24 replies to this topic

[akjadestar]

wow do you mean 5m as in five miles? that's terrible ):

[SuzyHomemaker]

wow do you mean 5m as in five miles?

They use the metric system in the UK,
5m doesn't mean 5 miles, it means 5 meters
5 meters = 0.003106 miles (far less than 1/4 of a mile)
a better way of putting it, if you've ever seen a yard stick like in school,
then 5 meters = 5.46 yards

[Azayles]

Putting my hamster in a ball once a week while I clean her cage is about as far as I'll go, but restricting a hamster's movement to the locus of a short racetrack is just cruel and smacks of exploitation. Particularly as it's during the DAY :( . Those wheel/car things look awful cramped, too.
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe hamsters do enjoy that, but I doubt it, and as the supposedly intelligent species only we can be the voice for the otherwise voiceless hamster.

[Creative Hamster]

If they continue this `racing`it should be for donating money to local animal shelters, actually for a good cause, not just because it`s (not) funny and (not) entertaining. Hamster should run for freewill, not being forced to. I understand if children find this amusing, but adults! Some people have no sense, where is the anti-animal cruelty team when we need them...

[princesshamster]

Poor hammies D':

[johnnywalnuts]

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

is this really that awful? hamsters, on average run 5 miles a day in a wheel. 5 meters is 16 feet and change. after reading the article it seems pretty harmless to me. unless they are forced to do this day after day with the same hamsters. then its a bit dangerous because they mostly sleep during the day. but i don't find this to be too outrageous. i guess if hamsters didn't enjoy running so much i'd see the harm but they do and that is a toy made for hamsters that you can buy at just about any pet store *runs and throws arms over head to avoid flying projectiles* lol.

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.

i agree with some of the things you've stated but i have some questions- i take my pandora and robo ladies out during the day for an hour or two and most hamster owners i've known do the same thing so they cna interact with hamsters while they are awake. this hasn't become seen as a bad idea has it?
also- hamsters that people get from pet stores are transported in a vehicle of some kind, and more often than not a delivery tuck with other animals. so the hamsters getting to the pet store in the first place is a bit more traumatic than driving in a vehicle owned by the owner, isn't it?

i do agree with the noise level. that has to hurt them. do hamsters get headaches? i know i would if my hearing was that sensitive. and i suppose an added danger would be taking the hamster out when they are done and kids wanting to handle it.
in college we had a guy buy a guinea pig only for the purpose of using it to do a research project with children. he brought it into the class and let the children handle and "play" with it. 2 days later it died. not a fan of piggies, i've nnever ever seen a truly tame one, but no animal should suffer in that way.
but i guess as far as i could tell from this article that although it certainly isn't the best idea and the healthiest it isnt the worst thing i've seen done to an animal.

Edited by Christmas_hamster, 15 October 2011 - 11:06 AM.

[Christmas_hamster]

Please do not double post, there is a multiquote botton for a reason. ;) I am merging your posts in this topic and any others I come across throughout the forum. The edit button is in bottom right corner of your post. As per your comments to my poot I will read them tomorrow. I am too tired right now.

[johnnywalnuts]

Please do not double post, there is a multiquote botton for a reason. ;) I am merging your posts in this topic and any others I come across throughout the forum. The edit button is in bottom right corner of your post. As per your comments to my poot I will read them tomorrow. I am too tired right now.

thanks christmas. sorry.

[Barrix]

It's not inhumane to race horses because they are bred to run and it's also a defense for when they're in the wild. The only reason it's said to be cruel is because of the people who are forcing the horses overboard (making them do more then they are trained to do) and using the whip like a maniac. If the jockeys wouldn't do those things, the horses wouldn't get injured. Racing in general is not cruel, it's the way humans tend to do it that makes it that way. This doesn't mean that I'm against stopping racing because, in all honesty, if a human can't handle racing in a humane mannor they shouldn't be doing it at all.

However, we are speaking about hamsters which aren't really a racing animal because of how sensitive they are. It's very stressful because of the strange environment and because they sleep in the morning. The noise doesn't help the situation. A hamster shouldn't be forced into this kind of environment when they are adapted to one that's the exact opposite. That's just my opinion on the topic.

[Not-Here-Bye]

It's not inhumane to race horses because they are bred to run and it's also a defense for when they're in the wild. The only reason it's said to be cruel is because of the people who are forcing the horses overboard (making them do more then they are trained to do) and using the whip like a maniac. If the jockeys wouldn't do those things, the horses wouldn't get injured. Racing in general is not cruel, it's the way humans tend to do it that makes it that way. This doesn't mean that I'm against stopping racing because, in all honesty, if a human can't handle racing in a humane mannor they shouldn't be doing it at all.

However, we are speaking about hamsters which aren't really a racing animal because of how sensitive they are. It's very stressful because of the strange environment and because they sleep in the morning. The noise doesn't help the situation. A hamster shouldn't be forced into this kind of environment when they are adapted to one that's the exact opposite. That's just my opinion on the topic.

It is inhumane to ride or race horses since horses weren't born to be transport for humans. Most horses bred for racing end up at the slaughterhouse because they're not good enough. Many break legs during races. Retired usually end up in slaughterhouses too. A horse belongs in a large open space with it's herd mates, not with some human on it's back.

--

On topic...they sell those car things in Pets at Home and you can get a racing track for it too. I don't approve of using animals for our own entertainment so that for me is enough to say it's wrong, let alone all the other implications of it. Not to mention what if one escaped, they can be quick little things when they want to be.