Zarya is my adorable little teddy bear hamster. I guess she is not so little now that she has a litter of pups. I got her and Sirius (my boy hamster) last April 29, 2011 when they were just over four weeks old. They were tiny, smaller than the palm of my hand. Sirius seems to be the calm one, just going along and enjoying the toys that I provide them. He also has minimal issues with handling and bathing. Zarya, on the other hand, seems to be the suspicious one. She bites before sniffing anything that I give her, even my hands. However, I kept them in one cage as I have not observed violent fighting between them. Little did I know that instead of fighting, they were busy making magic happen. The day before their 10-week-old home-sweet-home anniversary (yesterday, July 14, 2011), Zarya gave birth. I think neither of us expected that Zarya would become a mother so soon. I did not notice any drastic changes in her weight, though she has been behaving like crazy for the past few days, even dragging Sirius out of their home where she built her nest. I guess when I saw the stack of bedding and food in their home, I should have suspected that she was building a nest. Silly me. Anyway, it was a good thing that I cleaned out the cage two days before this blessing happened. Then again, it was the only thing that I got right.
Day 0 - It was around 12:30 in the afternoon, I was about to have lunch, so I passed by my hamsters' cage on my way to the kitchen. I did not have my glasses on, but I was pretty sure I saw a squishy red thing on the steps of my hamsters' home. I looked closer and saw that it was moving. I thought that it was a lizard, so I took a step back and I started to panic. As Zarya was on her way down the steps, I saw that there was another one sticking out of her backside. I got my glasses and looked around to see that there were already two of those things inside their home. That's when I realized she was in the process of delivering her pups. I was so worried because Sirius was still inside the cage, and I did not have a spare cage. I have read that I should get the boy hamster out because he tends to eat the pups. Also, I have read that I should not disturb Zarya because she may also eat the pups. I called the nearest vet, no answer. I called my ever-reliable friends, my mom, my brother, my aunt, and it just so happened that everyone had something going on. I was alone, I did not know what to do, so silly me, I resorted to online help via Twitter and Facebook. Still nothing. I was in a hurry to run down the pet shop two streets away. I bought the biggest cage they have, and asked for help on handling the newborns and, of course, my dear Zarya. The shopkeeper just told me to be calm, take Sirius away for fourteen days, then try not to startle Zarya in any way. I paid, said thanks, and ran back to the condo. I felt like I was about to blow up, my hands and legs were shaking as I knew that those six pups' lives and Zarya's life depended on me. At the end of the day, I was relieved to see that the pups (I'm not sure how many there are as of now because they're all tangled together under Zarya's warm body) and my precious Zarya are doing ok. On top of that, I was able to bring my family to work together by keeping calm and avoiding shouting.
Day 1 - I woke up extra early to check on Zarya and the pups. I was disappointed to see two pups outside the nest, and it was devastating to see that Zarya ate them. It was sad and horrid, but I know that it is part of nature. I know that my little rodent is smart enough to know that those two pups would be better off in another world. Nonetheless, they are still part of the family and I have decided to name them Cherub and Skylar. I hope that they are doing much better than their short life here with me. I had a peek in the nest today. I still could not count how many pups are there, but I think there are about four wriggling and yawning little angels. I have already listed names for them, but I am gonna wait till they are weaned and sexed before I name them. I don't want to end up with a girl named Sigmund, haha.
Day 2 - Little ears start to appear on the babies' heads. I took a peek at their nest while Zarya was eating. Confirmed! There are six adorable pups. Zarya seems to be doing better as well. She leaves the nest once in every few hours to play around the cage. I am just worried that she might tire herself out.
Day 3 - I woke up this morning because mom was talking to Zarya. Apparently, three of the pups rolled out of the nest and fell on the ground floor of their two-story home through the slide. I got worried when Zarya would not carry them back upstairs with the rest of her kids, but I knew better than to carry them myself. I just had to have faith in Zarya's maternal instinct. Later on instead of moving the three pups back up, she just carried the remaining three downstairs and built a new nest there. Honestly, it was be more convenient for everyone. She wouldn't have to strain herself to go down every time she eats, the pups wouldn't be in the risk of falling again, and it would be easier for me to check on them. I am more confident now that Zarya and her pups are going to make it through the crucial two-week period.Day 4 - not much change this day. It's just that Sirius has been acting a little down. He does not play in the wheel or the tubes. He also fell asleep in the exercise ball. I was worried that he might be sick. I examined him, but nothing seems to be wrong. I cleaned his cage. He ran around for a few minutes after that, but he slept again almost immediately after. Later that night, I moved Zarya and the babies' cage near Sirius'cage. Zarya and Sirius started sniffing. I think they recognized each other's scents. Sirius miraculously became hyperactive again. It was like he was trying to find a way to get to where Zarya was. Zarya was doing the same. It's just a cute little hamster love story on top of the wonderful blessing of six new lives.
Day 5 - I just noticed that one of the pups has a bad foot. His/her hind right leg seemed crippled. He/she also looks smaller than the rest of the pups. I guess I have found the runt in this litter. I guess he/she just needs a little extra love and attention.
Day 6 - Most of the pups already know how to walk on their own. One pup already has dark pigments which means I might go ballistic in trying to distinguish them. They might all be white!
Day 7 - My pups are a full week old! Yay! I threw them a mini cucumber party as I saw that they are already trying to munch on mommy's food. They are starting to look like little Zarya and little Sirius. One more week and they would hopefully be independent![TO BE CONTINUED]
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