jack goes to college

January 18, 1999
January 26, 1999
February 25, 1999
March 6, 1999
October 29, 1999
November 8, 1999

January 18, 1999 -- date of purchase

I haven't had a hamster since I was a little kid. Well, now I'm a little kid at college and I thought it was about time to introduce a rodent to dorm life, so this Christmas break I bought me a hamster. And a metal cage *doh* The moment I got Jack, a Teddy Bear hamster (my favorite kind), moved into his new pad, he started chewing up the place and I knew I was in for some fun times. He drinks his water loudly, he climbs the stairs (well, the ladder) loudly, he chews loudly. Lucky hamsters are nocturnal like me or else that might pose a few problems.

Hmm...I should probably inform the roomie of our new companion.

Nah--there's time for that after he moves in.

Jack's first visit to a college campus was not an especially pleasant one. He discovered that, first of all, his glow-in-the-dark ball does not really glow in the dark, much to our dismay, and second of all, this same sickly-green ball can easily be confused for a soccer ball, which Jack really did not appreciate. So in the future, if a big cracked plastic ball comes rolling at your feet, try not to kick it clear across the room, because that will get you the biggest dirty look you ever wanted to see from me, and well it kinda hurts Jack.

For a while there, I thought he didn't survive this his first meeting with a sporting event. But turns out he's just a very (very) heavy sleeper, and when his legs shot out into the air, he wasn't twitching for dear life and gasping his last breaths, he was just getting more comfortable. Too bad it scared the life outta ME.

Of course, Jack hasn't actually GOTTEN to college yet, but I'm currently preparing him for it, nonetheless. He's very excited though, and is moving in this weekend (Jan. 23) sometime. Who knows...he may find love in unexpected places--like on the second floor with that cute little Shorthair--when he gets there. But for now, he can only hope...

Well, Jack has now been at Rider University, his new home, for two and a half days (ok, three--we'll give him the benefit of the doubt). He was very excited to move in, despite the harsh traveling conditions.

The moment my roommate laid her eyes on his cage, she gasped, "What is that?!" I laughed--keeping it as light-hearted as possible--and began to show Jack around the place. People came from all over to meet the newest resident of Wright B3. It's not very often that we have males living with us in the women's dorm, after all.

Jack was a big hit. Even people who don't like hamsters are taking a shine to him. Despite his little red eyes and funny habit of leaving reminders of his visit everywhere that he goes, even people who don't like hamsters smile when they see that big green ball a'rolling. Yup, Jack is a real ladies man.

Nighttime, however, is not such a pleasant situation. Even though he got the prime spot under the window, he refuses to be satisfied there and is constantly trying to escape out of his cage while we are trying to escape to dreamland. Ok, so he's a little more nocturnal that we are. He has spent the past two nights--because of his disturbing my vallant efforts to get at least a little rest--in this same sickly-green ball (otherwise known as "The Death Star" to some), which I stupidly put into my dirty laundry basket. It's dirty, he's dirty--what's the problem? So when I woke up this morning and found half of my laundry shredded inside his ball, I was not a happy camper, to say the least. I guess he wasn't a happy hamster, either, spending his night in solitary confinement. I still don't know what I'm going to do to resolve this situation. Any practical suggestions would be quite useful.

But for now, Jack is ready for his midday walk up and down (and ramming into) the B3 hall. Let's hope my foot doesn't accidentally slip and pummel his ball as the door to the stairwell opens. Probably wouldn't hurt anyway since it's still padded with the remains of my shirt...

Ok, ok. I know what you're thinking--"She says 'check back frequently' and then writes nothing for a month? What's up with THAT?" Well my friends, today is NOT your lucky day, but believe me--updates ARE coming!! Anyone with personal experience with Jack is asked to e-mail me with your stories and I'll post them here. Call it a nice addition to the story of his life.

Go here to find out about and see actual pictures of my past hamsters, as well as some other pets of mine. I took lots of pictures of Jack, but then the camera broke (including the auto-rewind), so until I can get the film out and to a developer and then to my scanner and then uploaded, you will just have to wait to see what Jack REALLY looks like. I have personally asked some people who know Jack best and have seen him grow (he's so BIG now!) to write commentaries and journal entries, if you will, about their experiences with my furry friend, but as you can see, nobody has fulfilled their end of the bargain yet--except me, hence the page ;)

Ok, so maybe it's been a little while (maybe). Jack is still alive and well, and still annoying the life out of those who have to live with him. He is quite accustomed to college life this far into his existence. He is used to a wide variety of strangers holding and squeazing and handling him, dropping and losing and screaming at him. Just yesterday I put him in the care of a supposedly trusted friend while I performed my bi-monthly duty of cleaning out his cage (so, ok, I'm a little lazy in the cleaning department). And of course I came back wanting to introduce Jack to his new and improved cage, only to discover that Jack was no longer in his ball on the bed, but running around on the floor unattended. Sure Jack was obliviously having the time of his life, but I was not quite as pleased, to say the least.

In other exciting developments, Jack was recently introduced to Frosty, the brown and white hamster from the floor below. Let's just say it didn't take them long to sniff each other from one end to the other, and discover that they were a little...different. See, Frosty is of the female gender, whereas Jack is (very obviously) not. This is a relationship that will surely not go unattended. Of course, if it did, the results would not actually be MY concern...and I'm sure Jack wouldn't object.

More to come soon from the roomie, who has also recently had some *interesting* moments with our furry nocturnal friend.

Just a little side note...why is it that little kids insist on SQUEEZING the hamster, no matter how many times you say, "Don't squeeze the hamster...love the hamster...don't squeeze the hamster"? Doesn't seem to work. There the hands go, gripping and tensing and ...*gasp* clutching. Jack likes attention from little people as much as the rest of us, but he also likes breathing. So just try to keep that in mind from time to time.