s, DHA & Probiotics, Vitamins A, D, E & Calcium. Net weight 2 pounds." At the top left corner of the photo, there is a brown banner with white text that reads "Dwarf Hamster Food Mix."]
Any treats, as well, that are made for hammies, should be checked. Many of these mass market goodies are made with enormous amounts of sugar (often in the form of honey) and aren't good for your hammy, whether they're a Robo or not. Commercially made yogurt drops, for example, are extremely sugary and should really never be given to your hamster. Fruits are sweet and make a great substitute for a snack for your hamster in place of these yogurt drops. You can also make your own yogurt drops with a hamster-safe, plain yogurt by piping small drops of yogurt onto a pan and freezing them. I call it hammy ice cream. lol :] [smiley]
Water
Your hamster should always, always, always have access to fresh water in their house. Always. And this water should preferably be filtered in some way to avoid any hidden surprises in tap water. We usually boil our water and store it in a pitcher in the fridge for ourselves anyway, so we just take from this to fill Q-Tip's bottle.
This water should never be stored in a bowl for your hamster as you would for a dog or a cat or a bird. Hamsters will generally clamber into a bowl in order to get to the water, and this can be very bad for your hammy.
Hamsters should not get wet under any condition (unless otherwise stated by your trusted veterinarian) because it removes the natural oils on their fur that protects their skin and keeps their body temperature stable. This leaves them prone to stress from the drop in temperature and to germs that may be lingering in their environment.
[Image Description: A white background with three images of different water bottles displayed on it. At the top, there is dark brown text that reads "Water Bottles." There is a light brown, leafy divider underneath the text. From left to right, there is a plastic water bottle in a blue ceramic resting spot, a group of four plastic water bottles that would be suspended from outside or above the hamster house, and a clear water bottle attached to a pink and white stand with a bowl to catch excess water at the bottom.]
So to keep your hamster safe, be sure to have a water bottle for them that hangs or stands up (securely and where they can't knock over or chew the bottle) and that your hamster can obtain water from easily (they should be able to push the ball away with their tongue and have the water flow easily). This water bottle should be made from a non-hazardous material such as glass or non-toxic, BPA free plastic, and it should not leak water. When water drips into your hamster's home, it can fester and grow fungus or mildew or other icky things that cause your hamster to get sick or to have respiratory issues.
Be sure to also frequently change out the water in the container to prevent bacteria from forming in their water supply.
[Image Description: A white rectangular background with black text that reads "IV. Caring for Your Robo" with a brown, leafy design underneath.]
Taming, or What I Like to Call Bonding
Every hamster, as with humans, has its own personality. One of the greatest joys in having a hamster is getting to know that personality and to see how they change over the years you're together.
[Image Description: A photo of a family of five mixed agouti and pied Roborovskis on top of colorful paper pulp bedding. One hamster is eating millet; two hamsters are on top of a dual feeding bowl that appears to be peach colored and ceramic. A fourth hamster is drinking from a water bottle, and the final hamster is in a corner scratching away. There is a part of a purple wheel visible in the bottom right hand corner, and over that is a white banner with black text that reads "Family of Robos!"]
The first thing you'll want to keep in mind is that each hamster is different. Repeat that a few times whenever you need reminding. lol Each hamster has its own personality, has its own preferences, has its own attitude, etc., etc., etc. Therefore, each hamster you ever have in your life will behave differently with you and will have its own timeline as to when it will be ready to spend more time with you.
This isn't a process you can rush, nor are there any magical tips that will make your hamster like you immediately (or even at all); though with basic consideration and respect for your hamster, hopefully they will trust you and enjoy your presence sooner rather than later. :] [smiley]
Keep in mind that your hamster has the instincts (for very good reason) of a prey animal. Roborovskis are very small in the animal world, and as such, there are lots of dangers they're instinctively going to avoid in order to stay alive. Your hamster has no way of knowing whether that hand you reach in its home is going to be sweet or is going to snatch it to gobble it up! So it's important to keep in mind, when interacting with your hamster, that certain movements will automatically frighten it and put it on high alert.
Behaviors you should avoid doing
Attempting to bond immediately after their arrival into your home: they're experiencing enough stress as it is entering a new environment after being jostled around in the move to your house (imagine if you were forced to move to a new house against your will and your neighbor immediately insisted on sleeping over and eating with you and giving you back rubs!)
Sticking your hand directly above the hamster and reaching down to grab it (this mimics the behavior of a predatory bird such as an eagle or owl)
Grabbing or snatching up your hamster in general unless it's in an unsafe situation
Rapid, sudden movements around your hamster, especially with your hand
Sudden, loud noises
Scents of tempting food on your hands (they nibble to investigate and can understandably make mistakes at times and bite a little too hard)
Tossing your hamster (yes, some people actually do this, and no, they should not)
Restricting your hamster's movement (for example, trapping them in your hands)
Squeezing your hamster
Dangling your hamster
Chasing your hamster
Forcing your hamster to engage with you or others when they are trying to get away (lots of squirming and running away is usually a sign that they want to escape a given situation)
Dressing your hamster up
Behaviors that encourage your hamster to trust you
[Image Description: A photo of a white and gray dwarf hamster resting in the palms of a light brown pair of manicured hands. On the bottom right, there is a white banner that has black text on it that reads "Holding Your Hammy" and "Copyright Simply Marlena."]
Wait about a week or so when they first move into your home before beginning bonding attempts.
Move slowly (they generally have poor eyesight and rely on their sense of smell; moving quickly creates shadows they detect and puts them on high alert).
When putting your hand near them, do it slowly and so that you're going toward them from their eye level and from an angle they can see you at easily; you don't want to come at them from behind, for example.
Leave your hand in their house every once in a while to get used to your scent.
Move your hand around slowly in their house and adjust their items occasionally to get them used to your hand as belonging in their home.
Offer bits of healthy food as an incentive for them to go near you and associate your hand with good things.
Trust your hamster: oftentimes, when people are nervous, they pass that energy on to their pets, making them nervous in turn. Trusting your hamster allows them to know that they are safe with you and for you to know you are safe with them.
Keep in mind that their whiskers allow them to feel you, so if you bump into them suddenly, it can startle them.
Respect your hamster. I cannot overstate the importance of this. Many people simply want their hamster to do the things that they, the humans, want their hamsters to do and not because they care about what their hamster wants or is comfortable with. This is not only a poor way to bond with your hamster, but it also is a pretty poor way to treat any animal. So if you want to hang out, but your hamster just wants to sleep, let it sleep.
Be confident in your handlings with your hammy: when you're skittish, you jerk your hands away quickly or make loud nervous noises, and your hamster will pick up on that very easily and become frightened themselves.
Try leaving something that smells strongly of you in their house; this can help the hamster to identify you as part of its home.
Some people use a controlled area such as a dry bathtub to get acquainted with their hamsters; placing yourself in the tub with the hammy and spending a few minutes together a couple of times a day is a good way to have a secure, neutral environment for you two to get to know one another.
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a Winter White dwarf hamster, all white with a smidge of gray on the head and ears, lying on a light brown surface. The hamster looks very relaxed and comfortable. In the top left corner, there is a white banner with black text that reads "A Comfortable Hamster."]
Allowing you to rub or pet them (Q-Tip is very fond of being rubbed gently on her left side, especially her ears, her face/eyes, and midsection. Yummy rubs!)
Walking onto your hand
Sniffing you
Greeting you when you place your hand in their home
Bathing periodically (feeling safe enough to bathe is a good thing; constant bathing while outside the home could be a sign of wanting to go home)
Squeaking softly or periodically
Bruxing (this is the rhythmic grinding of teeth together; it's something rodents do when content-- kind of like a cat purring)
Yawning
Sleeping near or on you (you're family and safe!)
Boggling (this is when a rodent's eyes wiggle slightly; it's also something they do when happy)
Lying out flat in a relaxed position, affectionately called pancaking (though this can sometimes be a sign of disease, illness, or overheating if it's done very frequently)
Staying still but alert (your hamster might sit next to you and just sniff around or stare off in the distance thinking deep hammy thoughts lol)
Bathing you (this grooming means that, as with many social animals who groom one another, they see you as part of their family. Sometimes this grooming might have intermittent nibbles to get in the deep cleaning, but it's not a problem so long as they don't bite you hard.)
Licking you (you could also taste salty and yummy from sweat or food remnants; if they're licking you because they're ingesting your body products such as lotion or perfume, though, don't let them!)
Lying on their backs (some hamsters simply don't like this, though, so don't get discouraged if your hamster doesn't do this!)
Signs of a Distressed, Unhappy Hamster
Squeaking rapidly
Chattering their teeth at you (this sounds fairly rapid and staccato compared to the lazy sound of bruxing; if you're confused, look at their accompanying body language. A happy, bruxing hammy may have a sleepy look and lie flat in your hand as you rub it whereas an unhappy, chattering hammy is likely to have all its whiskers and ears very alert and will be running away or approach you aggressively.)
Running away constantly (as in, your hamster never allows you near them)
Hiding at every opportunity and avoiding coming out when you're around
Running rapidly and with barely a pause (this is often a cue that they want to go home if you have them out)
Pouching food at all times or almost all times (they feel insecure about their access to food or their ability to safely go get their food)
Sleeping in their wheel all the time (occasional napping or hanging out is fine, but a hamster who only sleeps in its wheel often either hasn't enough space to nest and sleep or feels insecure about their environment)
Jerking back from your touch
Biting hard (often hamsters will lightly nibble in what I call an exploratory nibble [i.e. "Is this food? Can I eat this? What is this?"], but if your hamster is biting you hard, it's very unhappy with your presence)
Struggling to get out of your hands when being held
Chewing on bars (this is most usually a sign of boredom or not having enough space in their home; this can be dangerous for your hamster!)
In general, when interacting with your hamster, remember that they are emotional beings with instincts of an animal that are accustomed to being prey. If your behavior mimics that of a predator, your hamster will remain distrusting and frightened of you. If you don't respect its emotional and physical needs, your hamster will remain distrusting and frightened with you. If the way you treat your hamster is with respect and courtesy, your hammy will probably love you back to bits and will likely soon feel safe and trusting in your company.
And don't get discouraged if it takes a while to earn your hamster's trust! It can sometimes take months or even a year or so for your hamster to feel completely comfortable around you. It just needs time to see that you are consistently not a threat. :] [smiley]
Also remember to spend time with your hamster every day. Your Robo hamster is a social animal and needs interaction as much as it needs food and water. This daily bonding will also help your hamster remember that you are safe and can be trusted. If you don't spend time with your hammy each day, eventually you may lose the results of all the hard work you put into bonding with it and may need to begin again.
Even the most loving hammies, though, have their grumpy days or days when they just want to be left alone. Respect your hamster's need on this. Remember, you have an animal in your care that deserves that respect, and they do not exist simply to entertain you or do what you want when you want. If you can give your hamster that, they will be happy to snuggle and cuddle with you on their good days. :] [smiley]
Bathing
Bathing your hamster with water is a huuuuuuge no-no. Seriously, it can kill your hamster.
Your hamster's fur has natural oils in it that help protect its skin and to keep its body temperature steady and healthy. When you wash a hamster with water or soap and water, you remove those oils and expose your hamster to the huge shock and stressor that occurs without that protection. Stress is one of the leading killers of hamsters, and this is one of the best ways to shock and stress your poor hammy.
So please, please, please don't ever bathe your hamster in water unless your trusted veterinarian specifically tells you that you need to and how to do it. There are some skin conditions that exist for dwarfs that require them to bathed occasionally, but this is not something you can diagnose and determine treatment for yourself. Even vets are very tentative in prescribing this; it's usually done as a last measure to protect the hamster. (And keep in mind that your vet needs to be familiar with hamster care; many vets don't have much or any specialization on hamsters and may not be the best fit for you. Always feel free to get a second opinion if you're unsure.)
If you really want to provide your hamster with a bath of some sort, you can try using bathing SAND (not dust as dust is harmful for your hamster's respiratory system) such as this one. Bathing sand is great for your hamster to roll around in and helps them maintain the cleanliness of their coats and oils. It should be changed whenever it gets kinda dirty (this ranges in time depending on how frequently your hamster uses it), and it can sometimes become or be exclusively used by your hamster as a toilet! lol
I did share a post on my tumblr account that goes into much greater detail about the various safe and hazardous sands you can provide your hamster, and I highly encourage that you read the overview at the bare minimum if you're considering providing your hamster with any. :] [smiley]
Now, if your hamster begins eating this sand, you may want to remove it from their home-- I personally don't trust companies to always be hamster-ingesting-safe with their non-edible items, so I don't allow anything in Q-Tip's house that I distrust her eating.
Safety & Health
This next part is going to discuss a bit about the health and safety of your hamster, but it's extremely important for you to know as much as you can about these topics for your hamster, so please be sure to look up as much information on them as possible in addition to conferring with your veterinarian. If you notice any signs of your hamster being in poor health, call your vet immediately and ask whether or not you need to go in with your pet.
Health
Another reason why bonding with your hamster is so important is that it allows you to discern normal, healthy behavior from behavior that indicates stress or illness in your hammy. If you don't know what your hamster is like when they're healthy, you won't know what they're like when showing signs of sickness.
I'll try to do a more in-depth blog post in the future about hamster sicknesses and such, but honestly, the best thing for your hamster when they show symptoms of illness is to take them to your nearest vet.
What I can tell you now, though, is that certain human respiratory illnesses, such as the common cold, the flu, etc., can be passed to your hamster. This isn't always well known amongst hamster parents, but it's very important that you take care to prevent passing your germs onto your hamster. What can be annoying and inconvenient for you can be deadly for your tiny hamster, so take precautions!
If you need to care for your hammy when you get ill (say you were planning on cleaning their house the next day but wake up with a cold), you can wash and dry your hands thoroughly with a clean towel and wear a face mask to help prevent breathing on your hamster as you remove them from their home. Be sure that any contact you have with your hamster is brief, and you may want to consider wearing a fresh pair of gloves when you handle your hammy and their house belongings to stop any lingering germs.
Another thing concerning your hamster's health is overheating and dehydration. Even though Robos have evolved to make better use of their water intake than other hamsters, they still can become dehydrated, and it's a good idea to give them breaks for drinks and snacks if you have them out for extended periods of time. Be careful also to ensure that they don't get too hot-- particularly in summer months. Robos are not well-suited to heat and can die from overheating if they aren't able to cool themselves down. A great way to help combat the heat is to provide your hamster with seashells or stones that keep cool naturally (I often freeze ours in batches and switch them out for her to use); it also provides stimulation and play! Another great way to help your hammy beat the heat is to provide it with cold foods. Freezing juices from fresh, hamster-safe foods is a fun way to make a popsicle of sorts, along with freezing hamster-safe baby foods.
On the opposite end of the temperature spectrum is being overly cold. Hamster do not naturally hibernate. They are active all year round. If it becomes too cold, however, and your hamster isn't protected well enough, it can go into a state similar to hibernation called "torpor." This is a form of temporary hibernation that involves your hamster slowing its metabolism down to raise its body heat to protect its vital organs from stopping, and it is not a desired state for your hamster. It's a sign that your hamster's environment is way too cold, and cold itself can be very dangerous-- leading to illness or even death.
A hamster in torpor can appear as though it is dead-- cold to the touch, very still, and unresponsive. A hamster in torpor may even have a heartbeat so slow that it seems dead. If your hamster shows these symptoms and you're unsure whether this is torpor or your hamster passing away, check to see if it has gone stiff; this stiffness is referred to as rigor mortis and is an indicator that your hamster has very likely passed on. This stiffness doesn't appear in torpor, however, so if you don't feel it and can move your hamster fairly easily, your hamster is likely in torpor.
Torpor is different from hibernation in that it's more of an emergency response to a too-cold environment rather than a regular, anticipated event your hamster plans on each year. If your hamster does go into torpor, don't panic! Keep in mind that torpor itself is not dangerous for your hamster-- it's a security measure to protect itself from all the cold! You should immediately warm the room it's in (or take its habitat to a warmer room) and gradually, gently warm your hamster up by wrapping it up in a warm cloth and providing it with your own body heat and gently rubbing its body (improving blood circulation) until it comes back to a waking state; this can take up to an hour or so. Once they're awake, you can offer them some warmed foods, such as baby food or unseasoned scrambled eggs, or water (not too hot!) to help maintain the heat. Be sure to make sure this can't happen again by ensuring that their environment won't become too cold and keep an eye on your hamster to check for any lasting damage! Take your baby to the vet if anything seems to be an issue.
[Image Description: A close-up photo of Q-Tip, a white Roborovski hamster, drinking from her water bottle with her eyes half closed. She is sitting in a bunch of white and colorful bedding with a blue and white wheel behind her. There are two lines of pale pink, yellow, and green hearts framing the photo at the top and bottom, along with a pink heart sticker with the word "LOVE" written on it in white.]
You also want to keep an eye out for sores, cuts, and balding spots on your hamster or changes in your hamster's appetite, such as a sudden lack of interest in foods. If you notice any of these, this is definitely the time to take your pet to the vet. It could be anything from stress to disease to parasites or simply old age. Don't wait around hoping it'll go away; the odds are generally not in your hamster's favor that that will happen or that you'll be able to treat it yourself.
Keep in mind that a hamster's health can change quite rapidly, going from healthy to near death in a matter of two or three days if untreated for a condition. Also, by the time you become aware of the more blatant symptoms of an issue, the condition has already been forming for some time, so it can quickly worsen, which is why getting to a vet as soon as you can is so important and why waiting and hoping for improvement can be full of unhappy consequences.
Crusty bits of raw, red skin with balding patches can be a sign of a fungal infection, perhaps ringworm or some other type of fungal issue, and your hamster needs to see its vet immediately for treatment. This is not generally an illness that can be treated by over the counter medications, and it will worsen without treatment, deteriorating your poor hamster's body until treated properly.
[Image Description: A white background with dark brown text at the top that reads "Fungal Infections" with a light brown, leafy divider underneath. Under that, there is a row of three photos of two different hamsters with fungal infections in various settings. Their infected areas have redness, crusty skin, and bald patches, and it looks very unhealthy.]
Checking your hamster's eyes and ears on a regular basis is important, too. If your hamster's eyes are dull, watery, crusty, or experiencing discharge of some sort, this can be a sign of sickness or infection, and your baby needs to see a vet as soon as possible. Likewise, if your hamster's ears display flakiness accompanied by lots of scratching and discomfort on your hamster's part, this could be a sign of ear mites (which are very contagious!), and a trip to the vet is also warranted as untreated mites can cause something called mange, which is a skin infection that can lead to bacterial infections. Excess scratching can also be a sign of allergies. If your hamster is part of a group or pair, new tears in its ears can be a sign of fighting that you'll need to monitor for-- especially between the hours of midnight and five in the morning when they'll be more active.
[Image Description: A photo of an agouti Roborovski in profile sitting in a pair of white-gloved hands. The hamster doesn't look very happy with its eyes partly closed, and the area around its ear is red, bare, and raw. On the bottom left corner, there is a white banner with black text that reads "Example of Mites."]
If you notice any unusual bumps or lumps on your hamster, your hammy needs to see a vet as soon as possible, as well, because this could be a sign of some form of cancer which is not unusual for hamsters. A tumor is not something you can treat without veterinary care. Just as with humans, a cancerous tumor is not an absolute death sentence; sometimes it can be treated. Even if not, it can be managed with proper medication and treatment, giving your hamster a more comfortable life during this medical issue, and that's something every hammy deserves.
[Image Description: A video still of a dwarf hamster being held belly-up in a light-skinned person's hands as another pair examines a large (1 centimeter by 1 centimeter in this case) subcutaneous tumor on the hamster's underside, close to its head. On the top left corner, there is a white banner with black text that reads "Example of Subcutaneous Tumor."]
Hamsters are also prone to getting what's called wet tail when not properly cared for or when stressed. Wet tail is a bacterial infection that can kill your hamster within as little as 24 to 48 hours. It shows its physical symptoms in wet, matted fur on your hamster's bum, diarrhea, a foul smell radiating from your hamster's bottom, folded ears, and a hunched back while walking. It also affects your hamster by causing lethargy, a decrease in appetite, crankiness leading to nipping and general bad temper, and an excess of sleeping. It's caused by stress, improper cage cleanliness, separation from family or a partner, being handled too much, and/or by changes (especially sudden ones) in diet or environment. It's also highly contagious, so if you have more than one hamster, you must quickly separate them and clean out everything the sick hamster has had contact with and keep it separated to prevent it from spreading to your healthy hamsters. So keep an eye on your hammy's butt and immediately contact your vet should your hamster develop signs of wet tail!
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a hamster's belly and bottom in a white-read person's hand. The hamster's fur is matted and wet and yellowed in some parts. There is the appearance of some sort of yellow-brown pus or excrement on its bottom, too. In the bottom left corner, there is a white banner with black text that reads "Wet Tail."]
An uncommon occurrence in some Roborovskis is a congenital neurological disorder known as "spinning," in which when a hamster is overly excited or stressed (or sadly even all/the majority of time), it spins around in a circle very rapidly and uncontrollably. The exact cause of this disorder is unknown as of today, but it is not something that is contagious as it is a genetic issue. Sadly, there is no cure as of now for this disorder, and the best you can do for a hamster with it is to make its life as calm and quiet as possible to help avoid triggering its spinning. This means keeping the cage all one level, removing it from other hamsters for its own safety (they may become anxious or frightened and target it as a result). It will need a very quiet, soothing place to live, so a dark, cool corner that doesn't get much traffic and noise would be best for your hammy.
[Video Description: A one minute and thirteen second video demonstrating an agouti Roborovski suffering from a spinning episode in a small, clear cage without bedding. The audio of this video is muffled and unintelligible.]
And finally, your hamster's nails and teeth are two parts of them that never stop growing and are constantly in need of trimming down. If your hamster's teeth grow too long, it won't be able to close and open its mouth properly to eat food. This makes it very important for your hamster to have toys to chew on in their homes and for you to ensure that this chewing is taking place. If you try one type of toy and your hamster doesn't take well to it, you need to try a different kind. Keep going until you find the magic fit! Sometimes, if your hamster is particularly avoidant about chewing, smearing a very tiny amount of peanut butter in a very thin layer over chew toys is all it takes to encourage your hammy to begin chewing. If nothing you do encourages your hamster to chew and you notice their teeth are growing too long, take your hammy to the vet so they can clip its teeth (this doesn't hurt them) to enable it to eat, then ask for advice on how to encourage chewing.
[Image Description: A photo of a Roborovski hamster lying on its back with its white belly up in a white-read person's hand. There is just the tiniest hint of their teeth in its slightly open mouth. Their paws are held in a loose position. There is a white banner in the bottom right corner with black text on it that reads "Hamster Teeth."]
Scratching is equally important in maintaining their claw health. If a hamster's nails grow too long, they can curve around and prevent your hamster's feet from meeting the ground properly. They can also get tangled up in some materials of get stuck somewhere, so if they're too long, you'll want to either take them to the vet for clipping or do it yourself!
Many hamsters don't need to have their nails trimmed as they will scratch and wear them down themselves or will trim them themselves. If you do notice your hamster's nail length getting a bit long, though, you can do it at home (you can also ask your vet to demonstrate for you!). You don't need any special tools beyond a regular human nail clipper for this. All you have to do is just be very careful not to cut the quick of the nail to prevent bleeding. Trim just a little at a time to prevent from cutting too much; remember, you can always go back to clip it a bit more. If you do cut it too short, however, you'll want to use styptic powder or gel or even a bit of cornstarch or corn flour in a pinch to help stop the ensuing bleeding, so be sure to have those on hand, open, and ready to go in case you do need it.
There are many different ways to clip your hamster's nails without stressing it out too much; some people, as shown in the photo below, distract their hamster with food while they trim. Q-Tip doesn't generally care to eat food in my hand unless she's in her tank, so I've mastered the belly rub sneak attack! lol I generally have much better luck when she's sleepy, so this is one of the few times in which I'll pick her up directly from bed so that she's mostly asleep while I trim and won't wiggle much. I'll cup her in my hand with her paws up and my thumb gently across her chest to keep her in place, rub her belly a bit to relax her, then I'll trim her nails one paw at a time. It helps a lot to have your nail trimmer ready to go and a snack at the ready for afterward to help her associate it with good things. :] [smiley] Overall, it's most important to find the least stressful way for your hamster.
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a small, gray dwarf hamster sitting on a white-read person's left hand eating a small treat as the human's right hand holds a pair of nail clippers up to trim its nails. In the top right corner, there is a white banner with black text that reads "Trim Nails."]
One thing I want to warn you about is this ridiculous notion that floats around the web unchecked: do not put sandpaper in your hamster's home, wheel, or anywhere else. This is recommended all over the place, unfortunately, but this is very bad for your hamster's poor feet! It can cut the bottoms of your Robo's feet and make it extremely painful for them to walk around-- not to mention it opens them up to a potential infection. Please don't do this to your hamster!!
Safety
One thing I will mention here is the hamster ball. I'm sure you're all familiar with it-- a clear ball with air holes for your hamster to run around in relatively safely. I'm against the use of the ball myself, as are many ham-parents, due to the safety concerns (your hamster's foot could get caught in the openings) and the potential overexertion. This is something that if you absolutely insist on using it, you must only do so for very brief periods of time-- no longer than five to ten minutes at a time, maximum. The thing about a ball is that your hamster doesn't really have the option to do anything else but run or stay still, and that's not very fair to your hammy to have its choice taken away in such a manner. It's also not safe for them to go for long times without water, either-- especially when exercising like that.
Something to always keep in mind before getting a hamster is the other inhabitants and frequents guests of your home. Do you have children? Will the hamster be theirs or have regular or easy access to it? Are they responsible enough to care for a hamster safely? Will you always be there to supervise any play and maintain a high quality education on how to care for their hamster friend? Do they understand a pet's emotional and physical needs well enough to care for the hamster? Do you understand what your hamster would need well enough to explain it? Keep in mind that Roborovskis are very quick, very skittish, and very prone to stress-caused illnesses, and if your child is not able to fully respect this, it could very well seriously hurt your hamster or worse.
And how about pets? Do you have any other pets in the home? Are they animals whose instincts encourage them to chase small animals, such as dogs, ferrets, cats, snakes, or even certain insects, arthropods, or birds? If so, will your hamster be safe around these critters? Will you need to set up any extra precautions around your hamster to keep it safe? And if you have children, do they understand the hazards of mixing together hamsters and other animals? Keep in mind that you'll need to find a permanent place in your home to keep your hamster, so this area needs to be safe and the hamster's house secure.
And finally, guests! Frequent guests to your house should always be aware of certain hamster basics. I like to bring Q-Tip out to meet my friends because they are my family and thus her aunts and uncles. :] [smiley] They all know to be careful with Q-Tip-- they don't toss her around, hold her too tightly, move too quickly, and so on. When they hold her, they are gentle and calm with her, allowing her to explore but keeping watch on her as she roams around. If you have other needs your guests should know, it's best to make that known as soon as possible and as clearly as possible-- especially if they'll be handling your hamster on a regular basis or when you're not around.
Dangerous Substances
Something to also keep in mind when it comes to your hamster's safety are non-edible items that your hamster may still come into contact with and/or chew on that are dangerous to them. Here are some things you want to avoid allowing your hamster to come into contact with:
Any glue that isn't specifically nontoxic
Cotton fibers
Pine and cedar and other soft woods
Heights (poor vision sometimes means they misjudge distances)
Tight corners and other places they may become stuck
Poisonous items such as bleach, insect baits and poisons, and other household cleaners and objects
Electric wires
Fire and other sources of extreme heat
Metal (chewing can lead to small amounts in their pouches and digestive tracts)
Plastic (chewing can lead to small amounts in their pouches and digestive tracts)
Other animals and some insects (some are toxic, while others are predatory)
Certain plants (always check to see whether or not a plant is dangerous to your hammy, especially if in the same area as your hamster)
Environments of high noise and activity (these can stress your hamster too much; they should be kept in cool, quiet areas)
Places where your hamster can be crushed (such as under the couch or pillows, in chairs, etc.)
Any human-made items that don't specify what materials they're made of (these can have toxic substances and materials in or on them)
Keeping Your Roborovski Entertained
Aaaand finally, last but not least by any means, is keeping your hamster entertained! The best part! :D [big smiley]
Hamsters are pets confined to a certain house within your own for the rest of their lives. They are completely and utterly dependent upon you for their well-being and their entertainment. So it's important to provide your hamster with lots of things to do and to keep it interested and curious and active.
[Image Description: A photo of Q-Tip's tank with a large selection of homemade toys made of craft sticks, cardboard, and cardboard tubes. There is a yellow house with multiple "rooms" and low levels on her platform that also have cardboard tubes attached to it; a hanging cardboard box in the air that's accessible by a long cardboard tube; a bath sand house made of craft sticks; a multi-level house of craft sticks with a side "garage" added with a tube in it; a jungle gym with a hanging tube in it; her green and white wheel; a glass, clear water bottle; a pinkish cardboard house with several tubes attached to it; and a climbing toy made with craft sticks, several cardboard tubes and tunnels, and a few craft stick ladders for climbing.]
I like to accomplish this in various ways:
I change Q-Tip's house layout every time I clean it. I keep a few of her older things in there to keep her comfortable, but I change the set up and some of the other contents to get her playing and exploring a new space every fourteen days or so. With her smaller tank, I cleaned it every ten days.
I make her lots of new toys and houses. I try to create something new every week or so for her to try out, and if she likes it, great! If she doesn't, I can always try something else. I like to stick to her favorites: cardboard and baking soda-and-cornstarch clay. She loves to chew and scratch on it!
I give her treats to try out. I'm a foodie myself, and I think half of life is trying new foods. xD [very amused face] So I try to extend this to Q-Tip, as well, and give her new, hamster-safe foods to eat with me.
I hide her food in her house or on different levels to encourage exploring. This is especially true if I give her something new to play with that has multiple levels-- she may not ever know to go up somewhere, but as soon as she smells food up there, she sure will go then! xD [amused face]
I also give her food in different ways. For example, I made her a swing of sorts that's perfect for placing bits of food and tasty treats like pears on there, and she has to wrestle with the swing to get it! Super cute and good fun! :D [big smiley] Another favorite of mine is to string bits of food such as pumpkin seeds, popcorn, dried cranberry, and such on a bit of thread and dangle it for her at a level where she has to sit up and wrestle with it-- it's so cute, and she gets a huge kick out of it! You can also put food into little "puzzles"-- wrap it in toilet paper for them to scratch through or put it in a toilet paper roll and cover the ends in toilet paper. Fun, creative ways are the best. :] [smiley]
I take Q-Tip out and play with her. I let her run around all over me, all over my couch, sometimes on my computer desk-- all while watching her closely. We also have a pretty permanent Q-Tip layout on our couch where we keep some of her favorite toys that she can play in-- it's like an extension of her house! And she loves it-- a change of scenery is a beautiful thing. :] [smiley]
I stay inspired myself by staying in contact with the hamster community on instagram and by looking for new ways to make Q-Tip happy. For example, I frequently look at what Q-Tip is enjoying and think about how I can expand upon that by providing her with similar toys and stimulation. I check out ferret and cat toys, doll houses, playgrounds, and other things to get ideas for building her stuff. And I stay in touch with friends online who also have hamsters; it's a great way for us to share our ideas and knowledge and happiness and to have support during hard times. If you can, I encourage you to join! :] [smiley]
These are just some of things you can do to play with your hamster and keep them happy and excited. :] [smiley] I highly, highly encourage you to check out more ways online, too, though, because there are so many people out there with great ideas! :D [big smiley]
So that's it! This is pretty much all the information I feel you need to know before bringing a Roborovski dwarf hamster into your home. :] [smiley] Of course, there is always more to learn and more to discover about your hamster, and I definitely encourage you to look up more online in various spaces and form your own knowledge base of sorts for taking care of your hammy.
Do you have a hammy of your own, Robo or otherwise? I'd love to see photos and videos of your hamsters and hear more about your own caring for your hamster(s)! :D [big smiley] You can also find me on instagram if you'd like at this link or here on youtube (please note that while I provide closed captions on my videos, I do not provide transcripts or video descriptions on each one in either link; unfortunately with my disabilities, the transcribing work is not possible at this time). :] [smiley]
Transcript for Roborovski video clip from the documentary Wild China.
*Light music throughout*
Narrator (Bernard Hill) speaking throughout: But the Junggar is not entirely lifeless. In the darkness, a little Roborovski's hamster emerges to search for food. They're the world's smallest hamsters, the size of a ping pong ball, and they live in family groups of around ten.
Unlike the Kazakhs, hamsters can't migrate to avoid the severity of winter. They have to prepare for difficult times by storing up provisions to spend the season underground. Anyone who has kept a pet hamster knows what an energetic little creature it can be. In a single night, a hamster may cover the equivalent of four human marathons. But foraging far and wide creates a problem. How to carry the harvest back to its nest?
Here, the hamster's famous flexible cheek pouches come into play. They can be stuffed full of seeds for carrying back to the burrow.
*soft thump on sand*
Underground, the family has special food chambers to store the bounty. This supply will have to last them through the lean and cold times ahead. Winter is on its way.
***Trigger Warning: This post will be discussing ableism, mental health issues-- particularly depression and anxiety, suicidal thoughts, health insurance loss, psychiatrists, withdrawal to medications, white supremacy, childhood sexual assault, transantagonism, murder,Islam-antagonism, and mainstream media bullshit. Please exercise self-care when reading!***
How are you all? Are you well? I miss you!! <3 I just wanted to check in and say hello to you all with a very brief update on the happenings!
I.
First, I'd like to apologize again for my absence. I can't tell you all how much I would like to be back on permanently right now!! I very much miss being "on," and I cannot wait to be back bringing you all kinds of good stuff. :] The reason for my absence is a bit of a complicated one, but for now let me give you the brief bits since I'll explain more upon my return:
I suffer from multiple mental health issues, and some of those include depression and anxiety. In the fall, I began experiencing some severe psychological distress, and I met with a psychiatrist for the first time in years to attempt medication while I searched for a therapist I could feel safe with.
Unfortunately, I had allergic reactions and an increase in suicidal thoughts and anxiety in response to not just one, but two different medications, and I went through withdrawal for the first time, and hoo boy was that a fun ride! lol Just kidding, it's fucking awful, I don't recommend it. :P
Anywho, I was able to finally identify the medications as the problems in my increase in suicidal thoughts, and I stopped taking the medication and very luckily made it to the new year, for which I am very grateful! :D However, during this time, I lost my health insurance, and I am now dealing with the repercussions of that among many other things, such as losing one of my jobs and losing all ability to access any source of income.
SO! Stress has been in abundance here to say the least. lol
Luckily, I have many wonderful friends who have helped me get through this along with my amazing partner Ray who has been helping emotionally, financially, mentally, and physically throughout this very difficult time. I am so very lucky in all of these beautiful, kind people. <3
When I come back, I will be discussing some of the issues I've been facing, primarily ableism, and how they fit into feminism.
II.
In the meantime, I feel it's my responsibility to inform you as well that this blog will no longer be supporting Guerrilla Feminism nor any of its branches as safe spaces for you readers. Unfortunately, and to my deep regret, there has come to light some incredibly problematic, oppressive behavior coming from many (though not all, to my knowledge) of the people running the pages as mods, including the creator Lachrista Greco.
I will also be covering more of this information later to provide more insight and editing the blog's about pages and such, but for now I wanted to give you all a heads up that it's not the safe space I recommended any longer. If you do continue to participate or read their posts, I highly encourage that you examine what they're saying, who they're saying it to, and how they're phrasing things. They (and by they, I'm referring specifically to the white feminists of the group) recently have been engaging in silencing, blocking, and lying about members who bring up legitimate concerns on their own and their branch administrators' behavior toward vulnerable and marginalized groups on their pages. This behavior has gone on both privately and in public, and it has gone on both on the official Guerrilla Feminism pages and the personal pages of the people who are responsible for them.
Obviously, this is completely unacceptable, and Crafty Crookshanks and I will no longer be regarding them as safe spaces for people of color, trans folks (including binary and non-binary), childhood sexual assault survivors, and others. I encourage you all to exercise caution when entering their spaces and maintaining a healthy level of self-care, as well, if you do so engage.
III.
Another item of note is that this page is run solely, at the moment, by a white person. As such, it is important for me to not appropriate the term intersectional feminism from black feminists, so this page will not be identifying itself as intersectional. As someone once put it recently, intersectional feminism was designed as a term for how BLACK women interact with feminism and not designed as a term for all feminists to co-opt to address multiple issues under the feminism umbrella. So from now on, this will not be an intersectional-identifying blog, but a blog that engages in multi-issue feminism. Here, we will continue to prioritize and signal boost issues such as racism, ableism, feminism, trans identities, classism, and so on, but it will identify as a multi-issue feminism, or perhaps umbrella feminism. (Still tossing around ideas on the term. Suggestions are welcome. :])
IV.
Next, I would like to address the loss of the three Muslim people in Chapel Hill, North Carolina yesterday. Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, her sister Razan Abu-Salha, and Yusor's husband Deah Barakat were all three murdered by a New Atheist white man by the name of Craig Stephen Hicks just outside the University of North Carolina.
[Image Description: A photo of the three Chapel Hill, Muslim murder victims together at Razan Abu-Salha's graduation. From left to right is Deah Barakat, a Syrian American man wearing a light blue shirt and sporting short brown hair. He is smiling at the camera and has his arm around his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, a Palestinian American woman wearing a vivid red hijab over a white shirt and red cardigan. She is also smiling at the camera. On the very right hand side is Razan, wearing a blue graduation gown and cap with what appears to be an honors indicator over the robes, along with a black hijab under her cap. She is smiling at the camera, too.] [Image credit to newsobserver.com given that the actual owner of the photo is unnamed in the article.]
This horrific loss is important to discuss for many reasons-- some of them being New Atheism and the false facade of progress it embraces, white supremacy in the media (mainstream news, especially on television) is refusing to cover this information, police response to the murders of people of color, and, perhaps most importantly, this most recent re-rise of anti-Islam rhetoric in response to Charlie Hebdo.
It is important to note that both police and mainstream media are doing their best to cover this tragedy and horrific act of terrorist violence by a white man on the Muslim community as a trivial matter of a parking dispute gone awry. However, I'd like to include this excellent post by End Colonial Mentality on facebook earlier today:
"But imagine if a middle aged Muslim man murdered 3 white college students? Are you telling me there wouldn’t be round the clock coverage, moments of silence and endless panel debates on all the news networks? Its obvious why the media is sleeping on this."
Please also read the following links in addition to finding coverage through trustworthy sources regarding this topic, and please help spread awareness at this issue. Please note that there is a blanket trigger warning for all in that some include ableist language, and all discuss the murder of Muslims, anti-Islam rhetoric, white supremacy, and other forms of bigotry.
Please also check out the Al Jazeera pages on facebook and online, along with a wonderful page I recommend for multiple issues of social justice Lavender Kitchen Sink Collective. They also have a website you can visit here.
Keep up the fight against this awful bigotry, and please also keep in mind not to appropriate the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag in this! Muslim lives do VERY much matter, but as Noor Ali put it in her post here,
"Friends, please stop using the hashtag #alllivesmatter or #muslimlivesmatter. Are we so unoriginal and insensitive to others pain that we have to co-opt the method of dispersing information from others, or worse, water it down with things like "all lives matter"? All lives DO matter and ALL Muslims lives matter as well but the point of #blacklivesmatter was not to say that some matter more than others but that "WE" matter too! In that case, black lives. Black and African American communities suffered and continue to suffer and reality we will never understand. We as Muslims also are mourning. Let us spread our message without the need to step over or co-opt someone else's message. #chapelhillshooting#letdeahshine#letyusorshine#letrazanshine#iamyusor#iamrazan#iamdeah"
V.
And finally, I'd like to close with some good news!
On November 30, 2014, my partner and I brought into our home and family a sweet, sweet little Roborovski dwarf hamster whom we have named Q-Tip. :D
She is seriously the cutest little critter you ever did see, and I love her to BITS!! :D She's been incredibly helpful these last few months in my healing process, and she's such a wonderful little hammy. We spoil her lots by giving her lots of mealworms, we give her loads of attention, and we make tons of hand crafted hidey holes, mineshafts, jungle gyms, and more! xD
In fact, she has completely taken over my instagram account, so I renamed it @qtip_and_her_humans if anyone's interested in taking a peek at our cutie pie. ;] I'll be sure to re-open a Crafty Crookshanks account for instagram as soon as I'm able. :] And you can be sure that she'll be making a few appearances on here, as well. :]
Here're a couple of photos of her to finish off this text-heavy post! :D
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a small white Roborovski dwarf hamster, Q-Tip, sitting cutely underneath her water bottle on some white and pink bedding. There is a blue and white wheel behind her in the background, and bordering the photo is a white, scalloped frame. There is a sticker pattern of pink sakura blossoms to the right of the water bottle and a small pink heart sticker above Q-Tip.]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a small white Roborovski dwarf hamster, Q-Tip, sitting cutely behind her craft-stick-constructed jungle gym that has a shredded toilet paper roll in it. She has squished herself between the wall of her glass aquarium and her jungle gym on top of white, pink, yellow, green, and blue bedding and is wearing a content expression with her eyes half closed and her ears relaxed back. Bordering the photo is a white, scalloped frame, and above Q-Tip is a pink "Happy" sticker surrounded by purple asterisks to represent stars.]
Sending you all much, much love, good health, and good vibes!! :D Can't wait to be back with you all. <3
Just wanted to get in a quick post wishing you and all your loved ones a very happy, hopefully Potter, Christmas! :D <3 May there be lots of good food and company for you for the remainder of the month and year and many more in the year to come! :D
[Image Description: An illustration of Crookshanks sleeping on a big red rug in front the red brick, Gryffindor fireplace with a big fire going in it. There is a big Christmas tree to the right decorated with twinkle lights and red and gold ornaments, and there are three blue stockings hanging behind him on the mantle, two with the letter "H" on them and one with the letter "R." There is a brown banner on the stone back wall that has white text and a couple of light brown stars on it. The text reads "Merry Christmas from Crafty Crookshanks!"]
Also just wanted to apologize briefly for my extended absence-- I'm dealing with some health issues, so it's been a while since I've been able to function properly-- much less produce these awesome posts. :] Here's hoping I'll be back with you lovely folks soon! :D Happy holidays! <3
[Image Description: A black background with white letters that read "Black Lives Matter."]
***Trigger Warning: Please note that this post will be discussing Anti-Black Racism, White Supremacy, Lynching, Genocide, Police Brutality, and Murder, among other things, and the links in the article and the article itself may contain images, statements, and videos that are disturbing and/or triggering for some audiences. PLEASE ENGAGE IN SELF-CARE.***
Hey, Readers.
So by now I'm sure that many of you, hopefully all of you who follow this blog and know what it's about, are aware of the travesties and injustices being done now to black people in the United States. And even that statement isn't correct because it's not just now that this has been happening. This has been happening for centuries. And black folks are tired of it. People of color are tired of it. But sadly, not enough white people are tired of it.
But this post is not about white people. This post is going to be dedicated to uplifting and signal boosting black people's opinions and hearts and thoughts and experiences on living black while in the United States. My hope is that more and more people will do this-- center black voices in their struggle, listen to them, and follow their leadership on this issue. We have a duty as non-black people to support black people in this fight against oppression. We have a duty to examine our own complicity in white supremacy and how we impact the black community and other people of color in this nation. We have a duty to change ourselves and our actions and our complicity in this system.
WE. MUST. DO. THIS.
Please check out the information below, follow the people whose pages I will be sharing with you, share this information and your dissent with your friends and family and everyone else, attend protests if able, engage in online activism, examine your own and other's complicity in racism and white supremacy, and work on changing that. Challenge other white people and non-black people of color in their anti-blackness. Challenge YOURSELF on this. Do better.
To start with, here are some EXCELLENT people, pages, protests, events, donations, and hashtags to follow, participate in, give to, and center:
PEOPLE:
(Please be respectful of these people's wishes and only "Follow" instead of "Friend Request" initially. If you don't know these people from your own experiences and communications online or in person with them, it is considered creepy, impolite, and invasive by many to first friend request when many of their posts are made public in order for you to follow their posts instead. Please also be sure to respect their various gender identities and do NOT assume their genders.)
[Image Description: A green background with black text that reads in all caps "When mourning, black represents grief. #NotOneDime Calls for a December economic boycott on non-essential retail spending. If shopping, support black-owned businesses and causes. Allies of all races encouraged to support #BlackDecember in show of solidarity. Blackness is not a requirement. Social and economic disruption are." Image Source: Urban Cusp]
(Note: If you are white, keep your hands DOWN on this. You are not under threat from being shot like black people are, so don't do this. It's incredibly disrespectful and is NOT an act of solidarity. Support those who say this, share the info found on these, but do NOT engage yourself in the act of raising your hands.)
I will add more places to donate to as I see reliable sources posting through my social justice activists network. If you know of any solid places to donate to, please leave a comment below so I can check it out and include it if it's legitimate!!
DISPLAYS of SUPPORT and SOLIDARITY and ACTIVISM from the FRONT LINES:
And finally, here are some images of protestors around the nation and globe, crying out against the modern day lynching and genocide of black people in the United States. I'm also going to include some spot-on tweets, videos, and other images that discuss the oppression of black people here. It's important to share these given that mainstream media is doing their absolute best to generally avoid the subject, paint protestors in a falsely violent manner, and deliberately lying and misinforming the unfortunately large portion of the public that solely pays attention to mainstream media and not independent sources of news that are relatively outside the influence of mass corporations and the government.
[Image Description: A screen cap of a tweet from BGD (twitter handle @BlackGirlDanger) that reads "Black trans women murdered: no uprising. Black cis women: no uprising. Black men: people rise up, and still no justice. It's ALL fucked-up." from December 3, 2014 at 12:01 PM. Image Source: Na'Quel Walker]
NYC's West Side Highway shut down by protestors on December 3, 2014, after the results of the indictment against Officer Daniel Pantaleo came back as a failure to justice.
[Image Description: A photo from a bird's eye view of NYC's Westside Highway completely blocked by a humongous mass of protestors as they obstruct both sides of the highway by simply standing and holding up signs. Facing them, with lights blazing, are a handful of police officers and their vehicles. Image Source: Urban Cusp]
Drivers stuck in the protest areas displayed their solidarity and own protest.
[Image Description: A black and white photo of a female-read person leaning out of the driver's window of their car with their hands up in a display of protest on the highway. Image Source: Urban Cusp, Photo by Sean Carasso]
[Image Description: A photo of a huge group of protestors sitting in at Washington DC's Union Station on their metro transportation system. Everyone looks somber and is sitting quietly as police officers in riot gear look on from behind them and from behind bars. Image Source: Urban Cusp]
Powerful and heart-breaking images emerge from Ferguson, MO, amidst the protests and further police violence against black people. [Image Description: A young black, male-read person sitting on some rubble on the concrete outside holding a sign that reads "Black Lives Matter" in all caps against a background of large, licking flames. Image Source: Urban Cusp]
Five St. Louis Rams players displayed their solidarity with Ferguson before a game. Thankfully, and unexpectedly given the recent decision to punish Brandon Marshall in his show of solidarity for Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness, the NFL decided not to punish these players for exercising their right to free speech and protest.
[Image Description: A photo of five St. Louis Rams football players emerging before the football game with their hands raised and their heads down in a show of protest. #HandsUpDontShoot Image Source: Urban Cusp]
Protestors took to the streets in midtown Manhattan after the no-indictment verdict against Eric Garner's murderer was released to the public. [Image Description: A photo of a huge crowd of protestors in NYC's Rockefeller Center on December 3, 2014. On one of the news readers is bright blue text that reads "Choke Hold Death" in all caps. Image Source: Occupy Wall St]
Black people across the nation and globally have been proclaiming their anger and frustration at the blatant racism in the recent no-indictment verdicts and multiple black people murdered at the hands of United States police. The United Nations have also ONCE AGAIN condemned the United States for its blatant racism and oppression and police brutality. [Image Description: Photo of three black, male-read people standing in what looks to be a restaurant, filled with lots of white people. Two the black people are holding up a large black sign with white text that reads "I don't apologize for my blackness and your fear." in all caps. The male-read people have somber, serious expressions on their faces and are looking in various directions. Image Source: Kim Katrin Milan]
Demonstrations have not been limited to only physical protests; activists online have taken to spreading word of the injustice through social media, proving effective in staying ahead of police and fighting back against mainstream media's represenations of the situations. Many people especially are protesting hard against the notion that simply using body cameras will eliminate any more incidents of racism-- especially given the recent murder of Eric Garner by a cop ON VIDEO.
[Image Description: A black background with white text that reads in all caps "The man is unarmed. The chokehold is banned. The coroner ruled it a homicide. It is on video. None of that matters. #ICantBreathe." Image Source: US Uncut]
Protests in NYC took place in several areas, including shutting down the Brooklyn Bridge, the Westside Highway, parts of Midtown, and the Lincoln Tunnel, among other places. I was and am so proud of all the people participating in this in the city I live in. There was even an article from the NYPD where a few officers discussed how frustrated and unhappy they were about not being able to predict or control the protests-- that's how you know you're doing it right. (Quick note: I included that link, but the New York Post is absolute shit, and here's why.)
[Image Description: A photo of a large group of protestors in midtown Manhattan, separated from the street full of police and their vehicles by a barricade. Image Source: Urban Cusp]
This cartoon of Lady Justice by Bill Bramhall for the New York Daily News was, I felt, very striking and captured the feeling of injustice remarkably well and simply.
[Image Description: A black and white drawing of Lady Justice lying on her back on a sidewalk with her arms akilter, dying, with her sword and her balancing scales cast away from her body as though dropped suddenly. There are three speech bubbles emitting from her mouth with one word in each. It reads "I... Can't... ...Breathe." Image Source: Josh Greeman]
People all over New York and other cities are staging "die-ins," a peaceful protest in which people lie on the ground, pretending to be dead. While I really dislike seeing white people engaging in this because whites are not remotely oppressed in the way blacks are, I appreciate the visual impact of these "die-ins." It is startling and distressing to imagine this many people being murdered by police-- especially given that many, many more are killed by police every year.
[Image Description: A photo of a massive crowd of people in the Rockefeller Center area of Manhattan staging a protest-- many of whom are lying on the ground in the middle of the street, surrounded by more protestors and police cars, pretending to be dead. Image Source: Urban Cusp]
There have been so many on-point tweets that hit the nail on the head sharply enough to pierce your heart.
[Image Description: A screen cap of a tweet from B. Easy (twitter handle @lifewannaB_Easy) that reads "To survive in America: Stay at home...nvm #AiyanaJones. Keep hands visible...nvm #MikeBrown. Body cameras...nvm #EricGarner. Just be white." Tweeted on December 3, 2014, at 1:42 PM. Image Source: Lachrista Greco]
And I finish this list with something I've seen shared by many, many people online that speaks to the long line of generations who have been forced to deal with this state-sponsored genocide and lynching of black people in the United States-- a link to Billie Holiday's shiver-inducing and harrowing performance of "Strange Fruit."
As you can tell from this post (which really does not even come close to scratching the surface of this massive, massive issue) there are many people suffering (black people), many people contributing to that suffering (white people), and many people ignoring and denying that suffering and how they contribute to it (white people). This is something we must change. And white people, I speak directly to you when I say these things. EXAMINE your own racism; you are not exempt from white supremacy just because you're a "good" person and/or because you do your best to be anti-racist. We are all complicit in this system, and we must all work to burn it down.
We must burn the very skies in our rage against this and in our support of black lives.
[Image Description: A background with white font on it that reads "November 28, 2014 is Native American Heritage Day" with two floral-like designs around the word "Day," and a white frame around all the text.]
***Trigger Warning: Please be aware that this post discusses anti-Indigenous racism, including, but not limited to, slurs, genocide, abduction, murder, and dehumanization, among other things. Please exercise caution when following links as there may be further triggering content on the sites, including images or graphics. Take care of yourself!!***
Hello, Readers!
So yesterday, as you know, was National Day of Mourning-- also known as Thanksgiving by mainstream, white United States society. And today is Native American Heritage Day, also known as Black Friday by those who aren't impacted by or invested in contemporary Native issues. In fact, this entire month is known nationally in the United States as Native American Heritage Month. But you probably wouldn't know that based on the current education system we have in place today.
And the fact that a day specifically set aside to raise awareness of Native Americans' heritage, cultures, histories, and current oppressions was deliberately set on BLACK FRIDAY in 2008 by then President George W. Bush and his cronies is an INSULT and a blatant attempt to reduce the attention given to the subject matter. (This was also a follow up act to his father's signing into law the National Native American Heritage Month in the 1990s.) According to Wikipedia, "The Native American Heritage Day Bill encourages Americans of all backgrounds to observe Friday, November 28, 2008, as Native American Heritage Day, through appropriate ceremonies and activities. It also encourages public elementary and secondary schools to enhance student understanding of Native Americans by providing classroom instructions focusing on their history, achievements, and contributions."
Now. What I would like you to think about is this: When most children aren't even in school the day after Thanksgiving, aka National Day of Mourning, what is the purpose of designating such an important holiday meant to help educate our children and thus our future generations on Native issues on a day when most children won't even be in school? Also, what is the purpose of deliberately placing this holiday on Black Friday of all days? And in the midst of all the football fanaticism surrounding the holiday of genocide?
If you are socially aware and intersectional, I think you know very easily what the answer to this is. It is a further attempt to erase Native people from current view, allowing for the furthering of their oppression by the colonizers currently in control.
So it's our responsibility, as activists, to counteract this attempt to damage. There are so many ways you can work to be an ally to the Native population, and I encourage you to go find out how you can do so. I, again, am very white, so it's not appropriate for me to give advice on what you should/could do. However, there are wonderful, Native-run and -owned sites that can help you do just that! Here are a few of my favorite websites and organizations to follow to learn more about how to help and how to not screw up and oppress Native people further, and I encourage you, fellow white people and non-Native people of color, to read and learn with me, as well. And to share your own favorite places!! :D I always LOVE and deeply appreciate getting access to more, valuable, independent websites that are working hard to put the truth out there to counteract the poison of our mainstream media and fight for social justice. So if you have favorites, please list them below in the comments! :D
This is just a starting point for y'all, though; I'm constantly finding and learning more about the issues facing Native Americans today, and it's a process that you don't end with just a couple of websites. I fully encourage you all to check these out and then go beyond and find more sources for you to learn and become a better ally by. So boycott this Black Friday if you can, and raise awareness for Native American Heritage Day! And if you do shop this day, try to find Native-owned shops online or locally to purchase from!! Supporting Natives in their own businesses is a great thing to do!
I hope you'll use this information to go out and do your best to be an active ally to Native people by listening to their needs and respecting their wishes and leadership.
Soooo I have more photos from Brooklyn Botanic Garden to share with y'all. xD heh heh I maaaay have gone back the other week and taken (even) more photos of the gorgeous autumn-ness of the Garden now that the trees are more fully fledged in their glorious fall revelry. Man, it was gorgeous, y'all. <3 The trees were dripping gold onto the bronzed ground, and squirrels were busy preparing for winter as they jumped from flaming red trees to the purple shadows of the brittle grassy ground. So lovely. It truly is as Albert Camus said:
[Image Description: A photo of a lovely autumn scene with several trees with colorful leaves of different colors ablaze on their branches. There are leaves aplenty on the mulch-covered path, as well, that is marked by low wooden rails that are smooth and rounded. There is white, bold text superimposed over the image at the bottom that reads "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. Albert Camus."]
When I went in October, it was so lovely, but it wasn't quite yet the fall I had envisioned for a visit and many (many) photos, so I decided to go back one day this month and hopefully get more autumn photos that really inspire you, take your breath away in that simple reveling at the splendor of the color bouquet that autumn brings us. And ohhh, how it was worth that second trip (AND all the photo editing afterward! xD)! It was simply splendid. <3
It was a beautiful day; there were gorgeous blankets of color draped all over the park trees, and it was super windy, which I always adore. It makes me feel playful and excited when the wind's energy gets up like that. :D It hadn't called for rain that day but for 10%, so I was surprised when it became quickly stormy toward the end. But it was very pleasant because I was under that tall canopy of trees you see above, and I got to chill with a squirrel that side-eyed the crap out of me as I kept snapping its photo from below while it was just trying to stay dry and warm. xD What a cutie.
Here are some of the photos from that day, but you can view the entire collection (of 126 photos-- I know, I know-- I have issues xD) here on my Behance website if you're interested in seeing more. :] Please enjoy these melodious images from that lovely, breezy day! :D
[Image Description: A photo of a row of trees with gently draping branches with yellow leaves.]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a star-shaped yellow leaf on the ground which is covered in tree bark and other small leaves.]
[Image Description: A photo of a dark, naked cluster of branches of a tree against the slightly cloudy sky with a solitary yellow, star-shaped leaf at the tip of it. There are some yellow trees in the background.]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a black, unlit lantern against a blue, partly cloudy sky with a few small tree branches with brightly colored leaves on it behind the lantern.]
[Image Description: A photo of a branch with berries and a few sparse leaves on it. It's more of a silhouette than anything set against the bright sky.]
[Image Description: A photo of a dark path going through a brightly colored garden with an ivy-covered canopy of some sort in the middle with a bench and an unlit lantern in front and to the right off the path.]
[Image Description: A photo of a group of trees with mostly yellow leaves. A particular tree is in focus with red, green, and yellow leaves and a dark trunk.]
[Image Description: A photo of a cluster of brightly colored yellow and orange trees in the distance. There is a white bridge in the middle with a couple of people walking on it, and there is a green branch dangling in focus in the foreground.]
[Image Description: A photo of a garden with lots of brightly colored red, yellow, orange, and green trees. In the midst is a small white building and fence with a rose garden in it.]
[Image Description: A close-up, profile photo of a small, red flower with its petals completely open. It has a green stem with a few small thorns on it.]
[Image Description: A photo of a tall beige building in the distance with lots of trees in front of it. The sky is cloudy and gray, and the trees are brightly colored orange, yellow, and green with a tree that is bare, as well.]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a bunch of beige wheat.]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a small, dusty green plant with rounded leaves.]
[Image Description: A photo of a park area that has several benches lined up on a slight hill. The benches are overlooking and surrounded by a beautiful cornucopia of brightly colored autumn trees.]
[Image Description: A photo of some tall, brown, wheat-like grass shot from below against a cloudy sky as the background.]
[Image Description: A photo of a cluster of brightly colored orange, red, yellow, and green leaves on several trees viewed from inside a covered corridor of a building with large glass windows and white columns.]
[Image Description: A vertical close-up photo of a tree branch with what looks like bright green holly leaves and bright red berries on it.]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a bright orange-leafed tree with a small brown and white bird perched on one of the top branches as it looks up at the sky.]
[Image Description: A horizontal close-up of a tree branch with what looks like bright green holly leaves and bright red berries on it.]
[Image Description: A photo of a very tall tree's branches. The leaves are brilliantly hued in yellow, red, orange, green, and purple.]
[Image Description: A photo of a brightly colored yellow, orange, and red branches from a dark colored tree trunk as viewed through several green ones.]
[Image Description: A photo of dark tree trunk and branches covered in deep red maple leaves against a cloudy white sky.]
[Image Description: A photo of a branch of red maple leaves against a cloudy white sky.]
[Image Description: A photo of several pink roses with their petals openvery wide. In the midst of the roses is a small, purple cluster of itty bitty flowers.]
[Image Description: A photo of a bunch of delicate looking white flowers with yellow centers on long, thin green stems.]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a very small, solitary white flower with a pink inner coloring at the base of its stamina with lots of black flecks around it. It is attached to a green and brown plant.]
[Image Description: A photo of a dusty green plant with lovely shaped leaves next to a small purple cluster of tiny flowers.]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a dusty green plant with lovely shaped leaves.]
[Image Description: A photo of a brown bird's nest in a cluster of bent tree branches with leaves above and around and under it.]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of several small purple flowers with yellow centers.]
[Image Description: A photo of the tops of a few trees that have brilliantly orange leaves.]
[Image Description: A photo of a grayish tree trunk with carvings in all over it from people who have passed by, including a heart with an arrow through it. The tree is set against a background of beautiful yellow, orange, and green leafed trees.]
[Image Description: A photo of a group of tal trees with a dark tree trunk in the foreground. In the mid and backgrounds are trees and leaves aplenty with yellow, orange, and green leaves.]
[Image Description: A close-up of a tree branch with light green leaves on it that are slowly browning.]
[Image Description: A photo of a tree branch with flaming orange, red, yellow, and green leaves.]
[Image Description: A photo of a dark tree branch with red leaves all around it. On the branch, with its tail curled up protectively on its back is a gray squirrel.]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a branch of red leaves against a cloudy gray sky.]
[Image Description: A photo of a moss covered tree trunk that has a dip in it. In the dip are several brown and yellow leaves.]
[Image Description: A photo of some brown-spotted, yellow-leaved plants reaching up toward the cloudy gray sky on browning stems.]
[Image Description: A photo of a few trees, the foremost one being a bronze sort of gold with its leaves, flanked by red-leaved trees.]
[Image Description: A photo of a yellow leaf-covered, brown mulch path. There is a broken tree trunk to the left with another tree's branch reaching out over it and hanging above the path with bright yellow leaves like those on the ground.]
[Image Description: A photo of a brown mulch ground covered in yellow and browning leaves.]
[Image Description: A photo of a tree with a dark trunk covered in golden and orange leaves against a cloudy gray sky.]
[Image Description: A photo of a dark colored tree trunk with lots of branches with yellow and green leaves against a cloudy gray sky.]
On the train on the way home in Brooklyn, I caught the most beautiful glimpses of the cloudy sky after the rain, and I couldn't resist a few shots through the window. :]
[Image Description: A photo of a bright blue sky with lots of gray and white clouds. It looks to be like an ocean almost.]
[Image Description: A photo of a brilliant blue, cloudy sky above some tall buildings.]
So that's the collection this time, folks! :D Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. And I hope you're enjoying the remnants of fall before next month brings winter! (Though I know some of y'all are really catching that polar vortex and getting a taste of winter early.) I can't wait to go back to BBG in a month or two and see what winter has brought us. :]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a sleepy-looking owl mug with a white spoon in it. There is text above it in white that reads "The BEST Hot Chocolate!" And to the right in the bottom, there's a white circle with the words "Crafty Crookshanks" carved into it.]
Hulloo, sweet Readers!
So for today's Geeky Eats Mondays, I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite things in the whole wide world of food and beverages: DARK HOT CHOCOLATE.
I love it!
Hot chocolate is the best. It's basically warmed, liquid chocolate, so how could it be not be delicious? xD I'm lactose intolerant, so for many years, I suffered from poor-hot-chocolate-syndrome, making hot chocolate only with water and various forms of cocoa powder or a mix of powder and chips. Now, however, I am armed with a new secret weapon: Lactaid! :D
Seriously, this stuff is awesome. I can have cereal, hot chocolate, milk and oreos, and all kinds of stuff now that I couldn't before without being in excruciating pain. lol It tastes just like regular milk to me, so it's not a problem like with soy milk or almond milk, and it also expires later than regular milk, which works perfectly for me since I don't often use or drink it.
So-- on to the recipe!
I love this because not only is it damn good, but it's also super easy to make. It's all dependent upon the type of chocolate you have, so if you celebrate Christmas, ask Santa for some of your favorite, luxurious chocolate chips. xD Personally, I use the Hershey's Special Dark or, if it's ever on sale, the dark chocolate chips from Ghirardelli which are super yum. Even with Nestle, which isn't my favorite, this recipe tastes good! (Come on, it's chocolate. lol)
First, measure out how much milk you'll need. I usually grab whatever mug I'm using, pour a bit of milk with some room at the top for expansion and chocolate chips, then pour it out into the pot I'll be heating the milk in. This way you're not doing a ton of dishes for just one cup of hot chocolate. If you're making a batch for several people, just adjust as needed to be about a cup of milk per person. :]
(And don't you love my little owl mug? :D My awesome friend Mara got it for me for Christmas one year, and I love it! It seemed perfect for a cozy cup of hot chocolate post, too. :])
[Image Description: A close-up photo of an owl mug filled with milk.]
Second, heat the milk. And remember this rule: Low and Slow! You don't want to scorch your milk-- it doesn't taste too pleasant, really, so heating it slowly over low heat is a great way to make sure your milk is perfectly warmed.
You'll know the milk is ready when it begins bubbling slightly and rapidly rising or expanding, along with seeing a slight skin begin to form (which you can get rid of by just swirling the pot around). If you like foam, you can continue to heat it, but be careful how long you let it go for! You don't want the foam to turn into burned milk. :]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of an open blue flame underneath a red pot on a stove.]
[Image Description: A photo of milk in a pot with a few small bubbles in the middle, along with a light skin forming on the right. There is black text behind an arrow pointing at it that reads "Skin Forming."]
Third, while your milk is heating, add your chocolate chips to your mug of choice. Now, I never measure this out; I simply add the chips until it covers the bottom completely, plus an extra layer on top. Sometimes, especially on my period or during trying work weeks, I add nearly half a cup's worth! xD So yummy. But if you add too many, it makes it difficult to melt all of them smoothly, so just test it out first. You can always add more chips if you feel it's not chocolatey enough after the first sip. :]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of an owl mug with a pile of dark chocolate chips in it.]
Fourth, once your milk is done heating, pour it directly into your mug full of chocolate chips, and immediately stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. I don't recommend using any utensils to remove the milk-- oftentimes, there'll be some small lumps of burned milk in your drink, and that's not very pleasant.
[Image Description: A photo of an owl mug with a white spoon in it. There is milk in the mug that is speckled with brown from slightly melted chocolate in it.]
Doesn't that look good?? :D
[Image Description: A close-up photo of an owl mug with dark hot chocolate in it, along with a white spoon in it.]
Finally, enjoy! :D (The best part. :3) You can also try adding things like extracts, caramel sauces, candy canes, marshmallows, whipped cream with sprinkles, or sea salt to it for an extra depth of flavor. Get imaginative! Once I put Oreos in, and it was amazing. I thought I'd gone to heaven for a minute or two. xD heh heh This is also great with bananas; the chocolate is thick enough to dip the banana in and eat it that way. Soooo much yum. <3
[Image Description: A close-up photo of an owl mug from the front with a white spoon sticking out.]
One of my favorite things to drink this with is a batch of freshly made, buttered popcorn-- while watching Harry Potter in the dark, of course. xD It's especially lovely when it's cold outside, and I'm wrapped up in a blanket and cozy pj's on my couch and have my colorful twinkle lights on in the room. :3 Another favorite way is to put it in my awesome thermos from DAVIDs TEA and haul it to work with me. Nothing like a yummy cup of hot chocolate to encourage you to actually get on the train to work. lol That thermos trick is also excellent for trips to the park with friends or walks in the winter nights to look at Christmas lights in the neighborhood-- keeps your hands and insides all warm and snug. :]
How about you? What's your favorite thing to eat or drink with your hot chocolate? Do you make yours this way, too, or do you use a packet mix or your own special brand of cocoa? Share below in the comments! :D
You may have noticed by now that I have kind of a thing for nature photography. heh heh It's definitely one of my geeky crafts in that I totally nerd out over all the botanical and wild life (however rare) here in Brooklyn and other areas in the city. :] It's 'cause I was raised in the country with trees and plants and yards and grass and squirrels and such everywhere, so not having that here, I definitely feel I've grown closer to it now that I don't have it anymore. That which we take for granted, eh? :]
Anywho, the other week, I took a walk at dusk in our local park. I love, love, love this beautiful, cool weather, and I needed a chance to stretch my legs after working for several hours on a Photoshop project, so I decided to slip on some comfy sweatpants and my cute black "leather" jacket, snag my camera, and just mosy on around our neighborhood and down to the park.
And it was so lovely. :] The air was crisp and chilled, just like a cool spoon being pressed on your warm cheeks, leaving mine pink and nipped. The sun was gone, and the skies were cloudy, giving everything a lovely blue hue that made for some great silhouette shots. The park wasn't too crowded since it's chillier out and it was growing into full-fledged night, so I was able to take my time and really work on my photography skills. Often, I find I'm too rushed with a particular goal in mind, and I don't get to slow down and just photograph for the heck of it, so this was a very pleasant trip outdoors. :]
Here are some of the photos I took that evening. I hope you enjoy! And I hope this gorgeous time of year stretches on and on~
[Image Description: A photo of a silhouette of a birch tree's branches against a faded blue sky.]
[Image Description: A photo of a silhouette of a birch tree's branches against a faded blue sky.]
[Image Description: A photo of a corner of a darkened building against the sky where a small silhouette of an airplane flies overhead.]
[Image Description: A photo of a park bench under a tree and a lit lantern at night.]
[Image Description: A close-up photo of a lit lantern near the branches of a tree with yellowed leaves.]
[Image Description: A photo of a bright blue sky with a solitary bright, yellow leaf emerging out of the top right corner.]
[Image Description: A blurred photo of a couple of park benches at night, lit by a few lanterns behind them, surrounded by trees and a black fence.]
[Image Description: A photo of a park lantern shining behind a tree with yellow leaves in the night.]
[Image Description: A photo of a park path at night with benches and trees on the left and leaves covering the grounds; there are lit lanterns here and there along the path.]
[Image Description: A slightly blurred photo of a park bench and table with a lit lantern next to it. There are trees all around, and there are leaves all over the ground.]
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