Zoo Tycoon

I'm feeling a bit like I'm playing a game on Zoo Tycoon. The only thing missing is the little blurbs telling me when the animals are unhappy or can't find food.

Mini-Me asked if she could save her money and buy a hamster. Without referring with the Professor, I said yes. I mean, if she was willing to save her money, why not?

Our friend, and pet whisperer, offered us a cage they were using. Mini-Me was excited. So she kept saving money. Scraping the coins off the dryer or the van or the floor whenever she could.

Then on Memorial Day, Poppy (my dad) handed her $5 to help her pay for the hamster. She was beside her self with joy. Even coming to me after my parents left, with tears in her eyes, to ask how she could let Poppy know how grateful she was.

My heart grew 3 sizes that day. I was so proud. And would have taken her to get the hamster RIGHT THEN but we hadn't picked up the cage yet.

Long story short --

Introducing Whiskers
or Sir Whiskers as we like to call him.

He is a Roborovski Dwarf Hamster.
And he's about the size of a mouse.
He reminds me of Morris the Mouse in a pop up book we have.
Mini-Me didn't like the name Morris.
Or Dash. This little guy is speedy. We put him here in a carry box so that we could clean out his palatial cage and he kept going in circles. (if you're following the edges of a square box, is it still considered a circle??)

We tried offering him some peace carrots.
He'd get really close and back away. Mini-Me would say "I feel his whiskers" or "I feel his claws".

We got the palace cleaned and put together and inserted the rodent..er..Sir Whiskers into his new home. Mini-me sat and watched him for a long time.

Of course, Maggie the cat, would love nothing better than to meet Sir Whiskers, too. She's currently carefully treading on the counter atop where Whiskers home sits. I think she's thinking "Canned food" - but I don't know. She's keeping mum about it.

That's the other thing I wish - I wish that, like Zoo Tycoon, there were happy faces to tell me when the animals were happy. I can't tell if Sir Whiskers is happy or not. He's spent most of his first few days in the upper chamber of his palace, pushing all the aspen chips down the tube. He couldn't get to his food or water, so I'd go clean out the tube or chase him down it. He must have something against the bedding we have - he's currently living under the ramp that leads to the exercise wheel. He's pushed all the bedding aside so he's sleeping on the plastic cage bottom.

Pretty much, he's built a bunker.
Wonder what he'll do when it's time to change out his bedding.
If this were zoo tycoon, I'd know.

Though, I already know with Maggie the Cat. She's thinking, just get everyone out of here and I'll be happy. Or maybe, she's asking herself if she can get the top off the hamster cage... I mean, Palace. Maybe some things are better left unknown.