Species: Syrian (long-haired)

Gender: Female

Estimated Age/DOB: Approximately 6 months

Likes: Freeze-dried tofu, Emeraid, puffed corn, covered hideouts that let almost no light in

Dislikes: Worms, sudden noises and movements, being picked up and handled by strangers

Fosterer’s Instagram: @peppersfosterhome

Only available for adoption from 24th February onwards

Abandoned outside a social service centre along with 20 other Syrians, Meadow was found sitting in her own waste in a deplorable condition with many bite marks, including a bleeding wound around her neck inflicted by the other hamsters she was forced to live with. She also contracted a UTI (currently undergoing treatment) and was on pregnancy watch due to being housed with male Syrians in a filthy cage during this time.

It was easy to tell why Meadow was constantly attacked by her cage mates. Despite living in fear and never having experienced human affection, she is still incredibly sweet and never tried biting her foster mum. Instead, she will wriggle about, scream and squeal like an old creaky door from a house built in the 1900s out of panic and run away whenever any stranger tries to touch her — her dramatic rendition of war, perhaps.

After being handled by her foster mum almost daily and receiving treatment for her UTI, beautiful Meadow no longer screams when being picked up. She will sometimes stay put in her foster mum’s hands while getting gentle head pats and also started to accept tofu fed to her by hand!

Meadow’s confidence is growing day by day, as evidenced by the nightly demolition of her cage and the slight pressure she inflicts on her foster mum using her teeth (it's not painful at all) to inform her foster mum that she's ready to go back into her cage. To combat the former, future adopters will need to provide her with either frequent free roam or playpen time and/or give her enough boredom breakers so she stops feeling bored.

P.S. It is not recommended that children handle her because she tends to jump off human hands out of fear even from a great height. Only handle her over a soft, cushiony surface until she recognises that you’re not a threat.

Requirements

Cage: As per HSS requirements

Wheel: As per HSS requirements

Bedding: As per HSS requirements, bedding depth of at least 6” compressed

Food: As per HSS requirements

Enrichment: As per HSS requirements, hideouts that are fully opaque and block light, frequent free roaming/playpen time