During the recent third anniversary celebrations of the Philippine Hamster Owners Society (PHOS) at Starmall Alabang, visitors delighted in a hamster show, race, and the exhibits featuring hamster species rarely seen in stores like Winter White and Chinese dwarf hamsters, the Short-Haired Syrian hamster (high mutations), and Roborovski dwarf hamsters (high mutations).
As the show was held on Father’s Day, dads and their kids were treated to informative talks by representatives not only from hamster breeders and fanciers but also others from different hobbies. Their discussions included short introductions to the hobby for newbies, how to take care of their pets, feeding, and breeding. Also present at the show were pet rats, hedgehogs, brightly colored Javanica cockroaches, and scorpions.
The hamster race, hosted by PHOS founder Emman Talucod, was a crowd favorite, with hamsters in clear balls running backwards or even stopping altogether instead of running straight towards the finish as the audience expected.
Winners for the Hamster Show were:
• Best in Show: Arvince Paul Nuza
• Best Pattern in Syrian Hamster: Christian Santos
• Best Campbell Dwarf Hamster: Jihad Zyke Requintina
• Best Roborovski Dwarf Hamster: Julius Manlapaz
• Best Winter White Dwarf Hamster: Jairus Luis J. Chuaquico
Winners for the Fastest Hamster were:
• Syrian Hamster category: Jomari Caacbay
• Dwarf Hamster Category: Jihad Zyke Requintina
• Roborovski Dwarf Category: Julius Manlapaz
Those interested can check out www.facebook.com/PHOSociety and www.facebook.com/PHOS.Official for more information.
This story appeared in Animal Scene’s August 2015 issue.
