The tiny orange Flash
Sadie enjoys all interaction with her Syrian hamster Flash, especially playtime.
In the wild, Syrian hamsters are one of the rarest hamster species. Native to the deserts of Syria, they were almost hunted to extinction in the 1920s. Today, the Syrian hamster, also known as golden or teddy bear hamsters, are a popular household pet.
The Jubenville family—Ashley, Ben, Sadie (7) and Micah (11)—of the Esparanza neighborhood are proud owners of a Syrian hamster named Flash, a 5-year-old Bassett hound, Molly, and a bearded dragon, Apollo.
Flash has been an excellent pet for Sadie and the Jubenville family. By nature, Syrian hamsters are gentle and easy to care for, making them ideal for new pet owners.
Sadie was inspired to get a hamster by her second grade American Academy – Castle Pines teacher Ms. Flores and their class hamster, Biscuit. Enjoying his presence in class, Sadie decided she was ready for the same companionship beyond the classroom. Flash was adopted into the Jubenville family last October. “When I saw Flash at the pet store, I thought he was a perfect fit for the family,” said Sadie.
Flash was named for his orange color and speed. Syrian hamsters are natural nocturnal marathon runners and can cover eight miles or more on their wheel each night to satisfy their instinctual urge to forage and explore.
The word “hamster” comes from the German word hamstern, meaning to hoard. Hamsters can hoard up to half of their body weight in food in expandable cheek pouches, which can extend to their shoulders, making them look quite funny.
Flash lives a happy life without a companion, as being housed with another hamster could cause friction. Sadie feeds Flash once a day with a seed and grain hamster mix. He has a running wheel, burrowing material in his cage—as hamsters have a natural behavior of creating long tunnels—and a ball that he enjoys rolling around in when Sadie and her dad clean his cage once a week. To keep Flash’s mind active, Sadie and Micah enjoy building mazes out of magnetic tiles.
Some hamsters can be very friendly and enjoy being handled, while others are shy and prefer space. At first, Flash did not want people to pet or hold him, but now he is comfortable with his family. He enjoys walking on palms of hands and welcomes Sadie’s friends as long as they are calm and relaxed.
“Sadie enjoys all the interactions and play with Flash,” concluded Ashley.
Flash lives a happy life in solitude, always curious of the world outside.
One of Flash’s favorite past times is rolling around in his ball while his cage is being cleaned.
By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy of Ashley Jubenville
