The Chronicles Of Mickey Hamster

Hi guys! it's Mickey! Mickey hamster, that is. Check out my Hamster hideout on this blog for more hamster chronicles!

Today looked like a fun day full of adventures and excitement.

 My owner doesn't know this, but I can escape from my cage easily when she's not looking. I opened my cage door and hopped out. 

My mission: To get the hamster treat bag out and dig in! Yum! I scanned the room, looking for any danger. Nope. I was good to go. 

As I scurried across the floor, I noticed something. It seemed to be a book on the floor. I walked across it to see what was on the cover. EEK! A cat! 

The book was one of the many books in the Warriors series. How could my owner like such terrible books filled with cats? 

They probably even hunted rodents like myself in the book. I shuddered and set my mind back to treats. I took a deep sniff. Yes! I could smell YOGURT DROPS! 

I ran faster, eager to get my treats. Then, I stopped. Sigh. What other obstacle was in my way? I peered at it. Aha! A backpack. 

What a great place to hide if I hear danger, I thought. 

Once I passed the backpack, I looked up. On a high, high, HIGH shelf, my little bag of treats sat on a book.

 Well. My owner sure was good about keeping treats away from me. I looked around the shelf attached to the wall. 

Yes! I thought happily as I lay my eyes on a memo board with notes and a calendar tacked to it. 

A ribbon tied decoratively around the memo board hung low for me to climb up. 

I dug my little claws into it and climbed it like a rope. Once I got to the top, I dug my front paws and claws around a blue tack and dug my back paws and claws into the memo board.

I kept climbing until the shelf was within paw's reach. I jumped onto the shelf and gasped for breath. Once I looked up, I nearly fell off the shelf! 

A huge owl-shaped bank was staring back at me! I squealed. My owner was a great person, but really, did she have to keep so many scary "predators" in the room I stay in? It was enough to give me goosebumps! (If hamsters do get goosebumps)

I saw my treats and ignored the owl. I stuffed the treats, one by one, into my cheeks. I felt like an oversized beanbag! 

Speaking of beanbags, I saw a lime green beanbag just under the shelf. I took a deep breath(or the deepest breath anyone could take with food stuffed in their cheeks). Then, I jumped.

THUD! I was alive! I jumped off the beanbag, happy to be safe and scurried across the floor. Suddenly, I heard pawsteps. Who was it this time? A human? A big bird of prey? A huge scary, real-life CAT? I was so scared I ran for my backpack hiding spot.

 "Hey, hey hey!" A warm voice welcomed me. 

"Daisy!" I said happily. 

She gave me a furry hug. "I could of got those for you!" She said. " Easy Peasy! Just jump high with these big muscular paws, and you've got yourself an easy treat raid!" She displayed her strong legs for me. "S'okay Daisy!" I told her. " I wanted to get these myself!" Daisy nosed my back into the cage. 

"Take care, Mickey!" She said. "Our owner needs me to taste test some peppers for a dish tonight!" I grinned. As you know, Daisy means she's going to steal some peppers, but that's only between the two of us. Anyways, I need to take a nice long nap. I'm exhausted from my treat raid.

 "Hey Daisy!" "What?" "If you want, you can have some yogurt treats with your peppers!"

Animal Planet Live Cam

So exciting! Today I was watching Animal Planet and discovered there was an awesome live cam on their LIVE CAM section on Animal Planet's website. Puppies, Kittens, all sorts of cool and cute animals in live stream! Today I couldn't stop watching the puppy one, because both puppies were going crazy over a rope toy, and it was hilarious. The kitten one is also cute, as well as the chicks! The live cam feature is sponsored by the locations the camera is at. LIVE CAM is easy to view and fun. your pet will also like to check in on his friends!

 

Nibble nibble NIBBLE: What to feed your hamster (part 1)

There's a difference between overweight and large in hamsters. A normal-sized Syrian isn't fat, he's just big in size. But a chubby hamster that looks plump even when on his hind legs or stretched out will need some help with his eating issues! Not only can your hamster get very fat, he can also get sick from the food he is fed, so it's important to choose food carefully.

For the pellet diet, feed your hamster good, healthy pellets. OXBOW is a great food for my hamster, but there are several healthy choices out there that don't cost a lot. When you clean out the cage once a week, fill up the hamster's food bowl. Unlike a dog or cat, they don't need to have their bowls refilled every day. Even when it's empty, they still have stashes in their hiding places.

Other foods

For the occasional treat I might slip my hamster a lick of yogurt, cottage cheese, crumble of bread, cracker, or small human treat. I give him a new nibble once a week. Some hamster enthusiasts say hamsters will eat pepperoni or bacon, but this can cause sometimes cannibalism and even cause your hamster to go crazy when they smell any other living flesh (which can be possible).

For a wild treat, instead of giving your hamster meat, give him mealworms. Yep, they come in a can at your pet store. of course, they are sterilized, so don't try picking up one if those under a rock or in the ground. Fresh veggies are a better choice, and can be offered more often. My hamster really loves a baby carrot, but those things can still pack in the pounds. I cut them up in halves and store them back in the fridge. Slices are always better than the whole thing.

Hay?

Hamsters like hay to burrow in, but they don't eat it. IF you have other animals that need Timothy hay, go ahead and give some to your hammie, but guaranteed he won't like it. Hamsters in the wild never ate grass or hay, and domestic hamsters have no need for it.

Stay tuned on

Monday for some more hamster food facts!

Two or More Rats as A Pet: Why?

I really needed some good inspiration because I really haven't been keeping up on my blog like I used to. I'm very sorry, and finally, with the help of some inspiring pet bloggers, I decided to take on an information post for you guys! Today I'll inform everybody about why it's important to get 2 or more rats. 

Rats make great pets for children and adults, but you always should be educated about them. A common misconception people have is whenever they think of a pet rat, they think of the misunderstood classroom pet, a rat in a rectangular wire cage or glass aquarium, with a wire wheel, sawdust bedding, and a plastic water bottle and food bowl. A true rat owner knows better than to keep an energetic animal in such a cruel habitat. 

A single rat could get very depressed and lethargic, possibly even aggressive without a friend or two. And really, people give excuses like, "Well, rats are too expensive," or, "It'll be too hard to care for more rats and it'll be smelly!" Anyone who's been to the average pet store knows a rat only costs $6-10 for one rat! Rats adopted from adoption centers cost slightly more, but for a healthy, happy pet rat, you would probably want the best for him. Plus, rats don't have any smelly odors unless you fail to clean his enclosure or cage once a week, and they are very easy to care for.

Female rats are especially energetic, and a lack of companionship (especially if she had been living with other rats when she was still at the pet store) can be fatal. 

In general, all single rats experience loneliness just as a human does, and even if the cage is when a lot of human activity is, and you let him out every day, he still won't have interaction 24/7. 

For example, you won't be playing or interacting with your rat when you're at work or doing errands. Your rat will have someone to snuggle with during all those times he's in his cage during those long hours you are away from the house. 

Rats are "pack" animals, and they love to be in groups of their own kind. Your rat could not only get sick and depressed without any rat friends, he could also be fearful and angry towards you. Rats don't generally bite, but a rat in a small cage with no rat companions could get upset enough to produce a small nip. A single rat gets over-protective over his sleeping house, toys, and other things you may not know he is protecting until he defends his cage and territory. Many people that have had rats for several years only keep one rat with success, but if you're a first-time rat owner, then you need to learn the facts. You should really get two, three, or even four rats instead of just one, not only for the pleasure of rat companionship for a great experience when you have them as pets, but for the rats to be truly happy with their friends and live their lives to the fullest! 

When I'm bored...

Just some Daisy pictures.

Stay Cool Without the Pool!

NOT very many small animals can get wet or swim without drowning. Water really isn't a safe option for a small pet, so it's best to find some other alternative. Here are some pet-specific ideas for them to stay cool. 

Rabbits:

Although submerging a rabbit in water is never a good idea, since they can go into shock, gently misting them with a spray bottle is okay. Some people use squirt bottles to train rabbits to not to do things, and, although I don't agree with doing that, spraying him to cool him off would make him too confused, so you might have to scratch that! Frozen water bottles can be refrozen again and again, so one or two by your rabbit's pen area is a great idea as well. Some owners get desk fans and put them by their rabbits, which is another great idea. Put some ground-up ice in their water bottles or bowls to keep your rabbit refreshed and cool. 

Ferrets: 

If your ferret seem drowsy and hot, wring out a wet washcloth and put it in his cage or leave it dripping and hang it over the top so it drips down. Fans work great for ferrets, and ice in water containers keep them very cool. Ferret waste gets smellier when hot, so be sure to clean it out so as not to irritate your ferret's senses too much.

Guinea Pigs: 

Your guinea pig will also need a fan on low speed. They have stressed systems, and sudden cold like an ice pack or blast of cool air will cause them to get very stressed, and eventually die. Put some ice in their water as well, but don't push too much cold.

Hamsters:

Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, bathe your hamster. They have special oils in their skin that are scent marks for other animals and hamsters. If you have Russian dwarfs together, they will not recognize the scent of their hamster friend and reject him. Also, chubby hamster bodies cannot tread water or swim!

A small fan will also help those little guys well, but really, they can keep cool well enough without help. In my experience, my fancy Rex-furred black hamster slept on the bare cage bottom because it was cooler, and as long as the heat indoors isn't too hot for you, he should be fine.

Rats and Mice:

Bath rats? Yes! Bathe mice? Nope.

Rats are natural swimmers, but mice won't be able to swim. Use the hamster keep-cool remedy for a mouse, but if you do want to give your rat a bath, go for it! Actually, a kiddie pool with 5-inch deep cool water would be fine, as you'd only bathe a rat if he needed it. Rats love to play in water, and put a few dog kibbles or cucumbers or peas in the water to float for a little treat. Your ratties will all love the "beach party!" Be sure to dry them off after the water playtime, and they'll be happy. If you don't want to break out the pool, then a fan or iced water bottle will be fine. Rats love to roll the iced water bottle around and it helps them to stay cool. With rats, water is completely harmless.

Daily Comic

So this is our first comic featured on the blog. Sorry though about the bad writing tools but since we are moving we have my art stuff packed up! So I had to use what we have out.... so that's why it looks less professional.

("Hi Hi Daisy How are ya this morning! HUH? Huh?"

  Well, You're peppy this morning..")

("Let's go golfing today! Orrrr... How's about a jog? r how about 2 jogs?"

"But- Its only 8:00 AM!)

("Napoleon, how many cups of coffee did you drink?")

Mickey's Escape

So first we had "Lily's Injury", now we have " Mickey's Escape". (It's a happy ending!)

So I accidentally left Mickey's cage open and he escaped without me knowing. I noticed he was gone and then we looked all over the place but couldn't find him. He must have been sleeping somewhere while we were searching. We left to go to a fireworks show and came back to see him walking casually into his cage! He was not hurt and is very safe and sound. I am so grateful little Mickey was found and is now back in his cage! (:

Lily's Injury

Lily has an unknown foot injury. It is very swollen and we have started to treat it but it cannot be rushed. We hope Lily feels happier and gets better as well!

The reason it looks so thin is because we soaked it so the fur is wet.

Lily hopes to feel much better soon! With fresh hay to rest on and some comfy towels in her cage, it looks like she's in good hands.

Mickey's Exercise plan

Buy it only 19.99! Yep, that's right, folks! You get Mickey's revolutionary new exercise plan booklet and DVD for only 19.99! Some exercises found in his plan include:

Leg Lift

Jaw Stretch

Weight Lifting

Treadmill Running

 Ball Rolling      (That's a carrot)

 This whole set and more features easy exercises that will keep you in shape!

So order online today, 

or call 1800-HAMSTER.

"And also be sure to drink plenty of water, since all that exercising can break a sweat!" Mickey says.

Independence Day Contest Picture!

Here is the picture for our winner, Maggie Alden. 

 

Delicious Dog treat recipe!

This is an easy recipe you can make for your dog!

Banana Oat Bites

What you'll need:

3 cups oatmeal

1-1/4 cups of flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

2 mashed bananas

Mix all the wet ingredients together first, then add the dry ones until the batter is smooth in the bowl. pour the batter onto a lightly greased cooking sheet, then bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Once the banana bites have cooled on a rack, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Remember, although these treats have dog appeal, they aren't healthy if you feed them to your dog in huge quantities, so stick to 1-2 treats a day. They make great training treats as well. For a special treat, spread peanut butter on a few treats for your dog. Store them in the refrigerator until further use. 

4th of July, Daisy's Adoption Day, and Contest Winner Announcements

Today we have some great announcements on this awesome Fourth of July. First, happy Independence Day! Second, Daisy's adoption day was today, so she got some extra love today. (Yes, I adopted her on July 4th.)

Finally, the winner of the Drawing Independence Day Contest is Maggie Alden, with her submission of a Nubian goat. I will create her drawing ASAP and it will be ready very soon, maybe even tomorrow. We are so happy for everyone who entered, but we loved this unique submission and a Nubian Goat is so cute as well! Thank you everyone who entered via Contact Form, and I am very excited that I can share my artwork with everyone. You are welcome to print out the drawing or save it to the photo gallery. 

Anyways, happy 4th of July, and thank you so much for visiting the blog today!

 Also, remember to keep your pets indoors during fireworks. NEVER take your dog to a firework show, since they have very sensitive hearing. 

I hope the rest of your Fourth of July will be a safe and fun one for you and your pets! Bye!

Charlie

On July 3rd, my sweet little Lionhead baby bunny died, so I want to have a post for him so all CC fans can remember him. His name was Charlie and even though I only had him for 3 days,(he was too young to leave his mom) I love him so much and miss him a lot. Of course, if he had not died then I would have not have gotten my other awesomely perfect rabbit Daisy who I hope lives much longer. I love you Charlie so much and I wish you were here. <3 

A New Comic I'm working on

Instead of having this post being about critter tips or whatever info I usually do, I have a little announcement. I have been working on these comics for a LONG time but I really have never done a whole comic book about them. So I'm kind of excited because I have an even better idea. Once in a while I'll post a comic on here and then you can read it. Sort of like a daily comic in the newspaper. (Daisy: Somebody say newspapers? Do you really have any for me to chew or renovate my play-box? huh? Huh?) 

Characters of the comics:

This is going to be fun to have comics on here and I'm sure people will love it!