#lilpocketbears

[lilpocketbears]

First things first - yes, this is a tiny cage. Yes, this is a tiny wheel. Darn, even the water bottle is tiny. This photo was taken soon after we got home after I picked this wee one up from the folks who had posted "him" to Craigslist. He was introduced to me as "Dumbledore" after I asked if he had a name. The folks who dropped him off were very kind but the cage and conditions and some of their vague answers when I asked about the hamster left me feeling that they didn't really know much about hamsters and probably didn't really know what sex Dumbledore is. A few days ago, I managed to safely scruff Dumbledore and my plans to add on "Albus" to his name went out the window as I realized that Albus' sister, Ariana, may be a more fitting name as Dumbledore turned out to be female. Not that I don't think a female can have the name Dumbledore, but I really like the name Ariana, so... This is Ariana, aka Ari. She's a dwarf hybrid and she's got enough Winter White in her genes that she's turning silver and white for the season. (Her Craigslist photos taken in October showed a much darker gray hamster.) She's very cute, sassy, and omigosh I love her furry feetsies!! . . . . . . . #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram #lilpocketbears #syrianhamsters #mesocricetusauratus #hamsters #hamster #introduction #phodopuscampbellixsungorus #dwarfhybrid https://www.instagram.com/p/BrhlPa1g8nn/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ct4huly3durp

[lilpocketbears]

For last year's Christmas shoot, Juniper gave me this little gem - a derpy tongue! She's only my second derpy tongue catch ever on camera (Willow being the first) and I was delighted that she derp-a-lerped for me for last year's Christmas card. There's always gotta that *one*, right? I hope there's tons of sunflower seeds and nom noms to lick wherever you are, Juni-bear. . . . . . . . #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram #lilpocketbears #syrianhamsters #mesocricetusauratus #hamsters #hamster #memorial #juniper #juniperbear #goldenvintage #vintageham https://www.instagram.com/p/BrhjahBAVqX/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=13lus17xw18qf

[lilpocketbears]

Golden autumn leaves, Golden banded hamster, Golden heart. . . . . . . . . #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram #lilpocketbears #syrianhamsters #mesocricetusauratus #hamsters #hamster #memorial #juniper #juniperbear #goldenvintage #vintageham https://www.instagram.com/p/BrhjGlJAp8j/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=11q6dhvo2hin1

[lilpocketbears]

Almost near the end as far as my massive catch-up I've needed to do before I feel I can move into present time. (I mentioned some posts back about my thing for chronological order and how when I got lax in posting, I have a hard time posting new stuff without posting all the past intros and memorials first. So operates my brain.) Juniper is another one of those memorials. She passed away in September after having lived a long life - she was about 2 years old. She was one of the sweetest hamsters, very much like Willow, with an easy disposition (though she was more into exploring than Willow). She took part in a random Hanukkah photo shoot I did back in 2016 after noticing that the only holiday photos hamsterfolks were posting in the groups featured Christmas. Some of my friends are Jewish and some celebrate Hanukkah, so I wondered if there were Jewish hamsterfolks who might like to see their holiday in the sea of Christmas trees. If Juniper were Jewish, I think she'd very much like to play with dreidels as she was quite...interested...in the ones used for the shoot. It's a bit late and the holiday has passed, but for those following who celebrate Hanukkah, I hope it was a peaceful holiday for you this year and may next year's be well. . . . . . . . #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram #lilpocketbears #syrianhamsters #mesocricetusauratus #hamsters #hamster #memorial #juniper #juniperbear #goldenvintage #vintageham https://www.instagram.com/p/Brhi31PgG-S/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=cnz9uribyy64

[lilpocketbears]

Also hailing from the Great White North is Castor's sister, Andromeda. (Or just Andy for short!) Where Castor seems shy and a bit doopy, Andy has zero fs to give and no regrets. And I love her dearly for that. Within her first month here, she chewed through her 50 gallon bin cage and spent a weekend in hamster jail until I was able to remedy the situation. This look on her face? Typical. "Ma, I don't cares what I did - gimme treats! Or give me death!" She'll be a patriot in no time in this minuteman state. Like her brother Castor, she too was born on July 24, 2017 at @hathorhamstery, and shares the same parental units as Castor. She also is a honey colored hamster like her brother and one of her nicknames is "Honey Bear". She was briefly mistaken for a chicken nugget after crossing the border. True story. I have evidence. LOL . . . . . . . . #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram #lilpocketbears #syrianhamsters #mesocricetusauratus #hamsters #hamster #introduction #andromeda #andy #canadianham #hathorhamstery #noodlebabies #noodles #astronomy #honeybear #honeyhams #canadianhams https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgV9EAgbIU/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=6i5c8fsssbzk

[lilpocketbears]

Finally, I've caught up to one of the most exciting introductions I've been dying to share! This pocket-Pooh-bear is Castor and he came all the way from Ontario, Canada! He's a @hathorhamstery hamster, one of the Noodles litter that was born on July 24, 2017! Back in August, Juli of @strongbrewhams and Sarah of @gchrescue trekked down to the USA with Castor and his soon-to-be-introduced traveling companions, thus giving me an opportunity to adopt Canadian hams(ters). Castor's mama is SBH's Linguini, a delightful little chunk and his siblings include the notorious drywall devourer, Evie (who now resides with Sarah). He gets his dashing honey color from his papa, Galileo. I love this little chunk! . . . . . . . #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram #lilpocketbears #syrianhamsters #mesocricetusauratus #hamsters #hamster #introduction #castor #canadianham #hathorhamstery #noodlebabies #noodles #astronomy #honeybear #honeyhams #candianham https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgVP5OA7QW/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1vk07n7q0vli1

[lilpocketbears]

Sharing Tiger with you makes me happy but also makes me sad. Unfortunately, his time with me was short - early in November, almost three months to the day from when he came to live with me, I found Tiger curled up in his forever sleep. I had just checked on him and been playing with him a few hours before - in fact, this is one of the last photos taken of him, hours before he passed. He seemed healthy, no obvious ailments, and had actually just celebrated a milestone - by mid-September, he had regained full use of his rear legs. He toddled around a bit slower than your average dwarf hamster but he was walking and that was awesome! A few weeks before he passed, he had run on his wheel for the first time, and the week before he passed, he'd finally figured out his saucer. I don't know why he passed so young, other than perhaps there was some underlying genetic thing or injury from his first family or what. For the short time he was with me, though, he was one of the happiest hamsters I've ever had. And for my first dwarf hybrid, he was the sweetest ever. He used to snuggle with me in his little bed (pictured). How many dwarves have you ever seen snuggle with their hoomans? . . . . . . . #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram #lilpocketbears #syrianhamsters #mesocricetusauratus #hamsters #hamster #introduction #memorial #tomahawktiger #flyingtiger #disabledhamster #paraplegichamster #purplehearthamster #phodopuscampbellixsungorus #dwarfhybrid https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgKArlApMN/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=xbemc6cvsipd

[lilpocketbears]

Tiger's full name was Tomahawk Tiger - due to his injury, I felt that he needed a nice strong name. Within a few days of him being home with me, he was already starting to regain movement in his rear legs. He reminded me a lot of a friend who passed some years back who had been injured skiing years before and ended up paralyzed from the waist down. That friend had eventually been able to walk again, with the aid of a cane, and eventually returned to skiing. His determination to walk again reminded me of Tiger and so Tiger was named after him...in a way. One of the mutual interests we'd had was our love of flying. He loved the Flying Tigers, an outfit of pilots who helped the Chinese fight the Japanese prior to US formal involvement in WWII. The Flying Tigers flew a fighter called the P-40, generally known as the "Warhawk" - but the P-40 model that the Flying Tigers flew was known as the "Tomahawk". So, this little hamster's name became Tomahawk Tiger, in honor of Bob, and we just call him Tiger for short. . . . . . . . #hamstersofig #hamstersofinstagram #lilpocketbears #syrianhamsters #mesocricetusauratus #hamsters #hamster #introduction #memorial #tomahawktiger #flyingtiger #disabledhamster #paraplegichamster #purplehearthamster #phodopuscampbellixsungorus #dwarfhybrid https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgHssXghGs/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=taih50be3n3h