Quote:
Originally Posted by Skeever
A responsible hamster owner? A day is too late? Check them hourly!!!! They can have strokes in a second and linger for fifty nine minutes in blind confusion and terror!!!!
Drag em out if they want to sleep or feel better or recuperate, or just chill .....give them a full health check! Check their bodily cavities for contraband!!!
Part of owning hams or any other critter, is to not go ballistically hypochondriac when they don't show up on schedule. A schedule our ownership created by the way. While I don' t think I've ever let a day go by without seeing them poking around....walking, eating....not off kilter or obviously in harms way.....it does happen they don't get checked up close and personal for as many as 48 to 72 hours if they are clearly emptying food bowls, making nesting sounds , not screaming or leaving trails of blood in the cage.....
Bit strident there, telling everyone what a responsible hamster owner must do...Everyone I know basically has days that are the perfect storm.....out more than in, many things to take care of, and a grumpy ham saying "I'm sleeping in!" and thats when making noise around their cage and seeing their little annoyed grumpus face saying : DO YOU MIND?! is a sighting in that 24-36 hours. Depending on the ham I live with, I will generally not make them come out and give them a daily health check...sorry. They're already in captivity , they don't need a daily mauling from the human. Never mind the fact that this human wants to snuggle them three times a day....but I leave them alone when they are chillling, or sleeping in. But.... Because someone does not see their ham in that 24 hour period? The realities of ham ownership dictate, for owners who know their hams? Things are probably OK. No need to imply they are irresponsible owners.
hammyJJ asked a question, and waited for answers as soon as she knew something was different. No need to imply either, that she should drag that ham out of its cage for a healthcheck because it had an off day. Especially for people who are new, this can lead to more harm than good. As it turned out, the mystery ham appeared and all was well. Care and responsibility aren't synonyms for panic and obsessive monitoring. It's a known fact that hamsters make all of us worry about stuff that turns out to be typically hamster behavior...Not sure amping up the anxiety is the way to go ?
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Think this reply is way over the top & an apology to amie is called for. Yes hammyJJ asked a question & that was amie's opinion.
I never understand why people take the mickey out of other peoples posts
I'm not coming back to this thread because I don't want to get into an argument, life's too short & I'm too unwell for it, but please in future think how you will upset & affect other peoples feelings by a reply like this, not only to the person who writes the post but to that persons friends too.
xxx