10 replies to this topic

[meh]

So I adopted two new hamsters yesterday (yay!), a WW and a Syrian. They belonged to a pair of young siblings that had lost interest in them. The mother was very nice, and she even drove the hamsters over to my house (a 45 minute drive). I had seen a picture of the cages beforehand (about 200 square inches each), but I was not prepared for the state of the cages. To put it this way, I was amazed by how much poop such small cages could hold.

 

The WW had a house, but no wheel, and the Syrian had a wheel (also super small), but no house or shelter. I could sort of tell the owners had made some effort, because the hamsters both had large food bowls, but they were filled with low grade rodent mix (basically shelled wheat, hay pellets and the occasional bit of corn or sunflower seed). And they both had nesting material, but it was synthetic hamster cotton. The worst part was the Syrian constantly trying to dig in the bedding, which barely covered the base of the cage. It made me want to cry, and I wanted to say something about it to the mother, but I didn't. I just thanked her for bringing them to me - and I paid her. I could tell she thought hamsters were kind of silly or boring animals, so I don't think it would have made any difference. 

 

Would you have said something?

[Kikya]

So I adopted two new hamsters yesterday (yay!), a WW and a Syrian. They belonged to a pair of young siblings that had lost interest in them. The mother was very nice, and she even drove the hamsters over to my house (a 45 minute drive). I had seen a picture of the cages beforehand (about 200 square inches each), but I was not prepared for the state of the cages. To put it this way, I was amazed by how much poop such small cages could hold.

 

The WW had a house, but no wheel, and the Syrian had a wheel (also super small), but no house or shelter. I could sort of tell the owners had made some effort, because the hamsters both had large food bowls, but they were filled with low grade rodent mix (basically shelled wheat, hay pellets and the occasional bit of corn or sunflower seed). And they both had nesting material, but it was synthetic hamster cotton. The worst part was the Syrian constantly trying to dig in the bedding, which barely covered the base of the cage. It made me want to cry, and I wanted to say something about it to the mother, but I didn't. I just thanked her for bringing them to me - and I paid her. I could tell she thought hamsters were kind of silly or boring animals, so I don't think it would have made any difference. 

 

Would you have said something?

When I am rescuing, sometimes I will talk to them to find out more about the hamster, where they got it etc... If we talk about care, I usually "blame" the pet store for telling them the wrong information and tell them that way. Like "Oh yeah, the pets stores give out bad information all the time about putting two hamsters in the same cage, sorry that happened to you" kind of thing. So I'm not blaming them but giving them a hint of, maybe you should have looked this up.

 

I had one lady pretty much shove the hamster at me, take the money and close the door... Not much you can do there. Thankfully people like that probably won't get another hamster since they hated taken care of it so much that they got rid of it.

Edited by Kikya, 27 January 2022 - 09:41 PM.

[randomhamsterpersonn]

So I adopted two new hamsters yesterday (yay!), a WW and a Syrian. They belonged to a pair of young siblings that had lost interest in them. The mother was very nice, and she even drove the hamsters over to my house (a 45 minute drive). I had seen a picture of the cages beforehand (about 200 square inches each), but I was not prepared for the state of the cages. To put it this way, I was amazed by how much poop such small cages could hold.

 

The WW had a house, but no wheel, and the Syrian had a wheel (also super small), but no house or shelter. I could sort of tell the owners had made some effort, because the hamsters both had large food bowls, but they were filled with low grade rodent mix (basically shelled wheat, hay pellets and the occasional bit of corn or sunflower seed). And they both had nesting material, but it was synthetic hamster cotton. The worst part was the Syrian constantly trying to dig in the bedding, which barely covered the base of the cage. It made me want to cry, and I wanted to say something about it to the mother, but I didn't. I just thanked her for bringing them to me - and I paid her. I could tell she thought hamsters were kind of silly or boring animals, so I don't think it would have made any difference. 

 

Would you have said something?

 

I think, being an introvert, I am not good with conflict. If I was rescuing these hamsters I probably wouldn't have said anything since I'm taking them anyways or maybe just try to hint that their enclosures are pretty small/have lots of feces. Like maybe, "Oh! It's much smaller than what I thought!" Not sure though.

[meh]

When I am rescuing, sometimes I will talk to them to find out more about the hamster, where they got it etc...

I am sometimes able to say things like that in the initial conversation when I contact them about the ad, but this woman answered kindly but with very little details when I asked her questions.

Anyway I think you're right about them probably not getting any more hamsters.

I think, being an introvert, I am not good with conflict. If I was rescuing these hamsters I probably wouldn't have said anything since I'm taking them anyways or maybe just try to hint that their enclosures are pretty small/have lots of feces. Like maybe, "Oh! It's much smaller than what I thought!" Not sure though.

I am the same. A couple of times I have actually ended up leaving the old cages with the owners, because they were so dirty and/or terrible. In those instances I've arrived with a travel cage to pick the hamsters up, with the intention of also taking their cages, but the cages were so bad that I politely said I had better options at home. I did take some bedding for the smell though.

[Kikya]

I am sometimes able to say things like that in the initial conversation when I contact them about the ad, but this woman answered kindly but with very little details when I asked her questions.

Anyway I think you're right about them probably not getting any more hamsters.


I am the same. A couple of times I have actually ended up leaving the old cages with the owners, because they were so dirty and/or terrible. In those instances I've arrived with a travel cage to pick the hamsters up, with the intention of also taking their cages, but the cages were so bad that I politely said I had better options at home. I did take some bedding for the smell though.

Always take the cages if you can, so you can get rid of them. Otherwise they end up back on craigslist sometimes.

[meh]

Always take the cages if you can, so you can get rid of them. Otherwise they end up back on craigslist sometimes.

 

Oh no, I didn't think about that ...

[Kikya]

Oh no, I didn't think about that ...

It's ok, just think about it for next time!

[randomhamsterpersonn]

I am sometimes able to say things like that in the initial conversation when I contact them about the ad, but this woman answered kindly but with very little details when I asked her questions.

Anyway I think you're right about them probably not getting any more hamsters.


I am the same. A couple of times I have actually ended up leaving the old cages with the owners, because they were so dirty and/or terrible. In those instances I've arrived with a travel cage to pick the hamsters up, with the intention of also taking their cages, but the cages were so bad that I politely said I had better options at home. I did take some bedding for the smell though.

 

Another good idea would be to take the cage and just chuck it at home so that they don't end up selling it second hand to someone else to use for their hamster. I hate the tiny cages.

[meh]

Another good idea would be to take the cage and just chuck it at home so that they don't end up selling it second hand to someone else to use for their hamster. I hate the tiny cages.

I just thought that not taking the cage sent the message that it wasn't good enough.

Either way the two I got yesterday will find their way into my garden. I will use the tops to protect seedlings from the very messy magpies living in my garden, and the bottoms as trays for my little germination pots.

[Lillias]

I tend not to be confrontational. If it was a situation where the person still had hamsters they were planning to keep, I'd try to say something. But it sounds like this family is done with small animals for the time being.

[meh]

I tend not to be confrontational. If it was a situation where the person still had hamsters they were planning to keep, I'd try to say something. But it sounds like this family is done with small animals for the time being.

Yes, I doubt they'll get another hamster. I think both the adults and children found the hamsters to be extremely uninteresting - even though they are such sweet and gentle little hamsters.