[Shannonmcn]

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.