Well, it's been a rather grim morning here at the Tollipop household. Sophie awoke to discover Priscilla in the midst of eating a most unthinkable snack. I quickly took the cage and moved it into my studio, then spent the next half hour as grief counsellor/hug-dispenser/animal behavior specialist with my two horrified girls (luckily Caroline missed the entire episode).
I think they handled it very well. Oh, my sweet little city slickers...when I said I was grateful for this experience, regardless of the outcome, of course I didn't mean this outcome! I meant the outcome where ten roly poly balls of fluff bomb around our house for three weeks, we sew them matching outfits and teach them to sing like the von Trapps, then ultimately escape over the Alps when the pet store people come looking for us.
In case you are wondering, we have stayed clear of Priscilla and her babies (this photo was taken before she gave birth). We have kept her fairly secluded and away from noise or disruption. So a possible explanation for her behavior is that perhaps a baby got smothered at the bottom of the pile, or perhaps she had too many mouths to feed and made a natural selection for the greater good. She still appears to have quite a few babies there, so hopefully the situation has been diffused and she is feeling like she can manage once again.
I usually keep things quite pretty and shiny here at Tollipop, but many of you seem to be following the story of the hammies with interest so I thought it should be told in its entirety.
I hope it has a happy ending.