24 replies to this topic

[hammy_uk]

I saw this today and I'm disgusted... They're running daily races along a 5m track. The poor hamsters :(

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1304773/Hamster-racing-Lewis-Hammy-Jenson-Button-Nose-Hamster-Grand-Prix.html

[Lucas]

I think all races involving animals should be banned.
Horse, dog... uhm. hamster?! That's rediculous.
People actually call it a SPORT, for heaven's sake. That just cracks me up.
The "athletes" spend their time "training" their animal, which inevitably ends to torture and cruelty.

Disgusting.

[Christmas_hamster]

Oh great. It's just like the PetCo derby in the US. Poor little hams. :/

[Genevie]

'Extremely funny and very entertaining, we know our visitors will love this as much as our hamsters do.'

'Our hamsters love to race and have been doing practice circuits.

<dumb>s.
What on Earth makes them think that these hamsters enjoy being forced to run? What makes them think they enjoy hundreds of screaming kids surrounding them?

Edited by effy, 21 August 2010 - 11:16 PM.

[michhammyluv29]

That is really messed up. First they are messing with the animals natural sleep cycle by having them up during the day. Second, putting them in front of all those screaming kids is terrifying for them I'm sure. This teaches a horrible lesson and brings out the people who don't give a crud about animal rights. I mean, obviously these parents don't care about their animal, and they are teaching their children the same, that it's ok to force an animal to do something against their own free will. It's just sick. Only kind of justice for this would be to wake up all adults involved in the middle of the night, throw them in a human sized hamster wheel and stand around screaming, "Run human, run!" but unfortunately that would never happen.

[VanillaTea]

MESSED UP!!!!

[JyEn]

oh my... poor hammies :(

[animalcrazy]

I am not encouraging this act, but dont hamsters naturally like to run, they run on their wheels and in their balls all the time...

[Christmas_hamster]

The problem with this race and the PetCo races in the US are that they:
- are during the day
- they have to leave their home, take a car ride and run
- they are forced to run, unless the owners decide to take the hamster out
- they are surrounded by other hamsters that could pass on some sort of virus
- they are stressed out from all of the activity, noise, being woken, being in a strange territory, etc
- it's loud

It's just not right.

[animalcrazy]

Thanks CH.... Ok, now I understand this race better, its a bad idea for sure! Humans do a lot of things that are just not right and this is one of those bad bad things :( .. Is there any way to get these races stopped for good?

[VanillaTea]

When I went on my Pet-Co shopping spree the guy told me "you should participate in our annual hamster derby". I said...."NO!!!!" "why not" "its cruel" my mom and petco dude ask me how....i tell them C_H's responce. The guy was shocked. XP
When i look closer at the pic in the link......where are the air holes?!?!! how can the hammies breath!?!?

Edited by CutieHammieGurl, 17 September 2010 - 11:14 AM.

[Christmas_hamster]

He's probably not used to kids being more informed then he is. ;) :P

[MilkyFactory]

It's really sad and pathetic that people actually participate in these races. I bet the people who participate don't give two <card game> about their hamsters and never play with them at home.

[Christmas_hamster]

They're likely just ignorant to their pet's needs.

[SuzyHomemaker]

The problem with this race and the PetCo races in the US are that they:
- are during the day
- they have to leave their home, take a car ride and run
- they are forced to run, unless the owners decide to take the hamster out
- they are surrounded by other hamsters that could pass on some sort of virus
- they are stressed out from all of the activity, noise, being woken, being in a strange territory, etc
- it's loud

It's just not right.

Now, I'm not for these races, I agree its cruel, however I do see a few minor flaws in the arguement against the Adventure Land hamster races:
- Many respected breeders believe that a hamster can be woken during the day IF it is a normal part of their routine. I've known several wonderful and knowledgable hamster-keepers who've trained their hamsters to wake in the late afternoon/early evening everyday.
It says on their website, here: adventurevalley.co.uk that the races are done everyday at 3pm, so [while a bit early for my tastes] at least its apart of their daily routine and therefore probably less stressful than if it was only done once a week/month.
- They don't have to take a car ride to get to the race, because, as it says in the original linked article:

Adventure Valley in Brasside, near Durham, is home to 'drivers' Lewis Hammy, Michael Chewmacher, Rodent Barrichello and Jenson Button Nose.

So they live where the races take place. (Sad really, they're not pets they're "professional racers." However, I'm hoping that the staff have bonded to them to simulate the "pet lifestyle". I worked at a petting zoo for a period of time in my teen years and even though the animals there weren't anyone's "pets" they still had wonderful bonds with the staff who worked with them daily.)
- Most hamsters do like to run, however, I agree, it should be on their own terms. For example, every night I offer both the ball and the playpen to my hamster. Sometimes he wants both, sometimes he only wants one, sometimes he wants neither. In any case, its his choice. These hamsters don't have a choice and that just isn't right.
- In any multi-hamster situation, there is a risk of spreading diseases. I've kept more than one hamster in the same room, they've shared a play pen. Many owners do this, and so long as new hamsters are quarantined for a period of time to ensure good health, there isn't much risk to it. There is more risk driving to the hamster shows and competing with other people's hamsters, unquarantined, in a small confined area, than there is in keeping more than one hamster in a pet-environment. Since these hamsters live together and [I'm hoping] that the managers of this establishment know the basics of hamster-care, the risk of disease spread to other hamsters is reduced.
- If its a normal part of their routine, they might actually wake themselves naturally at that time of day. Since they don't have to travel, it isn't strange territory. I would think the largest issue as far as stress goes, is the noise.
- I agree, in the pictures it looks like all the children are screaming and it even says right in the article

People are cheering the one whose name they have picked.

Now, I'm not sure about the rest of you but I try to keep things quiet for my hamsters. Excess noise happens sometimes and you just can't avoid it, but that doesn't mean you go around encouraging the excess noise to be a casual part of their daily life. I have a toddler son and he's been taught from day one that we use our indoor voice in the house, and we especially use our indoor voice around any animal, including hamsters. When he gets loud near the hamster, he gets removed from the room, and has therefore learned quickly that its better to be quiet and have fun, than be loud and not have any fun at all. I think encouraging people to cheer at the hamsters probably terrifies them, and it also teaches the children a lack of respect for the animal. This is what I find to be the most upsetting part of races.

As for the PetCo Derby-
In my opinion, C.H. your arguement is dead on. Its massively irresponsible for PetCo to host such an event where the animals they are supposed to care about the wellbeing of are awoken out of routine, traveled across town, placed with other hamsters whose health might be questionable, and then forced to perform in this strange environment.

I mean, obviously these parents don't care about their animal, and they are teaching their children the same, that it's ok to force an animal to do something against their own free will. It's just sick.

@MHL29- I couldn't agree more! I've spent the majority of my life working with rescue animals and I've seen first hand, ignorance breeds ignorance. These people learn poor pet husbandry, some even learn to abuse animals, by watching their parents and then do the same when they reach adulthood, continuing the cycle of neglect and abuse. We as a individuals must be intelligent enough to realize our parents may have not known best about everything, and we must care enough to research pet care before we run out and get a pet as an adult.
Its really sad when you see two people raised in two different environments react so differently to the same stimuli. For example: those USHS television commercials that show the beaten and starved animals needing help. A person who was raised to love and respect animals might see that commercial and cry because they are saddened by it. Whereas a person who was raised to disrespect animals might think, "whats the big deal if it starves to death? its just a dog" and that person would most likely teach their children to feel the same way. Its a vicious cycle and it is just sick.

Edited by SuzyHomemaker, 14 November 2010 - 07:42 AM.