116 replies to this topic

[lil BIG dwarf]

Okay everyone, I was asked to conduct the next 5 interviews. I PM'ed a few people, but haven't gotten any responses. If you're still waiting to be interviewed, please comment below and you'll get a PM ASAP. Thanks for your time

[Nuggetz]

Today we have another interview, 

And the person is Anonymous

 

Hello Anonymous!
 

Why did you decide to be interviewed?
''I decided to be interviewed because I wanted to see if I am a good hamster owner, I also wanted to see how far I’ve come since first having Lola. I believe these questions will tell me how much I have improved, and they will make me remember some good memories of me and Lola.''
 

 

What made you choose a hamster as a pet?
''I came across a hamster video on YouTube when I was 8 am immediately decided I wanted one because they were so cute. I asked my dad and he surprised me with one a few weeks later.''
 

 

 

What was your first experience with a hamster?
''When I first held Lola, at the time I didn’t know how stressful it would have been for her on her first day.''
 

 

 

 

Did you do any research before getting a hamster, and/or did you provide the proper care?
''Well 8 year old me thought that watching some hamsters doing mazes and obstacle courses was research, I also listened to my dad, which now the hamster care has changed a lot so not all the information was correct. The short answer is, no not really I did do a bit though.
I gave her a lot of enrichment, but her cage wasn’t the best.''
 

 

 

What was the funniest thing any of your hamsters did?
''The funniest thing Lola ever did was probably when I first gave her some paper bedding she dived into it and began to burrow!''
 

 

 

What species of hamsters have you had?
''I’ve only ever had a Campbell’s Russian Dwarf hamster.''
 

 

 

How many hamsters do you have now / Are you planning to get hamsters any time soon?
''I currently have one, my brother is getting a hamster this weekend but that is his, but I’m giving him lots of information, I plan to have hamsters in the future and carry on having them.''

 

 

What was your favorite thing to do with her? 

''I used to love to watch Lola climb the stairs, I used to watch her under close supervision. I currently love to free roam her.''

 

 

 

What do you want Pet stores to change based on Hamster care?
''I would love for them to sell big cages, and definitely sell safe beddings.''
 

 

 

What is the thing you hate most about bad hamster care?

''The small cages and then people not listening to your advice.''
 

 

Do you have ideas how to stop Hamster abuse?
''Spread a lot of correct information to try prevent it from happening.''
 

 

 

Do you think hamsters deserve as much love as any other pet?
''Yes because they are living, breathing creatures and have a value.''

 

 

Special thanks to Anonymous for the detailed answers!

[~V1]

Hi! Just saying I know exactly who Anonymous is. You just need to follow HH even a bit to have a general understanding who this is, just saying. Very interesting tho!

[Hamsterz23]

I would be happy to be interviewed
Oop sorry
Urhdjflryjsyjdncjfhdhaj

Edited by Campbellrambles, 26 August 2020 - 01:22 AM.

[NibbleNumNum]

ignore this  

Edited by NibbleNumNum, 25 August 2020 - 11:48 PM.

[lil BIG dwarf]

~removed 

Edited by lil BIG dwarf, 26 August 2020 - 12:10 AM.

[ollieandraigy123]

I would be happy to be interviewed
Ps-is anonymous

Spoiler

boo hahaha scared u

Honest mistake all fixed. My long post was bogging up the page hahahaha

Edited by ollieandraigy123, 26 August 2020 - 12:10 AM.

[lil BIG dwarf]

~removed 

Edited by lil BIG dwarf, 26 August 2020 - 12:10 AM.

[NibbleNumNum]

ignore this too lol 

Edited by NibbleNumNum, 26 August 2020 - 12:14 AM.

[nomnomhammy]

I would be happy to be interviewed too.

[lilhams~uwu]

what happened with all the removed posts??

[Hamsterz23]

[NibbleNumNum]

what happened with all the removed posts??

 

It's not a big deal lol, someone made a simple mistake and then corrected it.  Replies were removed so as not to make them look bad.

[lilhams~uwu]

It's not a big deal lol, someone made a simple mistake and then corrected it.  Replies were removed so as not to make them look bad.

 

Ah, that makes sense.

[Nuggetz]

Today, We have another interview!

We have NibbleNumNum with us!

Why did you decide to be interviewed?

 

''Idk, why not. :P''

 

1. What made you choose a hamster as a pet?

 

''I guess the long story is that a hamster was the first pet that I considered owning, and I didn't have to look that far since I honestly think that it's the best choice for me to own for myself.  I'm not really interested in birds or reptiles, plus I don't think that other small mammals would have worked for me- I don't have the resources to care for, say, a guinea pig or rabbit, and my mom had an aversion to rodents in general, especially ones with long tails.  I guess she thinks that they're scarier. XD

 

I don't think I'll own any other pet of my own in the future anyway (except for maybe a dog), hamsters are enough for me!''

 

 

2. What was your first experience with a hamster?

 

''Pip was my first ham, who had a sort of cinnamon-ey colored fur (I'm not sure of the official color name) and was a long-haired Syrian.  He was an absolute doll and he was pretty tame right from the start!  He would rush to paw on the glass whenever I entered the room and loved coming out to play.  Sadly, he passed away after the first two months of me owning him.  I'm not 100% sure what the cause was- he was from a Petco, so it could've been genetics, but in retrospect, I don't think I fed him well.  It still haunts me to this day.  

 

The other thing I realized about Pip was after I got Bear, who was without a doubt a male hamster.  When I compare the two...

 

Um yeah.  Maybe he wasn't a he. o.o''

 

 

This was from when I first brought him home! <33

 

 

3. Did you do any research before getting a hamster, and/or did you provide the proper care?

 

''I watched a ton of YouTube.  I swear if there's a question that ErinsAnimals, HoppingHammy, or Victoria Raechel answered in a video, I'd be able to find it.

 

Of course YouTube isn't the best source out there, but I think that it can be the next best thing compared to forums (although I don't really trust the comment section).  I have few regrets from being a first-timer and I'm so grateful for the base knowledge I formed from watching those people.  I think I knew about forums, but was too scared to join one as a tween who was afraid of putting myself out there on the internet.  To be honest, this remains the most social media-esque thing I partake in. 

 

If I could go back and improve on my care, the first thing I'd tell myself is that diet matters.  Sorry, I'm still kicking myself over that.  I guess I didn't understand how important diet is in general, and didn't really think to research it.  I was so disheartened; I'd researched pretty much every other area of hamster care, but neglected arguably one of its most important aspects.  

 

I'd also advise myself to add more enrichment to my setups.  They were okay, but could have been better.

 

One last thing would probably warn myself about where chain pet stores source their animals, although I know now that finding adoptable/ethically bred hamsters in my area is tricky.''

 

 

4. What was the funniest thing any of your hamsters did?

 

''I've since realized that rice pops aren't the most healthful of treats, but I do have fond memories of Bear having a go at them.  What I would do is attach one to the top of the cage with sisal string, so that way he couldn't just drag it back to his nest.  It was so funny watching him try to have a nibble at it, only for him to bump it out of the way.  He basically had to wrestle it in order for it to stay in place long enough for him to take a bite.  :rotfl:''

 

 

5. What species of hamsters have you had?

 

''Both of them were Syrians.  Pip was a long-haired, and Bear was a black short-haired.  Bear evidently came from a family of honking huge hamsters and his size actually made taming kinda difficult.  I would try to encourage him onto my hand via treats, but he didn't have to step on me and could easily reach the treats without having to touch me.  It was a process    :tired:''

 

 

This was Bear from when he was getting older.  What a hansum lil guy aweee

 

''I had, sadly, been under the impression that Syrians were good "beginner" hamsters, but luckily I don't believe either of them showed too much stress in the 877-sq. inch cage I provided.  I probably still won't get Syrians for a while, knowing how much space they can sometimes require.''

 

 

6. How many hamsters do you have now / Are you planning to get hamsters any time soon?

 

''I'm an empty-nester at the moment. :(

 

Right now, due to the pandemic, I have a family member working from home in the only room I can keep the cage.  I don't want them to potentially have to deal with a smelly hamster, so I'm being patient and hoping that the pandemic opens up soon.''

 

 

7. What was your favorite thing to do with your hamsters?

 

''I can't say that I disliked doing anything with my hamsters!  I somehow find even the less glorious parts of hamster-keeping fun- who knew that sifting through poopy sand could be so fun and satisfying?

 

I must say that I did appreciate being able to interact so much with Pip and I loved it whenever he would explore hoodie pockets and climb all over me.  Bear wasn't as big a fan of playing, so I mostly let him keep to himself.  He was still, however, a wonderful hamster.  :)''

 

 

8. What do you want pet stores to change based on hamster care?

 

''Honestly, I wouldn't know where to start...

Sorry, that sounds super pessimistic haha.''

 

 

9. What is the thing you hate most about bad hamster care?

 

''Really, the fact that it's the norm.  I can honestly understand when people think of our care standards as extremist or unnecessary, which is disheartening. :(''

 

 

10. Do you have ideas on how to stop hamster abuse?

 

''I said something that I'm kind of proud of on another thread, so I hope you don't mind if I just copy it over.  I'd only say the same things. 

 

It is super sad.  The lives of animals as little and as exotic as hamsters I guess just aren't as valued as dogs and cats, and even they are often mistreated.  Of course there is corporate greed at the root of the problem, but the other thing is that people just aren't educated and don't realize that there's more to hamster care than what the pet store employees tell you.  It's depressing, but I find hope in communities like this forum that are passionate about animals and are here to help each other out.  Even our standards have gone up over the years, and we have had small victories like the production of the Critter Trail Super Habitat, which, even though it doesn't seem like a ton of space to us, will help to normalize the idea of larger cages as people pass by them on the shelves.

 

We can't lose hope in society completely.  There are so many good people who support pet mills and improper care, but just don't realize the effect it has on both their hamster and others worldwide.  I mean, there are so many people on this forum who used identify as such, but found our community and are providing better and better care.  Our forum may seem humble and inconspicuous, but it's hard to ignore the countless hamsters whose lives have been made better because of us.

 

There is still hope.  Just by educating ourselves and each other, we are combatting less-than-ideal care standards.  The world is slowly changing, and as influencers popularize updated care and online spaces like this continue to spread information, demand for properly bred hamsters and appropriate supplies will go up.  I believe that there will come a day when Tiny Tales and small Critter Trails will have become a thing of the past and people will look at mills with realization and disgust.''

 

There is still hope. <3

 

 

11. Do you think hamsters deserve as much love as any other pet?

 

''I mean, this is a hamster forum.  What kind of a person would I be if I said no?''

 

 

Special thanks to Nibble for the great answers and cute pictures! :3