Hamsters always ride shotgun
by Andrea Mulder-Slater
If you were a Canadian kid with access to a television in the 1970s, then you might remember a show called Hammy the Hamster (Tales of the Riverbank*).
If you were a Canadian kid with access to a television in the 1970s, then you might remember a show called Hammy the Hamster (Tales of the Riverbank*).
This was a delightful, if not creepy, television program featuring Hammy – a surprisingly dexterous hamster who lived in an old boot, G.P. – an inventive guinea pig who lived in a house with a water wheel, and a host of other characters including a turtle, a rabbit and a rat – the names of which I can’t remember at this point in my life.
During
each episode, Hammy and G.P. went on mini-adventures – building things,
visiting places and solving problems. Trust me, these weren’t your
average run of the mill rodents. They could drive boats, ride around in
cars, move underwater in a diving bell, and operate power tools or hot
air balloons – effortlessly, all before breakfast.
Understand… I was an only child, living in the country. Needless to say, I loved this crap.
So
hooked was I, that I eventually owned my very own hamster. I named him
Hammy and he lived in his own hamster environment complete with running
wheel, plastic log and cardboard house. On many an occasion, I released
him from his cage and let him run around on the kitchen table.
I fed him toast.
Looking
back, my mother was incredibly tolerant. I’m not sure how delighted I
would be to share my eating space with a rodent. Take note daughter of mine.
Still, I think hamsters rate pretty high on the cute scale. And I’m not the only one...
According to its maker - JuicyJewelryStore - this hamster ball pendant is "fully awesome." Handmade from polymer clay, he is about .7" tall and sits inside of a plastic ball that measures 1" by 1"
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| JuicyJewelryStore.etsy.com |
There's nothing strange about this next item. It is a dinosaur costume...
for hamsters. Make your Hamster absolutely fierce in this dinosaur
costume! Perfect for photos, or Halloween (or only children).
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| arosecreates.etsy.com |
What's better than a hamster? A hamster on your finger,
of course... Now you can have your own hamster sticker with glitter
suspended in solid resin on an adjustable band ring. Cheap and classy,
all at once.
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| unicornmullet.etsy.com |
If that last photo got you excited, wait until you see this one. Yes, more hamster rings. Elerronyar makes these and claims they are perfect for tea time.
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| elerronyar.etsy.com |
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| bykeiara.etsy.com |
And finally, because I'm feeling rather spunky this morning, I present you with "Hamster in a Coma". This is a postcard with an image created by Rina Miriam Drescher. I like it - and not just because it alludes to that great 80s song by The Smiths...
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| rinamiriam.etsy.com |
*Tales of the Riverbank began in the late 1950s. It had a second incarnation in 1972 and yet another in the mid 1990s.