Pet shop vs breeder

[Louis1d1million]

So as you may have seen from some of my other forum entrys I am planning on getting a hamster soon and would love some advice. Firstly I would like to know your opinions on buying from a pet store ( pets at home ) or from a local breeder. Which would you suggest? I was originally going to go with pet store but am considering other options now, and also which breed? Pets at home only sell the dwarf and Syrian.. And I was more swayed towards the Syrian. Thanks in advance.

[ClumsyPianist]

Happy to see you're considering multiple options ^-^ I personally got my Syrian Milo from a local breeder because, well, they were there, which was an incredible bonus. It's hard to support local breeders if they aren't, like, local, lol. If you've got them near where you live, I'd choose to support those over pet shop breeders because they eventually just do it for the money while local breeders (in most cases) actually put the time and effort into proper planning to get hamsters with good health and nice personalities, and I find that a good cause to support.

If your goal is to give a hamster a good home, regardless of where they came from, I personally think it doesn't even really matter whether you get them from a pet shop or a breeder: you're going to give them a good home regardless of their background, I assume. The hamsters you won't pick are very likely going to get their own homes, be it from pet shops or breeders.

I've been told that pet shop hamsters live shorter lives because they often aren't bred with care. I wouldn't know; I don't have much information to go on because I've only owned one hamster in my life so far. Pet shop hamsters often are less used to hands and humans too, whereas hamsters that were carefully bred are used to human interaction.

It basically still is your decision to make. You really can do either. If you see a cute/kind hamster at a pet shop, go for it. If you don't find one you have a good connection with, then don't. The same applies for any breeder you might want to visit. That's my two cents.

[Pebbles82]

It really depends on all kinds of things, like your views and wishes, and there are pros and cons. I can't think of any cons to getting a hamster from a breeder really, other than finding one that has hamsters available at the right time and is close enough to you!

Some people prefer the idea of adopting a hamster from Pets at home, rather than leave it there if it's been there a while. I think for an inexperienced hamster owner though, this might not be the best start as occasionally you hear of people whose hamsters have had an illness and died quite quickly either due to contracting something before being bought, or just bad breeding.

With a breeder hamster you'll be getting a hamster whose breeding and genetics is known and who is used to being handled from birth.

Other alternatives are - rescuing or adopting a more mature hamster either through someone advertising it for sale because they no longer want it, or from the RSPCA (I'll add the link so you can search in your area for hamsters up for adoption if you want).

Or buying a hamster from a smaller more local pet shop. Our hamster is a pet shop hamster, from our small pet shop where we live. They're not perfect but they do look after them quite well and the animals are healthy. I don't think he had ever been handled though and took a long time to tame.

I think it would be nice, as a fairly new owner - to have a hamster from babyhood, bring it up, watch it grow and learn about them along the way. And a hamster from a breeder would be a nice option, but equally a hamster from a local petstore could be fine too, if it seems like a nice pet store.

We live out in the sticks and I didn't even know what Pets at Home was till I came on this forum lol! But I don't think I'd want to buy a pet there personally.

When you've had a hamster or two you might feel you'd rather adopt or rescue an older hamster and give it a home, but it's a real learning curve having them from babyhood and watching them develop

As for species. I've only had a Syrian. They are generally considered easier for a new owner, and more handleable - but that is just a generalisation. As there are dwarf hamster owners on here who have tame hamsters and interact with them. Generally though, dwarf hamsters are smaller and zippier and less easy to handle. Roborovski's particularly. Russian dwarfs vary depending on the temperament.

Other things to think about are Syrians are not generally prone to disease or diabetes so can be easier for a new hamster owner in that respect (although females can get pyometra). All species need a good sized cage - just because dwarf hamsters are smaller doesn't mean they need less space - but the set up would be different. Syrian houses, wheels and toys need to be much larger. Dwarf hamster accessories are smaller and you can fit more of them in, but neither of those things are an issue really as long as the cage is big enough.

It can help to know which species you are getting before choosing the cage sometimes, although Zooplus cages like the Barney and Alexander have narrow 7mm bar spacing so are good for both Syrians and dwarf hamsters, but sometimes a lower cage is better for a dwarf hamster as it's less of a fiddle to set up to avoid fall risks.

All hamsters can get injured and break bones if they fall more than 30cm onto something hard, so setting up a cage to avoid that is important.

The choice was easy for me! I didn't know much about hamsters, we went to the local pet shop and they only had Syrians and that to me was a hamster. Although we did wonder if he was half guinea pig for a while as he grew huge lol!

I have only seen someone else's dwarf hamsters and they seemed so teeny tiny that I think I'd be anxious handling them! I'm sure you get used to it.

The only other thing I can think of - I'm sure others will chip in with their views - is dwarf hamsters can be awake during the day a little bit sometimes, whereas Syrians tend to sleep all day and wake in the evening.

[Pebbles82]

Clumsy Pianist makes a point I was half thinking as well - that supporting breeders could be better than supporting large chains of pet shops. It's a tricky argument. Some people say if nobody bought hamsters from these large chains then bad breeding practices would be reduced. Another argument is - that if you don't buy them they may go to a worse home or sit there for ages. It's a tricky one. But I'm all for supporting good breeders.

Pet shops have the "walk in" factor of people going in spontaneously and falling for a hamster - and then you're smitten! And take whatever comes whether they have health issues or not. Hopefully you'd have a healthy hamster, but it's a good idea to have a vet fund just in case, and be prepared to learn about dietary things for a hybrid for example.

[Louis1d1million]

Thanks for both of your comments, yes that was the reason i was leaning towards the pet store option as i would feel like i was "rescuing" them, knowing i could offer a good home and also of course it being easier to just walk in and choose one. Also we had a family pet hamster from pets at home and he lived for 2 and a half years and was lovely - never had any health implications. Anyway i have found a hamster breeder in the same town as me who breeds syrians - after your advice i think i am going to go with this breed as ive also been warned that they are very fast and small so hard to control when out of the cage. I have left her a facebook message to ask if she will have any ready for homes in the near future so i guess i will wait to hear back from her - i will update you all once ive come to a conclusion

[Pebbles82]

Looking forward to your update and meeting your new hammy, wherever he or she comes from

[ClumsyPianist]

Looking forward to the updates. Good luck! ^-^

[Fluffagrams]

I keep Chinese Hamsters and over the years I've got mine from a variety of different places and I believe that there are pros and cons to every source and there's no saying with any certainty that a pet shop hamster is going to live a shorter life than one from a breeder or that they're going to necessarily be easier to handle.

The main disadvantage to getting a hamster from a breeder is that they may not always have a litter available at the time you wish to purchase a hamster so you may have to go on a waiting list. I think it's also worth mentioning that there are good breeders and bad breeders in much the same way that there are good and bad pet shops however if the breeder you're looking at is registered with the National Hamster Council, they should be trustworthy and have to breed according to a set of rules. There's a really helpful article on Vectis Hamstery's website about finding a good breeder that will show you the kind of questions that you should be asking a breeder.
The obvious pro to getting your hamster from a breeder is that you will have some idea on their genetics but most breeders will handle the babies from an early age so that you'll know that they are used to being held by the time they come home with you.

A pet shop hamster is likely to be more readily available at a given time but it's pot luck as to what you get. Some of the pet shops buy their livestock in large quantities on a frequent basis so genetics are likely to be unknown. Some people have the attitude that by buying a pet shop hamster you're supporting the more unethical breeders however I think that if you're not planning to breed or show your hamster then you can find yourself a lovely pet. My first two Chineseys were from a well known pet shop chain. They were lovely lads and tamed quite easily. They were believed to have a hereditary dental problem but both lived reasonably long lives and one lived until he was well over three.

The last option is adoption but you may be taking a risk that the hamster could have an underlying health or behavioural issue. Most reputable rescues will be able to tell you what they know of the hamster's situation so you won't be going into anything without knowing what you could be dealing with. This option is considered the most ethical by some and you will know that you have given an animal a second chance of a loving home.

[herbi7]

The others have given you great thoughtful replies. I would always rescue as I think there are a huge number of animals out there who need a second chance but it's important to know the needs of your rescued animal. If you get it from a rescue centre or sanctuary they will be able to tell you what you are taking on. If you buy from an advertisement, don't agree to purchase till you have visited the animal and seen it handled. Rescue animals can be harder work than a well-bred and well-handled animal from a breeder so make sure you have the resources. My second choice would be one from a breeder as personally the way pet shop animals are bred and raised upsets me, although there are some good pet shops around who use local breeders to supply their animals rather than rodent farms where the mother hamsters are kept in small plastic tanks and not given a rest between litters

[chesca_27]

Hi

Just want to add, the breeder route can take months. I've been on the waiting list for a Winter White since November but I am finally getting my baby from Tufty Fluff's on Sunday Don't wanna put you off. I would choose a breeder or rescue. As a first hamster, it might be nice to have a breeder hamster though and then after a few hamsters, start rescuing.