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For example the hamster. I've never seen a happy hamster. They spend all day mindlessly sleeping, awaiting the nighttime. When nighttime finally rolls around -- or more accurately, early morning -- they continuously search for escape. With all the hamsters that I've had, their favorite activity is to climb on top of the water bottle squeezing themselves into a dreadfully painful looking position and proceed to try and chew through the top of their cage. There are two problems with this. One it makes a horrible noise, and no matter how sound a sleeper you are it will wake you up. Two, many times the hamster does manage to chew out of its cage and escape. This then creates several problems for the hamster, as it probably isn't escaping into its normal environment (the desert). It can die of several natural causes, namely starvation or dehydration. It can also be eaten by other domesticated animals such as the indoor house cat.

Through my life it seems that I've always been running from hamsters. Their futile struggles depress me yet people seem to feel that I am a hamster person. This feeling results in an abundance of hamsters. Many of my hamsters have met the awful fate of ingestion by the cat. One was a class pet and was shut in a desk. We rushed it to the vet hospital, but alas it was too late. All of these deaths have been met with tears, funerals, and gifts of more hamsters. I finally thought I was free of the hamster curse when a friend of mine recently dropped out of college to travel (sound familiar), and once again I became the proud owner of a hamster named Caterpillar but more commonly known of as Hammy.

This in no way relates to Hamster bonG who I believe is a wonderful writer. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual person or pet, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
I stumbled across this node just today, I wish someone had brought it to my attention sooner, but I suppose I'll find all of the hamster'y nodes eventually.

First things first, hamsters really aren't very domesticated.. you might be able to make them friendlier towards you by giving them food and playing with them, but good luck trying to lead your hamster around on a leash, or picking it up when it really doesn't want to be. These little guys are their own creatures.. though, I do feel the same way. The only thing I suggest for anyone who worries about the tiny little space their poor hamsty lives in, is to get a bigger one. Also, it can be fun to take them outside when it's nice and warm and set them beneath the cage top or let them crawl around by your legs. They are generally pretty overwhelmed and won't take off, but it's a nice introduction to a natural environment.

There are many creatures that should have never been domesticated.. horses, in some instances it isn't so bad, but I've experienced firsthand just how stupid people can be in regards to "lame" or sick horses. Ah well.. what am I trying to say here?

Keeping a hamster caged up is pretty cruel, but not much more so than setting it free outside where it would just be killed right away, due to lack of experience. So, if you've a hamster.. instead of trying to figure out ways to "set it free", accomodate, get it a bigger place to live, make it more comfortable. The reason they chew on bars is because they love to chew. Of course, they're also chewing to try and get out, but they would chew whether they wanted to get out or not.. they're nibbly creatures.

I am a not a hamster myself, but rather a female rodent smoking device. I can identify with these little guys.. I'm quite trapped in the universe, in this house.. in my life. I know how it feels, and that's why I'm packing up and moving me and my hamster joel'y out to the countryside this summer for some freedom.

It doesn't really matter where you go, you're contained, you've limitations, things you can't control. The hamsters have even less control than you.. so keep in mind, they are kept in pretty tiny cages, and there are things you can do to make their existence a little less bleak. So do them.

Also of note, what on earth type of cages have you been keeping your hamster's in Chester darling? They really shouldn't be able to chew through the top! Maybe push the top open if they're really diligent.. but chewing through it seems a bit much. They're more likely to squeeze through the bars of a cage then chew through it.. a good one, any way.

You're quite a lovely text producer yourself, by the way. ;)
