Hamster Flashback: Edward Naruto

Summer break before high school I really got into anime. The Japanese had this amazing way of animating and telling stories that instantly drew me in. So my Freshman year of high school was an odd one to say the least. What with a new school, new friends, and now an odd new interest. A close friend of mine and I were hanging out one day when she asked me about hamsters. We were friends from middle school and she remembered I'd had two hamsters. She wanted to know what they were like and if they were hard to take care of. So we spend a week or so talking about the pros and the very few cons of hamster adoption and she decided she was ready for a ham ham! But there was one problem: her mother. I though her mom was going to have a heart attack when she told her she wanted a hamster. It took days of convincing from both of us, but we finally broke her! My friend's brother dropped us off at Petco so she could buy a cage and supplies ahead of time. We stopped to look at the hamsters. Suddenly I missed Tickles and Chewy really bad. "You should get one too!" She suggested. I thought about it. I had the funds from saved Birthday money and dog sitting for my neighbor and I'd love to have another hamster. There was just the problem of convincing my mom again. I called my mom and told her I wanted a hamster. I was completely dead set on my argument and surprisingly I quickly convinced her. As with my first adoption, there was the condition of it being my hamster, my money, but with one more: I could only get one! Since I'd gotten my facts about Syrian hamsters fighting as adults I'd already known I would only get one. So I was in the clear! We both picked out our cages and supplies and headed back to my house to set up. She spent the night and the next day we were back at Petco to pick up our Hams!

My friend went straight for the dwarfs, and chose a grey male, which she later named "Pugly". I took a bit longer to choose. Since in the back of my head all I could think of was Tickles and Chewy, I knew I wanted a Syrian. And the male Syrians all just laid around the habitat like lazy frogs, so it looked like I was going for a female Syrian. Petco only had four female Syrians at the time. two of them were hiding in their house and one was sitting in the corner munching on seeds. The fourth, a yellowish one with white paws, was madly running on the wheel. I'd never seen a Syrian run so fast on a wheel before! I put my face close to the glass and she stopped. She wobbled over to the glass and put her paws on it. "That one!" I said. I bought a new hamster ball for her to play in and the Petco lady put her in that for the ride home, instead of a box. Since I was still technically underage and no adult was present, I had to call my mom to give verbal consent over the phone for both of us. While we waited outside the store for our ride, a passing stranger asked me what her name was. For some reason two anime flashed into my head and I replied "Edward Naruto". Yes my new little hamster was named after the main characters from Fullmetal Alchemist and Naruto.

Edward Naruto
July 20, 2007-July 26, 2009

Edward Naruto: Edward was a Robo hamster trapped in a Syrian hamster's body. I say this because she was fast, and she loved to run. All night long she'd go at that wheel. But her favorite thing in the world was her exercise ball. I think she would of lived in it if she could of. One day I got a flyer from Petco. They were having a Hamster Ball Derby, where you take your hamsters in their balls and let them race.  My friend and I thought it sounded fun so we entered out two little hams. The derby was divided into categories by small animal type and species. For example, there was a separate race for gerbils, and hamsters, and a separate race for Syrians hamsters and Dwarf hamsters. The hamsters raced in their balls that were placed on race tracks. The whole thing was adorable! There was a winner from each category that then competed in an over all race for first place over all the small animals. Betcha' can't guess who won first place! Edward! Edward came in first place and won a tiny hamster-sized trophy and a round race track. I was so proud of my little speed demon! Edward was a rather picky eater. She didn't like treats or  any fruits or vegetables I tried to give her. But she was very sweet and loving. All of my friends loved her, and my mother even lost a lot of her rodent hatred because of Ed-O. But sadly, all good things must come to an end. Edward Naruto died late at night a few days after turning two. The next day we had a small funeral consisting of my parents, and three friends (one of them being my boyfriend though we weren't together at the time) and buried her in her hamster ball.

I like to think there is a hamster heaven where all hamsters can get along, regardless of sex, species, and all other factors. If so, them I'm sure Tickles and Chewy welcomed Edward with open paws.

NEXT TIME IN HAMSTER FLASHBACK: Kanon Haruko! My first long haired!

-Tracy