Funny Story

This morning our family got up at 6:00 A.M. in order to take our DMD's pet rabbit to the vet for a procedure (Neuter). Zanipolo Emilio has recently begun spraying or marking HIS territory. We expected this behavior at HIS age and had planned on having to have this procedure done. HE was not happy with the car ride and definitely knew that we had left HIS home. DMD was nervous for HIM but we got HIM checked in and after explaining to the vet tech that HE would only drink out of HIS water bottle we left. We were scarcely half way back across town when my phone rang. The caller identified herself as the vet and after quickly reassuring me that Zanipolo was fine, informed me that she could not preform a neuter on HIM because HE is really a SHE! Why, she wondered, did we think that SHE was a HE? Well, honestly the breeder that we had purchased the rabbit from told us that SHE was a HE and having no reason to question it we never looked. Apparently little girls mark their territory just as much as boys so we gave the okay for HER to be spayed today instead of neuters. This is considerably more invasive than what we had planned for and after care will require more attention. Zanipolo EmiliO just became Zanipolo EmiliA.

I am sensing a theme in our families failure to identify rodent sexes. See recent Hamster escapades as well as our DOD's guinea pig story.

Only at our house

Dear friends of ours offered us one of their hamsters. As the story goes, they purchased one hamster and all of the paraphernalia as a Christmas gift for their son . As a stocking stuffer they picked up a second hamster for their daughter. They soon discovered that while they thought they had two females they really had a male and a female. They returned the male in exchange for another female so to prevent any breeding. The two females were from separate litters and after 24 hours it was very quickly decided that they were not going to get along. On her way to return this little one to the pet store she stopped at our house to deliver a beautiful Christmas tray and of course mentions the hamster. Henrietta was welcomed by our son Zach as his own personal hamster and much fun ensued. All is well. Until two days ago when to our complete surprise, our son discover EIGHT newborn hamsters! SURPRISE! The picture above is not one of our babies. Everywhere we looked for information said it was very important to leave momma and babies alone for the first two weeks. The only contact we have had was to make sure there was fresh water and food available once a day. The first day we discovered the babies we dropped a couple Kleenexes into the cage. Henrietta immediately set about making a nest for her babies. They are now enshrouded from view in a nest, which we will not disturb for another week and a half. We are just praying that they all survive. It would totally gross us out if she ate them.

This brings the pet population at our house to:

two dogs

one cat

one rabbit

two canaries

one African dwarf frog

and nine hamsters.

We just got rid of one hundred and eighteen snails and two visiting dogs. Now I have to find hamster homes. My sister though maybe they would take one. We will probably keep one. That leaves six to go. Only at our house would this happen.