Ficticious account...not even loosely based on reality.

Name: Tina
Type: Hamster
Breed: Teddy Bear
Age: 8 months

Length of Stay: 15-20 hours
Special instructions: If Tina dies, please replace her with another, very similar looking hamster.

Our Story
Tina arrived late in the afternoon. Her mommy and daddy said they would be arriving around 3pm, but I did not get the opportunity to meet this precious girl until close to 4pm. The weather is cool, about -5 degrees and there are some clouds. I recommend covering the cage during transport of Tina to prevent illness due to a draft. She seemed a little chilly when she arrived.

4pm-5pm - Tina and I took a little time to used to one another. I let her sniff around her cage to get used to the new smells. I have begun adding one drop of my house water into her water every 10 minutes to get her used to my distilled water. Distilled water will be better for her system.

5-6pm - Tina showed some interest in leaving her cage so we both decided it might be nice to explore the living room. Although I have no hamsters of my own, I have place several rodent friendly toys around the house. Various tubes for them to run through and things of that nature. The weather is changing a bit. I feel a little precipitation in the air. I'm sensing that Tina feels it too. Her hair seems electrically charged. Have you noticed this at all?

6-7pm - We settle in for a late dinner. I bring Tina to the table in her cage and we share some greens. She seems to be enjoying my organic selections. Have you considered switching her to an organic diet? Also, note that her urine has a pleasing odor due to my distilled water.

7-8pm - I get on the elliptical and I can see Tina looking at me longingly. I set up the ball for her and we run along side each other. I think there was a moment when our hearts we beating in sync. What a fit girl she is!

8-9pm - The weather has turned for the worst and a storm has moved in. Tina seems a little frightened so we will both sleep in the basement this evening. I have set my alarm for every 45min to check on her.

9:45, 10:30, 11:15, Midnight, 1:45, 2:30, 3:15, 4:00, 4:45, 5:30, 6:15 - Woke up to check on Tina. Don't worry, I didn't wake her. I simply laid my head near her to check if she was breathing. She was.

7am - Tina and I woke up. We had a light breakfast of more organic greens. I also gave her some of my home-made honey stick...she LOVED it. I will send her home with some for a special treat. We watch the news and wait for mommy and daddy to pic her up

8:30am - You have just called and are around the corner. It's like she knows your coming, her eyes just lit up!

Thank you so much for trusting me with Tina's Care. Although I am not a vet or a professional of any kind and even though I do not personally own a hamster, these are my recommendations for Tina.
1) Switch to distilled water in her water tube. There is a noticeable difference in her odor.
2) Consider organic greens. Much better on the system. Do you really want her ingesting all those pesticides?
3) Get her eyes checked. She seemed to be squinting a lot, especially in the dark. This may be a sign of early onset diabetes.
4) Cover her cage during transport. Would you got out without a coat?
5) Gah, I don't know why, but I have the slightest suspicion that Tina may like to eat ham. Or maybe not.
Total Cost for Services Rendered = $16.50