9 replies to this topic

[hotglue01]

Hi there,

So, I’ve heard from HH and from other sources that adopting hamsters from pet stores isn’t good. Of course, the poor lil fuzzes that end up there are often from rodent mills (I can’t even think about this), are treated inhumanly in the store, and are more susceptible to diseases.

On the other hand: while I certainly wouldn’t want to financially support these practices, these are the poor souls that need adoption the most, right? When I think about the fact that my Syrian lovebug Aslan came from a shelter by way of two Petco hamsters having babies, it breaks my heart. It’s why I try to give him the absolute best home possible.

Any thoughts?

[A~HM]

Ultimately it comes down to how you feel. No one can tell you if you should do it or not, and there is no rule saying you can't do it. For some people, there's no hams for adopt or ethical breeders around, so a pet store ham is the only way to do it. Unless you're truly looking to do a real rescue and buy a ham that needs help and want to pile up medical bills, do yourself a favor and find a store with healthy animals, treats them well, and you can tell the store cares. I am an 'adopt don't shop' person, but I also bought my 2nd ham from the store I work in because I know my coworkers do all they can to care for the animals.

[lil BIG dwarf]

They need homes, yes. Though it’s important to understand that when you are buying a hamster in need you are supporting the pet store, and more animals will come to replace this one. Adopting would be when a pet store puts an animal up at a sometimes reduced fee, and the money all goes to donations rather than more hamsters. This way, your not monetarily supporting more hamsters needing homes like this. It’s really sad, but I’ve decided to never buy from a pet store unless it’s an adoption, and the money won’t go to the pet mills and more animals being bought. This is easy ish for me, though, because there are often hamsters for adoption or in need on Craigslist. I’ve adopted my past hamster and my current two gerbils from subpar situations, but not everyone can.

I agree with A~HM that if you can’t get a hamster, a pet store hamster is a choice. But it’s your choice if your okay with supporting it, or not getting a hamster.

[top tier hippo]

Hi there,

So, I’ve heard from HH and from other sources that adopting hamsters from pet stores isn’t good. Of course, the poor lil fuzzes that end up there are often from rodent mills (I can’t even think about this), are treated inhumanly in the store, and are more susceptible to diseases.

On the other hand: while I certainly wouldn’t want to financially support these practices, these are the poor souls that need adoption the most, right? When I think about the fact that my Syrian lovebug Aslan came from a shelter by way of two Petco hamsters having babies, it breaks my heart. It’s why I try to give him the absolute best home possible.

Any thoughts?

It's debated for a reason. Everyone has to make his or her own choice in regards to adopting vs. purchasing. 

 

What's my opinion, though? 

 

I think adopting is better. Like said, the money that is used to "rescue" hams from a store will only be used to purchase more to fill the vacant spot. More hamsters will be subject to the same conditions you wanted to rescue your hamster from. In an ideal world, I wouldn't support that in any way. 

 

Some would go so far as to say you shouldn't get a hamster if you can't adopt. I wouldn't go that far, but I would highly recommend an adoption over a pet store buy any day. I personally have bought from a store, and I don't regret it. It gave me Eleanor.

 

I think an owner should simply do research, and then, using that, determine his or her own morals accordingly. No one can make a decision for you. If anyone tells you that there is a right or wrong in this case, they are incorrect. That is simply their opinion 

Edited by Hippophile♥️, 27 January 2022 - 12:50 PM.

[hotglue01]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the responses! To preface, I adopted my Aslan from a shelter, so we didn't go the pet store route either.

I guess it's hard, though, because don't we support the pet stores when we buy OTHER things from them? I get Higgins Sunburst, bendy bridges, and tubes from the PetCo down the street. So I'm still supporting them... it's complicated. While I'm glad I adopted Aslan from a shelter and will probably go the shelter route again in the future for other pets, I feel so bad for the little fuzz babies at PetCo that I just want to give them a good home.

 

What's the most effective way to end this awful practice?

I did sign a petition recently to end the sales of inhumane cages/enclosures at PetCo and PetSmart. I'll look around for one that stops the sale of animals in the stores...

One of the most eye-opening things about being a hamster mama is that I have learned so much since getting Aslan. I never thought any life was a "throwaway" pet, but I didn't know what went into owning a hamster before hand (again: we've really embraced the process, and Aslan lives a very good life in his 47" Niteangel enclosure with the best food, lots of toys, and everything he could want or need-- he seems very happy ). One of my jobs is teaching children, and one recently adopted two hamsters and tells about how they bite on the bars and climb the cage, and I do what I can to tell her that the hamsters need bigger enclosures. It's so sad, though. Just because they're little doesn't mean they're not just as valuable as any other life on this earth...

Then I think about Hong Kong killing 2000 hamsters because they "spread covid"? Ugh. Humans make me sick... 

 

[daisy~]

Some people do choose to avoid buying even supplies from pet stores and that's a personal ethical choice.

 

However, on the whole, it's a case of supply and demand. Buying food from a pet store doesn't encourage them to order in more hamsters, it only encourages them to order in more food. Buying hamsters encourages the mass breeding of more hamsters.

 

I don't know how to fix the pet store issue unfortunately. I think the best we can hope for is that even if they don't stop selling hamsters, they at least improve their care advice so that people buying them go away with semi-decent enclosures. Pet stores are ultimately profit-driven and if everyone stops buying the small cages and wheels, they will stop selling them and start selling what people really want to buy. So the public needs to be educated to know what hamsters really need.

[Kikya]

Some people do choose to avoid buying even supplies from pet stores and that's a personal ethical choice.

 

However, on the whole, it's a case of supply and demand. Buying food from a pet store doesn't encourage them to order in more hamsters, it only encourages them to order in more food. Buying hamsters encourages the mass breeding of more hamsters.

 

I don't know how to fix the pet store issue unfortunately. I think the best we can hope for is that even if they don't stop selling hamsters, they at least improve their care advice so that people buying them go away with semi-decent enclosures. Pet stores are ultimately profit-driven and if everyone stops buying the small cages and wheels, they will stop selling them and start selling what people really want to buy. So the public needs to be educated to know what hamsters really need.

I agree, I think as more people on youtube or other social medias see a good cage setup, that's what people will want and demand more of.

 

I've even seen people that aren't hamster channels, talk about building their kids a custom hamster cage, etc. I think that's great because more people will see it than just the hamster community.

 

Plus, as all the kiddos on HH grow up, you'll be the ones with buying power and you know what's good for a hamster.

[lil BIG dwarf]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the responses! To preface, I adopted my Aslan from a shelter, so we didn't go the pet store route either.

I guess it's hard, though, because don't we support the pet stores when we buy OTHER things from them? I get Higgins Sunburst, bendy bridges, and tubes from the PetCo down the street. So I'm still supporting them... it's complicated. While I'm glad I adopted Aslan from a shelter and will probably go the shelter route again in the future for other pets, I feel so bad for the little fuzz babies at PetCo that I just want to give them a good home.
 
What's the most effective way to end this awful practice?

I did sign a petition recently to end the sales of inhumane cages/enclosures at PetCo and PetSmart. I'll look around for one that stops the sale of animals in the stores...

One of the most eye-opening things about being a hamster mama is that I have learned so much since getting Aslan. I never thought any life was a "throwaway" pet, but I didn't know what went into owning a hamster before hand (again: we've really embraced the process, and Aslan lives a very good life in his 47" Niteangel enclosure with the best food, lots of toys, and everything he could want or need-- he seems very happy ). One of my jobs is teaching children, and one recently adopted two hamsters and tells about how they bite on the bars and climb the cage, and I do what I can to tell her that the hamsters need bigger enclosures. It's so sad, though. Just because they're little doesn't mean they're not just as valuable as any other life on this earth...

Then I think about Hong Kong killing 2000 hamsters because they "spread covid"? Ugh. Humans make me sick...

It’s supply and demand. If no one buys a product but buys other things, they stop selling it. If no hamsters are bought, the same ones remain and no need to come to take their place, meaning no one gets hamsters from the mills till the mills shut down.

I’d say, don’t buy animals and sign a but load of petitions, as well as sharing the news so others take part till they’re losing money selling animals.

When I first got a hamster, my mom thought the cage was gigantic and showed me a tiny wire one as an alternative. She let me keep the big one, and now I find her saving larger cages on her phone (she has a Pinterest board for my pets)

[Silktail]

These companies won't change their ways if they don't know they should. It takes a long time, but we all can and should tell petsmart/petco/whoever else that we don't like where they get their animals from.

I can say the vendor my petsmart uses (Apet Inc) is a very high quality vendor that does treat animals well, but I'd have no idea where the vendor gets their animals from.

[Ash~hamsters]

If you wanna save a hamster mill hamster go to kijiji or Craigslist or maybe FB marketplace and type in hamster that were I got mine. almost all are just someone who got a hamster from a pet store and decided something was wrong(like too noisy)and post the poor hamster there in a store cage and a mostly bad care.