P @ H hamsters

[AprilPearl]

I agree with Drago and Wisper.

Mushu is my first P@H hamster and I have only had him about 5 weeks so I don't know whether or not any health issues will arise later. I certainly hope not.

As much as I love Mushu, I wish I had not purchased from P@H. I was so idiotic and naive and I feel horribly guilty about it now. I had no idea their hamsters were bred in rodent farms. I didn't even know such things existed. It's only since finding this forum that I gave discovered how P@H source their hamsters.

My past hamsters were all from a small pet shop nearby who only stocked hamsters occasionally, and they came exclusively from one local breeder. So, in my ignorance, I assumed all pet shops operated in the same manner, getting their hamsters from people who bred them at home, either for a hobby or as a one off. I should have realised that P@H always have hamsters in stock and that wouldn't be possible unless they were running some sort of mass breeding programme.

Although at the time I didn't know about the rodent farms, I would have preferred to buy from the pet shop I used to. The only reason I bought from P@H is that the license required for pet shops to sell live animals in my London borough has gone up by a lot recently. So, my preferred pet shop had to stop selling live animals. Retrospectively, I now realise that this fee increase means only shops selling a lot of hamsters, such as P@H, can continue to sell them without making a loss. This really annoys me because presumably the license is in place to prevent animal cruelty, but in practise it now means that only shops mass breeding animals in less than ideal conditions can afford to continue.

Ok, rant over. I didn't want to offend anyone who buys from P@H. I realise I don't know much about rodent farms so maybe they aren't as bad as I imagine. But that's just how I feel.

[Wisper]

Just wanted to say I didn't mean to offend anyone, this is just a subject I feel strongly about.
I agree with Drago that it should be about encouraging people to adopt rather than buy and for me that goes for any pet.
I just feel that people can't do enough research when it comes to getting an animal and that includes the conditions they are bred in. These animals come into our lives to become a part of our family and we owe them a good start in life.

[Jennie F]

Originally Posted by AprilPearl

I agree with Drago and Wisper.

Mushu is my first P@H hamster and I have only had him about 5 weeks so I don't know whether or not any health issues will arise later. I certainly hope not.

As much as I love Mushu, I wish I had not purchased from P@H. I was so idiotic and naive and I feel horribly guilty about it now. I had no idea their hamsters were bred in rodent farms. I didn't even know such things existed. It's only since finding this forum that I gave discovered how P@H source their hamsters.

My past hamsters were all from a small pet shop nearby who only stocked hamsters occasionally, and they came exclusively from one local breeder. So, in my ignorance, I assumed all pet shops operated in the same manner, getting their hamsters from people who bred them at home, either for a hobby or as a one off. I should have realised that P@H always have hamsters in stock and that wouldn't be possible unless they were running some sort of mass breeding programme.

Although at the time I didn't know about the rodent farms, I would have preferred to buy from the pet shop I used to. The only reason I bought from P@H is that the license required for pet shops to sell live animals in my London borough has gone up by a lot recently. So, my preferred pet shop had to stop selling live animals. Retrospectively, I now realise that this fee increase means only shops selling a lot of hamsters, such as P@H, can continue to sell them without making a loss. This really annoys me because presumably the license is in place to prevent animal cruelty, but in practise it now means that only shops mass breeding animals in less than ideal conditions can afford to continue.

Ok, rant over. I didn't want to offend anyone who buys from P@H. I realise I don't know much about rodent farms so maybe they aren't as bad as I imagine. But that's just how I feel.

April, I know how you feel. I didnt know they did the same things with hamsters, which was really naive of me I know. I fell into the trap of getting a hamster from them and as much as I adore the little scamp I have, I wouldnt get another from them. Since joining this forum after I got her, my eyes have been well and truly opened.

[Drago]

AprilPearl & Jennie F

Neither of you should feel guilty at all! I hope I didn't seen offensive at all before, if I did, I'm sorry You two love and care for you hamsters and that's all that matters now! There's no need to beat yourself up over it, and I wouldn't necessarily say it's such a sin to buy from a shop either. I think the best thing we could all do as a community is help to educate more people, love our hamsters, and always be kind and accepting of people's choices

[AprilPearl]

Wisper: No, no. I think you're right and I certainly am not offended. It wasn't even this thread which made me aware of rodent farms. Actually, it was an off hand comment made by Souffle and I was absolutely shocked when I found out. I totally agree that I should have done more research. It's funny as I have read so many books on hamsters over the years but never come across rodent farms until the last few weeks when it was, unfortunately, too late not to buy from one. I guess "where to P@H get their hamsters?" just wasn't a question I thought to ask, because I thought so whole heartedly that I knew the answer.

Edit: Drago, the reply above goes to you too. I am not offended whatsoever by your comments as I totally agree with them! In fact, I feel like a hypocrite.

Jennie F: Good to know I am not alone! And I too will never get one from them again. I wish they were more clear about where they stock their animals. But, I can't shift the blame. I accept that responsibility should be on the buyer to find that information.

[Jennie F]

Originally Posted by Drago

AprilPearl & Jennie F

Neither of you should feel guilty at all! I hope I didn't seen offensive at all before, if I did, I'm sorry You two love and care for you hamsters and that's all that matters now! There's no need to beat yourself up over it, and I wouldn't necessarily say it's such a sin to buy from a shop either. I think the best thing we could all do as a community is help to educate more people, love our hamsters, and always be kind and accepting of people's choices

Drago no offense taken. I think that is what these big companies want , for people to blindly follow trends and not ask questions. I'm more annoyed at myself for being one of them. I have been in there and heard them giving out wrong advice to customers all the time. You hear so much about puppy farms but almost nothing about anything else. At least we knkw now and wouldnt take part in it again. Just wish there was more that could be done

[AprilPearl]

Originally Posted by Jennie F

Drago You hear so much about puppy farms but almost nothing about anything else. At least we knkw now and wouldnt take part in it again. Just wish there was more that could be done

Exactly this. I knew all about puppy farms, but never dreamed there was a hamster equivalent!

What I want to know (or perhaps don’t want to know), is: what happens to all the poor females used for breeding in rodent farms when they get too old to have any more litters? Surely, it can’t be profitable to keep them... And they don’t go to pet stores.