The Beginning

It all began in June of 1995 with one "Teddy Bear" hamster named Grey. He lived in a small wire cage on the desk in my bedroom until I found a 10-gallon aquarium with lid and accessories at a garage sale for $1.00. Grey was the best hamster I have ever had, he was so calm and laid-back. I now know, from what I have learned about colors and types of hamsters, that Grey was a long-haired sable Syrian hamster.

Then one day I decided I wanted another hamster. My second hamster was an albino Russian dwarf named Bonkers (and he was bonkers!). I didn’t like Bonkers very much because he always bit me. I had to scoop him out of the cage in a cup and once he was in my hands he was fine.

In September of 1996 I bought my first female hamster. Chloe was a black-eyed cream banded, short-haired, female Syrian, except one of her eyes was black and the other was red. Here are a couple of pictures of Chloe with her first litter (Yes, I know I was using cedar bedding... I must have ran out of pine, and I used cedar for my bunny at the time. I know better now!).

In September of that year I decided to breed Grey and Chloe, and on September 26, 1996, 9 babies were born. I kept two baby boys… Irie (because he was "iridescent" looking), a black-eyed cream satin male and Bandit, a sable banded male. I kept Irie and Bandit together in the same cage until they were about 4 ½ months old. Then I cleaned their cage one day, separating them while I did it, and when I put them back together, they fought. Bandit wound up loosing an eye because of it. This is why I would never recommend anyone trying to keep two Syrian hamsters together… I found out the hard way. The first picture here is of the whole litter of babies... Irie and Bandit are the two climbing on the stick, in the upper right-hand corner. The second picture is of Irie and Bandit in their "house" before the big fight occured.

In November of 1996 I brought home a 4th hamster. She was a dark, black-eyed cream, female Syrian, named Sable. Sable was already full grown when I got her and shortly after getting her, I bred her to Irie. On December 4, 1996, she gave birth to a litter of 11 babies. Chloe also had a second litter just a few days before Sable. Unfortunately this is the only picture I have of Sable with one of her litters. I know you can't really even see her, but I wanted to put it up anyway.

Later that month, Belle was added to my fast-growing hamster “collection.” Belle was a red-eyed white, long-haired, female Syrian. I eventually bred Belle to Bandit a couple of times the following year. This is one of Belle's litters from October of 1997. I don't have any pictures of Belle, but I wish I did.

In March of 1997 my dad changed jobs and we moved from West Michigan to Southeast Ohio. Before we moved, I gave Irie to one of my neighbors. I had also accumulated a second male dwarf hamster, and I ended up giving him to a friend from school. We moved 6 hamsters to Ohio with us (not to mention a rabbit, a bird, 2 fish, 2 aquatic frogs, 2 cats, and a dog!)… Grey, Chloe, Sable, Belle, Bandit, and Bonkers, the Russian dwarf!

Shortly after we moved to Ohio I decided I hated it here. My parents and I finally agreed that I would move back to MI and stay with a friend until I was finished with my junior year of high school. Before I went back I had to give Sable and Bonkers to a pet store downtown. My mom was nice enough to take care of my other 4 hamsters for me while I was gone.

I returned in June and continued breeding every so often. I found a very nice pet store nearby that I sold babies to when I had them.

In August of 1997 I bought another female Syrian who I named Nestle. She was a very dark golden color with short hair. I bred her to Bandit in September and she had 12 beautiful babies. I ended up giving her away shortly after that because I thought I had too many hamsters (If I had only known where I’d be today!)

Grey died in December of 1997 of liver failure… that was a very sad day.

I got Nugget in August of 1998, and Patches in December. Chloe died sometime in between, but I still had Bandit. Bandit died shortly after Patches had her first litter at the end of January 1999.

So I was left with just Nugget and Patches. I didn’t keep any babies from Patches first litter, but just a few months later, someone decided they didn’t want the baby they had taken, so I took him back. This was Petrie. I found a another new home for Petrie a few months later, and just recently recieved him back again. I don't know what was so wrong with him, he's been such a sweetheart! He's over 2 years old now.

I did keep two babies from Patches’ second litter though, Biskit and Checkers. Biskit was suppose to go with me to MI to live with one of my friends, but she decided she didn’t want him. I had fallen in love with him in the mean time, so I kept him and found a new home for Checkers.

I also had gotten Grizzly in July of 1999, right around the time that Patches’ 2nd litter was weaned. I bred Grizzly to Patches in September and I kept Cinnamon from that litter, and I still have her now. I also kept Scarlet from Patches’ 4th, and last litter, but I have since sold her.

In August of 1999 I got started with Russian dwarfs again. I had no idea they came in so many wonderful colors!! I did some research on them first, and finally came home with 3 wonderful new faces one day… Tiny, Nibbles, and Bianca. Tiny and Bianca were from the same store and they were suppose to be 2 boys! I found out later that one was a female, and decided to get a different male to pair up with her for breeding (that was Nibbles). A week or two later I got Peanut and paired her up with Tiny for breeding.

Well that pretty much says it all! From then on my hamstery has just grown and grown, and I have been learning more and more about hamsters ever since! Now I am in a position where I am teaching others about hamsters and breeding, and I’m so glad that I am able to do that! I also have Heavenly Hamsters and AAA Hamsters to thank for all the wonderful advice and information they have given while I was getting started, and of course the beautiful hamsters I have also acquired from them! Lorraine Hill, and her Complete Hamster Site, has also been a great guide for information on breeding, genetics, and colors.

And that’s how Happy Critter Hamstery came to be what is today! :)