Species: Winter White x Campbell hybrid dwarf
Gender: Female
Est. Age: 5 months+
Likes: Pine nuts, mealworms, daylily flower, burrowing, rolling in the sand, darkness
Dislikes: Sudden movements, looming figures, grabby hands, spot cleaning time
Fosterer’s IG: @peppersfosterhome
Fat? Nah, Fizz would say that she’s just a food connoisseur with a preference for protein. The shy and round Fizz may be small but don’t underestimate her speed as she runs away from people she doesn’t know.
As with most timid hamsters, Fizz is constantly alert and on the lookout for looming figures and sudden movements around her cage. She is easily stressed and tends to freeze and engage in a staring competition with said figures before she bolts and hides in the nearest hideout. Though her fosterer thinks that it is a cute ploy to give herself ample time to analyse if the figure is a friend or foe. Clever girl.
After spending 2 months with her fosterer while she was recovering from giardia (intestinal parasites) and skin infections, along with being handled daily, she has opened up and is now fine with being picked up – so long as you lure her out of her hideouts by calling out ‘Fizzy Wizzy!’ or shake your container of food first. Fizz is smart enough to know when her toilet paper bedding gets replenished and will look longingly at her fosterer, waiting for the bedding to fall from the sky before she grabs them mid-air to stuff into her hideouts.
Do note that her new family will still need to interact with her daily and give her some time to warm up since she can still be shy with strangers and new scents. If she’s picked up by strangers, she will, without a doubt, poop in your hands while leaving a trail of poop wherever she goes Hansel and Gretel style then try to run so take note!
Once she feels safe with you, she has a tendency to explore the surroundings and if she likes you, she will willingly give you sweet hamster kisses. Easily bribed with mealworms and pine nuts (let’s be honest, any type of protein is fine with her), this sweetheart is also vocal, and will occasionally brux and chirp out of happiness after eating her favourite foods.
Note: Fizz still gets soft stools periodically and may need to be on Fibreplex (a fibre supplement) as long term management. Her vet has also recommended that she receive occasional therapy of deworming as a prophylactic plan.
Requirements
Cage: 70x40cm or bigger
Wheel: A wheel that is 21cm or larger; preferably covered
Sand: Unscented sand with a hideout provided in the sand bath because she loves rolling in sand but is very timid
Diet: Bunny Nature Hamster Dream Expert, vegetables
Enrichment: Many of hideouts and bedding to hide and a thick layer of bedding to burrow under
