Oh, Yukimo. What will you do next?

On the Lookout

Getting photos like this of Yukimo is honestly one of the best gifts I could have hoped for. She was holed up in her tower again, and the cute ball of white fluff that she curls herself into is always tempting, so I decided to try for some photos. I think I was just lucky today.

Hamsters weren't always the apples of my eye. Well, I've always liked them, but I never thought I would have another one at the age of 22. I had them when I was little, because Dad wouldn't allow Mom, Beth, Kathleen and me to have a cat. Everyone in my family, except Dad, is a cat lover, especially Mom and me. Dad has been against cats ever since I can remember, and I've always held a grudge (along with many more) against him because of his lack of understanding towards Mom and, well, all of us. Before Mom reached the age of 30, she took in and helped raise over 200 cats. Even when she first met Dad, she had two or three cats. He "let" her keep them, but after they died, we haven't been allowed to keep anymore. Dad's excuse is that he has allergies, however, I know better. I know that he doesn't like competition. Dad has never been close with any of us, and having a cat in the family might draw our attention away from him even more. For this fact, I'm still very bitter. There have been a lot of family politics over the years, but this one stemmed from when I was young, and the fact that I've never been able to have a cat of my own has stayed with me ever since I was little. Grr.

Yukimo Says, "I See You."

Mom got around the whole "no cats" rule with other animals... smaller animals. Over the years, we've collected guinea pigs and hamsters. Sometimes we could get away with taking in wild cats and training them without Dad knowing it (at first). My three guinea pigs at my house are perfect, but I didn't want to cause them trauma by moving one, or any, of them so late in their lives. I decided to leave them all at the house, because Mom wanted that most. I know that having Beth and me gone at college for a long time hurts her a lot, so she needs the company. Plus, taking Rini or Masa away from their mum, Pixie, (or vice versa) could emotionally harm them. I wouldn't dream of doing that.

The solution to wanting company of a pet? Why, that would be Yukimo, of course! Yukimo is my little hamster dream. She's quirky, loving and very gentle. Because I've always handled her delicately, and because I've spent so much time with her, we've bonded at a level I never reached with past hamsters. Yukimo is so precious. She was truly meant to spend her life with me.

So, without further delay, I would like to introduce Yukimo to the Vox community through a video I took of her a few days after I brought her home from Pet World. She had warmed up to me already, but she was as energetic as ever. In case you've missed some past entries of mine that mention Yukimo, she is a dwarf hamster, so she's extra tiny compared to regular-sized hamsters. I'm sorry if the video quality is low, but Vox still hasn't fixed the video-posting problem. >_< There isn't much sound, because I was too focused on keeping Yukimo in front of the camera, but there's a tiny bit near the end. Anyway, Yukimo says, "Hello, Vox friendsies!"

Yukimo Explores

Comments

[╭★シェリー☆╮]

[いいですね] wah!!!!!!!!!! totally kawaiiiiI!!!!!!!!!!!

[***]

[this is good] "She's awake" :)

Yukimo is totally cute.  I've had two hamsters, and I'm sad to say I probably wasn't the best Mummy.  They were both dwarf hamsters too, very fast, and we live in a 130 odd year old house with lots of cracks in the wooden floorboards and lots of nooks for little critters to get lost, and I was just too scared of losing them to handle them much, so mostly they were let out in their balls.

You've so made me want to go find the videos I have of Crookshanks my cat chasing a ball, and eating catnip treats (very funny!) :)

[***]

Oh and I forogt to say, I'm really sorry to hear about your Dad's attitude towards cats.  It's so maddening when someone has a level of control over your life and lets their own hang-ups affect the way they treat you.

[Jen]

What a cute video of little Yukimo.  ^_^  She looks like such a lovable hamster.  I had a few hamsters growing up, but I was always so afraid of being bitten that I never played with them much.  I suppose if I had played with them more, they wouldn't have bitten me.  >.<  I love her little cage, hehe, it looks a lot easier to clean than the one I used to have.

My mom and I are extremely allergic to cats, so we never had cats in the house either.  But, we had many dogs growing up, which I think is the reason I developed such a fondness for dogs over cats.  Don't get me wrong, I like cats, but dogs just melt my heart. ^^  Especially puppies.  Well, anything cute.  Btw, have you ever been to Cute Overload?  I'm sure you have, but if you haven't, you're in for a treat! 

I hope Vox gets the video thing sorted out, I'd love to see little Yukimo in more clarity!  *hugs*

[semblance]

[this is good] Thank you for introducing us to Yukimo, Lauren! I absolutely understand your attachment to your pets (near and far) -- home is not home without them and yet uprooting them just for your comfort is unfair. When I went to India for half a year I had to leave my cats with a friend which was extremely difficult. It was hard on them too. But we're a happy family again despite all of the moving around we've done since then!

Yukimo is too cute! (And I'm not even a hamster person!)

[bernifest]

i love hamsters! yukimo is very cute! =] my cousin's hamster bit me once..it was SO mean to me. And all I was trying to do was be friendly. yeesh..lol. 

[The Crafty Linguist]

[c’est top] Awwww... Yukimo is precious!  Congrats!  I fully share your cat frustration.  heck I'm 25 and i still carry mine around!  I can't have one on account of my mum having a cat trauma (looong story), but the point is she can hardly look at a picture of one without freaking out.  And she feels so guilty because she knows how much I've always wanted a cat, bless her!  Guess I'll just have tp marry a cat-lover! hehe  But I can def relate! ^_^

[Lauren]

riko- I totally agree!

bernifest- She really is a cutie. Haha, yeah, I read up on hamster a little after I bought Yukimo. I heard that if they're not held a lot and they're not handled very gently, they can get quite mean. They'll also get into the habit of biting people. =\ I hope you meet a nice little hammy one day, tee hee.

[Lauren]

Hamsters are so much fun to watch in those plastic balls. I have a really good video of Yukimo in the ball Shawn bought her. Hamsters have such speed. I can barely keep up with the little monster when she's inside of it.

I know what you mean about getting worried when handling hammies. They're so small and fragile, and I'm sure that it was extra stressful with an older house with all those little, secret corners they can hide in. By the way, I love Crookshanks as a name for a cat!

And thankies for what you said about my dad. We don't have a good relationship, and the fact that I could never have a kitty because of him just adds to the... problems. =\

[Celena]

aww, yuki is a sweetie!  seeing her in action and in your hands gives us a better feel for size comparison.  she is tiny!! 

btw, love your superman jammies .. haha.

[Lauren]

Oh, you wouldn't believe how easy it is to clean hamster cages these days. Then again, I think I'm making the whole cleaning process easier on myself by not going crazy and taking apart the entire cage every few days to give all the pieces a good rinse. Instead, I do a gentle cleaning once a week. She's so little and she's already clean as it is that I know she appreciates any help she gets! Tee hee.

Hmm, I'll have to take a look at the site you suggested. I swear, it sounds very familiar, but I can't quite place the name.

I figure that a person is either a cat or dog person, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they hate the other one. I think it all depends on how the person grows up and what they're surrounded by. I can totally understand your case. That has to be so difficult with allergies. =\ Kathleen has some allergies, and I always feel so bad when I see how she struggles during certain times of the year.

I heard that Vox is working on the video problem, but that was a while ago. Hopefully, the changes will be made soon...

[Lauren]

Haha, why thankies, Celena. Shawn is afraid to hold Yukimo sometimes, because he's afraid he'll "break" her. Tee hee. I love comfy pajama pants. I'm not too fond of the Superman print, but they're so damn soft. <3 I can't help but wear them around my apartment all the time. ^^

[Lauren]

Haha, I'm glad I could help hamsterize you. ^_~ Ah, that must have been so difficult with leaving your kitties at home while you were in India. I'm glad that you were reuinted though. I get to see my guinea piggies every so often, but it's really difficult being without them, especially Pixie, because Pixie was the first pet that I picked out. She was mine and still is, but I can't be with her. I'm happy to know that she's living a good life and keeping my mum company. I'm sure your kitties were happy to have you come home to them. =D Pets are the world!

[Lauren]

My mom said I shouldn't worry, because I have the rest of my life to own a cat. =D You're so right, and I hope we both marry husbands who love kitties just as much as we do. I'm sorry that your mum is so anti-cat. There's always a history with a situation like that, so I completely understand.

Here's to kitties. ^^ *cheers* Weee.

[Inga]

[this is good] Yukimo is adorable! It's amazing how you got her to be still for the camera. She is a busy little thing! :o) Pretty! She looked right into the camera like she knew what was going on!

[Brandy]

[this is good] Sooo cute!    

[Lauren]

Elle- I know. I felt so lucky to get these photos of her. I think they'll probably be the best ones I'll ever get, because she just has so much energy. I will admit that she's been calming down more when I hold her... so maybe I'll get another chance. =D

Jamie- That is really funny about your brother. When my mom did have cats around my dad, they were always attracted to him. Shawn also has three cats, and they all love him even though he "doesn't like" them. (He won't admit that he does, but he really loves them.) Cats love people who don't like them. They're so intelligent. I still consider them gateways between here and the afterlife. And thank you-- I was so happy with how the photos turned out. I hope you can get some good ones of Zippie!

Brandy- <3

[ally]

how often do you check your gmail lauren? I've hit you a reply:). Oh about your yukimo, you gave her a japanese name? you're so silly:P. i used to have 3 hamsters last time too, (each of my sister owns one) so i named mine as Lucy. Lucy turned out to be a fat pregnant mother hamster, eventually got mated by my elder sister's male hamster (which is called Spencer)..Lucy at that time was light brownish (a little on the cute and plump side with big eyes) and having the kids with spencer (which have black and white fur), the baby hamsters have brown+white+black furs. Its cute.

But gotta beware though esp pregnant mother hamsters, dont try to touch them or their babies bcuz they recognize them by the smell. If the babies smelled different from the mom, the mom will eat the babies. Its disgusting bcuz i saw lucy eating her own babies ! No jokes ! All that was left of the babies were pink headless flesh *cries*

But its better not to have female and male under the same roof.

[little wonders]

Yukimo is very kawaii! And I agree with Celena your Super PJ's are too.

I can understand having a dad who doesn't like cats, my dad was very loud in his opposition to our first family cat when I was little, 18 years latter I think he was the one who was hurting the most when we had to put Yoyo to sleep (my brother named him, and it fit as he would go in and out of the house like a yo-yo).

My current cat Neko is living at my folks place with my mom's cat Mishu, cause like you I didn't want to separate them, also I live in a apartment and both cats are outdoor cats, so it wouldn't be fair to coop him up.

[Lili]

Oh my gosh I wouldn't even be able to imagine how small she was if I didn't see the video. I've seen the photos of you holding her but I guess seeing her hide in your hand as you try to keep her from walking off an edge just clarifies it even more. She's definitely precious. A little snowball for sure. :) You're very lucky to have her as a companion. I don't know why I just thought this, but she makes me feel like she would be such a good little secret keeper. Which is the best part about pets, because they can't tell anyone else. ;)

[Wissam]

That is such a cute pet to have.

I'm not really an animal person, and I blame my parents for that as they never allowed us to have any pets. They're obsessed with keeping the house clean and stuff, so they'd always insisted it wasn't a good idea to have any animals, even if they were in a cage. Oh well.

[Wislander]

I was surprised to see that you have not aquired Yukimo.vox.com yet. Yeah, I know what you are thinking: "Yeah, and I can post there with all my free time." *laughter*

[Lauren]

I check my email reguarly, but if you don't receive a reply right away, it's most likely because I don't have enough to write out a long email at the time. I respond to smaller emails very quickly, but I usually try to reserve a nice chunk of time for longer emails once every so often.

Oh my goodness. I couldn't get that image of the poor baby hamsters out of my mind...! I've heard of situations like that happening with hamster and other animals before. My family and I did a good amount of research about hamsters when I was younger, so I've been able to carry that knowledge to my time with Yukimo now, which is nice. ^^

[Lauren]

That's so sad... It's amazing how attached people can get to pets that they don't even like at first. I've seen that happen with a lot of men over the years. They have no intention of falling in love with a certain pet, but what happens? They fall harder than anyone else.

You're very sweet to take Neko's feelings into consideration. Isn't it hard to leave a pet behind like that? At least you know that Neko is happy with Mishu-- you're so considerate. ^___^

[Lauren]

Lili- That's a good title for her, "the little secret keeper." How adorable! And she really is a tiny little thing, too... I've grown used to her size, but I still get worried from time to time, because she likes to just run right off my shoulder or my couch. Ack. o_O

Wissam- Not everyone is a pet person, and that's oh kay. I'm sure you find other hobbies and cute things that make you just as happy as Yukimo makes me happy. ^^

Kenn- You know... I didn't even think about that. I'll probably go and make a special Yukimo Vox this week. Haha... You are right about that free time thing though. I'm surprised I can keep up with Vox as it is!

[Liz]

omg teh cute!  she's so adorable!  i want one! 

my parents wouldn't let us have any pets bigger than a fish when we were all growing up, i think mainly because my mom didn't want to end up being hte one to clean up after any dog and/or cat.

somehow, i still turned out to be a total cat person.  when i moved out, i got a cat, adn i brought her home with me when i moved back.  i should've gotten a second, becuse we've been trying to con my dad into letting me get a second one so Kiki would have a friend, and it doesn't look like we're going to manage to do that.  he tolerates the one, but he was raised on a farm, so i think he thinks cats belong in the barn.  Kiki seems to love him though.

i can't imagine ever having to leave Kiki behind.  i can't imagine life without a cat anymore, either. 

[♡ai♡]

omg your photography is awesomeee

[Polka Dot Rabbit]

Yukimo is adorable!  Sorry to hear how your Dad is towards cats.  I was lucky enough to have grown up on a ranch and my family had not only cats and dogs but livestock as well. It was a lot of responsiblity, but it was worth it. I could never imagine my house without any furry critters in it.  So I am glad my Husband loves animals as well. (We have seven four legged children)

[NOOS]

wow...so adorable hamster! I want one too..but unfortantely, I have cat and she may be will not be happy to see such a cute hamster stay in the same house, even i'm not sure she know how to hunt the rat ..hehehe ^_~ 

[Lauren]

Cats are very difficult to let go of, so I can understand what you mean when you say that you can't imagine life without a cat (especially Kiki). There's something mysterious and magical about them that I've never been able to find in dogs. I'm glad that you were able to find your love for cats even though you weren't brought up with them. Even though I wasn't technically allowed to have a cat for a pet, my mom and I still brought them in our house and I considered the strays my pets. <3 You're very lucky to have Kiki! I can't wait until the day I can have my very own cat(s).

[Lauren]

Monika- Thankies! <3

NOOS- I think that focusing on just your cat right now is a good idea. Haha, I know how cats are attracted to rodents-- and not to find friends, but to find food. *waves hi to your kitty*

Polka Dot Rabbit- I would have loved to grow up on a farm like you did. I bet you have tons of good memories from your childhood. Haha, you're very lucky that you found a husband so in love with animals. I've come across a lot of men who are against the idea of pets, which is no fun.

[Pixie Wildflower]

Cuteness to the extreme!

[J*me]

How could I have missed this??

A bit late to the party, but congrats on getting one of the best pets there ever is! :D (Can you tell I'm biased?) I love hamsters (had 5 of my own over a few years), and I'm sorely missing them now that I'm in Australia (Quarentine doesn't allow them in the country. Boo.) Yukimo looks so adorable and smart. And ridiculously cute, might I add. :D