Friends & family attitudes towards hamster...

[casuconsulto]

I know this is daft, but I think I'm maybe feeling a little sensitive after thinking my hamster had died/was dying this morning...

He was all cold and curled up in his bed. I called my mum and told her that Oscar may have died. He's been acting a little strange for the past week or so, we've sort of been preparing ourselves and accepting that hamsters don't live forever, but still... I was lifting him out of his nest and my mum was almost in tears. My sister poked her head around the door, asked my mum why she was nearly crying and then came out with that brilliant line of: 'what are you getting so upset for? It's just a hamster'.

I don't even think she meant it... Well, not entirely. She likes him a lot. I know that she can't always understand how much I love my animals, though. And it just seemed like a totally unfair thing to say.

I really, really hate when people have that attitude towards ANY pet, though. It annoys me doubly in the case of anything like a hamster or smaller, shorter lived pet. They're never 'just' anything. It just seemed so thoughtless and it's made me feel mad all day.

... anyone else ever had this happen?

[newcastlemam]

Well my nana asked me the other day why I was spending to much money on my hamster the other day I was furious and she couldn't understand why all she kept saying was, well it's only a little thing not like a dog or cat or anything. I ended up leaving rather than arguing.
It is very frustrating I do agree

[Kaztrekie]

This happens people who have never had a small pet ie a hamster don't understand how they impact our lives I have nt had sam long yet he is already a big part of my life and he's meant to be my daughters but I love spending time talking to him,I dare anyone to say its just a hamster if they spent a day with one

[Petite1]

Sorry for your loss, dont blame yourself for being mad about what your sister said, its a sad time for you Hugsx

[shiny]

Don't start me on people's attitude to guinea pigs either! I have had several people say "why didn't you just get it pts & get a new one?" when I had to pay out for surgery on our baby piggie. As I see it, I made a commitment to look after that particular animal; it's not a question of owning any guinea pig but looking after the little life I am responsible for.

[beccagood95]

Yeah, my whole family is like that. My mum and brother will have a look at my hamster and go "aww", but they'll never attempt to hold her or help out with any of her business.
And when I mentioned to my mum about probably sending my hamster for an operation she said "Why would you do that? It's just a hamster" and she always asks me why I'm spending so much money on the hamster. She just doesn't get it. We have a dog, but she's never had a tiny pet so she wouldn't understand. :/ I think that we just have to accept that some people don't understand.

[Axeria]

Yeah my family dont understand me at all! They think small pets are disposable and dont understand why i use so much time and energy on them, this makes me sad and angry caus no matter how small it is still a little life!

Like when my rats got sick, my stepmom just told me to just smash it with rock rather than getting it help! I ofc took her to the vet and she perked up and gave me lots of joy for a whole year after. If you get a pet no matter how small you have to make a commitment to it no matter what

[samzyzg]

I think my family think i'm mad but they do get it. My younger brother was laughing today when my step mum asked about Muffins passing away, she asked if he was the one on medication, which she abruptly had a go at him for being insensitive.

What I hate the most is when people say why not just get a new one, it irritates me because its a life, regardless of how short it is still a living creature who we've taken into our care. My aunt was told that my cousin wouldn't live to see 1 year old she's now around 27 and living in Australia having a great time, graduated from uni and moved out there to work. Just because they were told she was unlikely to live long didn't change how they felt about her and I don't see why animal should be different or considered differently, they often hold as much importance to us as humans do (if not more in some cases).

[Lougarry]

Mine all think I'm bonkers now so take it in their stride when I spend money on the animals. It's nice to have hamster friends on Facebook so my nearest and dearest can see I'm not the only one

[kyrilliondaemon]

Everyone thinks I'm bonkers but most accept it. I've been told I shouldn't spend all my money on them (pointing out the item in question was like £1 really solved that discussion...) and once got told to "replace it" when a ham was elderly, but that comment I suspect was said entirely to try and hurt me so I didn't show it'd got to me and have since shrugged it off - the person who said it is actually sorry when they find out hams have passed now which is nice.