[FreddyAndMe]

I think that if they did stock better cages less people would buy a hamster in the first place and instead opt for something like 'just a goldfish', which opens a whole new can of worms - hamsters aren't the worst off at these places. I have owned goldfish for 11 years now and after a small amount of research you will know a 100 litre tank is only suitable for one common goldfish, yet somehow many years ago I was sold a 10 litre tank... for two. How on Earth they can get away with such is madness and in my eyes a disgrace, it's like saying you can buy a dog and stuff it into the bathroom with a few scraps of meat and a kennel to keep it entertained. The only ones that get away with it are the reptiles, in my Pets at Home they do provide correct advice about cage sizes, feeding and general care (apart from keeping them on sand, but I won't get going with that). The reason I think they do the best thing in the most part for the reptiles is that less people want them - they aren't quite as cute as the other pets and many don't like them, so the shops can afford to put out big enclosures that may scare away some owners because if you want a reptile you want it for yourself, not your kids and so are prepared to pay up. What I am getting at is that the pet shops are selling what people are prepared to pay for, a cheap entertaining 'toy' to put in the corner of the children's bedroom in the case of our poor hammies: ultimately, if they tell the people what they want to hear, they'll believe it because it is less hassle than doing what's right.