Hamster supplies in the US

[evilpenguin]

Hello everyone!
Does anyone have recommendations on where to get the best hamster supplies in the US? I see everyone purchasing all of these wonderful toys, treats, and furniture from places like Zooplus or Zoo-Bio, but neither of them ship to the US... I've been buying a lot of stuff from Petsmart or Amazon, but there are so many other things I'd love to get that I just don't have access to.

Oh, how I wish the US cared about small animals like the UK does.

[Chicleteer]

I second that request! I have had the same reaction, evilpenguin, practically drooling over all of the wonderful things that they can get over in the UK. I did at least find one store in my neck of the woods (I live in the greater Boston area) which is actually sort of a one-off – it’s called Pet World, and amazingly they are a smaller store but have a bigger selection then Petsmart! (I also like shopping there because I think they’re privately owned and I like supporting small neighborhood businesses...) But that being said, there are still all kinds of things that I know we just can’t get on this side of the pond.

While I’m on my own little soapbox here, I too wish that the US cared about small animals more than it does. There are a few people who, when I shared the news about getting my new Syrian, they looked at me as if I have lost my mind and asked why on earth I did that. And when I told another friend that I have taken Chiclet to the vet for some issue, she scrunched up her face and said, WHO takes a hamster to a VET?

My sweet little furball has been such a joy to me, and I really am grateful that there are people out there on this forum that understand the special place a little hamster can occupy in one‘s heart.

Sorry this turned into more of a tirade than a source of helpful information (which I really wish I could help with) but I just had to vent a bit...

[Sasha04]

Hi!
I aswell live in the US and find it super hard to find stuff. I go to Petsmart and Petco to purchase some supplies but I prefer not to support them. I like to go to our small chain petstore and purchase items. You can just search up petstores in your area and I’m sure you’ll find some non-chain ones!

I still go on Amazon to by bedding and some chews. Violet is a good company but the shipping is a little expensive over seas. https://www.viovet.co.uk/small-pets
Hope this helps!

[evilpenguin]

Chicleteer, no need to apologize for the tirade! I totally understand. I've had rodents as pets for most of my life and a lot of people don't understand why I get so attached to them.

I really wish I had a good local pet shop nearby. There are about 15 Petco's and Petsmart's within decent driving distance, but there's only one non-chain pet store that I know of (with small animal stuff) and it is AWFUL. It's so disgusting inside and the staff doesn't care at all about the conditions. They always have puppy sales, where they set up little playpens in the main floor and have 5-6 puppies in each one. There are so many reviews online that puppies that have been bought there have some kind of illness and the store puts up a huge fight to pay for the medical expenses. They have a very small rodent section, including a back wall with some fish tanks that usually only have rats in them (and the entire back of the store smells like rat pee because I'm pretty sure they rarely clean those cages.) It makes me cringe just thinking about it. Unfortunately, I'd rather support the big chains than them if I can't get something online...

But I'll definitely check out Viovet if I have some extra money for shipping. Thanks for letting me know that they ship to the US, Sasha!

[Chicleteer]

The conditions you describe sound just awful! Those poor little tykes.... I’d hate to support a place like that, too. Fortunately my little local store has good conditions for housing their animals, and what appears to be a knowledgeable, caring staff and owners. Too bad they’re just one small store, but I do try to buy as much of the food and supplies there as I can.

And thanks, Sasha, for the tip on Viovet; I will definitely check it out!

[Sasha04]

Thoses condition sound awful. I bet you could go and report it. Glad this helped!