Presenting . . . Strider!

Here's the new guy :) He's a Syrian hamster (which I guess means super furry and bites like a maniac!) We've had him since about two days after Gandalf left our presence. He's not super friendly just yet, this Strider. Although, Buck has been holding him at night and we think the biting is kind of how he moves around, because he'll leave spit marks on the jacket or sweatshirt Buck holds him in--like he's rearranging the folds.

Unfortunately, he mistook Caelan's finger for a stick yesterday. I was in the bathroom for less than a minute and I came out to find her sobbing and bleeding in the upstairs bathroom. I guess he sank those four viciously sharp teeth into her pinkie and wouldn't let go! Brennen thumped him on the head with a toilet paper roll (a toy we put in the hamster's cage) and that got Strider to release his grip.

Her poor finger is bruised and swollen with bloody pinpricks all around the nail bed. She said she could feel his teeth hit her bone . . . I don't know if that's possible, but if so, ew!! Poor girl! She was so sad because she's been trying to be so sweet to Strider. She said through tears, "I take care of him; I keep him alive! Why would he hurt me? I miss Gandalf!"

Big lesson in love there! I told her he's like a baby that cries--not to hurt you or make you angry or demand of your time, but because he doesn't know any better. He didn't mean to hurt you; he has no idea that he did. You have to keep caring for him anyway, until he learns not to bite. And unfortunately, the only way to teach him that is to keep holding him--rough!

I taped her fingers for karate, but schoolwork was a challenge. She was glad she could still knit, but it doesn't look great that little mangled finger. I told her it's like she caught it in a car door--a car door with tiny spikes. Not fun!

But this is fun . . . Graysen built a play maze for the critters to enjoy! Okay, the hedgehog, he didn't enjoy it so much. I think he's too fat, lol! He couldn't make some of the turns, and pretty much just wanted to sit in the corner and nap :)