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Old 10-15-2019, 02:26 PM   #1
AstraAstranna
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Unhappy Guilt.

Hi!

I have had Tank (hamster, not a real tank) for a couple of months now, he has a 877sq inch homemade cage that I recently constructed with various toys including a wheel etc.
He gets let out a lot, lots of attention and such; but when I look at him, I get consumed with just pure guilt. I am doing the best I can, but his life is so small and I can't really change that. His life will be his cage, his ball and when he gets let out in a room/tub, but he doesn't know thats all he'll see.]
I don't know if other people have felt like this? I was just wondering if anyone could give me any tips to improve his quality of life and make me feel better?

-Astra
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Old 10-16-2019, 12:57 AM   #2
Shannonmcn
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Default Re: Guilt.

I guess this is a question about the ethics of keeping small animals? Some people do feel that keeping any animal caged is cruel, be that a hamster, a rabbit, birds, lizards, anything. And there is certainly some merit to that, what right do humans have to take animals from their environment for our own amusement? And a lot of these animals are just not kept in ways that even attempt to mimic their natural environment or behavior. I would even go so far as to say the majority of small animal pets are miserable. Small cages are normal, they are ignored, given no enrichment and sold on gumtree/ craigslist when the children get bored or the family gets a "real pet" like a dog. So yes, that is probably ethically and morally wrong.

But. If you rescue, don't contribute to the pet trade (i.e. pay for more animals to be deliberately bred) then all you can do is make the best life possible for the animals that already exist and who can't possibly be returned to their natural environment. Give your hamster the most species-appropriate care that you can, give him a large enclosure, deep bedding for burrows, foraging to do, time to explore and prompt vet care when he needs it. He doesn't want a trip to Vegas, he just wants to be a hamster.
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Old 10-16-2019, 03:06 AM   #3
AmityvilleHams
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Default Re: Guilt.

It would be irresponsible to leave a hamster out of their cage 24/7, as they could get themselves into some very dangerous situations no matter how allegedly hamster proof a room is. I would definitely avoid hamster balls at all cost and reserve them for transporting hamsters in place of similar objects like cups, mugs, etc(they offer no enrichment, inhibit senses, and have many other issues).

With other pets like parrots, there are some people who say caging is terrible and it should be never done. However, there is more educated and science along with psychology orientated thinking that goes beyond some whimsical and completely unrealistic idealistic concept and actually considers why some level of caging is not only necessary for safety but is actually a beneficial tool for enrichment and such if done properly and sized appropriately.

The thought process with parrots specifically goes more towards the thinking that even if they're constantly out of their cage they could be getting into all kinds of terribly dangerous situations, and ultimately as a result can have far more negative experiences and be less mentally stimulated. They also would do far worse in the aspect of socialization since a large amount of interaction with owners would be relating to those negative experiences in one way or another, which ultimately leads to a harder to handle, more stressed, and overall less happy parrot.

While not everything parrot related applies to hamsters, the basic psychology of it absolutely applies. Captive animals are and always will be a hotly debated topic, but I happen to be someone who firmly believes in captive breeding and even having pets if done properly and responsibly.

While I've yet to find any scientific data on the illnesses of wild hamsters, going off of what tends to be true of basically all wild animals in comparison to domestic animals and those born and bred in captivity they would logically be far less likely to suffer from many illnesses. This would also relate to far lower likelihood of parasites, and if housed properly(in a room with a secure door blocking all access from predator species including cats, ferrets, and dogs among many other predators) they'd not experience the constant stress of being exposed to all sorts of predators. They also tend to have longer lifespans as is typical with captive bred and born animals, and this is a relatively small list of the benefits of captivity from the perspective of animal species.
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Old 10-16-2019, 09:04 AM   #4
Ria P
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Default Re: Guilt.

Astra, Tank is a pet hamster, bred and brought up in captivity not a human or wild animal missing out on unmissable life experiences!

You need to keep things in perspective. Domesticated hamsters couldn't survive in the wilds because they don't have the skills. My Syrian can't even crack a hazelnut open or he can't be bothered because he knows there's a human with a nutcracker about, lol.

Do your best to give him a good hamster life which you seem to be doing anyway, without transfering your unfounded concerns onto him.

Most of all. Enjoy your hamster!

Feel guilty about something else if you must, like eating a cake too many or something.
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Old 10-16-2019, 09:23 AM   #5
sushi_78
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Default Re: Guilt.

I understand how you feel and can sympathise, but I think it's important not to anthropomorphise animals. Most animals aren't concerned about being free as long as they have food, water, a secure and comfortable place to live, an appropriate level of enrichment and companionship if appropriate to the species. If you are providing all of those things your hamster isn't suffering. Your hamster doesn't know that there is a world outside his cage and the rooms he runs around in. He doesn't know that there's anything else to see or do. You can help your hamster by making his small world is as safe, comfortable and full of stimulation and enrichment as possible.

Sometimes life in the wild can be idealised, when in reality a hamster is a prey species. Many will not live longer than a few months before being caught and eaten. If female they may spend the entirety of their lives pregnant and nursing. They may suffer severe food shortages. They may have to fight to the death defending their territory. A captive hamster will experience unbelievable luxury compared to a wild one.
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Old 10-16-2019, 08:55 PM   #6
Rads
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Default Re: Guilt.

There is no need to feel guilty about Tank, by the sounds of it he has lots of space with a lot of enrichment in his cage.
Letting him out frequently is also good for their enrichment, have you considered a play pen for him?
The main thing is you love him unconditionally he will pick up on that, so if you need to feel guilty have a large bar of chocolate and feel guilty about that.
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