What to Do If Your Hamster Gives Birth and Then Dies

My daughter with 4 of the baby hamsters we had.

One of the sweetest things you will ever see is a mother hamster and her newborn babies (pups). Hamster pups are born hairless, vulnerable and with their eyes closed. They rely on their mother for everything, including warmth, food, and safety. If the mother hamster dies suddenly before the pups are weaned, there is a chance they will die too.

If the pups are at least 10 days old they have a better chance of making it, but if they are only a day or two old they might not make it no matter how much you try or what you do. If you have another hamster (of the same breed) who has recently given birth, you can try to introduce the pups to the surrogate mother. Before putting the pups into the new mother's cage you must first wash the smell of their birth mother off of them. You have to be extra careful when doing this while making sure all the original scent is gone. First thing you need to do is gather a handful of the surrogate mothers bedding, close to her own pups nest and set it aside in a shoe box. You want the bedding material to smell like her babies.

Wet a paper towel with warm water and sponge the pups off one by one. When they are cleaned of their original scent, gently place them into the surrogate mothers bedding you gathered up. Because you stimulated them while bathing, they should be wriggling around when you set them into the bedding. This will help get the new scent on them and aid in the new mother accepting them into her nest.

Place the surrogate mothers cage in a quiet place and tempt her out of her nest with her favorite treat. Try to keep the mother busy at one end of the cage, if she starts to run right back to her nest with her treat, gently block her way unless she starts getting upset. If she is easily handled and lets you take her out of the cage while she eats her treat, that would be best.

While mom is eating her treat, gently scoop up the pups and bedding and place the pups and bedding into the surrogate mothers nest and let the new pups wriggle around with the other babies. Try not to get your human smell on the pups or the bedding if you can help it, wearing gloves can help with this. The goal is for the new babies to end up smelling just like the babies that were originally in the nest.

Place the mother back into the cage and let her go to her nest. Do not bother her or the cage again for at least a day. If this works, the next time you look into the cage all the babies will be squirming around the mother. If she rejects the orphans, she may wind up eating them. This is normal hamster behavior and is to be expected even with her own brood of babies if she detects they are sick or she gets upset or nervous.

Things are quite different if you find yourself having to hand raise the orphaned pups yourself. If the mother has died, you need to remove her from the cage and dispose of the body. Most hamster lovers find that burying their beloved pets helps with the grieving process.

The pups will be cold since they no longer have their mothers' warmth. You will need to get them warm as soon as possible by placing them in a warm room in a shoe box or something similar, filled with shredded toilet paper or paper towels, until you clean out their cage.

Clean and dry their cage really well and then place them back inside along with the shredded bedding. Get a heating pad and place a towel on top of it, now sit the cage on top of that and set the heating pad to the lowest setting. This will help keep the pups warm without allowing them to get overheated from the heating pad.

Newborn pups need to be fed every hour for the first 10 days. Then every two hours until they are 15 days old and every three hours until they are approximately 20 days old. There are several types of milk you can feed to hamsters. You can get kitten formula from a veterinarian or pet store, baby formula or even a mix of equal parts evaporated milk and warm water.

Newborn pups need between two and three drops of formula every hour. Feeding the pups with an eye dropper is the easiest, but while you want them to drink the formula you also have to make sure they don't inhale it into their lungs. Do not force the formula into their mouths; let them slowly lick it off the eye dropper. After each feeding you will need to stimulate each pup to urinate and defecate the same way the mother would do if she were around. The easiest way to do this is to rub the genital and anal area with a soft, warm, moist cloth or you can also use a wet Q-tip. If you don't do this the pups are likely to urinary and bowel problems or obstructions and die.

When they are walking around a little you can fill the water bottle up with a mixture of one half children's pedialyte and one half water. The pedialyte will help them from getting dehydrated. Make sure to keep their food dish full of normal food. Bread soaked with milk is another thing they will eat, just put it on a small lid and remove it and wash the lid every couple of hours. You can also add small amounts of boiled egg, vegetables, apples, canned dog food and wheat germ. Eat day you will need to remove any uneaten soft foods. If you let the foods stay too long they will spoil and can cause death to the hamsters. When the hamsters are about 20 days old, they should be weaned enough that you can stop feeding them the formula.

Although you may have done everything right and taken the time to feed, love and care for the pups over days or even weeks, there is still a chance they may not make it. No matter what happens you should be proud of yourself for trying.

The Bouqs Ambassador Program

Update:

After seeing my original post they contacted me and offered me a free Bouqs bouguet to review on my blog. So you'll see a review from me about their flowers in the coming weeks. :)

How to Care for an Older Hamster

*Chance lived to be 4 years old*

Most Teddy Bear Hamsters (syrians) live between two and three years. While Chinese Dwarf Hamsters live between one and a half to three years. But like people each hamster is an individual and can live for less time or more time, depending on the care and the health of the hamster. If you buy a hamster at a Pet Store or breeder you should always ask how old it is so you will know. Keeping track of your pets age will help you to determine what's wrong and why he may be acting certain ways as he gets older.

An older hamster will often times have bald spots, be less lively and not want to run around as much, and might not clean themselves as much as they did when they were younger. Therefore their fur may look unclean, but that does not mean you should give them a bath. Bathing your hamster should be a last resort as they can become chilled and get sick and it can be stressful for them. If they do get dirty you can wet a paper towel and clean off the dirty part. Most hamsters will then clean themselves where you got them wet.

Many Dwarf hamsters may bite or nip when they are younger and then mellow out as they get older. Sometimes if a hamster lives long past what is considered normal you may have to take special care of it. Some hamsters as they get older have a hard time chewing the seed mixture. This also means they can no longer bite. My hamster still tried to bite me when I handled him but he just had no strength to do so. I have had several hamsters that when they reached an age of three or more were not able to break through the sunflower seed shells or any other hard seeds and would have died of starvation. My Vet told me I could give him canned dog or cat food, baby food and any soft foods that I eat.

The Dwarf hamster I had was four years old and didn't like the cat food, but loved Mighty Dog canned Dog Food. I also fed him soft human foods. For six months I took him out of his cage at least six times a day and fed him. You could feed your hamster right in the cage but it's easier to take them out and let them take what they want, pouch a little for later and have some out with you. That way their cage won't have old food spoiling in it either. I always left him a little food in the cage to snack on if he got hungry though and just cleaned it out and put more in several times a day that way none of it spoiled.

With an older hamster you should also move them to a single story cage and make sure the water bottle in down low enough so that they don't have to climb to get a drink. In a large cage that has tubes to climb in, an older hamster may not have the strength to climb in order to reach the water bottle. They may also fall down the tubes and hurt themselves because as they get older they lose a lot of their strength. So it's best to remove all tubes and just have one level in the cage with a couple of small houses for him to hide and sleep in.

You may have to take your older hamster to the Veterinarian's office and have him put to sleep if it looks like he is too weak to walk around or eat anything or seems like he is in pain. I took Chance to the Vet's office twice the year this picture was taken, but she told me as long as he is still eating, can walk around and seems healthy there's no need to euthanize. But it is a huge undertaking and not one to be taken lightly. I had Chance with me pretty much all the time and for 6 months he required a lot of care, which I was happy to do. 

 When deciding whether or not to buy a small pet you should consider what you would do if a hamster you bought needed this type of care when they got older. Are you willing to put this type of time into taking care of your hamster? If the answer is no, then maybe you shouldn't get one.

Weekly Rat Facts: Noises

Rats are social animals and like to be around humans and other rats. Children under the age of 10 should be supervised when handling and caring for their pet rats, as rats are somewhat fragile creatures and can be hurt easily. Many rats will sit and groom their human companions, giving you kisses (licks) and gentle nibbles. This is a way to show you that they like you and have accepted you as a part of their family.

Rats do make noises, they will chatter their teeth when you are holding and petting them. This is called bruxing. They will do this when they are happy or content. It's much like when a cat purrs, you know they are happy.

Rats will also make squeaking noises if they have a cage mate and are play wrestling. Most times they will play wrestle at night after all the humans are in bed and the room they are in is quiet. If one of the rats gets a little rougher than the other one likes they will make a high pitched squeaking noise to let the other rat know they are being too rough.

Rats will also squeak if they are scared. The best way to make sure you don't scare your pet rat is to talk to them as you open cage. That way they know you are there and are less likely to get scared and bite you. Most rats are friendly and won't bite, but there is an exception to that rule. Just make sure not to scare them or let small children squeeze them tightly when they hold them so the chances of getting bitten by a rat are very small.

Although Rats will make chirping, squeaking and teeth gnashing noises, if the sounds you are hearing are made when they are breathing or you think their breathing is labored or sounds crackly, you need to take them to a Veterinarian right away. This could be the first signs of an upper respiratory problem and without Veterinary care they can die from this rather fast.

The Veterinarian you seek out will have to be familiar with Exotic pets. Rats, hamsters as well as other small animals are all considered Exotic pets and a Veterinarian familiar with exotic pets will be more helpful than one that is not.

Rats will also sneeze. If you are using the wrong bedding, for instance one that has a lot of dust in it or one that your rat is allergic to, your rat might start sneezing. If you hear your rat sneezing, or when they sneeze there is a yellow mucous getting sprayed from his nostrils, he probably has an upper respiratory problem and will need antibiotics from a Veterinarian before he will get better. Pine or cedar bedding is sold for Rats and Hamsters, but is not good for their health. This type of bedding is notorious for causing breathing problems in small animals. Most people who keep rats will tell you to get Care Fresh Bedding but I use fleece blankets.

Review: Must Love Vampires by Heidi Betts

LOVE AT FIRST BITE

Nightclub dancer Chloe Lamoureaux just met the man of her dreams: Aidan Raines is charming, considerate, rich, and hot. Of course, he’s a little mysterious about his age. And his favorite drink. And he’s not much for sunlight. But he’s asked her to marry him, and she’s ready to do it. Sure, she has a few secrets too—but they’ll have plenty of time to work things out while they’re living happily ever after. Right?

Her identical twin sister, Chuck, isn’t so sure. Maybe reporting for the local Bigfoot-sighting tabloid doesn’t make her an expert, but to Chuck, Aidan and his brother Sebastian look like honest-to-Dracula vampires. Especially Sebastian: beguiling, seductive, and just a hint of dangerous. Maybe she wouldn’t mind him taking a little taste. But with Chloe’s life in the balance, she has to know—do they want hot love or hot blood? Or maybe…a little of both?

My review:

Vampnapped

This is actually a book with two stories in it. Two brother's Aidan and Sebastian and two sister's Chloe and Charlotte. Both stories Vampnapped and Married With Fangs are in this book.

Charlotte aka Chuck writes for the Sin City Tattler in Las Vegas. While she's used to getting stories about bigfoot, aliens and similar paranormal type things, she thinks she knows what would make a great story...vampires. She loved her job but hoped to get a better job with a more prestigious paper. 

Sebastian Raine's is mysterious, private and a vampire. He thinks the woman who is dating his brother has been following him around lately but he doesn't realize it's her twin sister. 

When Chuck stands in for her sister in her showgirl act, she gets more than she bargained for and ends up face to face with Sebastian Raine's. 

I loved Sebastian's character. He's mystery wrapped in sexy and he's funny. As he's trying to figure things out in his head, the things he says to himself are just hilarious. These two characters really worked well together and I found myself laughing at some of the things they did and said. 

Married With Fangs

Between being a showgirl for a hot Las Vegas club and being a mother to her 4 year old son, life was hard and Chloe was ready to settle down. After some not so great relationships she thought she'd finally found the right guy to spend the rest of her life with. 

Aidan was the laid back brother unlike his stern older brother, Sebastian. He was ready to marry the woman of his dreams after only knowing her for a short period of time. 

Chloe and Aidan came into this marriage both having not told the other a few secrets about themselves. Some secrets should be told before one gets married in my humble opinion. Just like the other story in this book, the characters in this story worked really well together and I could totally see them ending up together. 

I found both stories to be full of humor, sarcasm and wit. I really liked that even though the stories are short, the author packed a lot of information into each one. Enough for the reader to get a real sense of all the characters involved. 

I live in Las Vegas so I can't think of a better setting for a rich vampire and his brother to set up house. Plus who wouldn't love a story where two vampire brothers met twins and fell in love at the same time? I know I haven't read that storyline anywhere else before. 

If you're looking for a quick Paranormal Romance heavy on the vampires, then this is the one you'll want to pick up. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

The Navy's Active Sonar Could Be the Cause of Beached Whales

Photo Credit/copyright Emiliano Gonzalez -Wikimedia Commons

Sound Effects
Whales use their hearing to follow migratory routes, help care for their young, find food sources and find other whales even from great distances. Certain high frequency noises can damage their hearing, thus making it impossible for them to live. According to Marine Scientists certain sounds have been proven to divert whales from their migratory paths, stop some whales from singing, and to cause whales to do things they would not normally do like beach themselves.

Active Sonar was believed to have caused a massive beaching of Beaked Whales off the coast of Greece in 1996. NATO had been testing their Active Sonar System at the time, which only goes to confirm the risks of doing so.

LFA
LFA stands for Low Frequency Active Sonar. In order to evade the Environmental Protection Act, the U.S. Navy has conducted testing of the LFA in secret and led the push for the use of using the Active Sonar even though they knew full well the damaging effects the noise may have on the Whale's lives and populations throughout the world.

Active Sonar technology uses sounds to detect Submarines in the ocean's all over the world. The sounds this technology emits can kill or injure several different types of marine mammals, including dolphins, Sea Turtles and whales. After reading just some of the findings on The Ocean Mammal Institute website, I found it troubling that the sonar could be harming whales and that hasn't stopped the Navy from using it.

The Effects
In 2000, a U.S. Navy Battle Group used Active Sonar in the area where several whales of four different species beached themselves in the Bahamas. At first the Navy denied their Sonar Technology was to blame until their own investigation found severe acoustic trauma had caused hemorrhaging around the whales' eyes and ears. A study by the government concluded with much certainty that the whales' injuries were caused by mid-frequency sonar that ships in the area had been using. Marine Scientists believe that whales' and dolphins often times beach themselves after being injured by the sonar.

Veterinarians in Britain believe the rise in whales' beaching themselves has a direct correlation to the use of LFA being used more in the area. In the past decade the number of whales' beaching themselves has more than doubled from 360 in 1994 to 728 in 2004. Veterinarians believe there are many thousands of casualties since only a small portion of the effected whales and dolphins wash up on shore, many more swim out to sea to die.

Not only are the whales and dolphins at risk but so are other marine life. Blue fin tuna, swordfish and other marine animals that live deep in the ocean are showing 'stroke like' injuries after being subjected to LFA.

Most people don't even know about Active Sonar or LFA or any of the number of different things the Navy is using in the ocean. Most people have no idea that Marine Biologists and Scientists believe the beaching of whales are occurring not because the ocean is polluted but primarily because of the use of Sonar.

Navy Not Doing Enough
The Navy continues to test it's Active Sonar as well as new High Intensity Active Sonar in coastal waters. These areas hold habitats for many species of marine mammals. Even though the Navy is aware of where they are testing, little has been done to make sure the marine life in those areas will be safe.

Many of the whales that are in danger from this sonar technology are endangered already. The Blue whale, Humpback, and Sperm whales are all at risk if the Navy continues to use this technology. Even though the Navy has said they know this, they have done nothing to slow the use of LFA or other active sonar technology used in the oceans.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has asked the Navy to turn off it's Active Sonar when whales come within a certain distance from them. It is my hope the Navy does more to insure the welfare of the mammals and marine life in the oceans.

24 Years...

This picture was taken 24 years ago, little did I know all that we would go through. The ups, downs, happy as well as sad days, we have always been there for each other and I can honestly see at least 24 more years for us. We'll probably be two grouchy old people yelling at the kids to turn down the music. 

The best thing that could have happened is the day I met you, I'm not entirely sure what would have become of either of us if we hadn't had each other to lean on. Relationships don't have a magic potion to make them last, it takes work, commitment, understanding and communication. Thank goodness we have all that and more. 

Happy Anniversary, Honey. 

Rats and Whip Cream

I shared a bit of whip cream with my ratties a couple of days ago and this is what happened. Scribbles stuck his paw in it while eating as if to tell me his paw is in it, it's his now. 

He didn't mind having a sticky paw at all.

Flower started off with a few dainty licks...

and ended up with it all over her chin and whiskers. *I'm still giggling like mad over this picture*

Lucky started out slowly, "Thanks, nom nom nom" then he took a couple of bites, or tried to, "ohh this is good, nom nom nom"

"I think I need a napkin"

Review of Phantom Desire by Houston Havens

I reviewed this book for I Smell Sheep. Head on over there to read my review. :)

Mind traveler Chandra Lamar is on the run, not only from her post-catastrophic dystopian government but from a past she can’t remember. A psychic vision pushes her to recall her purpose for being, but it’s a ghost that awakens her desires for a life she fears she’ll never have. Both push her to remember the past because it threatens what she wants in the now; the Nodin men. 

Andonis Nodin battles to accept his failures. The heavy burden nearly breaks him when he can’t save the one he loves from the grim reaper’s grip; he questions his desire for Chandra, the woman he blames for the death around him. 

Nikias finds true love with Chandra in his arms, but is desperate to stop her from seeking revenge on a mission he knows is a one way trip. 

Ortello knows for them to recapture the love they once felt for each other, he must be willing to let her go. But overcoming his obsession to make Chandra his and his alone isn’t easy. 

Will Chandra go through with the vengeance in her heart or give it up for love? Who is the powerful woman in her haunting visions and will those revealing apparitions crumble her world with the Nodin clan? Does Chandra find true love in the arms of the Nodin men or does her Phantom Desire forever own her heart? 

If this sounds good to you then head over to I Smell Sheep to read my review of this book. 

The Truth About Bounty Hunters

Who really needs them?

When most people hear the term "Bounty Hunter" they think of the old time vigilantes scouring the land for bail jumpers and getting large rewards for bringing them in "Dead or Alive". Ok, well maybe not most people especially now that we have "Dog the Bounty Hunter" All over the television. I would say most Bounty Hunters follow the law and track down law breakers who have skipped bail and they get paid to bring them back.

However lets for a minute talk about those individuals that do this type of work because they like to work outside of the law and think being a Bounty Hunter gives them rights to break down any door they want and ride straight shot over peoples rights as they look for their bounty jumper.

As in any segment of society there are going to be bad apples, but did you know the laws pertaining to Bounty Hunters hadn't changed until unlicensed Bounty Hunters started breaking down the wrong doors looking for fugitives and Lawyers and congressmen started trying to change the laws and regulations pertaining to Bounty Hunters?

In an 1872 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court backed bounty hunters' power and authority. The ruling claimed, in part, that bounty hunting was "likened to the re-arrest by the sheriff of an escaping prisoner" and that the agents "may break and enter his house" to retrieve the prisoner. That has since been re-discussed as I like to say and regulations have been put on most Bounty Hunters.

I'm not saying we don't need Bounty Hunters, All I'm saying is that ALL Bounty Hunters should have to take courses, be regulated and abide by the same laws as the Police. I don't want someone who has minimal training, isn't licensed or regulated and may be carrying a gun to break into my home by accident at 2:00am yelling at me, and then later realize they have the wrong home and then I find out that I have no recourse to get reimbursed for my broken front door, screen door.

What reason will I give to my crying upset child after the "Bounty Hunters" are gone to look for their fugitive?

I think there are too many people in this field that have no business in it. With little training, almost no experience and little or no qualifications some Bounty Hunters just shouldn't be allowed to go and get bail jumpers.

All Bounty Hunters should be licensed, regulated and trained because even if people think they all are, there's always going to be a few that aren't.

Wicca: A Guide For The Beginner

Wicca is a very old religion based on love for all living creatures and for the earth. Wicca is also know as Witchcraft and to those who don't understand what being Wiccan means, they may see it as being Dark and Mysterious. Wicca actually has nothing at all to do with Satanic Rituals or Devil Worship, but there are still those out there that fear what they do not understand and give Witchcraft a bad name.

The Wiccan rede is held in high regard as one of the governing rules of all Wiccan followers and practitioners. The Wiccan Rede simply states, "An ye harm none, do as ye will." In other words, do what you want as long as it harms no one. Another principal of Wicca is the three fold law, much like Karma, it tells us that whatever you put out will come back to you. All the good a person does will come back three fold in life, as well as all the bad.

The use of Charms and Spells in Wiccan practice is quite normal. A charm is an amulet believed to have magical powers that will ward off evil influences over the wearer, or bring them good luck. A spell is considered to be a spoken incantation intended to either help one self or others. Wiccans are prohibited from doing harm to others. Spells that seek to harm, dominate, manipulate, or control another person are prohibited. Before casting a spell the caster should think about the repercussions, what they do during their magical casting's are not to be dealt with lightly.

Most Wiccan's will keep their spells in a personal Journal, or Book Of Shadows. Spells are usually copied by hand into a Book Of Shadows and may be passed down to family members. Spells may also be copied by people the original owner is teaching the craft to. A Book Of Shadows may also contain feelings, experiences and thoughts on Wicca.

There are indeed many paths and many ways newcomers to Wicca can learn about Witchcraft. By reading books on the subject a person can find different thoughts and views as well as many paths. It doesn't take very long to discover that each author has a different slant on the subject. Many differing views may confuse a newcomer and make them stop looking all together. What you need to know is there are many paths and many ways of Wicca and it's up to you to find the right path for you. The first and most important thing to remember is to read. Read as many books on the subject as you can, in this way you will find you may like one path more than another or you may want to be a Solitary Witch instead of joining a coven. Doing as much research on your own is a very good way to approach learning Wicca.

As you read many different books, with many differing thoughts on the subject, some things may appeal to you right away and some things may not. That is fine, but keep an open mind and keep reading. Acting as if this is a research paper and gathering all the information you can will help to form the path that is right for you. A solid foundation is needed to build upon and the more you read the stronger your foundation will be.

There will never be one way of practicing witchcraft, no one has the one true answer and any good teacher of the craft will tell you that. Being a Solitary Witch means practicing Wicca by yourself. Often times Solitary Witches get together and exchange information or just talk about the craft and then go back to their solitary practice. So you can do a little bit of both, you don't have to join a coven or stay alone 100% of the time.

A few of the different Wiccan paths are:

Alexandrian Wicca- which is similar to Gardnerian wicca but tends to be more eclectic and liberal.

Celtic- this path is extremely earth based and sometimes uses runes. They get most of their practices from pre-Christian Celtic traditiions as well from Ireland, Scotland Wales, as well as Druid practices.

Ceremonial- emphasis on the art and science of magic. Ceremonies are generally complex and meant to be done with a coven.

Dianic-know as the feminist Wicca. It's a mix of many different traditions but focuses on the Goddess, especially Diana.

Eclectic- An eclectic Wiccan does not follow ant strict guidelines, instead practices the beliefs that suit them best. An eclectic Wiccan will mix traditions to find their own path, using the magic that fits with their beliefs and studying the parts of the religion that they are most interested in.

Faerie Wicca- is also referred to as Fae, Fey, Faery, Fairy or Faerie, this tradition is based around Faery Lore and beliefs.

Gardnerian- is the tradition founded by Gerald Gardner. He was one of the first to go public with information about the craft. Most modern Wicca has been derived from his books and teachings. This is an extremely tradional path that requires nudity during ceremonies and has a hierarchy structure.

Hereditary- this is a where a person can trace the craft back on their family tree and was also taught the craft by a relative.

Kitchen Witch- is a type of Wicca one may practice in the home for the home and work place. This form of Wicca focuses on practicality, convenient ritual writings, and spells that include ingredients that are readily available in the home or workplace. This is ideal for someone short on time and having a tight budget.

Pictish- Scottish Witchcraft with a very strong connection to nature in all it's forms. A mostly magical practice with little emphasis on religious aspects. This is practiced by Solitary Witches.

Shamanism- this path is generally connected with contact with the spirit world and all it has to offer. Through communication with Spirits the shaman can practice healing, divination, magic and talk with spirits to see the deeper meanings of life.

Solitary- are individuals preferring to work in private rather than with a Coven or other Wiccans. Solitary Wiccans can pick any number of traditions that fit well into their life and their path.

Cyber Wicca- uses the Internet to learn from and communicate with other Witch's.

While this is not a full list of the different paths there are, with this list you can see there is much information out there.

Weekly Rat Facts: Animal Domestic Abuse

To most of us with pets, they're part of the family and we treat them as such. But in homes where there is violence, the family pet may become just another object to threaten or harm in order to keep the family members who are being abused from leaving.

Most shelters will not allow you to bring your pets with you when you leave an abusive partner, that is until now.

In Las Vegas, Nevada there is a place called Noah's Animal House. A place where people who need to go to domestic violence shelters can also bring the family pet if they feel the pet will come to harm if they leave. The Shade Tree Shelter is adding a place where resident's who stay at the shelter can temporarily house their family pets as well.

There will be veterinary services available and foster parents willing to take special pets such as farm animals that need more space.

Children who live in abusive families and also see pet abuse suffer even more trauma as a result of seeing their pets injured, or threatened with the possibility of injury.

Many times the abuser will threaten, harm or even kill a family pet in order to punish or control a child. A child of abuse is twice as likely to grow up to become an abuser him or herself.

Many pets who are abused will be very timid when the abuser gets near them, sometimes urinating on themselves out of fear, which will make the abuser angry and start the pattern of abuse all over again. Some animals will get aggressive after being abused.

From the HSUS - Family Violence and Animal Cruelty:

"My first client came in very apologetic and said, 'I have to go back home.' I tried to tell her she didn't,... she said, 'no, you don't understand.' She pulled out a picture that her mother forwarded her that her husband had sent...They were pictures of him chopping off the ears of her dog with gardening shears.

'I have to go home...If I want to save my dog's life and the lives of the other animals...I have to go home...' We never heard from her again."

-Wisconsin Domestic Violence Center Safe Haven For Pets - HSUS

Many abused people put off leaving their abuser because they are afraid of what will happen to their pets, and many times pets are harmed when the abused partner leaves.

85% of battered women who go to domestic violence shelters report that their is animal abuse in their home. Being that only a small number of women actually seek help from domestic violence shelters, the number of animals actually being abused is very high.

Freebie Friday!

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a 'Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

This week I received:

A $5 Amazon gift card from Club Skinny Cow

I haven't been a member of Club Skinny for very long and wanted to show my readers that they really do pay out and it was really easy to get enough points *2500* to get a $5 gift card. So I redeemed my points a few days ago and received an email telling me how to redeem my gift card. So I clicked on the link, put in my info...

And was able to get my Amazon gift card right away. 

Hamster Cages

Hamster cages come in different sizes, colors, materials and with many different attachments. You may feel overwhelmed when you see how many different types of cages there are to buy. Here is a small list of cages that you can readily find in places like Petsmart, Petco and places online that specialize in cages.

Crittertrail has several cages that are great for the beginner or someone buying a hamster for the first time. The Crittertrail one- is a nice small size just right for Dwarf hamsters. You really don't want to put teddy bear (Syrian) hamsters in this one as they won't have a lot of space to move around. The cages are made of hard plastic and coated wires to make sure your pet has enough ventilation.

This cage uses the bubble tubes to get from one level to the other, making it easier for your pet to move around than having to climb stairs or jump to the next level. These cages also already come with an exercise wheel and water bottle, making it easier to get everything you need all at once. This cage also has what they call a petting zone on the top of the cage that easily opens so you can pet your hamster or give him a little treat.

The Crittertrail X- is basically the same design as the Crittertrail one, but with some fun extras. This cage has a spiral slide, and wheel that sits on the top of the cage. This model also comes with the petting zone, water bottle and bubble tube to reach the petting zone, I like to call the petting zone "The Pet Apartment", as it's upstairs and they tend to sleep up there. This cage is best for dwarf hamsters or smaller hamsters.

The Crittertrail Two- has two levels for double the fun. This cage is good for any size hamster or even gerbils. There is plenty of room for your pet to move around, lots of places to sit and look out at the world around the and comes with a wheel, water bottle and petting zone. Inside are two hard plastic shelves that fit onto the inside of the cage for your hamster to sit on. Bubble tubes make it easy for your pet to get from the bottom of the cage to the petting zone in a snap, you won't believe how fast they can scramble up those tubes. This is ideal for two Dwarf Hamsters, your pets will love this cage.

The Crittertrail Three- is essentially the Crittertrail Two, just bigger. It has all the features of the Crittertrail Two plus it has three comfortable shelves for your pet to enjoy and is taller, adding more room for your pets to climb around on the coated wires, and believe me they will climb on the wires. This is a great cage for Teddy Bear (Syrian) hamsters.

The Habitrail Mini- is great for Dwarf hamsters but shouldn't be used for larger hamsters like teddy bears because they need more room. The wire cage sides and plastic floor fit together to make a great home for your pet. This cage come with a wheel, and water bottle that is neatly hidden inside a plastic mushroom.

Rotastak Tunnel Of Fun- is a two story brightly colored cage that not only is fun for your Dwarf hamster but fun for you to look at. This cage looks more like a toy your children would play with than a hamster cage. It comes with plastic tubes, food bowl, water bottle, removable plugs that allow you to attach more things to the cage if you want and a separate compartment on top of the cage that they call the "Attic Bedroom". This cage is ideal for dwarf hamsters.

Feberplast Abi Hamster Cage- is a large cage ideal for Teddy Bear (Syrian) hamsters. It gives your hamster the space it needs to move around and be comfortable. Complete with four different levels the only draw back to this one is it has ladders that your hamster has to climb in order to get to the next level. To make sure your hamster doesn't get hurt if it falls, make sure to fill the bottom with at least 4 inches of bedding. Your hamster will have a blast climbing up and down the platforms in this cage. There are two doors on the front side of the cage that open easily to give you access to your little pet.

The Crittertrail: My First Home- cages come in three sizes. One story for small hamsters, two stories for all hamsters and gerbils and three stories for all hamsters and your mutant-ly large hamsters. You laugh, I had a hamster a few years ago that wouldn't fit into any of the tubes that were meant for hamsters, he was mutant-ly large but that might be because I live by the Nellis Air Force Test Site and his ancestors probably got irradiated. These cages are ideal for all hamsters and the ease of taking apart for cleaning make them my favorite. They come with a wheel and two bowls. The 2 and 3 story models also come with plastic shelves.

Now when you get home and open the box, be warned you will not find a cage already put together. You will have to assemble these cages yourself. But if I can do it anyone can. They come with instructions and if you have problems there's always the toll free 800 number on the box. If you have a teenager around to help you, you might find you can really use their help. Or at least they will be there to laugh with you when neither of you can figure out how the parts fit together.

I would advise putting the cage together before buying a hamster and bringing him home, that way you enough time to figure out how the cage goes together and how to take it apart to clean it. Make sure you have all the bedding and food before you bring your little friend home. Have fun with your new pet and enjoy playing with them and watching them explore their new surroundings.

Be sure to buy some toys for your new Pets, they like to have little cubby holes to climb into, snuggle up and sleep. I found that the little plastic Television, Bed and Log Cabin House are real winner's with hamsters.

One note to hamster owners or people thinking of getting a hamster. Do not under any circumstances buy a cage that has wire flooring. These are not comfortable for your pet and they can break their feet if they get stuck in between the wires. Avoid these types of cages.

How To Tell If Your Hamster Is Sick

The most common hamster ailments are tumors, wet tail, runny eyes, and broken bones. Most times when your hamster gets ill you will need to take them to the Veterinarian's office and have them looked at. Your Vet can give you antibiotics, medicated baths, schedule surgery to remove tumors and give you advice on how to care for a sick animal. It's best to call local Veterinarian's offices before you bring your hamster home and find one that specializes in small animals, or what they call (Exotics). That way if your hamster does become sick you will already have the telephone number and address of a animal hospital to take him too.

Tumors
If you are handling your hamster and feel small or large lumps on your hamster, that may be a sign of a cancerous tumor. You should take your hamster to the Veterinarian right away to see if they can remove the tumor. There's no need for your hamster to suffer with a tumor that won't kill it but may make his life harder. If your hamster is old or sick and might not make it through a surgery the Vet will tell you to bring your pet back in when he looks like he's in pain, ie..stops eating, drinking water, playing or has a hard time walking. Your Vet can then put your hamster to sleep humanely.

Wet Tail
This extremely contagious and most times fatal bacteria disease is most prevalent in young hamsters but can occur to any hamster at any time. Unsanitary cages, sudden drastic changes in your hamster's diet, and stress can all bring on wet tail as well. If your hamsters gets wet tail, do not let him around or near any of your other hamsters because it can spread very fast. Clean and disinfect the hamsters cage and wash your hands after handling your hamster. You should not allow the hamster with wet tail to go anywhere other hamster might go, like on the couch where you might bring other hamster later on.

Stress lowers your hamster's immune system and may cause your hamster to get sick. To avoid this do not disturb your hamster during the day while he's sleeping. Hamster's are nocturnal and will be more than happy to come out and play after they wake up. Rudely waking your hamster up in the middle of the day, by blowing on him, shaking him, or just grabbing him will stress him out and may cause him to get sick.

Do not handle your hamster if you are sick with a cold or flu. If you hamster's cage is in the bedroom with you, you should move the cage to another room while you are sick. Hamster's can catch your cold and this may lead to wet tail. You vet can give you medicine to get your hamster healthy again.

Runny Eyes
This usually occurs when food has gotten stuck inside the pouches. The best thing to do is to take the hamster to the veterinarian and have them flush the hamster's pouches out with warm water. You could do this at home but trying to hold a hamster and stick an eye dropper inside the mouth and pouch of a squirming hamster may prove to be harder than you think.

Broken Bones
Broken bones are mainly caused by the hamster being dropped while you're holding them. To make sure this doesn't occur make sure you are holding your hamster over something soft, like a couch or chair and the height they would drop if they accidentally jump from your hands isn't more than a couple of inches. Close supervision is a requirement when young children are handling a hamster. They are fragile small creatures and will get hurt easily. If a broken bone does happen you should take your hamster immediately to the Vet's office. Sometimes the Vet can amputate the broken limb and your pet will get along just fine with three legs. If the fracture occurs someplace like in the back though, you may need to have your hamster put to sleep.

Steps you can take to keep your hamster healthy

Clean your hamster's cage at least once a week. Cleaning more may be necessary if the bedding gets wet or your hamster has diarrhea. Give your hamster small amount of fresh greens at least three times a week. Make sure you remove any uneaten fresh foods from your hamster's cage before it spoils. Always make sure the water is clean and the easily accessible. Feed your hamster a hamster food that is well balanced and meets your hamsters daily requirements. Your hamster will snack throughout the day so keeping the food bowl filled is essential.

There are treats you can give your hamster that they will love, but remember everything in moderation. Some treats are, fresh broccoli, small dog biscuits, boiled eggs, corn on the cob, apples, carrots, dry cereals, cheese, and lettuce. Giving your hamster small bits of these treats while you play with him will show him you can be trusted.

I've read several times that you should not feed your hamster meat as it may encourage them to eat their young, but if you're not breeding your hamster I see nothing wrong with little bits of meat now and again. Keep your hamster's cage in a dimly lit, draft free, quiet area of the home. Make sure your hamster's cage is big enough for your hamster to run around and have an exercise wheel as well as some other toys and a place to make a bed.

The bedding you use is very important because some things may make your hamster sick. Avoid using newspapers as the ink is harmful to your hamster. Do not use Cedar or Pine bedding as they cause skin irritations and some hamsters may get lung infections. My personal favorite is Carefresh pet bedding. I haven't seen any adverse side effects from using this bedding.

How To Make An Easter Wreath

Want to decorate your home with Easter crafts but don't want to pay the high prices the stores are charging? Well why not make them yourself, there are several Easter crafts that are easy to make and will cheer up your home.

An Easter Wreath

There are many different wreath's you can make and after you've made a few it'll be easier to make different kinds. Grapevine wreath's are the easiest in my opinion to work with and that's what I used for this Easter wreath.

What you will need:

14 inch Grapevine wreath
6 large flowers such as Lillies, wildflowers, Calla Lillies or Orchids
7 Dark blue floral bushes with stems
7 Purple floral bushes with stems
3 -10 inch twigs
20 Eucalyptus stems
15 Purple Daisy's
15 Pink Daisy's
6 Iris bushes with stems
Spanish Moss
Small birds nest
2 Small Plastic Easter eggs
2 Small colorful birds
Hot Glue gun and sticks

Begin by tearing off hand fulls of Moss and hot gluing it to the Grapevine wreath, you don't need to cover the entire thing, some bare spots are fine.Start with the outside top of your wreath and hot glue the Eucalyptus stems to the wreath, making the stems fit inside the wreath and poke out. Make sure all the decorations point in the same direction as you go around the wreath.

Now you can start adding the smaller flowers where you like around the wreath, space them around the wreath. Make the wreath look the way you want. After the smaller flowers are used up insert the large flowers, spacing them evenly apart on the front of the wreath.

Fill in any empty spaces with more moss and flowers.

Next hot glue the birds nest to the bottom inside of your wreath and hot glue the small birds and eggs into the nest.

Last insert the twigs into the center of the wreath in a diagonal manner.
Hang on your wall.


Straw Easter Wreath

You will need:

12 inch Straw wreath
8 Pink Daisy's
8 Purple Daisy's
6 Eucalyptus stems
2 Wild flower bushes
10 inch length of thin Purple ribbon
Craft Pins
Stuffed Rabbit.

Straw Wreath's are wrapped in plastic and you need to remove this plastic before you begin. Cut the Eucalyptus stems to about 5 inches long and hot glue three pointing up and three pointing down on the bottom left side of the wreath.

Hot glue the Wild flowers to the Eucalyptus stems and on the wreath just around the stems. Hot glue the Daisy's to fill in any empty spots and to make it look the way you want. All the decorations should be on the bottom left hand side of the wreath. Wrap the ribbon loosely around the wreath and tie off in the back where you can't see the knot.

Secure small stuffed rabbit to the inside center of the wreath with the craft pins.

The more wreaths you make the easier it becomes. But if you need inspiration, you can always look online for pictures of wreaths and just copy the ones you like.

Junk Mail

This flyer was in the junk mail I received in my mail box the other day. A fast food restaurant is selling a Ramen Burger. Yes, you read that right and this is totally for real. They use ramen noodles instead of buns. Nope, not gonna be eating there. lol 

Hamsters As Pets

*My hamster, Cinnamon*

Hamsters make great pets for the right people. I don't think families with children under the age of 11 should let their children take responsibility for the little creatures though. They are small and fragile and will be easily hurt if a small toddler squeezes the hamster too tightly, so I would recommend not getting one until children are a little older and can play with their hamsters nicely.

Currently there are a lot of hamsters providing enjoyment and companionship for their owners. Their gentleness, ease of care, cuteness and amusing behavior make them very good pets. Hamsters like to cuddle, eat out of your hands, sit by you, and play. They like to play with whatever is within their reach, grasping with their little claws and hind feet as well. They will climb upside down, jump off the toys in their cages and climb all over you. The love to explore so if you sit on the couch and let them run around they will be quite happy to smell every inch of the couch and you as they explore their surroundings.

Watching hamsters as they eat can be quite amusing as well. Especially for the first time observer or small child seeing their hamster stuff mounds of food into their pouches and then hide it in their cages for later. It is wise not to disturb the hamsters food pile, it makes them feel comfortable and safe to have it.

But as easily as they might seem to like to come out, they do not like their cages messed with. Their food pile should be left alone until it's time to clean their cages. Which should be done weekly. It's better to train your hamster to walk out of their cage on their own then it is to reach inside their cage and take them out. I've found that your less likely to get bitten if you don't invade their space. Most hamsters won't bite you, but some will.

Hamsters are nocturnal animals, which means they do most of their sleeping during the day and most of their playing at night. If you provide your hamster with an exercise wheel and other toys they will be quite happy to be left alone at night when you are asleep. You can however play with your hamster during the day if you wake it gently and give it time to wake up. They will be more than happy to come out and play.

Hamsters unlike other animals never need a bath. They groom themselves all the time. Most of the time when they wake up and start their nights, you will find them inside their beds grooming themselves for a while before they are ready to come out and play. Most times my hamsters will groom themselves for an hour, come get something to eat, use their toilet corner and get some water from their water bottle.

Their are different types of hamsters, a few are the Teddy Bear hamster or Syrian, The Chinese Dwarf hamster, Roborovski hamster are just a few.

I've found that the Teddy Bear hamsters are the best for pets. But they need to be kept by themselves. The are solitary animals and will fight if you put two or more together. Hamsters do make great pets for people living in apartments and have minimal room for a bigger animal. They don't require a lot of space.

Ten Games To Play With Your Pet Rat

*My first rat, Romi*

If you have a pet Rat then you already know how much fun they can be and how much attention they need. I have had several rat's and have found quite a few games you can play with them. Things to keep in mind though, if at anytime your rat seems to not like a game your playing with them, Stop!

You want to have a trusting relationship with your rat and if you do things she doesn't like she may not trust you enough next time you want to play a new game. Keep in mind these are games my rat liked to play, your rat may not like the same games mine did so not all of these may work for you.

1. Some rats love to swim and you can give them a safe place to do this. Fill your tub with about five inches of warm water. You want to make sure the water is warm, not too hot and not too cold. Your rat will swim around in the water and chase your hand in the water if you stick it in there with her. You can put in a bird ladder so they can get out if they want to.

2. Play a game of peek a boo. Just like with little kids, rats will chase you around the corner of the couch and then get excited and run the other way only to run right back when you poke your head up on the side or back of the couch.

3. My rat loved a game I call tickle my belly. What you do is hold your rat in your hand and turn them upside down and put them on the couch or bed and tickle their belly for a second. Then let them go and watch as they come back for you to do it again and again.

4. Did you know you can take your rat for a walk just like taking a dog for a walk? Buy a small animal harness at Petsmart or Petco. They are inexpensive and you'll get a lot of fun out of them. You have to let your rat get used to the harness before trying to put it on her. Put the harness down next to your rat and let her play with it, then slowly try putting part of it over her head and when you can do this you might try holding your rat and slipping the harness on her. Once she's able to go outside and walk around she'll love to get her harness on. This may take some time and patience, don't squeeze your rat while trying to put the harness on her as you may hurt her. Only take them outside when the weather is cooler, you don't want them to burn their feet on the sidewalk.

5. A pet rat loves to come out and be nosy, it's their favorite thing to do. What better way to see what's going on than to be on your shoulder as you walk outside to your mailbox or as you walk around your house. Make sure if you take your rat outdoors that it's not too hot or too cold.

6. A toilet paper tube can be a lot of fun for a rat if you hide a food treat inside it. Take some cut vegetables and put them in the middle of the cardboard tube, then fold the ends inward. Your rat will tear the tube apart to get at the treat and she will have fun doing it.

7. Get a long piece of rope and tie a knot in one end and get your rats attention and have her chase it on the floor. Your rat will grab it, flip upside down trying to hold on to it and play tug of war with you.

8. A game I loved to play was what I called Grab and Gather. I would take about ten tissues and lay them all over the couch, then put my rat on the couch and watch her go and get each piece and bring it to the corner of the couch. I would spread them out again and she would gather them all up again.

9. An exercise wheel is a must have for the rat owner, but you must make sure you don't get a metal wire wheel, instead get a solid plastic wheel or a solid wood wheel. Be aware if you get the wooden wheel your rat may chew it up, rats need wooden toys in their cage to gnaw on in order to keep their teeth at manageable lengths. If you make the mistake and get a wire wheel your rat's tail may get stuck between the wires and hurt. They may also damage their feet on the wire wheel when their feet get stuck between the wires. You don't have to keep the wheel in the cage all the time, take the wheel out and put it on the floor if you let your rat run around and watch her run in the wheel and then dash around the floor. Sit with your rat on the floor and she'll climb all over you then run in her wheel some more.

10. Rats need a lot of attention and playtime every single day. I found the best way to do this is to let them run around on the floor in a room you can 'rat proof'. Start off by making sure there are no wires, cables or anything hanging from a higher shelf that your rat could climb onto or bite into and shock herself. Make sure all exits are sealed, you can do this by tearing apart the sides of large cardboard boxes and places them where your rat might try to get out of the room. Tape them in place. Now you can put down the toys, wheel, treat filled toilet paper tubes, and large books, phone books placed like steps for your rat to run up and down on work really well. She will have fun and you will have fun sitting on the floor with her. If you can't rat proof an entire room you can give them free time on the couch or bed with you.

Have fun with your new friend and she'll reward you with little ratty kisses.

Freebie Friday!

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a 'Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to samples like these at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received all of this from Costco.
4 newborn diapers
2 packs of baby wipes
Baby shampoo
Baby Formula
and a $5 check to spend on Similac formula at Costco.

My next door neighbor just had a baby so she was very happy to get all of these freebies.

Did you receive anything free this week?