Wordless Wednesday #13

Hope everyone's having a great Wednesday!

I break up from school tomorrow, yay! Should be able to post more now with any luck.

For now, here's a clip of Willow for this week's Wordless Wednesday.

                                                                                                                                                  

My hamster's eating his/her poo?!

Hamsters eating their poo is a common cause for concern amongst hamster owners everywhere.

- The idea of eating waste that has been digested is disgusting!

But I would like to put your minds at rest. Eating their poo isn't bad for hamsters!

Hamsters are very curious creatures, and their digestive systems do not work the same as humans.

You could say their digestive systems were less efficient, as some of their poo is still filled with nutrients which means that they have not absorbed all the nutrients while being digested. But there is a reason behind this, which is explained below.

As their poo is filled with nutrients, they eat it so they can get the most out of their food. It's simply like putting food through your digestive system twice to get the best out of it. Not gross at all if you think of it like that!

Picture via here.

There are two types of excrement from hamsters:

1. One that's only partially digested and therefore contains lots of nutrients
2. One that's that's just waste with no nutrients at all

Now hamsters are highly intelligent in working out which is which, and they use a skill called coprophagy: the act of eating the nutrient-filled excrement to get the leftover nutrients from it and digest it fully.

Why do hamsters partially digest some, and fully digest others?

This is because in the harsh deserts and environments in places like Syria where hamsters originally come from, food is often scarce. By only partially absorbing the nutrients and the hamsters being able to eat their excretment again, this allows that food to be completely digested so that the hamsters get the most out of it, and they do not go hungry if they go for days without food.
It also helps to keep hamsters' guts balanced, so not too many nutrients are absorbed at once, and also making sure that there will also be a source of nutrients for hamsters to eat.

Small Furry Pets Feature

I took a bit of a 'blogging break', but I'm happy to announce that I am back!

I'm clearing the cobwebs and starting afresh writing some more hamster posts, so welcome back to the up-to-date Animal Tails! I thought the 1st of the Month was a good time to start, so here goes:

Willow is doing great- in fact, she's famous!

Guess who featured in the April - May 2013 Small Furry Pets magazine? That's right - Willow! 

Willow featured in the "You & your small pet" section of the 7th issue of Small Furry Pets, and I am over the moon! We may not have won the 'star pet' award, but she did get featured and she'll always be my star, as cheesy as it sounds. Hehe ;)

I hope to be back to blogging for good now, so stay tuned and tell your friends in the blogging world that we're back if you get the chance! I will be writing informative posts and continuing Wordless Wednesday, along with extra posts too, so I hope to be writing at least two posts a week.

Apologies (and a cute photo!)

Sorry I haven't been blogging a lot recently - I've been so busy with school work and stuff like that.. + the teachers are giving us tests in pretty much every subject, which sucks.

Anyway, back on topic. I am going to do a quick general blog post about Willow and life etc.

Willow is being her usual self - hyper but adorable. She climbed up onto my neck earlier and it was the most ticklish thing! ;) haha. She has also decided to move her 'nest' out of her little green house and into the bottom corner of the cage.. It looks like a complete mess! Oh well, at least she is happy. If she wants to sleep there she can ;)

Will try to get posting more often. I hate neglecting my blog but I don't seem to have any free time anymore!

Here is a photo of Willow. Sorry it's not very good - will try to do more photo-shoots soon.

Wordless Wednesday #12

Have a great Wednesday everyone! :D

Willow now has instagram!

When I looked through instagram, I saw that lots of pets had their own accounts, and there were accounts for almost anything. So I thought I would make Willow one, where I could share even more pictures of Willow than I do on my blog.

The account name is: Willow_the_Hamster (not sure if capitals matter or not) so please follow if you want to and if you have instagram!

I only created the account today, so it is really new and doesn't have many followers or photos yet, though I will be adding lots of photos and possibly updates on Willow from here, and hopefully I will get more followers eventually.

What do you think? Please comment and let me know wheter you like the idea, or if you don't, or any suggestions etc. Also, if anyone has instagram already for their pet or pet blog, if possible please give me a shoutout, and I will give you one back.

Sneak peak at a photo from instagram:

Wordless Wednesday #11

Here are some photos of Willow being adorable as usual ;)

'Hello?..'

'I see you!..'

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Review - Large Supreme Hamster Play Fort

As some of you may know, for Christmas I got given a present for Willow, which is this lovely play fort, with lots of different rooms with tunnels leading into each of them, for Willow to explore in.

Today I am going to write my opinions of it, with both the positive and negative sides of it, before finally reaching my conclusion. I hope you like this review!

Name: Supreme Hamster Fort Large Play Maze Small Pets Hamster Dwarf (Rabbit?) Gerbil Mice

Brand: Supreme

Price: From £6 to £11, depending on where you buy it

Shop I bought it from: It was a present so I don't know where my parents bought it from.

First Impression:

I thought this looked really fun and perfect for Willow, though I was slightly worried that she would escape! It compacted easily which is great for storing, and was easy to put together.

I liked how simple yet fun it looked, and it was big enough to keep a Syrian hamster entertained and let her wonder around and explore.

Pros:

• It kept Willow entertained and she enjoyed exploring the different rooms
• It was easy to keep an eye on Willow while she ran around in it, and she didn't get bored easily
• It is made completely of cardboard, so if your hamster tries to eat it it won't harm your hamster (and knowing Willow, it's always important - seeing as she always tries to escape)
• You can use it for many different small pets: hamsters, mice, gerbils, rats etc.

Cons:

• It states that you can use it for a rabbit. Really? That is just ridiculous! A rabbit would definately never fit inside that. It is ridiculous. 
• After a few times of using it, Willow finally managed to work out how to escape... out of the sides of the fort. And once she learns something, she won't forget it and stop doing it... Never mind!
• She chewed some of the corner off, though it didn't go completely through to the other side so it doesn't really matter (pic above)
• £10 is quite expensive for some cardboard, though I have to admit it is quite cool..

I think this is a great toy, which is perfect for hamsters. I think this would be better/ more suited to smaller animals than Syrian hamsters, like dwarf hamsters or mice, as they wouldn't be able to climb up over the sides of the fort.
Still, I love the whole thing. It is such a cute idea, and you can put treats and toys in different rooms to keep your hamster or small pet entertained.

Overall, I give this hamster play fort 4 stars out of 5. :D

Awards and apologies!

Sorry I haven't blogged this week - I have been so busy and the time has just slipped away!

After trying to catch up a bit with my blog, I was reading the comments when I released that THREE PEOPLE had nominated me for an award!! :D I was literally so excited (and still am!) so thank you so much to the three following people for giving me the award - you made my day!

Daisy and Cress the guinea sisters

Speedy the cheeky house bunny

Peace, love & whiskers

Now for the awards!

I was nominated twice for the 'Sisterhood of the World, Bloggers Award', by Speedy the cheeky house bunny and Peace, love & whiskers. Thank you!

Rules for this award:

1. Provide a link and thank the blog who nominated you.
2. Answer 10 Questions.
3. Nominate 10 to 12 blogs you love.
4. Provide links to the nominated blogs and let them know they been nominated for this award.
5. Include the log of the award with in you post.

Now for the 10 questions!:

1. Your favourite non alcoholic drink?
   I am too young to drink alcohol anyway, but my favourite drink is probably chocolate milkshake, or apple juice.
   
2. Facebook or Twitter?
   Facebook - I find twitter a bit creepy when random people follow you...
   
3. Your Favourite Pattern?
   Not sure...?
   
4. Do you prefer giving or getting presents?
   I love giving presents - I love finding the perfect present and watching their face when they open it!
   
5. Your Favourite number?
   7 or 8.
   
6. Your Favourite day of the week?
   Saturday.
   
7. Your favourite flower?
   Snowdrops.
   
8. What is your passion?
   Hard one! I think probably blogging and designing on the computer... Plus arty stuff and instagram.. I love creative things! (+animals!)
   
9. Your favourite animal?
   Probably a donkey or red panda.. or a hamster of course! I love all animals really!
   
10. Your favourite colour?
    Turquoise, though I love purple too.

I was also nominated for the following award, by Daisy and Cress the guinea sisters. Thank you so much!

Rules for this award:

1. Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back to them.
3. Answer the 5 simple questions. (see below)
4. Nominate up to 20 blogs for the award and notify each of them. (see below)
5. Display the award on your blog somewhere.

Now for the 5 questions!:

1. If you could change one thing, what would you change?
   I would stop wars and poverty and stuff.. Then no-one would have to suffer. :)
   
2. If you could repeat an age, what would it be? any year?
   I would go back to when I was a toddler, cause I can hardly remember anything!
   
3. What is one thing that really scares you?
   Horror movies, and I am really creeped out by lobsters long feeler things... I don't really know why...
   
4. What is one dream you have not completed, and do you think you’ll be able to complete it?
   I would love to do something to do with product design when I am older, and only time will tell whether I will be able to complete it ;)
   
5. If you could be someone else for one day, who would it be?
   Ohhh, I don't know! I never really thought about it before! ;)

Now for our nominees!

We have decided to nominate 12 blogs, but I am nominating them for both of the two awards! (for the three of you who gave me an award, you can just have the opposite award to the one you gave if you want)

Congratulations to:

1. Pawsitively Pets
2. GLOGIRLY
3. All Things Guinea-Pig
4. Fluffy Toughie
5. Terrier Torrent
6. Kosmos Si Azra
7. Fabulous Fur Friends
8. The Saturday PhotoHunt
9. The Things I Make and Create
10. Daisy and Cress the guinea sisters
11. Speedy the cheeky house bunny
12. Peace, love & whiskers

Have a great weekend, and congratulations to all of the blogs I nominated + thank you so much to everyone for nominating me!

Saturday PhotoHunt - 'Celebrate'

So today's Saturday PhotoHunt theme is 'Celebrate'!

So I thought I would edit a random picture of Willow and add in some fireworks (and 3D glasses, for reasons unknown to myself..)

I hope everyone is having a great start to 2013, and is CELEBRATING the start of the new year.

Sorry I haven't posted much this week - I have been so busy!

Will try to post more often this week!

Myths and Misunderstandings

So today I thought I would just point out some basic myths and put them straight - as sometimes it is hard to know what is true and what isn't. Here are 3 myths I have chosen, but I can always do more if they are helpful!

Myth: Syrian hamsters can learn to live together/ 'my Syrian hamsters live together and I haven't had any problems so far so it is fine.'

Truth: Even in the wild Syrians never live together, so why would they in captivity? Syrian hamsters only come together to mate, then the male leaves almost instantly. They are together for sometimes only 10 minutes (though this depends on conditions etc.)The female hamster raises it's young on its own, without the male. The young then go and find their own place and territory, and the 'cycle' repeats.

They are solitary by nature, so they are solitary in captivity too. By putting your Syrian hamsters in the same cage it is asking for trouble, because they are bound to fight and hurt each other at some point. I know someone who put her two hamsters in the same cage, and one ate the other... So you should be really careful.

Remember - this only applies to Syrian hamsters.

Fights between two Syrian hamsters can lead to injuries, expensive vet bills, stressed hamsters or even death. Don't tempt fate and put them together - it just isn't worth it.
It is also easier for hamsters to catch illnesses from each other if they share a cage, so even if your hamsters do miraculously get on, it still isn't worth it.

Don't put your Syrian hamsters together. they won't be lonely, they will be fine.

Myth: Sunflower seeds are unhealthy and should only be fed as treats or not at all.

Truth: Many people think that sunflower seeds are unhealthy and too fattening for hamsters. Many people avoid them and only give them once in a while for treats. The truth is sunflower seeds are actually very healthy. They contain essential nutrients that help a keep a hamster's body healthy. Sunflower seeds help health in your hamster's heart and are cholesterol-lowering, so sunflower seeds are really great for your hamster’s well being. This myth probably started because someone fed their hamster too many sunflower seeds at the same time. It is the same as most foods - they are good in moderation, but too many can be unhealthy too. Most hamster mixes you can buy will come with the right amount of sunflower seeds in anyway, so you don't need to worry. Giving your hamster about three to six sunflower seeds a day or so will give your hamster the balance that they need in their diet.

(I use selective hamster food, and those are little hearts with things basically mashed up inside them. These should include sunflower seeds too, so don't worry. I occasionally give Willow some sunflower seeds too, but the selective hamster food also covers that nutritional value, so don't panic if you feed your hamster those!)

Picture via here.

Myth: Hamsters smell really bad

Truth: All animals will smell if they are not kept in a clean environment. Hamsters are not typically smelly hamsters, and often groom themselves and keep themselves clean at all times. They are tidy animals, and usually have special parts of the cage they use as their 'bathroom'. This is the area you should give extra-special attention to when cleaning it.
If the hamster is really smell, it is time to clean the cage. You should clean your hamster out around once a week, but you could always do this more if your hamster is really smelly.

If the cage is not well ventilated this may cause your hamster to smell as well. If this is the case then you may need to change or modify your cage to make it more comfortable for your hamster and less smelly for you.

Also, female hamster may give off a smell when they are in heat. Not all females smell strongly when on heat, but some do. If you are worried about this then you can always get a male hamster. But not everyone can detect the smell of a female hamster's heat anyway, so it isn't much of a problem. I never noticed anything smelly about Lolly or Willow, and they are/were both girls!

I hope this was helpful! Please comment if you want me to do more, cause trust me, there are plenty of crazy myths around!

BlogSHOUT: Daisy and Cress the guinea sisters

Today I want to do a shout out to a new blog, called 'Daisy and Cress the guinea sisters'. The blog is about two guinea pigs, called Daisy and Cress (who'd of guessed? ;) ) and has updates on their life, toy ideas, photos, facts about guinea pigs, and care advice.

This blog was only started on the 4th of January this year, and needs a little step-up into the blogging world so that more people can discover it.

The information and pictures on the blog are great - we just need to spread the word so that more people can find it and start following.

If you like animal blogs, or guinea pig blogs, then this is the blog for you.

 Cress                                 Daisy and Cress                                 Daisy

A bit about Cress:

"I like to explore things and am always the first to try out the new tunnel! I also am amazed by music, and like to watch people paint and draw. My favourite foods are grass, celery and dandelion leaves. I like hiding and running up peoples sleeves! Although I like being stroked, I do not like it when I am lifted up from the ground and I try to run away."

A bit about Daisy:

"I may look cute on the picture, but really I am fierce, because I am the dominant guinea pig. I have to make sure Cress is behaving!
My favourite thing to do is eat- anything! Especially celery. As soon as I hear the knife in the kitchen cutting food, I wheek as loud as I can! And start leaping everywhere! If you're not careful, I'll eat you too! Only joking! Ha ha!"

I really do reccommend that you go and check out this blog. It may not have been going for long, but I think this is already becoming a truly great blog.

Visit here: Daisy and Cress the guinea sisters

All images used are from the Daisy and Cress the guinea sisters blog.

Saturday PhotoHunt - 'Add'

Me ADD my hamster = a happy Hannah and a happy hamster!

(Don't worry - I didn't really kiss her!)

Visit the Saturday Photohunt Blog to see the upcoming themes and play along.

The Liebster Award!

I got another award! Yay! Thank you so much to Pawsitvely Pets for awarding the Liebster Award to me! I haven't actually heard of this award before (though I love any awards so that doesn't matter! ;) ), but there are lots of rules! I need to nominate 11 other bloggers who are making their way up in the ranks of the blogosphere, I have to tell you 11 things about myself, and I must answer the 11 questions presented by Pawsitively Pets. And I also have to ask the 11 bloggers that I nominated 11 new questions which they will need to answer. That's it I think!

11 Things About Me:

1. I love reading action, sci-fi and fantasy books.
2. I have just started a new blog, called The Daily Inspiration.
3. I stroked a cactus when I was 5... Ouch!
4. I have 2 sisters - one has just started her own YouTube Channel- subscribe if you want!
5. I love playing ultimate frisbee
6. I ice-skate once a week
7. I love drawing/arts and crafts and photography
8. I love toad in the hole, and bangers and mash (with peas!)
9. I couldn't live without chocolate
10. I have recently got instagram and LOVE it! (my name: hannahcoombsx)
11. When I was 3 I suddenly got a squint in my left eye, and had 2D eyesight for years. One day I suddenly got my 3D eyesight back - which was never supposed to happen. It was a miracle!

11 Questions from Pawsitively Pets:

1. Why did you start blogging?
   I first started blogging after I had read a book about someone who blogged.. I can't remember what the book was called though, it was so long ago! I also wanted to share my photos and inserts with others - the whole blogging thing really appealed to me.
   
2. What's your favorite animal?
   My favourite animal is a donkey. It always has been since I was little. It is really hard to choose though - I love loads of animals! I also love red pandas (and hamsters of course!)
   
3. What was your favorite toy as a kid?
   A toy donkey, called Donkey. I have to admit, he is still on the end of my bed!
   
4. Cats or Dogs?
   Tough choice! I don't know how to answer that one! I haven't actually had either as a pet, so I couldn't really say anyway... I love both!
   
5. Would you rather eat a bug or sky dive?
   Eat a bug. You would never catch me sky diving! ;)
   
6. If you had a magic lamp with a genie in it, what 3 things would you wish for?
   Ok, this is going to sound really lame, but I would definitely say world peace first.
   
7. If you could pick any animal to be, which one would you choose?
   That is a really hard choice... I would love to fly, but I would also like to be a cheetah, and be able to run out in the African bush. I love Africa, so I would definitely be some sort of African animal!
   
8. How often do you cut your hair?
   Every 2 months-ish I think.
   
9. What's the last movie you saw that made you cry?
   I can't remember the last movie that made me cry, but the last episode of Wild At Heart (does anyone else watch that?) very nearly did!
   
10. What's your favorite board game?
    Yet again - that's a hard choice! I love board games, but don't get to play them much as my family hate them! I think my favourite is probably Payday, followed by monopoly, cards, the logo game, and trivia pursuit... and cluedo and lego creationary.. It's too hard to choose! I'll stick with Payday though.
    
11. How did you think of your blog title?
    I wanted to do a play on words, and 'Animal Tails' came to me in a blinding flash, and I liked it so I stuck with it.

My 11 Nominated Blogs:

(In no particular order)

1. Hamster Diaries
2. Fluffy Toughie
3. Glogirly
4. Pudding & Parfait
5. All Things Guinea Pig
6. The Saturday PhotoHunt
7. Kosmos Si Azra
8. Fabulous Fur Friends
9. Speedy the cheeky house bunny
10. Terrier Torrent
11. Pawsitively Pets (I know you already have it, but you really deserve it so you can have it again!)

I know lots of people don't like/ don't do these types of awards where you pass them on, so I don't mind and don't worry if you don't want to take part!

Wordless Wednesday #10

I can't believe I have already done 10 Wordless Wednesdays! That's 10 weeks! Wow.. time just flies by doesn't it? And it's the beginning of the new year too... Anyway - on with this week's Wordless Wednesday (with a few words beforehand ;) )

These photos are of Willow in her new play fort I was given for Christmas. She loves it! I will be doing a full post about the play fort soon, so watch this space!

Willow trying to escape, as usual! (but not succeeding in the end!)

View of the whole play fort with Willow exploring inside.

'Hello'

New Years Resolutions

The new year is a time for a new beginning and changes. You can start afresh, make resolutions, make this year the best. Along with the new year always comes a certain thing. You know it!
- New year resolutions.

This year I have got a few blogging New Year resolutions - so here we go.

1. Be more artistic in my posts.
2. Comment and read other people's blogs more.
3. Post at least 20 times each month.
4. Try to stick more to weekly themes, and don't miss any Wordless Wednesdays etc.
5. Host at least one giveaway during the year (20,00 pageviews maybe?...)

It appears that I have already made quite a good start to the year, by being awarded the 'Blog of 2012 The Year' award, by Speedy the cheeky house bunny. Thank you Speedy!! This really means a lot to me! :D

The rules are pretty simple. If you receive the award, you must pass it on. But this award is special, as you can receive it multiple times to get more stars on the badge. You can give it to any number of blogs you like, you can give it to the person to gave it to you, or someone who already has the award, but has not got all six stars. To see the rules in more detail and get the badge, go to this web address.

Now for my prize winners! In no particular order:

• Fluffy Toughie
• Pawsitively Pets
• Terrier Torrent
• Kosmos Si Azra
• All Things Guinea Pig
• Hamster Diaries
• Fabulous Fur Friends

Hope you had a great New Year's Day, and have a great 2013 to come!

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