Rescuing and rehoming

[Member ID2]

Rescuing and rehoming hamsters should not be undertaken lightly.
There are considerations and conditions:

a) Any hamster rescued could potentially live with you permanently. If that wouldn't be possible, don't rescue.
Reasons could be illness and behavioural and mental issues that could make it difficult or impossible to find a suitable forever home.
An alternative would be to volunteer or foster for a rescue.

b) Space for adequate temporary housing in a comfortable and safe environment.

c) Money. Rescuing hamsters costs money for petrol to collect the hamster, sometimes to pay for the hamster and often the cage as well. Money for possible vet bills and the upkeep of the hamster. Money for advertising costs for rehoming ads.

d) Time for the hamster. Rescue hamsters sometimes need rehabilitating which can take a long time, requires a lot of patience and dedication. Some hamsters have been traumatized, neglected and abused so be prepared to work with them slowly before even considering rehoming them.

e) Emotions. They can run high. Rescuing can be extremely demanding emotionally. Be prepared to be faced with situations that are harrowing and upsetting but keep in mind that the hamster's life is going to get better.
Anger is difficult to deal with. The anger directed at humans for not caring about the hamster.

f) Attachment. It can be hard not to get attached to a hamster and to let go when suitable adoptive parents have been found.

g) Don't ever compromise. Have your own set of criteria people who want to adopt from you have to meet and stick to it.
You need to be 100% sure and confident that the hamster will be loved and well cared for before agreeing to an adoption.

h) Be prepared to deal with people who are rude and ignorant, who waste your time or suddenly stop responding. When someone enquires about adopting a hamster i immediately ask to see a photo of their enclosure and set up. If they can't or don't want to provide that, i'd try and find out why and then decide whether to continue communication or not. I found that people with good hamster care who are serious about adopting, volunteer all the necessary information at the beginning.

Please feel free to add thoughts, advice and experiences.

 

[Member ID2]

Common reasons people want to part with their hamsters:

1) Child's toy.
Often hamsters are bought for a child by unsupportive or ignorant parents.
I never blame the child because a child should be guided and taught by parents on how to care for a hamster properly. A parent should not expect a hamster to be a live toy who performs on demand from day one to amuse their child.
Parents who do not understand that a hamster is a little creature with feelings and fears, who needs time to settle in and who shouldn't be woken up and grabbed to be played with will not be able to teach a child to responsibly care for a hamster.
Consequently, the child gets bored and fed up, parents can't be bothered to learn and hamster ends up in the small ads.

Four of my six hamsters used to belong to children who got fed up with them or got bitten while grabbing a scared hamster.

2) Teaching or training pet.
This really is as bad as it sounds. I rescued a number of hamsters because the child had "outgrown" the hamster, or the child had shown enough responsibilty to get that new puppy or kitten they wanted.

3) Housing dwarf hamsters in pairs or groups.
Usually, this doesn't end well. Once hamsters mature they become territorial and are more than likely to fall out and fight. One of my Robos comes from a group that had fallen out. I had a foster dwarf with a big scar, a Robo who killed and disposed of her sister and many who were made homeless after a fall out because their humans didn't want to set up a second enclosure.

4) I don't have time for my hamster.
I hear this all the time. Why get a hamster in the first place.

5) Disappointment.
Yes, there are people who want rid of their hamster because the hamster is not what they expected. The hamster is not tame, bites, is too shy, sleeps too much, gets up too late are all reasons some people don't want their hamster anymore.

6) Genuine reasons.
Yes, some people don't have a choice because they became ill, had to move into accommodation that doesn't allow pets, lost their job, relationship broke up etc.
This can happen to anybody at anytime and must be absolutely heartbreaking having to give up a beloved pet.

 

[Member ID2]

Ways to help hamsters:

Aside from rescuing and rehoming unwanted hamsters there are other ways to help and contribute.

Many people would probably quote 'adopt, don't buy' which is something i would encourage as well.

Even though all my hamsters are rescues, i believe that every hamster has a right to a good life because its not their fault that they were bred in a hamster mill and ended up on the shop floor.

Avoid greedy backyard breeders who breed for financial gain and overbreed their hamsters. If no one would buy from them they would hopefully stop breeding.

Volunteer for a rescue as a driver or donate unwanted hamster items.

Foster for a rescue.

Keep an eye on charity shops for hamsterballs, small cages and dangerous toys. Buy them if they are cheap or you can afford to and break them up before taking them to the recycling.

Keep an eye on the small ads for the above mentioned purpose.

Check the small ads and contact people who offer hamsters for free and point out the danger of unscrupulous people obtaining hamsters for live snake food and then selling on their cages.

Get car stickers to point out that hamsters are not toys. I think Victoria Racheal does some. I got some made at cafepress.

Please add if you can think of other ways to help hamsters.

 

[Maz]

It's an amazing thing that you've been doing and you've had first hand experience of all the reasons people put hamsters up for sale rather than care for them. I'll add another one I have seen, which I always find so very sad - and that is when a hamster is old. They are probably for sale because they need medical attention and it will cost money at the vets. If a hamster is two years old, they don't have very long to live usually, so why not just keep them and look after them. They're not much trouble in their old age and it's the one time they need some real comfort, familiarity and tlc.

On the other hand if someone is selling them for that reason (needing money spending them for vet care in old age) then I am glad they are not staying with that person in their last few months, when they might be neglected otherwise.

You are also quite right about parents responsibilities. Children do lose interest (especially younger ones) and so a parent does need to be fully involved and learn what's needed themselves, so they can teach the child - and also show them how a responsible pet owner behaves.

I think sadly there is still an attitude around that hamsters are "not like other pets" like cats and dogs - that they are somehow temporary or disposable and have less needs or feelings - which is not the case at all. Mind you there are bad pet owners of all types of pet around, including dog owners. So it's a general thing - a pet is for life, not just for Christmas.

Did you find more rescues coming up after Christmas?

 

[Member ID2]

I haven't noticed it myself but things changed during the pandemic and i wasn't involved in rescuing prior to that.

In fact, i've only kept hamsters since March 2019.

 

[RainbowBrite]

This was an excellent article. I just wanted to add that some people do not want their hamster if they find out the hamster is pregnant. They do not want that responsibility and pass it on to others without saying the hamster could be pregnant. Another is if the hamster appears unwell and they do not want to deal with a vet visit.

 

[Member ID2]

Thanks.
Sadly, that does happen and i have come across it while volunteering for rescues.