Skeepants

My favorite little rodent is almost 2 years old. Hamsters don't live much longer than 2 years, usually. Realizing this suddenly a few minutes ago, I woke him up, took him out of his little bed-nest, constructed a set with an Anthropologie gift box and a tube, fed him a few raisins, and took a picture of him.

I got a hamster because I had a few of them when I was a kid (in succession, not all at once. They're solitary and can only live alone, or else they fight), and I liked them. I had a few bad experiences with them (one of them was really bite-y, another gave birth to about ten babies a few days after we bought her and then she ate all her babies) but the last one I had I really loved. He was a mellow, fluffy thing, cream-colored, and I un-creatively named him "Creamie". I was around eleven, I think, and after that hamster died of old age, I was already a pre-teen and was no longer interested in such childish hobbies; keeping a hamster.

Suddenly, I wanted one again, so I got Skeepants. He was a baby when I got him; really small. He's the same color as the late Creamie, and also has long hair, like Creamie. I saw him for sale in a habitat with several siblings; they were all cute and fluffy and cream-colored, but they were all active and climbing all over Skeepants' head, and he looked like he was trying to fall asleep. When baby hamsters are really little, they don't mind being together, but once they reach a certain age, they really start to want to get away from each other, and he looked like he needed his own place right away; moreso than the others. I felt sorry for him, I wasn't sure if he was sick and dying or what. I bought him and took him home. I didn't tell Dear Daniel that I was going to do this and I was a little worried he wouldn't like the idea. Everyone loves a puppy: not everyone loves an animal that's closely related to a rat. DD stared at the hamster for a while and then said, "Can we call him Ski Pants?"
(This was because Skeepants waddles and his legs and butt are so furry that he looks like a chubby toddler in ski pants.)
That's how Skeepants got him name.

He's a very interesting and gentle little creature. He's extremely tame, and it's fun to feed him little treats and watch him do his little things, like cleaning himself, drinking water, gathering paper towels strips to line his nest, and cutest of all-- eating.
He's old now, but he could still live another six months, or even longer. I hope so!