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[tbiM20]

A Guide To Responsible Pet Ownership

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but my hope is to cover a lot of common issues with having pets. We all have different lives with our own responsibilities and schedules. Whether you are reading this after years of hamster keeping or are considering one for the first time, the same rules apply. In fact, many of these can be applied to any pet species, not just hamsters.

Remember, most pets, especially small animals, are going to live significantly shorter lives than you. Your new family member, though she may only be around for a few years of your life, is going to spend her entire life with you. By adopting a pet you are taking on the responsibility of making sure that little life is cared for as best as possible. Sometimes that means sacrifices of your own, adapting yourself to your pet's needs, or making a really big effort to provide the right supplies. Sometimes, that means not adopting the pet at all.

Please keep in mind when reading that this thread is not meant to condemn anyone who may find themselves doing the exact things I'm describing. I especially am not going to judge you for mistakes when you had perfectly innocent intentions. What is important is how you use this information in the future. Will you consider what I'm saying, work to fix these problems? Or will you dismiss it?

With that in mind, here are the basic points to consider in responsible pet ownership:

Your Household
You need to be completely aware and honest about the environment you are bringing your new pet into. It is not fair to adopt a pet that is unwanted by the rest of the family, and it is irresponsible to bring them into a hostile or even dangerous environment.

Some common concerns:

● My parents don't want a hamster. Don't insist on bringing a pet into a place where it's not wanted. Your parents are doing what they're suppose to do - they're parenting. Pets are a privilege, not a right, and if your parents say no then the first thing you should do is respect that decision. Wait. Don't nag, and don't get mad. Instead, learn about the pet, research, educate yourself. Your enthusiasm and dedication will be visible. If or when your parents change their minds, you will have the advantage of being more aware of the hamster's needs, which will result in a happier hamster and a happier you.

● My parents don’t believe in proper hamster care. This is especially important if your parents are paying for the expenses of owning a hamster. If your parents are going to force you to use unsafe or unsuitable items (too small cages, low-quality food, unsafe bedding and cage accessories), wouldn’t it be better for a hamster to go to a home where it can be safe, healthy, and happy? Again, it simply isn’t fair to bring an animal into a situation where it isn’t going to have proper care. This is something that needs to be discussed before getting a hamster. Everyone needs to be on the same page with the care being provided.

● My brother/sister won't listen when I tell them to leave my hamster alone. It is not fair or right to bring a hamster into an environment that you know might be unsafe. If you don't trust them, it would be better to wait until they've grown up and learned a little more about playing safe.

● I don't have time to let it out to play. Your pet needs interaction. Before getting a hamster, make sure you have time available, whether that means reallocating TV time, or building play time into other activities, such as your homework time.


● I have to hide my hamster from my parents/roommate/landlord/dorm floor leader because I'm not supposed to have one. This one is very simple - do not get a pet if it is not allowed in the house. Your pet should not have to live in a closet. It should not have to hide and lose human interaction. Sure, you get to say "I have a hamster", but the hamster is the one paying for that. Pets are not toys and should not be treated as one.

● I don’t have space in my small room for a big cage. The space a hamster needs does not change based on what you can or cannot provide. If you can’t provide at least the bare minimum cage size, a hamster is not the right pet for you.


If you face these or any similar situations, remember that there is a difference between "want" and "need.” An animal’s need of a healthy environment comes before your want of getting it ASAP. Understanding this is the first step to being a responsible owner.

Yourself
Again, be honest. Why do you want a pet? Babies grow up. Novelty gets old. If it's an impulse decision, stop right now. Wait a week, make sure you are actually interested and not just enamored by the idea of something new and cute.

Even if you have grown up around animals and have always had them in your home as I have, it is still good to be reminded that pets are a lot of work and every animal deserves your commitment. Make sure that each pet currently in your home is cared for, before considering an addition. I will be honest, I am a sucker for a cute face and would love to have a dozen cats and dogs and horses and hamsters, but I will not adopt more than I have now because, simply, it would mean compromising the care I give to each. It would be selfish of me to adopt another, and I'm able to recognize that in spite of my wants. The animals' needs come before my wants.

If your finances are stretched, if you are already busy, if your other pets still need some improvement in care, then it's time to redirect that enthusiasm you have for the potential new fella, back toward your existing furry family.

There are times as well when we are disillusioned once we bring the new hamster home. Maybe it bites, or never wants to play. Maybe it's too much work. Unfortunately, those thoughts happen to many, but it's important to remember that you took on a responsibility, and it is your responsibility to see it through. There is a difference between rehoming a pet because it needs a better home, and rehoming because the pet was inconvenient to you. Pets are not merchandise to be exchanged. Whether it's because the new guy is a bar biter or because there is a prettier one back at the store, remember that you promised to give this one a happy home. If you break your promise, guess who gets punished? The hamster does.

Finances
This is a big one. Everything costs money. And though we can offset the costs by being frugal, in the end cost is still a significant part of pet ownership. Yes, there are varying opinions on what to buy (aspen vs Carefresh, Silent Spinner vs Comfort Wheel). But the fact remains that you need money to care for your pet.

I'm not saying you have to have a lot of money. You don't have to be wealthy to be a pet owner. But you have to have a reasonable budget. You wouldn’t go into a car dealership and say “I want to buy a brand new car, and my budget is $100.” Nor can you take the first steps into hamster ownership, and claim that your budget is $50 for everything.

It is unfair, irresponsible, and cruel to take in an animal without a means to care for it properly. Harsh? Maybe a little... but 100% realistic. As I said at the beginning, you are determining the quality of this animal's entire life, and being responsible means putting its needs before your wants. If you can't meet those needs, wouldn't you rather the little guy in the pet store go to a home that can?

You need to be able to provide for a hamster’s basic needs.

● Spacious housing. No one is going to be shamed for not buying the Cadillac - ahem I mean Detolf - but it is important that your hamster is comfortable and happy. Don't compromise just because you have to have the hamster now - get the right supplies first, so the hamster does not have to deal with the wrong ones. It may not seem like a big deal to some of us, maybe to use the 10 gallon for a few months until we can buy the bigger tank, but then, we're not the ones living in there are we? Two months in a 10 gallon tank is like you being locked in your bedroom for two years... not the whole house, just the bedroom.

● Healthy food. Super cheap food is rarely healthy food. It may cost less short-term, but is it going to keep your hamster healthy? Probably not. However I have noticed a good trend with the pricier food - since it has more nutrients, they will sometimes eat less of the food, offsetting cost.

● Safe bedding. Safe bedding types (aspen, paper bedding) do tend to be more expensive than the unsafe types. Also, hamsters use a lot of bedding, so it ends up being one of the major costs of ownership. Plan accordingly, as cleanliness is one of the most important parts of keeping your hamster healthy.

● Safe, properly-sized wheel. A wheel is an absolute necessity for hamsters. Good-quality, quiet, large wheels can be surprisingly expensive.

● Water bottle and food bowl. While not incredibly expensive, these are items that do cost money and need to be purchased.

● Chews. Very much a hidden cost of owning a hamster. While chews are generally inexpensive, some hamsters can be very picky. Finding the right one can mean buying many that the hamster won’t even touch. This is part of hamster ownership.

If you cannot afford these items at the very least…you cannot responsibly own a hamster. The good this is that you can save up and have these items purchased long before bringing the hamster home. Remember, plan ahead!

Replacements are often necessary! Wheels break, cages are chewed out of, water bottles prove to be leaky or stop up, bedding causes allergies (and of course gets used up!), and so on. You need to be in a financial position where you can not only purchase the basics, but also replace them as needed. If something like a $20 wheel or $10 bag of food is a huge financial burden to you, you’re going to run into problems. You don't have to have a large income, but you should have money set aside for these emergency expenses.


Accessibility
The items listed above need to not only be affordable to you, but accessible. If none of the pet stores you can go to offer decent supplies, try the Internet. There are many online stores to choose from (Amazon is my favorite). If you're worried, most offer buyer protection, but at the very least your credit card company protects you from fraud. If you’re not allowed to order online, and have no other way of getting supplies… you need to reconsider whether a hamster is for you.


Vet care
This was going to be a bullet under "finances" but I think it needs its own section.

Vet care is not optional. It is mandatory, and it is irresponsible to purchase or adopt a hamster without knowing that you can provide vet care.

It is not unattainable, it is not impossibly expensive... and it does have to be accounted for. Accidents and illness do happen. You have to be prepared for that. Your ability, your willingness to spend the money for that medication may very well be a life or death decision for your pet.
If you don't have the income, then you need to save up for emergencies. If you don't know a good vet, then you need to find one. If you rely on other people, then you need to make sure that they are able and willing themselves to get your hamster vet care when it's needed.
Know your resources, know what is available and what you'll have to do at home. Some things are perfectly treatable at home, but if you end up in a situation that's not then you have to make sure that money, or being unprepared, isn't an obstacle. Nothing feels worse than watching a pet suffer because you didn't plan ahead. So always, always make sure a vet is an available option. In the end, it's just paper, while your pet is a living, breathing creature. Is paper really that important?


I know this was long-winded, but a very big thank you to everyone who reads it all the way through. We are all here because we want the best for our pets, and sometimes we each need reminded what is really, truly most important.

[Poofthecat]

Thank you so much tbiM20!    Well written!

[PeppyPaws]

This is why I've decided to wait before getting another hamster, to make sure I'll have everything it'll need and save up for emergencies beforehand

[MaggieMoo]

This is why I've decided to wait before getting another hamster, to make sure I'll have everything it'll need and save up for emergencies beforehand

Same! Right now I just need to figure some things out before getting a hammy, like where I'm going to put it and if I can afford it with my allowance and the money I've saved.

[PeppyPaws]

Same! Right now I just need to figure some things out before getting a hammy, like where I'm going to put it and if I can afford it with my allowance and the money I've saved.

Yep! A big thing for me to buy is gonna be the Wodent wheel I'm currently saving for, it's £12.99 and delivery is around £10 :O. Who ever would have thought such a small animal would cost so much, not to mention the food! Hehe, it's totally worth it though!

[Alexa]

Wow! AMAZING! I absolutely love it! Fantastically written and perfect with every detail! amazing!

[matty]

This was amazingly written and covers a lot of good points! Great job with it, tbiM20!

[FrightRat]

This is great ! People tend to think of hamsters as easy, unexpensive pets... But it's quite the contrary if you give them the care they need.

[blackthorns]

This reminds me-I need to fix up my room and rat/guinea pig proof it, and keep some kind of playpen set up some were for Tokyo to play in......... Thanks for reminding me! 

 

I have 95% of these things...... my diet needs a bit of work and so does my daily animal playtime. But alas it is being worked on (Right now my room is a hazard for them if they were let out-I am way to disorganized). 

[Future♥Popstar]

Very well worded!

[queensferry]

Great post! It really annoys me when someone's pet is sick and they don't take them to the vet. My friend has a lot of cats and one was coughing up blood but they didn't take it to the vet because they can't afford it. Plus, at least some of them aren't neutered. One had kittens last year.

Edited by PuddinCup, 27 October 2014 - 07:50 PM.

[Ping]

I can't say enough how much I completely agree with EVERYTHING you have said here! Far too many times I see things on this list, and you are right - it is selfish on the part of the owner to have a pet knowing that they will have to hide in the closet/not have a proper cage/not be liked by the family/ not be taken to the vets if they need it etc etc. 

 

I really hope people will come here and read this and take it on board before they go out and get another pet

[Emma&Chester]

The #1 thing that annoys me the most is when people say they cant take their pet hamster or what not to the vet because their parents wont allow them. Personally, IMO, this is something people need to think about before bringing the animal home. If your parents wont take you to the vet when that €10 hamster gets sick, dont get one. Its just not fair to the animal at all and is classed as animal neglect/cruelty in many countries.

 

Great thread, I hope more people thinking of getting hams (or any animal at that) see it!

[hershey408]

Good job on this!! And everything is pretty relatible and agree with. That made no sense did it?

 

Edited by hershey408, 08 November 2014 - 06:22 AM.

[BlueberrySmoothie]

Wow! Thanks