Ethical breeders in the US

[Maz]

I think pet shop and rescue hamsters are more used to people and being handled I've found the same. A hamster from a breeder will often have come straight from being with siblings, to a cage on their own and they can need a bit more taming and socialising or they just hide away. Although personalities vary, they can have that common factor and be harder to tame and socialise. A breeder might say they have been hand tame but I think that is just they are used to a particular person and enviroment and a new owner needs to start almost from scratch again. It's a big change from them leaving the "nest" to go to a new home.

 

[Maz]

I'm not sure how breeder regulation works in the US. Or what they have to do to be accepted by/listed by the California Hamster Association. Being ethical isn't the same as good breeding practices and knowing the history and genetics. In the Uk, the breeders that are part of the National Hamster Council, have standards and a code of conduct they have to comply with and are very reliable in terms of safe breeding practices and genetics - because that's important to produce healthy hamsters with a good temperament.

It's why breeders generally aren't approved of as unless they are part of a verified hamster assocation with a code of conduct, they could be reproducing bad genetics. I think "ethical" can often just refer to the conditions they keep the hamsters in and cage sizes - it's a wide ranging term. And always good to speak to them and check what their practices are perhaps or get a recommendation.

Adopting is usually best - but that always isn't possible either if there are no hamster rescues near you.

 

[InferusLupus]

I would avoid Nantucket hamstery that is in Illinois. The hamster that’s in my profile picture died from a tumor and there is a Reddit page which discusses other bad hamsters cases of hamsters people have got from them. Definitely not ethical.

I've just made a new account here (hello everyone!) because I came across this thread while searching for ethical breeders and I just wanted to echo what's being said here. I might even be one of the folks on the reddit discussion mentioned here.


This is Tate. I got him from Nantucket Hamstery in April 2023, about a 3.5 hour drive from my home in Central IL. I'd been doing a lot of reading and preparation ahead of time so when I showed up I noticed right away that certain things were off. The woman I agreed to meet insisted on a 'contactless pickup' which sounded a little strange to me but in the age of COVID I didn't question it much, so my partner and I masked up for the visit. The breeder came out to the car without a mask, whatever, but brought Tate out on a very windy, damp 45 (MAYBE 50) degree day (colder with windchill!) and was waving him around like a banana to show him off. Pointed out a small brown scab on his belly she insisted was "just a play bite" and offered to go get me a different one. Baffled, I said "No, that's okay, he's the one I chose and I'll take him."

We get him home and settled and I notice his ears are also mangled--his left ear is notched and his right is missing a large oval shaped chunk making it look like a letter C. He was skittish and averse to contact which I expected with a new hamster, but even after weeks of habitation he was still actively terrified of me. Gentle handling usually resulted in his furious scrambling to escape and a few times risking lethal jumps from my arms (he'll still try this to this day). He's bitten me twice. I will admit I was probably getting a touch impatient and should have stopped after the first few attempts but I wanted to try everything. My final intensive taming attempt was to sit by his enclosure and read to him.

He started screaming. I peeked into his burrow from the side and he was clutching his head in his little paws just screaming and screaming. So that was game over. Whatever happened to him with the breeder, he had already learned that human presence means imminent danger.

Today, he's still a ghost hamster and we have an understanding. He emerges for treats and to use his water bottle and only forages in the middle of the night, and I don't manhandle him. And that's fine? But The breeder at Nantucket promised a well socialized, well mannered hamster and instead I got a scarred, terrified little guy who constantly drowns his food stash in pee to the point I have to take all of it away due to the smell/health concern, which stresses him anew and the cycle repeats.

So yeah. If anyone is still curious about Nantucket Hamstery and if they're still in operation, keep your distance. I strongly suspect that they're mishandling their hamsters badly enough to be giving people maladjusted pets. Poor Tate seems to be stuck in panic mode and my pet store Syrian Mr. Puff is VASTLY more docile and friendly to handling.

 

[Maz]

I'm really sorry to hear that, and that people have had bad experiences. I think though, to prevent a pile on, it would be better not to name and shame the place any more (although I understand they have closed down now?). Breeder hamsters are often much harder to tame than pet store ones generally and hide away and need socialising more, but it does sound a bit extreme if he was so scared.

 

[InferusLupus]

I'm really sorry to hear that, and that people have had bad experiences. I think though, to prevent a pile on, it would be better not to name and shame the place any more (although I understand they have closed down now?). Breeder hamsters are often much harder to tame than pet store ones generally and hide away and need socialising more, but it does sound a bit extreme if he was so scared.

With respect, I firmly disagree.

The problem with this reasoning is: 1) people purchase from breeders specifically to have hamsters that take to taming more easily, 2) this particular breeder boasted well socialized hamsters and multiple people received hamsters that were not only already damaged behaviorally speaking but were often sick or dying of birth defects ethical breeding is supposed to help mitigate. A lone individual making understandable mistakes in care shouldn't be piled on, but a breeder unethically rearing and abusing an unknown number of animals should be named.

 

[Pumpkinthahamster]

With respect, I firmly disagree.

The problem with this reasoning is: 1) people purchase from breeders specifically to have hamsters that take to taming more easily, 2) this particular breeder boasted well socialized hamsters and multiple people received hamsters that were not only already damaged behaviorally speaking but were often sick or dying of birth defects ethical breeding is supposed to help mitigate. A lone individual making understandable mistakes in care shouldn't be piled on, but a breeder unethically rearing and abusing an unknown number of animals should be named.

I totally agree! Hiccup was just like your Tate, I really thought he was ghost hamster for a long time until I saw the Reddit thread. I’ve tamed pet store hamsters before and Hiccup was the first and only hamster I had from a breeder. He screamed so much, it broke my heart. I hated doing cage cleans, even spot cleans because this poor little hamster just avoided me so much. I always wondered what his past with the breeder was like. I don’t remember Hiccup ever biting me and was okay at being handled. But sometimes when I’d first pick him up or even scoop him up with a measuring cup/mug he’d scream and then i would give hiccup a treat and gently say Hiccup it’s okay, you are alright, then he’d calm down a bit. I really believe that it’s okay to pile on posts here as there are so many now that I realize that have had a bad experience. It’s good to shed a light on the bad so it doesn’t happen again even with a different breeder. I chose to get Hiccup because I thought ethically bred hamsters meant healthier more well socialized hamsters. But it was the exact opposite experience. And I will choose rescue in the future.

 

[Maz]

With respect, I firmly disagree.

The problem with this reasoning is: 1) people purchase from breeders specifically to have hamsters that take to taming more easily, 2) this particular breeder boasted well socialized hamsters and multiple people received hamsters that were not only already damaged behaviorally speaking but were often sick or dying of birth defects ethical breeding is supposed to help mitigate. A lone individual making understandable mistakes in care shouldn't be piled on, but a breeder unethically rearing and abusing an unknown number of animals should be named.

Breeder hamsters are often hand tamed before they go to new homes, but my experience is that you almost need to start all over again once they are out of their familiar environment and with a new person. It's a big change for them. New home, new cage, leaving their cage shared with siblings, and different person. They are babies and tend to hide away if scared at first. Depending on their personality as well

But it does sound like people have had issues with this particular hamstery. Can someone confirm if it's now closed down?

For those who have experienced these issues I can understand the sharing of information. It's just forum policy not to name and shame individuals or companies. It's in the forum rules and code of conduct. I can see this has been a big issue for a number of people though and that there were issues and illness. I don't think any breeder can guarantee how a hamster behaves once they get to a new home though. I've found that frustrating myself when a breeder says they're tame already. They usually advise handling every day to keep them tame, but that isn't possible if the hamster is scared and needs adjustment time. I tend to give them settling in time, just as you would with any hamster, and then start taming and socialising.

 

[Maz]

With respect, I firmly disagree.

The problem with this reasoning is: 1) people purchase from breeders specifically to have hamsters that take to taming more easily, 2) this particular breeder boasted well socialized hamsters and multiple people received hamsters that were not only already damaged behaviorally speaking but were often sick or dying of birth defects ethical breeding is supposed to help mitigate. A lone individual making understandable mistakes in care shouldn't be piled on, but a breeder unethically rearing and abusing an unknown number of animals should be named.

Sick and dying is awful

 

[Maz]

They no longer appear to have a Facebook page, but perhaps some of you should contact the California Hamster Association about this, as the hamstery is still on their list of ethical breeders.

 

[Maz]

I suspect it has closed down. If you click on the link on the California Hamster Association web page, it goes to a blank page. So sorry so many people had awful experiences and sick hamsters.

California Hamster Association

Promoting excellence in hamster care and keeping

californiahamsterassociation.com

 

[Socks Mum]

It is a vexed question. The CHA should be told about hamsters who have suffered at the hands of unethical breeders. If enough cases arise independently and without prejudice, they will review their membership, surely. People can read about them on forums and avoid dealing with them, but most of their customers will be people who don't read forums and aren't aware of the controversy.