HAMDOPTION 2008 / Wilhelm Day!

It's time for the third annual Wilhelm Day, named after the hamster who inspired me to found the New York Hamster House over THREE years ago! In those three years, we've adopted out over FIVE HUNDRED hamsters (and assorted other cuties), finding them safe and happy forever homes.

HAMDOPTION 2008 is taking place on Sunday, September 7th, from noon to 4pm. The goal is to adopt out as many hamsters as possible into homes with loving families. If you are looking to adopt a hamster, please stop by that day! And if you know friends, family, or neighbors who are looking for a pet that is easy to care for and fun to play with, please tell them to come to HAMDOPTION 2008 / Wilhelm Day!

I will have between 20-30 baby syrian hamsters (brown, white, cream, peach, and banded) ready for adoption that day, along with some dwarf hamsters and gerbils. Right now, the hamster house is FULL, which means that the more hamsters I adopt out, the more I can continue to take in and find homes for.

When: Sunday, September 7th, from noon to 4pm

Where: New York Hamster House, located in Inwood (upper Manhattan)

How: A train to 190th, 1 train to Dyckman, or easily by car or cab

Why: To adopt the awesomest, cutest hamster ever! 

If you'd like to come the Wilhelm Day, please let me know and I will be happy to email you directions. If you want to come but aren't looking to adopt, no worries--you can come by and help clean cages, or organize supplies. And if you can't come during those times but want to adopt, email me (hamsters@thejessicawells.com) and let me know. 

Please, spread the word about this adoption day! Come on down and get yourself a hamster!

Bowls of Babies!

Life is intruding on my web-update time, so I'm taking the lazy route and instead posting up the pics of the new babies on the blog. Don't hate me!

Anyway, here are the new babies. They will be ready for adoption SOON--early September. Two more posts to come this week will include 1) other adoptable hamsters and gerbils and 2) information about the upcoming HAMDOPTION 2008, aka Wilhelm Day, to be held at the Hamster House on September 7th. Mark your calendars!

Anyway, without further ado, the babies:

The 9 babies from litter #1 (born ~August 6th).

The 8 babies from litter #2 (born ~August 10th):

The 5 babies from litter #3 (born ~August 12th):
(note their size relative to the clothes pin on the blanket!)

Get ready for Hamdoption 2008 / Wilhelm Day, because as you can see there is enough cute to go around!!!!

Oh Baby!

About two weeks ago, I took in seven young syrian hamsters from a man who had rescued them in the Bronx. They had been abandoned outside the Bronx Zoo--as many animals are, which makes no sense because the zoo doesn't take them in or anything. However, this guy actually does quite often take in the animals he finds left out in the cold or heat.

Anyway. So this guy finds seven hamsters wandering around--no cage, no water, no food, no shelter, on a really insanely hot NYC day. He took them in, and separated them by gender, hoping that none were pregnant. He then brought them down to the Hamster House, and I took them all in.

Then I had a whirlwind two weeks, during which I had new windows installed, my boyfriend moved in, and I went on a week-long vacation to San Francisco. My wonderful neighbor J watched the hamsters while I was gone and did a great job, giving them water and food and making sure that no one escaped.

However, when I came home and went to clean the cages... I found not ONE, not TWO, but THREE brand-new litters of babies. THREE LITTERS OF TEN BABIES EACH. In case you haven't learned multiplication yet, that means I now have thirty babies to deal with. I took pictures of two of the litters, but by the third litter I just wanted to cry.

Litter One (born ~August 6th)

Litter Two (born ~August 10th)

Needless to say, they are not yet ready for adoption. I'm guessing that they will be weaned off mama by the end of this month, at which time I will separate them by sex. They can then stay that way until they start fighting, which could be one week later or could be a month later. At that time, they will each need their own cage, wheel, food and water. THIRTY hamster setups. It's not that I don't have extra cages--I do have some. But.... I can't afford, in time, money, or space, to have that many hamsters.

I thereby announce a HUGE HAMSTER ADOPTION PARTY to be held in late August or early September. I'll post more details as I have them, but MAN, will I need your guys' help to promote this and to get people to come and adopt!

Wish me luck :)