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“I fear my hamster is underachieving….”

I fear my hamster is underachieving; he is already in his first year of school and has not yet mastered how to use his wheel properly. He almost seems to fear it. The nests that he creates are small and hurridly done; he is more interested in sleeping and eating. He finds it hard to socialise with other hamsters and when he does he finds it hard to communicate with his peers. I am not sure what to do, I am afraid that he will never catch up with his age group.

Owner of an underachieving hamster
Norwich

Nelly says:

“ It certainly sounds as though your hamster has developmental difficulties. It may be damaging, however, to label him as underachieving; this will lower his self-esteem and drive to develop his abilities. You really need to seek advice from his school and your Local Hamster Education Authority to find the best methods to help him. Maybe start with a smaller wheel and build up to a larger one, using your fingers to show how. It may help having another hamster, since being an only hamster can contribute to laziness and it could help his social skills. A little competition could do him good. Remember, although everybody wants a high achiever, all hamsters are different so one must just help one’s hamster to reach its full potential, not that which one thinks he/she should achieve.”

“My petals are faded and wrinkled ….”

I am not sure what to do anymore, my petals are faded and wrinkled and my leaves are drooping. As a high upstanding daffodil of the garden this is most embarrassing; even the daises have lost respect for me. The same happened to my parents. What can I do?

A distressed flower
Old Buckenham

Nelly says:

“ I am afraid you are displaying the classic signs of post-bloom ageing, and so very little can be done artificially to help you. You must drink plenty of water, which should help to reverse your drooping leaves. Hopefully you will be deadheaded once you have finished flowering and so you will bloom again next year. This is a perfectly natural process and nothing to fear. As for the daises and other garden members, explain to them why your appearance is changing. Many others will soon experience this and will appreciate your advice. There is nothing wrong with being an early developer.”

Created by Helen Edwards

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