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Old 06-24-2019, 03:07 AM  
Schwartzie
Adult Hamster
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 385
Default Realistic shopping

The skill of patience has never been my strong point and waiting for my order to arrive is agony! In order to not climb the walls I am now onto researching choosing a healthy looking Syrian. I’m leaving taming and training to the three days I give my hamster to settle in so will do reading up about that then.

I’ve researched and gone through information on looking for bright, clear eyes, nose that is not clumped with anything, bum that is clear etc. I’ve read about looking at the lay of the coat etc...it’s pretty much the same as looking a horse - the rule of thumb applies for both animals.

I am a little nervous though...I’ve read that you should look to see if the hamster is lively and showing signs of being active.

How is this possible in reality? You enter the pet shop excited and go straight for the hamster section. You’re moving fast and stop in front of the glass. The layout of the pet shop I’m going to has glass areas where you can’t look in from above - the glass areas are built into the wall and the only access to the area is from the other side which is strictly staff only. You have to also go down onto your haunches which takes skill when the country you are an expat in stipulates abayas to be worn in public. You are faced with a vacant glass area accept for a meager amount of shavings on the floor and huddles of hamsters trying to get away from the glaring light. It’s obvious that they are left in the open for prospective owners to see but how are you supposed to tick off the boxes of a healthy animal if they are in clumps or sleeping? It’s very difficult especially when your calves are burning and your glutes are screaming because you’re on your haunches and it’s so difficult to gage which hamster is the one for you.

You have to see the comical side to it amidst the fact that you would love to take them all home just to save them from the glass area and bright lights. Any advice to take with me when Im in the moment. I went to the pet shop once to buy a parrot and I dropped the ball terribly and came home with a bird with beak and wing disease. The poor thing passed away after months of me taking it to the vet twice a week to be nebulised. It was very traumatic! I don’t want to get caught up in the moment and make a choice where all common sense left the building because I got overwhelmed. Lol!
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