Baden's Story
Last summer, our hearts went on a rollercoaster ride with a litter of four Syrian hamsters. In July 2023, we received an email about a surprise litter. The owner was following some bad advice – separating the babies from mom way too early (before 4 weeks!). This meant the little ones missed out on crucial socialisation with their siblings and mother’s care.
There were two white babies, Stitch and Thimble, and two chocolate colored ones, Purl and Bobble, all equally adorable. Each one needed their own separate enclosure upon arrival after being separated for so long. Things started looking up in August. One of our dedicated fosterers, Sophie, had recently lost her senior hamster, Milo. Feeling the void, she decided to adopt Thimble, who was renamed Baden. But after only 1 month, Stitch fell very ill.
A frantic rush to the emergency vet resulted in the heartbreaking decision to put him to sleep. This was a huge blow, and sadly, the bad news didn’t stop there. A week later, Sophie discovered Baden curled up peacefully in her cage. She succumbed to the same illness as her brother. It was a devastating loss for Sophie and her partner, who had fallen in love with Baden the moment they saw her.
This story, though bittersweet, reminds us of the importance of responsible breeding and proper care for young hamsters. It also highlights the incredible love and dedication of our foster families who open their hearts and homes to these precious creatures, even when things don’t go as planned.
If you’d like to support our rescue work, you can make a donation here.
Next month, learn about little Luna!
