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Retired Insurance ManagerAge:
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I've been away for a while due to a serious illness and subsequent health issues. Favourite quotes of the moment:
The children of Israel wandered the desert for 40 years - Even in biblical times men wouldn't ask for directions!
Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. whatever we do to the thread, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. - Chief Seattle.
We spend the first 12 months of a child's life teaching them to walk and talk. We spend the next 12 years telling them to sit down and shut up!
As you slide down the bannisters of life, may the splinters never be pointing the wrong way.
May you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.
I've been very happily married since August 1980 to a wonderful man and have beautiful twin girls, now aged 31. Both are married to wonderful young men and one of our girls has recently made us grandparents to a beautiful, smart and feisty granddaughter. I studied geology with the Open University. I am retired from being a manager in a large UK based insurance company which I actually quite enjoyed. (How sad is that?). I love anything to do with the environment and wildlife and try to do my bit for preservation and conservation. I would like there to be a decent world for our grandchildren to inherit. I also have CFS so find life a bit of a challenge at times but always hope for better health in the future.
I have a deep interest in the spiritual and the paranormal worlds, having experienced several incidents myself, and have been involved in meditation groups and groups that (safely) explore the paranormal. There is more to this life than we would normally credit, so an open mind is always the best option. You're not so likely to get caught by surprise!
I have a deep fascination for anything to do with Ancient Egypt, as you can probably tell by my name. I have statues and paintings all around the house. As my hubby has a similar interest in Native Americans, we tend to have a lot of unusual wall decorations, like a tomahawk.
I love cars, especially vintage ones, but my all time favourite has to be the Bugatti Chiron, what a car!
I have had a lot to do with animals over the years. I have fostered many, helped to set up a wildlife charitable hospital and raised a diverse range of young animals from bats to fox cubs and different species of birds, even a baby deer! I have had great pleasure in sharing my life and home with a number of animals over the years, most of them rescues. I am currently sponsoring an Amur Tiger, they are such beautiful cats and desperately need help, there are so few of them left. I was lucky enough a couple of years ago to meet some Aye-Aye's and Livingstone's Bats, a truly wonderful experience. We now have three cats, Oliver and Mollie, a brother and sister, he's a ginger and she's a tortoiseshell and a black and white called Daisy. She arrived in a taxi and was left on our doorstep in a cat carrier with the message that 'they knew we loved cats and would be good to her'. She has settled down well and gets on wonderfully with the other two.
If you have a pet that is showing ANY signs of illness or distress, please, please, please take it to a vet! Even if finance is an issue, work that out later. It is cruel to leave an animal suffering for any reason. Most animals do not show signs of illness until they have been ill for some time, basic instinct tells them it is a display of vulnerability, and certain death in the wild. Their instincts have not caught up with domesticity.
I do feel that we should all treat others as we would wish to be treated. Bad karma comes back to haunt us.
advice
Hey i would like to know something about hamsters like how much do you have to clean there tanks?..and what does bedding mean they said put bedding under like 2 inch bedding im not sure what they mean what does that mean..is it hard to take care of them? and should i get one im not sure im researching about them..please give me as much as information as you could about them..like bad things i dont want to buy a hamster and not like it like i want to know like would it be to cold if i put it in a hallway or would it be safe because my parents are strict with pets but they said i could get a hamster but it has to like stay in the hallway where they wont make a big mess and my hallway is like really big plus has a door so like yeah ..i hope you help please..thank youu..bye
Hamsters make good pets if you are prepared to handle them regularly, if not, they are likely to bite when you do try to pick them up. They are best kept in a warmish place with no drafts as they are suseptible to them and can catch cold easily. Not pleasant!
Their urine has quite a strong smell so you need to clean them out a couple of times a week, one of them as a small clean of bedding and one as a big clean out with washing everything in there. If you have a cage set up so that they don't get bored, it takes a long time to clean it out properly so that it doesn't smell.
For the bottom of the cage you could use hay, straw is a bit too hard for them, or shredded paper, but not printed paper as the print can be toxic. For the bedding, you can get special soft wool from a pet shop, don't use cotton wool as it gets hard and is not suitable for them. You will also need hamster friendly disinfectant for cleaning the cage.
They need extras like salt licks, fruit flavoured wood chews, hamster food and you can buy them hamster treats. They also like bits of carrot, celery, apple and raw cabbage (the crunchy stalk part). Don't give them too many treats and never give them lettuce as it can give them diarrhoea, very messy. You could hide the treats around the cage to give them something to do, they hunt for their food in the wild.
They are also nocturnal and very active, so they need tubes and toys for them to play with or they get bored and nippy. If you are going to be disturbed by the sound of a wheel going round all night, maybe a different animal would be more suitable.
They are not very high on the cuddle factor but they are cute. I have had 3 of them and whilst I loved them and enjoyed having them I would not get another.
They usually only live 2-3 years, so if you are looking for a short term pet and don't mind the work involved, a hamster could be the right pet for you.
However, please keep in mind that a pet is a big responsibility, you will need to factor in vets bills if it gets ill. An ill hamster will not generally last long without seeing a vet. They tend to cover illness for quite a while, as it's a show of vulnerability that could be the end of them in the wild.
I realise that most of this is on the negative side of owning a hamster, but if you feel that you would be able to take care of one, keeping all of this in mind, go for it.
Hope that helps some and good luck.
(Rating: 5) thank you