Sunday, March 18, 2007
Hamsters really ARE rats...
We have a really cute, placid, and fat hamster named Pippy Lu or, alternately, Lulu depending on which Katie Jo. Normally, hamsters are just little, fluffy balls of cuddly goodness. But every now and them Emily takes it upon herself to bathe the hamster - usually if it's getting a little bit rank. Once you see them wet, you realize that they are indeed rats. Just with cuter fur...
These poor little critters are native to the deserts of Syria (exploring archeaologists first brought them back for their kids in the 1920's). So they naturally don't like getting soaked and actually can get pretty sick if you let them stay wet. So Emily has to spend as much time drying it as she does bathing it. But it's so cute and smells so good when she's finished! It's not quite as cute as Hamtaro - the little kids favorite cartoon hamster - but definitely up there.
If your kids are ever trying to talk you into getting a puppy, take my advice and get them a hamster instead. They're easy to care for, can be very tame, and you can leave them for a week or more at a time. That's good for me since I have to go on business trips. It's not always to pick out a tame one, but there are a couple rules that help ensure you get a very docile pet. First, avoid the dwarf varieties. Second, girls are more tame than boys unless there's another hamster in their territory. (Hamsters are solitary creatures.) Third, the bigger the hamster the more tame they tend to be.
Enjoy!
-Kev
# posted by Zebraman @ 2:31 PM 
