[babyboos]

I would do it now. You can always get your friend to give them a letter with why it is better if he/she doesn't feel comfortable telling them himself/herself. Or if really not wanting to get involved they could just say the cage got knocked over, or the water bottle burst, or something so they had to change the litter layer?



You may find this disturbing sorry...

Does Life Get Any Better Than This!? by Brian Kershaw of Tershonian Hamstery, Ontario, Canada



"Wow! What a place! Lots of food, mom is so warm to snuggle up to, and I see a whole bunch of hamsters that look just like me. Can life get any better than this?! The man who feeds us our yummy food gives us tummy rubs as well. Mom really enjoys that, too. I have 8 siblings, and we all have a great time playing with our paper tubes, chasing each other and just having fun.



Today is the last time I am going to see our mom. We are all being put into a box. Where are we going? I'm going to miss you, Mom, but this is exciting and sad at the same time. I feel the bumps from the noisy machine we are in. Now that we have stopped, the man who feeds us is carrying the box into a big store. I feel safe as this is also the man who gives us tummy rubs. We are all put into separate cages, girls in one and boys in the other. I am a girl and get to stay with my sisters. It's a big cage, but the bedding smells different and kind of hurts my eyes and makes me sneeze. I like to climb up on the cage wire as it doesn't hurt up there. There are also no tubes to play with. Funny people keep looking at us. I'm not sure who they are, but they keep knocking on our cage and saying "Wake up! Wake up!" Don't they realize that I am so tired? I was up all last night playing with my sisters and checking out my new home.



Today is our birthday, I am 5 weeks old today. Wow! This funny looking person and her two little kids keep looking at me and pointing, saying "I want this one! I want this one!" Their voices are so loud it kind of scares me. I am being taken out of my big cage and being put into this little dark box. I am so scared that I am afraid I peed myself. What is happening to me? I hear someone in a loud voice saying, "Yuck! It's all wet!" The little box is very bumping, and I can hear loud voices saying "I want to hold it! I want to hold it!" I am so scared--the loud voices, being bumped around, the loud machine that I am in, and I don't know who these people are.



Finally, the machine stops but not the loud voices. The people put me into a smaller cage than in the big store and Mom's home. The bedding really smells and hurts my eyes. It's not like Mom's or the big store. It's red in colour. I hear the lady say "It's cheaper than what the pet store wanted to sell us!" The smell really bothers me, and my chest hurts. I don't feel good at all. All I see are faces looking at me saying "Wake up! Wake up!" I am so tired from my trip and feel horrible. All I want to do is sleep, but where? There are no tubes, no nice warm place at all. Just empty corners, but I am just so tired, and my tummy hurts. Why won't they leave me alone?



Finally, I get to sleep but I am suddenly awakened when one of the younger ones puts in his fingers to poke at me. I was only scared. I thought he was going to hurt me, so I jumped up and grabbed his finger. "Sorry. You scared me!" The younger one yelled really loudly and was crying, "Mommy! Mommy! It bit me! It bit me!!" "I am sorry. You scared me", I was saying to myself. The younger one said to his mom that he hated me and that he was going to call me "Nasty". "Bad hamster", he said over and over again. I also heard his mother say, "Don't touch it ever again. Just look at it". Then she put me on a high shelf in the back room. What about my tummy rubs? I like tummy rubs! I like to play. Can I come out to play? I never did.



It was always very quiet in the room in which I was put, but I hardly ever saw the little face again, and, if I did, he would just say "Bad hamster!" I also heard him with a friend say "This is my hamster, Nasty. Don't touch it or go near it. It bites". I was only scared! Why have you forgotten me? I was only scared!



Occasionally, the mother gives me some water and some food, but not very often. Sometimes I am hungry and just feel horrible. The bedding is not like my Mom's. My chest is hurting so bad, and I can't get away from it. My nose is running all the time, and my eyes burn.



Today is my 1 year birthday. Nobody knows but me. Nobody comes to my cage anymore. Sometimes I get food; sometime I don't. My water bottle never gets new fresh water. The younger boy never comes to my cage, just his mother. I am having a hard time breathing, and my eyes are always shut. They hurt too much to open, so I sleep all the time.



In fact, does life really get any better than this? I faintly remember good times, but I am so miserable. If I just sleep, maybe this will all go away............"





(Footnote from Brian)



The only escape for this hamster was death. How many hamsters end up with similar stories? Some, I am sure, are very true. As a breeder and hobbyist, I am aware that every hamster we sell could end up like this one. Hamsters in the public eye are nothing more than disposible pets, cheap to buy, easy to forget, and easy to get rid of. Please make every effort to educate anyone (an individual, a pet store, or another hobbyist) who is purchasing a hamster of what is necessary for these little ones to have a good life.



Nasty didn't. --- She wanted to, though!



© 2004 Brian Kershaw of Tershonian Hamstery, Ontario, Canada and President/Editor of the Hamster Club of Ontario

Made up story or not it is very emotive and really brings home an idea of the sad reality that some little ones around the world may be living every day.



Brian is a lovely guy please check out his absolutely gorgeous hamsters at http://www.geocities.com/tershonianhamsters/index.html - I wish I lived in Canada as I would be off hamster napping now!!! I have invited him to come and join us - fingers crossed!



Incidently there is a campaign currently being run by the Californian Hamster Association regarding the use of Aspen bedding.



Oh and an interesting article for those kids who would like a hamster but their parents just say no, by a valued friend and member of the Californian Hamster Association. What this lady doesn't know about diabetes in hamsters (dwarves especially) is just not worth knowing!... http://www.geocities.com/calhamassoc/QandAParents.html. If diabetes is something you are at all concerned about please check out the HoneyHams Yahoo group.



Finally! (thank goodness I hear you say!) Some things you really need to seriously consider carefully before getting a hamster as a pet. If you are not willing to accomodate these things then I would recommend you choose a fish (NO, I love fish, I am a marine biologist after all!) okay a Cyber Pet then!:

• You MUST be willing to put aside a "vet fund" in case your hamster needs medical attention (If you are planning to hold an animal in captivity, please take responsibility for his medical needs - he cannot leave his cage to get what he needs.)
  
  
  
  You know that you will never be able to provide you hamster with more than the basic physical needs. (A hamster needs more than his usual four walls to look at day after day. You do not need to be rich to provide these extras for you pet, just a willingness to be creative in making sure his natural need to explore different sites and objects DAILY is met.) If you want some ideas please ask!
  
  
  
  You are not able to stay up past 8:00p.m. to play with your nocturnal pet, (mainly Syrians) and/or make time during the day to play with your hamster while he is active (mainly dwarves). The idea of keeping a hamster means you are willing to spend time with him daily. You will need to provide for his emotional/stimulation needs during his waking hours. (Failure to do this will make for a very lonely, lethargic, unfriendly hamster.)
  
  
  
  You know that you will never be able to provide you hamster with more than the basic physical needs. (A hamster needs more than his usual four walls to look at day after day. You do not need to be rich to provide these extras for you pet, just a willingness to be creative in making sure his natural need to explore different sites and objects DAILY is met.) If you want some ideas please ask!
  
  
  
  You have a cat, dog or ferret in the house, and are not able to keep the hamster in a seperate room. (Dogs have been known to knock over hamster cages, and some will even injure or kill hamsters. Cats and ferrets are extrordinary climbers, so putting your hamster somewhere "high up" is not always a solution. Cats are very determined, and will usually find some way to get what they are after, even if you think they can not.)
  
  
  
  You are not willing to put up with the inevitable noise that will come from your hamster's nocturnal activities. If this will bother you, or you do not have an extra room to place your hamster in so that his noise will not disturb you, you should re-think buying a hamster. Also, many people will resort to removing thier hamster's wheel to cut noise. This is not fair to your hamster at all - it would be like someone locking you in a small room with nothing to read, look at, no one to talk to, and no way out. Your only option would be to stare at a wall. Once again, please think it through before you buy him!
  
  
  

Think I need to go and have a lie down now...