Question:
Sheesh!
I just went on Pet Finders and looked up hamsters just to see what's in this area.
On one page, they have Syrian hamsters housed together in a group of 3. "They would be great for a small kid!" ~ About a litter of dwarf hamsters they have for adoption.
I've e-mailed both shelters to see if I can help, but I really feel that a shelter shouldn't take in an animal they have no knowledge of caring for. There are very few shelters I've ever seen who actually know how to properly house and care for a rodent.
This is why I want to start a rodent rescue society. Most people don't have a clue, and try to apply their limited knowledge of dogs and cats to rodents. GRRR.
Ok, rant over .
Thanks for listening.


Answer:
i understand. i got heidi from a rescue-a guinepig rescue. they were feedig her a gp diet! even cilantro and alfalfa hay! the poor hoggie!


Answer:
Oh that's horrible Jennifer!
I went to Petco today (grr, I hate that place but it's the only big petstore in town) and the signs on the cages for all the mice, rats, hamsters, everything was "great for kids" "low maintenance" "inexpensive" - like these little living creatures were throw-away impulse items and nothing more.
It was sad really.


Answer:
Well, I received a reply from the person responsible for adopting these animals.
'Thanks for the "info" but it was not needed I have owned hamsters all
of my life and have went to many VET web sites and I know a lot about
caring for my hamsters. And being animal RESCUE I do not adopt to any
type of breeder. my hamster where separated at 4 weeks to the day!!! And I
would NEVER adopt a hamster to somone knowing that it was going to be
taken care of by a child!!! I have a 3 page application and i do a home
visit!!! What do you do to make sure you hamsters get a good home?'
However, the ad stated that she didn't know the sex of the hamsters and that they would be perfect for kids. Hmmm. No pet is perfect for a child, regardless of how "sweet" or "tame" it is. The ad to me was very misleading and should have been worded differently, but of course they took offense.
Ah, well.
My reply:
My apologies if you took offense.
However the text of the ad reads as follows:
There are 4 baby hamsters! They are so sweet and loving! They would be great for a small kid! There are a few colors two are dark gray woth a white chest and the others are brown and gray all as cute as can be! They love there ball that they can run around in! They are dwarf so they are very small. But still very full of love! There adoption fee is 30.00 and that comes with a cage not a big one but okay for a month or two till you can get a nother. And it comes with a food dish and corect water feeder! They are 4 weeks old! I do not know how to tell male or female but you can take them to most pet shops and they will tell you! Thank you and have a great day!!!
"They would be great for a small kid!"
I'm sorry, but that is misleading to a potential adopter. Dwarf hamsters are not ideal pets for children under any circumstances. They are small, and fast-moving and easy for a child to drop or injure. Even if the parent is the caretaker, children should not be left alone with a hamster, or allowed to play with it unsupervised.
"I do not know how to tell male or female but you can take them to most pet shops and they will tell you!"
How on earth were they separated if they can't be sexed? Most pet store employees and owners I have encountered cannot sex dwarf hamsters. If they are not properly sexed and adopted in pairs, you will most likely end up with any resulting litters.
Additionally, if the potential adopter does not already have a suitable cage or house for the pet, they should not be allowed to adopt until they provide it. I always require potential hamster owners to bring the house with them when they come to pick out a hamster.
Again, my apologies if you took offense, but the ad led me to believe that your shelter does not have adequate training or knowledge to handle hamsters.
Thank you for your time.
Regards,
Jennifer


Answer:
I agree with you Jennifer.. the Ad makes them sound ignorant and they should re-word it and get someone on staff that is able to sex them.
I do not know how to tell male or female but you can take them to most pet shops and they will tell you!"
Excuse me, but pet shops were likely responsible for those baby hamsters being in their care in the 1st place! We got a call just yesterday from a person who adopted 2 female rats (sisters they were told) from a local petstore... one of them gave birth and 14 babies resulted... The petstore refused to take the babies back when they were weaned.. told them to take them to the Humane Society! Pet Stores need to start taking more responsibility for their mistakes IMO..


Answer:
Jennifer, that was awesome! I really glad you expressed your concerns. Hopefully, it will be taken to heart.


Answer:
That was a great response! I saw an ad like that recently, I think it was even for 2 chins. But they had no idea what sex they were, even though they were a "breeder".


Answer:
I think the fact that the person 'rescuing' the animal is unable to sex them shows that they probably do not know very much. They probably mean well but I think learning to sex animals, especially those that are able to breed at an early age, is very important and they need to learn before trying to rescue more.