Longish post...

 

Teddy’s post!

 

Hi guys!How are you?

I’m so sorry about the lack of posts and the missing backround.Our shared blog email has been unacessable.Since I’ve mostly taken over the blog now,there isn’t as many posts as usual.It’s been a hectic few weeks.I’ve started a new school,its going really well!I’ve also got a dog,that’s why I’m talking about al pets today.

 

As you know,Nibbles has a kitten.The cat had nothing to do with her hammys death.She had had the cat for a few months at the time,and it wasn’t until a month or so later when Nibbles became sick.

A few weeks ago I got a dog,which we sadly might have to rehome.Some of you may understand,some of you may not.I’ve been looking to get a dog for about 5 years, preferably a lab.But when I helped out in an animal shelter,I fell in love with this dog.He was 6-7 months old and he was very calm.Wel,that’s what it seemed like.When I brought him home,he was giddy,and constantly needing attention.He’d sometimes wake us up in the middle of the night,barking.And you may be thinking,’Yeah?Hes a dog?’ but that’s not the point.We hardly ever have any spare time nowadays,so we think it would be for the best.I hope he gets a really nice home,and I hope you understand.Maybe I’ll get something like rabbits or something in a few months?I don’t know.I want another pet though,any suggestions?Oh,andI don’t like cats so,and I don’t have room for a llama,would a rabbit be a good idea?Something that won’t threaten Teddy,because when we got the dog we had to move her upstairs,which is extremely complicated,as every night I have to put her cage in the bathroom and move it every morning,which is kinda annoying.Am I doing the right thing?

 

Maybe someday we’ll get a dog again,maybe after my junior cert?(Those big exams you take in Ireland when your about 15/16.Which I won’t be taking for a year or so…)

 

Ok,so anyway,thanks for reading,and my laptops being fixed soon,and my mum got a new laptop so I’ll be able t post at least once a week?Oh and maybe it would be a good idea to make Cheek-Pouches a universal pet blog?I don’t know.Teddy is fine by the way now,shes her usual perky self,and I have to go and clean her cage,so bye!

 

♥Teddy :3

 

Fuzzy Friends!

Teddy’s Post!

Fuzzy Friends!

Hey guys!Today I decided to do a post about Friendship between hamsters and other animals,if you know what I mean!

I actually got inspiration to do this post when I saw Inky’s post,

 Z is for Zoo-- the story of a unique friendship     !

You can check it out here:

http://inkythehamstermommy.blogspot.ie/2012/04/z-is-for-zoo-story-of-unique-friendship.html#comment-form

This is about a cat and a hamster in Japan I think.

Please note:I haven’t got a clue about what they are saying!

But its cute,and the hamster is adorable!

Here is also the ridiculously funny song dealing with this subject,if you’re interested

There are loads more videos out there,but i decided to post just these two.I'm sure you found it interesting,too!

Thanks!

♥ Teddy!

The Versatile Blogger Award

Hey guys!
So this is our first time being tagged for a blogger award!


Thanks to Ink Blots from inkythehamster mommy & Squeeze from FLUFFY TOUGHIE  for nominating us!  
We really appreciate it(: 


So the rules for this award are the following :




-  In a post on your blog, nominate 15 fellow bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award.
- In the same post, add the Versatile Blogger Award.
-  In the same post, thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog.
- In the same post, share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself.
- In the same post, include this set of rules.
 - Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs.




So now for the seven random things about us!


1. We are both best friends since birth. 
2. Nibbles and Teddy our, our hamsters.
3. They are both syrains. 
4. Our instagram is @nibblesteddy123
5. Nibbles got in April&Teddy in July!
6. We live an hour apart, so it's hard to post together :(
7. And finally, we both love chocolate ;) 




Now for some blogs we have awarded! 
Hamster blogs : 


Fluffy Toughie
Ink Blots
Dashing Hamsters
Confessions of a Hamsterholic


Some blogs we love also : 
At Home Pets
Cameras and Clear skies

Fuzzy Feet 'n' Furry Tails Gerbils 
Animal Tails
My Hamster
My Syrain Hamster!
Hamsters Galore
Barefoot in Texas
All about Pets...
Lord Fuzzy
A Day in the Life of a Pet Squirrel



Wow, finally done.  Thanks again to inkythehamstermommy and squeeze! (:


Nibbles&Teddy♥

Treating a Sick Hamster!

Hey everyone!
Nibbles here(:
I'm on a roll with posts today! So much extra time. 


So today I'll be doing another post on the topic Hamster Illnesses.
Today's topic - Treating a sick hamster!


If your hamster is ill or injured, there are things you can do to treat a sick hamster. After you observe the behavior of your sick pet and note the signs and symptoms of a sick hamster, you can go about treating it for those ailments. It’s worth mentioning that the best treatment is hamster illness prevention. That being said though, no amount ofhamster care can guarantee your little pet won’t ever get sick of injuried in it’s 2-3 year lifespan.


Sick Hamster Treatment

The first thing you should do is separate the sick hamster from the rest of its roommates. This should only apply to dwarf hamsters because the larger Syrian breeds shouldn’t be housed together in the same hamster cage. The last thing you want is to spread any illnesses to the other healthy hamsters or have an injuried hamster get stressed out with too much activity going on in its cage.

The next thing to do would be to heat the treatment habitat to 70-85*f (21-29*c) and make sure there are no drafts. You can use a heating pad or a heat lamp. Make sure the sick hamster has a way to escape the bright light as in providing a hamster house to hide in and make sure not to over heat the habitat. This heat treatment will make the hamster more comfortable and less stressed. Stress typically leads to a lowered immune system.

While your hamster is in isolation, it’s time to clean its normal living habitat. Begin by putting on some gloves (or washing your hands thoroughly afterward) and removing all the waste. It’s not often that a human can get sick from a hamster illness but you should be careful when dealing with any animal waste since airborne particulates can potentially get into your system and make you sick (Warning: hamsters can spread rodent meningitis or fungal infections. Pregnant women should avoid contact with hamsters). Next remove and replace the bedding, food and water. Sanitize all of the surfaces by using a diluted soapy water mixture or a 10% bleach solution. (1/4 cup of bleach to 2 1/4 cups water); rinse these surfaces well. residual bleach vapors can be toxic to anyone especially a small pet in an enclosed space.

Finally, you might need to get hamster veterinarian care if the sickness or injury won’t get better with your treatment efforts. Getting the appropriate medication in a timely manner is important so seek out a vet sooner than later.

That's all on this post!

Hope you enjoyed! 

Nibbles ♥

Sources - http://www.howtotakecareofahamster.net

Preventing Hamster Illnesses!

Hi again!
Nibbles here(:


Today I'll be doing Part 2 to a series of posts on the topic Hamster Sicknesses.
Today's topic - Preventing hamster illnesses!


 A good way to combat hamster illnesses is to prevent it from happening in the first place. With just a bit of preventative care, it can help you keep your hamster healthy for much less than it would cost if your hamster actually gets sick. Here are a few hamster carerecommendation that will go a long way in the health of your hamsters and hopefully save you a trip to the vet.

Healthy Diet to Prevent Illnesses

A well rounded diet will encourage strong bones and a healthy immune. If your hamster community tends to have a shorter lifespan than what should be expected and it’s not due to any visible illnesses, try changing the hamster food. Your hamsters can be suffering from a vitamin deficiency.

Prevent Hamster Dehydration

Water is another vital part of keeping a healthy hamster. This is especially the case for females that are nursing and young baby hamsters. If these newborns don’t get enough water, their growth can become stunted and won’t be as healthy when they mature. You can provide young hamsters with food that has a high concentration of water like pieces of fruit. It’s also important to make sure the hamster water bottle is within their reach.

A Comfy Habitat Reduces Illness

• Avoid choosing a hamster cage location that would cause any cold drafts from windows or air-conditioning units. If a hamster get the chills, it can lead to a weaker immune system.
• Keep the humidity and dampness to a minimum inside your hamster’s cage. In the wild, hamsters live in low humidity locations.
• Provide plenty of hiding places for your hamsters to hide in. This will reduce stress and increase their comfort level. A happy hamster is a healthy hamster.
• Make sure the toys you provide are hamster friendly. It’s important to know if a hamster chews and swallows bits of its toys that it won’t get ill from it.
• Provide plenty of space for your hamsters to spread out to avoid physical confrontations that can lead to open wounds or hamster abscesses that don’t heal.
• It’s important to place plenty of exercise options inside your hamster’s habitat. If your hamster is in shape and not bored it will decrease the risk of odd hamster behaviors.
• Setup your hamster habitat in a way that will keep your hamsters from falling, getting stuck or being cut by any of their hamster accessories.

Sanitation:

Wash all of the hamster bowls,dishes, plates or anything else that you place food inside of or on top of, at least once a week. 

This process can include the hamster water bottles as well, however you must be certain not to leave behind any detergent residue on the inside of the bottle.  However, at the very least, you should rinse your water bottles with a mild solution of warm water. Put the cap on, hold your finger over the nozzle opening and shake vigorously. This will help to dislodge any stubborn algae that may be clinging to the inside surface. It will also help clean the inside surface of the nozzle. Rinse thoroughly in warm water, forcing the rinse water through both ends of the nozzle.

FOOD PREPARATION:

It's important to remember that kitchen counter or stove top surfaces can easily become contaminated from cooking spills or exposure to meats or veggies that may carry harmful bacteria. Or, quite simply from typical spills that weren't properly removed from the surface. Therefore, you'll want to remain vigilant in your determination to protect the health of your defenseless little pet by making certain that you always provide a clean, germ-free surface for preparing treats, snacks or meals.

FOOD STORAGE:

Store your hamster's food products in clean, dry and sealed containers, especially when purchasing in bulk. . Fortunately, there's now an abundance of practically any size and quality of storage container that anyone could possibly imagine. Additionally, while it's really important to keep dry products, such as grains and seeds, away from high humidity and dampness, it's also essential to store the containers in an area away from direct sunlight and in an area where the temperature is moderate to cool. These precautions will help prevent the growth of dangerous molds and other microbes, as well as, extending the shelf life seeds, nuts or grains before becoming rancid. Many of the commercial hamster pellets come in plastic bags with zip lock closure seals, therefore freshness is not typically a concern with those products. However, when a larger volume is purchased, I'll transfer a week's supply into a sealed container for daily feeding. This makes it unnecessary to continuously open the larger bag, day after day, exposing the contents to more and more freshness stealing air and humidity.

That's all this post!

Hope you enjoyed.

Nibbles♥

Sources - http://www.howtotakecareofahamster.net

http://waltek.hubpages.com/hub/Prevention-Can-Help-You-Avoid-Most-Hamster-Illnesses

Getting a hamster? :-)

Hey guys! (:


Nibbles here. I was looking for some posts to do as we have been asking for posts more often!
Its great to here from you guys and I want to make a special shout-out to InkBlots & Hannah! 
We love both your blogs and we will link them below :) 


Today I'm going to be talking about things to take into consideration when purchasing a hamster. 

1.  Hamsters are small and require little space for their cages/vivariums - but, they need attention and time out of their cages every day. You also have to keep in mind a space where it isn't too noisy (no loud blasting music) and where the hamster won't disturb you at night when you are sleeping.

      2.  Hamsters are affordable to purchase and keep - but, this is relative. The first time purchases make up quite a bill and you must be prepared to purchase items for your pet at regular intervals (new water bottle, wheel, food...etc) for the rest of its life. However, no matter what, they are one of the most inexpensive pets to keep. Pieces of fresh vegetable that is not used for cooking can also be given and this will supplement food you buy. In a nutshell, don't make the mistake of concentrating on getting a hamster at a good price and neglecting all the other needs. This is usually what happens with new pet owners.

     3.   Hamsters are favorites with children - but they can bite and their bites can draw blood. Each hamster is different and some may never bite especially if they are tamed by you. There are some hamsters that do have a tendency to bite especially if they are not handled by the pet shop owners. Are you willing to keep a hamster that is possibly mean and unsociable if the pet store hasn't handled the hamsters regularly? This means a hamster that you cannot interact with. Others may not want to take the hamster in either.

   4.  Hamsters hardly get sick - but if they do, are you willing to take them to the vet? Most of the time, very sick hamsters have little chance of survival. The vet bill is also often much higher than the price of the hamster.

 5.  Hamsters do not turn your house upside down - but they occasionally turn their cage inside out! You may have to replace items regularly (like waterbottles if it chews on it) and perhaps sweep around its cage everyday, where they've kicked out shavings. This might not appeal to extremely tidy pple who like to see their house spick and span at all times. 

6.  Hamsters are crepuscular or nocturnal. Basically, they're awake and active in the dark. Are you willing to play with them when the sun goes down? They get grumpy if they're woken up from their afternoon beauty sleep and may be more apt to bite if disturbed. If you are usually free in the day, you might want to consider a more diurnal animal. However, if you are relatively free in the evenings, this arrangement should suit you fine.

 7. Syrian hamsters are solitary - one to a cage at all times (except when they are very young)! Although there have been cases of syrians living well together, it is not advisable to take the risk, especially if you are a new hamster owner. Obtaining another set of accessories and a new cage would be the best option. Or, if that is not possible, finding a good home for the second hamster  is in order. It is important to note that Russian Dwarf Hamsters can be kept together, but this has to be done at a young age (usually no later than 2 months). Are you willing to get ten cages, water bottles, wheels, etc. if you have ten hamsters or willing to buy another cage if the Russian Dwarfs Start fighting?

8.  Hamsters can be left alone, if necessary for long periods (holidays- I mean one or two days) and when you're not at home during the day - but they're escape artists and are hard to find if they've decided upon a cosy hiding place, but it may be a better option to have a friend or relative look after it while you are gone just so if the hamster gets out, drains the water bottle, etc., there isn't a problem. On the whole, it is much easier to find a pet sitter for a hamster than for a dog or cat and usually this doesn't cost at all, since it's usually a friend or relative who's been left with the job. However, do brief your sitter about your hamsters habits and needs. I've heard of a case where the sitter put the visiting hamster with her own and they fought to death!

9.  Hamsters can be quite hardy and generally adapt well but, - they can be hurt easily if they are dropped accidentally at standing height and you definitely can't play rough with a hamster! Neither can you play with them for long periods.

10.  You can be quite attached to your pet - but, they live at most 3 years (some live longer but they are exceptions). Do you need a pet who'll be able to spend more time with you? 

So that's it from me guys! I hope everyone is well and please comment below and tell us how your hammy's are all doing! 

Nibbles♥ xxx


Shout out to InkBlots & Hannah!
InkBlots - http://inkythehamstermommy.blogspot.com/
Hannah - http://hannah-animal-tales.blogspot.com/




Sources - http://www.angelfire.com/my/hamstertales/hamsters_you.htm

Reccomended Cages :-)

Hey everyone! Nibbles here ( Or as you can call me :O ) 


Today I'm going to be talking about some of the cages that '' Teddy '' and I recommend. 
First off I'm going to start off by saying my three recommended brands of cages and accessories are : 

• Habitrail.
• Rotastak
• Crittertrail

So what I have for my hamster Nibbles is the Habitrail Ovo Suite. 

I really like this cage because of the space and entertainment it provides for my hamster. 

As you can see above it has the main room at the bottom which contains a wheel that joins onto the 

stairs leading up to the food bowl. And underneath the food bowl is a hidey hut in which your hamster 

can nest. Also the food station and wheel can be taken out.

Then on your left you see the green small area which can be used for anything really e.g. Toilet ; Food storage ; Sand bathing area etc.. Then on the top you see the blue Travel compartment which you detach from the cage so you can use to take it travelling or used when cleaning the cage.  Also on the left you see the blue water bottle. Its a vacuum seal bottle and to vacuum seal it you must shake three times and wait till it stops dripping or it won't stop. 

http://www.habitrail.com/

Rotastak

Rotastak and Habitrail are more the of the same thing. Cages and accessories for hamsters.

Teddy has the Rotastak Tunnel of Fun cage.

As you can see there are three levels to this cage. The main area at the bottom is the biggest space for toys and the small bottle of water. This is also where you get to each floor. Coming out of the bottom cage is the biggest tunnel with a yellow ball for sitting or resting in. This is a wonderful feature to the cage as its act almost like a window so your pet can see. This brings us to the second largest area in this cage. This space has bit of barring over the plastic dome. I think this would be a good area for treats and the food bowl. Then there is the sleeping hut. You can add this just above the bottom floor as shown or make a third floor by adding it over the second floor. Just like every other hiding space its perfect for nesting in. Fill this with bedding and its the perfect place for your hamster to relax.

http://www.myrotastak.co.uk/

CritterTrail - 

Crittertrail is also just like Habitrail and Rotastak. My younger brother also owns a Syrain hamster and he has the CritterTrail Z.

You can see in the picture above that this cage is fun and spaceful. It also consists of three compartments. 

The main bottom floor is spacious and has the corner for the small food bowl , a corner with a small window which you can not see in the photo and a corner in which the water bottle hangs from. Here on this floor I would put the toys and treats owned my your furry little friend. There are two tubes leading to other areas in the cage. The first tunnel I will talk about is the tunnel on the right hand side. This leads up to the green hamster ball that your  hamster can run about in. What I really like about this is that you can detach the hamster ball , secure it with the escape proof door and let your hamster run about on the floor. Now the tunnel on the left leads you to the sleeping area. As I said with the Rotastak cage fill it with bedding and its a cosy place for your hamster to nest. What I like about this is that it opens easily and shuts easily. If you do buy this cage please note not to fill the sleeping area up with too much bedding as the door can open if too full. 

http://www.superpetusa.com

What I love about all of these cages and brands is that all the products are colourful and fun and something you would like to add too and have fun with :-) Highly recommended :D

♥Nibbles xxx

The First Post!

Teddy's post!


Ok,you can call me  Teddy,(in honour of my hamster)and welcome to our FIRST  post!Well,I hope you all had a great Hallowe'en,and I'm pretty sure it's time to be stocking up for the winter.So fill your CHEEK POUCHES with this handy winter info for your hammy!

• If you live in a place where it snows or freezes during the winter,it would be probably be best to stock up on bedding,sleeping fluff and food for your hamster.This prevents starvation if you run out of food and don't have access to anywhere close.
• Before the weather is bad,buy a few bottles of bottled water.This isn't just for you,but if the pipes freeze,it will mean your pet won't have anything to drink.So if you use bottled water,your hammy won't be left thirsty,and you can leave the water without changing it for around 2-3 days.
• Keep hammy-boo in a warm place.Hamsters can fall in a deep,coma-like sleep if their body temperature falls below around 5.C (41.F) which is like hibernation.To prevent this,keep his cage in a warm place,and wrap blankets around the cage.If the hamster goes into ''hibernation'',put his cage in a warm,dark place and leave it their for a few hours.Just before you turn the heating on at full blast,they can get heat stroke(I know,it's ridiculous since it's winter)in surroundings above 20.C(68.F).

Ok,theres a few facts,if you need help,just comment!

♥ Teddy!

(Sources:Hamster Family Pet Guide,by David Alderton.)