Laura Anderson
Hamsters. They’re the peak of cuteness. Nearly everyone at some point in their life has owned a hamster. Currently, 1% of households has one of these adorable rodents running around, with around 600,000 being brought into human care from 2020 to 2021 in the UK alone. With all this love surrounding them, why is it that we can’t look after them properly? Everyone knows what a hamster is, and has seen one at least once in their life. Whether it was a family member’s, a friend’s or even your own! These rodents pile into pet stores, and with the rise of social media, their numbers will only increase. Yet it has often astounded me that people know so little about the species they are bringing into their home. Everyone thinks twice, or even thrice, about bringing a cat or dog into their house, so why not any other creature? Yes, they're small rodents with cute little feet and noses, and big cheek pouches. Some remember them as the rodents with wheels, but other than that, many would struggle to give another fact. Yet, despite the blatant ignorance of the species, they flood into homes, and sit next to our beds. They’re kept in small wired cages, with a thin layer of bedding, and all sorts of colourful tubes for their “utopia.” They’re given chew toys and treats, and if they’re lucky, they may receive some “fun time” in a plastic ball (basically rolling around the house). People often think they’re giving the rodent a paradise, but perhaps they’re in fact giving them a prison. Wild hamsters live across Europe and Asia, in dry, desert or steppe-like habitats. Most wild hamsters are solitary and will often kill other hamsters who set a paw into their large territory, despite a few who will live happily in social colonies. They’re nocturnal burrowers, hiding deep underground during the day, and coming out at night to search for food. Surprisingly, several of these wild hamsters are the same species of hamsters that we keep domesticated in our homes. However, over the years their population in the wild has declined due to habitat loss, and observations of these curious creatures have become a rare sight. Despite knowing this information, it is completely disregarded by pet shops and owners alike. Those colourful hamster tube utopias, and brightly coloured cages? Way too small! A hamster needs a minimum enclosure equivalent to that of a 40 gallon tank. For context, that is 48” x 12” x 16” ( L x W x H ) - an enclosure bigger than the size required for most small reptiles! Those little cages on the shelves of pet stores are exactly what they are labeled as: cages. Yet, this is not the only mistake that pet owners make. That thin layer of bedding is going to provide no enrichment for your little friend. Hamsters are burrowers, which means they like to burrow! That 1cm bedding is doing nothing for your rodent. A layer of substrate that is 6 inches is the bare minimum, though 10 inches is preferred. Remember to keep the type of bedding in mind as well! Cotton fluff nesting, and even wood shavings, are commonly used, but are quite harmful. The cotton often wraps around hamsters' teeth and feet, causing ingestion or cutting of the circulation to their limbs. As for wood shavings, if it didn’t sound dangerous already, I’d be nonetheless appalled at the respiratory infections it can cause in the little rodents. Wire and mesh products, like the cages and wheels, are often labeled as “safe for hamsters”, though I’d like to disagree when your hamster is running around with swollen limbs and bumblefoot after injuring themselves on the clearly unsafe material. Though it’s not only the housing that goes wrong in these poor hamsters' lives. Despite their solitary, I repeat, solitary nature, people keep two or even more together in these tiny enclosures. Not only does this add stress to the animals’ lives, but also your own. It’s not a pleasant site when you return to their cage, only to find one of them has killed the other. But what about those dwarf hamsters? They live in social pairings or groups in the wild, but for two reasons. Safety and reproduction. Unless you’re breeding the rodents, you’re already providing the safety that they need, so they no longer need another one. Pairing them together without a need for the other can result in some lethal skirmishes. After all, in their eyes, the other is just an extra mouth eating the food that could be theirs! Finally, another less known mistake that is often made, is the bathing of hamsters. These rodents keep themselves clean in the wild, with the natural oils in their coat and their daily grooming. When you get the idea to “help” your hamster, you are disturbing and washing away the oils, which can be quite harmful for the hamster’s fur. So unless completely necessary, don’t give your hamster a bath, they most certainly won’t enjoy it! Now, with all this new information fresh in your mind, take your time to step back and consider what I have told you. Before you go out and buy a Syrian hamster, or complain about your hamster waking you at night, or even join in on the new tik tok trend about how your hamster “randomly” died, consider this. Consider your previous actions of care, your current actions of care, and how you are going to move forward. It’s not just hamsters that are in this mess. Rats, Guinea Pigs, Rabbits, Fish; every single one of them is disregarded as a “simple” pet. Unlike hamsters, people backwardly keep rats, guinea pigs and rabbits alone. These creatures are highly social, and will pass away from loneliness and despair if they do not have a partner. Sometimes, we do not suffice. Those carrots you keep on feeding your rabbit? Those orange vegetables contain high levels of sugar, and are sure to lead your diabetic Rabbit quickly towards the tunnel of light. Fish are often locked away in tiny enclosures, with the wrong pH of water, the wrong salt concentration of water, the incorrect plants and the incorrect substrate. Some people even fail to give their tanks a filter, and like hamsters, they are often paired with rival fish. Thrown away into dirty glass bowls, left to rot, mocked instead of pitied. So, how do we show these animals the love that we spam social media with? Do your own research. I am no way a saint, I have cared for animals, and later learned important care information that I lacked before, but I move forward. I continue to learn, and strive to give the animals in my care an environment to thrive in. If you cannot provide the care that animal needs, do not get one. Appreciate it from the screen, or behind a pet store glass. Don’t buy these animals to shut your kids up about wanting a pet, instead, teach your kids the importance of caring for animals and the hardships behind it. Work towards a society where people care, so that our animals can continue to thrive with us - not against us.
READ MORE LIKE THIS...
READ MORE BY...
Comments