Making sure your hamsters go to a suitable home.

[Sandti]

So I thought I would start this topic basically to ask and get advice from the users that have experienced rehoming their hamsters young.

For example, what are the key factors to learning whether the person who wants to take your baby hamsters home are the right people.

How do you know that your hamsters prospective new family aren't just going to feed them to the snakes?
Grim I know but I think that it's a topic that needs to be addressed for the aspiring breeders.

So please if you have any questions or knowledge to share please post below

How do you know if you are giving the hamster to the right family?

[mangoandmimi]

Well, you never know for sure, but it helps if you get to know the person first.
I always do a few emails back and forwards, then invite them round to see the hamster. And while they're round give them lots of info Sometimes people have been shocked by the sizes of my cages and have left, which is okay as they now know not to get a hamster if they don't have the space. Others have gladly taken the info and even asked where i get my stuff.
I guess just the more keen they are and the more they listen etc, the more likely they'll be good owners

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

I've yet to go through this but I know I will have to at some point as I will be breeding my own litters soon, if I do have any that need homing though I have fairly strict personal rules to make sure they are going to good homes. I am slowly writing up a PDF document with basic (and some more in depth) roborovski care, cage sizes etc which will be sent to anyone showing an interest in pups. I will be having back and forth email conversations with them as M&M says and also I will be asking for photos of their cage the hamster is going to live in. I won't be excepting any excuses such as "Its just a starter cage until we can afford bigger" because I have no idea if that is the truth or not, this is why I will be sending the PDF document with cage info to them first so that they have plenty of time to get a suitable cage that is big enough and no excuses. I would happily hold a hammie back for someone who needed more time to get something suitable.
Once the hammie has gone to its home then I will send regular emails (which I will make the owners aware of) for the first few weeks just to make sure the ham is getting on okay and so are the owners.

In the end the tighter you are with your rules the less likely you will end up with people who aren't really that interested or just want snake food as it just isn't worth the hassle

[Kissa]

I don't know how other people do it, but if I end up in this situation, I'd have information on a website to direct people to, leaflets and comprehensive PDFs to send people, and would ask far too many questions for my own good Plus if they live close I'd probably ask to see the ham(s) in their new home after they've settled in.

But this is all years in the future and rather hypothetical

[Lougarry]

The breeder I got Dinah from asked you to bring the cage for them to check (I had to send photos as my viv was too heavy!) and also had a selection of suitable cages for sale.

[souffle]

You do get a gut feeling for people almost from first contact.
We have an ongoing e mail conversation regarding any babies we have to home and then we decide if the person should go on our reservation list. We never tell anyone yes they have secured a baby till we have met them. They visit when the babies are 4 weeks and we spend some time talking and showing them how to handle the babies and our adults. We then decide if they will have one and ask them to deliver the cage to us a week before they collect the baby. Sometimes we get the cage for them as we will not allow them to go unless the cage size is appropriate.We then allow them to choose their baby when they do this and we keep it a further week settling it in the cage and ensuring it is fully tame.
When they collect the pup we ask them to sign an agreement that the hamster will be returned to us should they or a family member should be unable to care for it at any time and for whatever reason. They get a care sheet / pedigree/ bag of food and contact details.
We try and keep in contact as much as possible and most come back to us at holidays! We have never had anyone returned actually and we know when they pass over as they usually contact us to see if we have any babies!
I really do think you just know. They are always your babies though and you should never be afraid to say no if you feel it isn't right.

[p_anda]

I'm not a breeder, but the one thing I would consider is the age of the person who's getting the hamster, not necessarily of the the person buying it. Let's say someone comes to you asking for a pup for their 6 year old daughter...do you know what you're going to say to them? Are you going to tell them that children often get sick of and neglect their pets, leaving the parents to look after them and are they prepared to do that? I think this pretty much applies to children up to the age of around 14. So if anyone says that it's going to be a pet for their child, I'd ask them lots of questions about the kid...i.e. how mature are they? Are they reliable, will they remember to water and feed the hamster without the parents having to remind them? Are they going to have time to interact with the hamster fairly regularly, considering they go to school and got to go to bed early? Do they realize hamsters are prey animals and it's not safe for them to play with the family dog/cat? Does the child understand how a hamster should be fed, because a lot of people think feeding hamsters is easy and you just pour some processed crap out of a bag into their bowl and that's it. And anyone who brushes these questions off or doesn't think about them seriously would not be considered an ideal candidate in my opinion.

Other questions I can think of
- Are they prepared to take it to the vet, and most importantly, do they know a good vet that treats rodents?
- Do they have predatory animals in the house such as dogs/cats/ferrets? If yes, how do they propose to solve this issue? Are they going to keep the hamster in a separate room? Are they going to keep them in a secure cage that can't be knocked off from shelves, etc.?
- Do they have a list of safe and unsafe foods?

[Vectis Hamstery]

I would agree with Souffle that you tend to get a gut feeling about a prospective home, even through email. Many messages go back and forth between me and an enquirer before they go on my waiting list/are offered a hamster. I have recently developed a rehoming application form with some basic questions I ask everyone:

Are you aged over 16?
Who will be the main carer for the hamster? (Me, Someone else aged over 16, Someone else aged under 16)
Have you had hamsters as pets before?
Which cage, substrate and diet will you provide for your new hamster?
Do you live in rented accommodation?
Do any of the following live in your home: Children, Pets - cats/dogs, Pets - rodents, Pets - other
What is the name and address of your vet?
Are you a member of a hamster club?
Do you intend to show or breed your new hamster?

I have enjoyed rehoming my babies to young people and have had youngsters wait more patiently than many adults on my list for a litter and travel a long way for a tame pet. The young people often give me far more updates on their pets than the adult owners too! Since the parent is legally responsible for the animal and sets the tone for/assists with care, I feel it is the parent that needs to be asked questions and needs to be responsible. When young people collect their hamsters, we always practice handling, pick ups and such like until I am happy that both parent and young person are happy and confident. I want to encourage the next generation of animal lovers develop responsible caring animal ownership. After all, I got my first hamster when I was 11 and have since found a great hobby and fab friends.

I doubt anyone would want my hamsters as reptile food due to the fact I operate a waiting list and ask more questions than a backyard breeder and charge more than a 'free to good home' advert. Also hamsters aren't that good nutritionally speaking for reptiles.

The intention to breed is the biggest area where I have had reservations about future homes. My own policy is that my hamsters are rehomed as not for breeding except to members of an NHC-affiliated club (who are subject to the Code of Conduct) as a result of this. If someone was in rented accommodation but didn't have written permission for a hamster then it would be an automatic 'no' as I want responsible 'forever' homes, not 'until the landlord finds out' homes!

People can get upset, even abusive, when you decline to rehome an animal to them (which to my mind just confirms that I made the right decision in the first place!), but I want to be able to sleep at night happy that my babies are in good homes.

I also have a rehoming declaration that new owners sign including their contact info as required by law. They are signing to say that they will provide a good home (and it details the Animal Welfare Act points) and they will return the animal if they can't care for it. I have had one hamster come back to me aged one after her owner became too unwell to look after her. I would be devastated if I ever found one of 'my babies' had gone into a rescue and taken up a place for a needy hamster as 'my babies' always have a home here. Responsible breeders offer a lifetime backup like this which is important to consider when starting breeding.

[Lougarry]

It was lovely to see the above, Vectis, as I have been a bit upset lately by some people's attitudes to children having hamsters as pets. As long as prospective owners' families have a clear understanding of the commitment they are making in acquiring a pet for a child then I think it's important that children should have the opportunity to have a pet.

[souffle]

I completely agree with Vectis over homing to children. As long as the parent is ultimately responsible some of our very best homes have been with children and indeed children with issues such as autism or learning difficulties. Some have also gone to nurseries where they have taught the children so much about care and responsibility as well as how to behave around animals and handle them To see an autistic child bonded so closely with a pet is a true joy and gives us more pleasure than a great big rosette.
Pophammy had her first hamster when she was almost two. She has grown up with them and her love has remained with her and I expect always will. I had my first when I was about 8 I think.
As long as you feel happy with the care the whole family will give to the hamster then I would have no hesitation in homing to a child. Usually if a parent is willing to look for a breeder rather than just going to a pet shop they are fairly serious and want the best for their children in that they feel the child will have a richer experience if the hamster is already tame.