Our Pets,
Our Children
Jolly
We're sorry for the quality of the pictures of Jolly. We hadn't been
married that long and didn't have a good camera when they were taken.
Flight Sergeant Jolly, Battlestar Galactica, Viper Pilot Hamster Squadron- Hey, if Snoopy could fly his doghouse Sopwith Camel Jolly in WW I could fly his food dish Viper into battle to rid the universe of the pesky Cylon scourge!
Jolly wasn't with us as long as we had hoped. He contracted wet tail and died after a long battle that he refused to concede. Due to his pain, we had to have him put to sleep.
My story “Fiber Optic Hamster,” about Jolly's after death visitation, was published in Haunted Encounters Personal Stories of Departed Pets (Atriad Press, 2004). http://home.att.net/~s.c.ninlil.c.b/Anthologies.htm
Rheagan
Rheagan was our second fuzz face and the first of the Cavy's. Guinea pigs aren't as fragile health wise as hamsters and live a lot longer. Rheagan lived to be five years old.
Wallace
Wallace was named after William Wallace the Scottish hero. Wallace used to carry Stoy around the cage, use him for a pillow and as a platform to give his speeches about how things should be. He often made Stoy stand guard over the food stash.
Wallace's hero was the vampire Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and he was head over heels in love with Ivanova on Babylon 5. He'd stop whatever he was doing to stare at her when she was onscreen. He also loved to listen to Judy Garland!
Unfortunately, we lost Wallace due to old age in February 2005. He would have been 6 years old in April. We buried Stoy with him.
Kelly's story "Comforting Mommy" about Wallace coming back to comfort Kelly after his sudden death was published in FATE Magazine's My Proof of Survival Column http://www.fatemag.com/ in July 2005.
Boots
Boots is a dwarf hamster. He became a part of the family in August 2004, when Kelly got him from a family member. They bonded to one another the first time Kelly held him. He was named by one of our nieces after a character from Dora the Explorer. To us, he was Boots 'N' Saddles the Cavalry Hamster 21st. Century mascot of the 1st. Michigan and 9th Michigan Cavalry Regiments respectively.
Unfortunately, we lost Boots to old age in April 2006.
Sheba
Sheba was a feral kitten abandoned by her mother in 2005. Kelly took her in and wanted to keep her but she was very ill. Unable to afford the Vet bills, we took her to the Humane Society. She suffered from an upper respiratory infection that was highly contagious, since they didn't have an isolation ward, they put her to sleep. This became one of the saddest days of Kelly's life!
Kelly plans to adopt a Tabby kitten in the future and give her everything she couldn't give her little Shebbers.
Pippin
Peregrine Took "Pippin" is named after a character in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Pippin's heroes are the Predators! He goes nuts when Predators are fighting! He has a major crush on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Sarah Michelle Geller).
Bear
Bear was given to us in September 2005 by some neighbors who will be moving out-of-state and can't take him along. Bear is the family inventor. He's working on a way to grab food from his dish and eat it while running on his wheel. His plans are to patent it and sell it to hamsters everywhere!
Bear passed away August 10, 2007 due to old age.
Five Wild Mice
Stryder on wheel, Gandalf on the log, first head Meredoc, second head Legolis, Aragorn cleans himself
In August 2006, we became the parents of five wild mice caught in my neighbor's house in sticky traps. I freed them using vegetable oil and they moved into Boots' old aquarium. They are named Gandalf the Grey, Legolis, Meredoc, Stryder and Aragorn. Unfortunately, we had to release them into the wild this past summer because Kelly couldn't get them to completely trust her and it made it difficult to care for them.
Hermione Granger
Richard has always wanted a rat. When we went to the pet store, I put my hand down into their pen and said, "Who wants me for a mama?" Hermione fought off all the other rats and even climbed the bottle stand and tried to jump into my arms so we took her home! Her nicknames are Mione, Girly Girl and Girlers.
Arwen
We got Arwen so Hermione would have a little sister to keep her company. Right now Hermione is too big to play with Arwen so they live in separate houses; but we do take them out and let them cuddle. Arwen's nickname is Squeaks because she talks a lot! Like her brother Pippin, she likes to eat and watch TV! She lays across her food dish on the second level of her cage for easier access.
Pets Links
Guinea Pigs A Cavy Care Guide: http://exoticpets.about.com/library/weekly/aa031401a.htm
OinkerNet: http://www.oinkernet.com/oinkrnet.htm
Pet Website: Hamster Health http://www.petwebsite.com/health.htm
