Ignorance is Bliss

      Animal cruelty is a sad part of reality, something quite separate from the chilling ruthlessness that nature can sometimes be. Putting a stop to animal cruelty is important, but in order to do that it must be understood. Animal cruelty is the abuse, exploitation or neglect of animals by humans and can be divided into different categories. Generally accepted is that there are three types of animal cruelty. None are worse than the others for in the end it is still an animal suffering at the hand of a human. The first is exploitation in which animals are taken advantage of in order for human entertainment or benefit. Under this category falls animal testing, the use of animals in circuses, the use of animals in war and also animal fighting. The second is the act of intentionally setting out to harm an animal often for personal pleasure, such acts that fall under this include beating, burning, or otherwise physically harming an animal, animal fighting can also fall under this category. The third is neglect; that is the failure to provide proper care for an animal is often best represented in the extreme cases such as leaving a dog chained up in the backyard with no food or water.

      I would like to draw your attention to the third category I mentioned: neglect. Most often when neglect is thought of, it is thought of as an intentional act, one that is acknowledged. And yet I have personally witnessed neglect of animals and for the most part it is not intentional; and the person involved is ignorant to the neglect that they are doling out to the animal in their care. It is such that I propose that there are actually two different kinds of neglect. The first sub-category of neglect is ‘Intentional Neglect’, which can include the dog chained up in the backyard as mentioned as an example above, or all the way to the goldfish that has been left to die because the owner has become bored of it. The second sub-category of neglect I call ‘Ignorance fuelled Neglect’ as it is driven by ignorance of the required care for that animal resulting in neglect.

     I have no actual statistics, however based upon my own experience with animals and with people with pets, I think it is safe to say that ignorance fuelled neglect is the most common form of animal cruelty. Why though? Because they don’t even know that they are doing it. One may also wonder if it can be considered animal cruelty if it’s cause is rooted in ignorance, in simply not knowing better. This is a difficult area to move around in, and yet as animal lovers’ intent on improving the welfare of animals, it is a category of animal cruelty that cannot go on being ignored.

The examples of this sub-category of neglect are endless :

     Betta fish (Siamese fighting fish, the fish often kept in separate cups at the pet store) are often explained to require dirty water and small spaces because they live in muddy puddles in the wild. Numerous tiny bowls and containers are sold for them to live in and being a hardy fish they do often survive, but they do not thrive. In the wild they live in vast rice paddies, the water is murky but not dirty, they are insectivores and live in a tropical climate. In captivity they require clean water that is free from ammonia, they need live or frozen foods alongside their staple diet, they need enough space to swim around and stretch their fins, they need their water heated, etc. Their care is complex in comparison to how their care is often explained by the average pet store employee. So they suffer in small, ammonia-ridden, cold tanks on less than adequate food and their owner thinks they’re doing everything right.

       Hamsters are depicted to be able to live in small and colourful plastic cages on cedar shavings, with no wheel, a basic seed mix, etc. Yet research has shown that hamsters may need a minimum of a square metre of floor space, that cedar shavings cause respiratory issues and that their diet is more complex than once realized. So while they survive, they do not thrive and the owner thinks all is well.

      Dogs need exercise every day, Cesar Millan’s training methods are out-dated (and oh so much worse than I have room to explain), dogs are not omnivores, and Science Diet is not an optimal food for dogs. And yet those that blindly believe these things have no idea that their dog is not thriving. The examples could go on and on.


What Can Be Done?

>>>Start with yourself! Do research about all of the pets you have or want to have in your life! Even the ones commonly not seen to require extra effort such as fish or small animals.

>>>Talk with pet owners in your life, many of them do not put the proper research into the pets that they do have or want to have in their life.

>>>Seek out sources of up-to-date and correct information and promote it! Many books are outdated and the new ones seem to base their information on older books; many pet store employees are sadly not educated in the ‘products’ they are selling or are misinformed with outdated information and the only way to figure out if an employee actually knows what they are talking about is for you yourself to know what you’re talking about; not every website is up-to-date either. So be careful, but when you do find a good website, books, or other resource of good information then pass it on!

>>>Actively seek ways to promote education. Talk to local animal shelters, local pet stores, local clubs or if all else fails hit the web! Reaching out to help promote education or to help others learn is a great step toward putting this behind us.

Conclusion
     In order to fight this form of animal cruelty, we must push for the education of pet owners so that they may realize that time must be taken to learn about their chosen pet. How can this be done?

·         Education of pet care seems to be a more popular concept than it ever used to be, likely thanks to the internet for the easy access to information and for the easy access to animal lovers all over the world so that information and experience can be shared. Do your part to end this animal cruelty.

“Let us tear down the flag of ignorance, and burn it with the flames of education. In its stead let us raise the flag of knowledge.”

Ignorance may be described as bliss, but in this case it is only bliss for the human.

A Closer Look at Breeding

If you are considering breeding your hamsters, then read on.


Just Hamsters
Breeding hamsters, or any animal for that matter, is not a decision that should be taken lightly and without serious consideration and research before making any decisions. By breeding animals you become solely responsible for their very life, this is no minor responsibility. For those thinking “it’s just a hamster”, please take a second to look at your own opinion. Why would you even consider breeding hamsters if they are “just hamsters”, breeding is hard work, it is time consuming, can be emotionally draining and also quite costly. If you don’t truly have a passion to work with hamsters and consider them “just hamsters” than you might want to put this idea out of your head for the time being.


Reasons for Wanting to Breeding
If you truly want to breed then consider the reasons why you want to breed. There may be multiple reasons, but it is certainly worthwhile to take the time to consider your reasons and then write them down. If your reason(s) are along these following lines:
o I want to get the experience of breeding hamsters.
o I want to see cute babies
o I want to see the miracle of life
o My friends/family want hamsters or I want more hamsters
o I want to make money
o I want my hamsters to live on in their children
o I read that hamsters should breed at least once in their life
o My hamsters are in love, it would be cruel to not let them breed
o I want more hamsters of the same colour
Then there might be some issues. Some of these reasons aren’t absolutely negative, however the bottom six points are not good reasons at all, but if any of these points are the driving force for you wanting to breed then I highly recommend that you step back in reconsider breeding. Wanting to experience breeding hamsters, seeing babies, experiencing the miracle of life, etc. are not good enough reasons to want to breed. There are too many hamsters that need homes in the world for such reasons to be valid. While some of these reasons may be reasons to want to breed the ultimate reason for wanting to breed should be something along of the lines of this:
o To better the species as a whole.
This implies that are goals are to breed quality animals with the intention of improving health, temperament and overall improving the species. Many breeders breed for the wrong reasons and it shows in their knowledge of hamsters and in the quality of their animals. Breeders that breed for the wrong reasons are often referred to as ‘Back Yard Breeders’, they are sadly a common phenomenon throughout the world.


A Closer Look at Invalid Reasons for Wanting to Breed
1. I want to get the experience of breeding hamsters: This isn’t exactly a poor reason to want to breed, however it should not be your ultimate reason to want to breed. Adopting hamsters is quite the worthwhile experience, and at the same time you give hamster’s a second chance at a forever home.
2. I want to see cute babies: That’s nice; I would like to introduce you to Google. On Google you can search up all sorts of things, including videos and images of baby hamsters. This is just not a good reason to want to breed, sure they are cute, but breeding is serious.
3. I want to see the miracle of life: there are many videos and books on this subject, why not take the easy route and go for one of those options, they are much less work, money, time and effort. And in the end the message is the same.
4. My friends/family want hamsters or I want more hamsters: This is wonderful, truly it is. If you have people interested in hamsters or you yourself want more hamsters, than help your friends look for hamsters to adopt, or if it’s you than look for hamsters to adopt yourself. Why bring more hamsters into this world when there are so many that need homes already?
5. I want to make money: If this is your reason to breed than you need to look outside of breeding animals. Being a quality breeder means that it’s probably going to cost more than you will make.
6. I want my hamsters to live on in their children: This is a nice thought, but it isn’t a good reason to breed. You could end up with hamsters that end up with genetic issues or other problems if you don’t know their genetic history. Instead taking pictures, spending time with them and enjoying their time with you is the best way to help them live on after death, because then they live on in your memories. Instead of breeding, adopting another hamster in memory of your past hamster is a good way to honour their life.
7. I read that hamsters should breed at least once in their life: This too is not a valid reason to breed for it is simply not true. Hamsters do not need to breed in order to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Not to mention, some people have found that breeding can shorten the life of a hamster (females in particular).
8. My hamsters are in love, it would be cruel to not let them breed: hamsters do not mate for life the way that humans and some other animals do. They will not feel love the same way we do for a mate, in the wild there is a chance that they might never even see each other again. If you do have a male and a female living together then I highly recommend that they are separated for their well-being.
9. I want more hamsters of the same colour: This too is not a valid reason to breed. Genetics are not simple and they do not always work the way one might expect, you could get a whole litter with pups that don’t have the same colour as their parents. Besides colour doesn’t matter to hamsters and it shouldn’t matter to you. Fur colour doesn’t make the hamsters, it’s what’s underneath the fur that counts.


Time
Breeding hamsters is time consuming, it will eat up much of your free time and may impose on other aspects of your life. Consider the following in regard to time:
1. Breeders need to do research beforehand and throughout their venture in breeding. Many breeders spend years researching: how to properly breed hamsters, how to pick quality animals, genetics of hamsters, etc. They must also spend time researching and understanding general hamster care and ailments as they gain experience as a normal hamster owner. Not days of research, not months of research, but years. Not only must the research and learn before breeding, but they must also continue to keep up with new information even while breeding hamsters.
2. Breeders must also put a lot of time into a breeding plan. This plan helps to keep the genetic history of every hamster organized, to keep records in order, to help plan out what a breeder’s goals are, etc. An important factor to consider, and one that might take more than a few minutes.
3. Breeders need to look for homes for their litters. This isn’t as easy as posting an ad and selling them to the first person to respond. Breeders often make up contracts to ensure that their animals will go to a good home, will be returned to them if the owner can no longer keep them, to ensure that the owner will stay in contact and in some cases to ensure that the owner does not breed the hamster. When looking for potential owners, the breeder must look for quality homes with owners that have and will continue to research and understand proper and up to date hamster care, will stay in contact with the breeder, will take the hamster to the vet if required and will over all be a good owner. This is no easy task, good owners are not always available and quality owners in a breeder’s area may disappear with each litter, which is why lining up homes prior to breeding is important. Selling hamsters to a pet store is not a viable option either. A good breeder must be aware of their lines so that they know if genetic issues pop up down the road, selling them to a pet store cuts off contact with owners. Not to mention the breeder then has no control over who purchases their hamsters.
4. If homes cannot be found for the litter than it is up to the breeder to keep and care for all of the hamsters. Hamsters can have large litters, some even being upward of 20 pups, though the average is closer to 10-12 pups. Depending on the species they may need to live separately, dwarf hamsters can live in same-sex groups but the chances for fights breaking out are always possible. That could mean a cage (recommended bare minimum is 360 square inches of floor space) for every single hamster from the litter, including the parents on top of any other hamsters the breeder has. That is time required for cleaning the cages, for feeding the hamsters, performing health checks, administering medication for any ill hamsters and for spending individual time with each hamster. This is time consuming.
5. Breeders must take responsibility for the litter if the mother dies or rejects the pups. This means spending over two weeks constantly feeding and caring for helpless pups. They must be fed every hour and care must be taken to ensure that they are never too cold and that they defecate properly. This can mean missing school, work or other obligations that the breeder may have.
6. The breeder must make time to care for ill hamsters. Caring for a sick hamster can take up quite a bit of a breeder’s time, even if the time spent worrying about the hamster(s) is subtracted from the equation.
7. Breeders must take time to stay in contact with owners that have adopted from them. Breeders need to keep in contact with people that have adopted from them in order to keep tabs on their lines. If health issues pop up that could be caused from genetic issues than the breeder must be aware of this so that effort can be put into putting a stop to that line to prevent further ill hamsters.
8. Breeders need to keep up with general care of their hamsters. Breeders cannot forget that time must be put aside to clean cages, feed the hamsters, care for them and spend time with them individually. They will also need to put aside time to spend time with litters that are old enough to be handled in order to ensure that the hamsters are sociable.


Space
Even consideration about space in your home for all of these hamsters must be thought of.
1. Breeders need plenty of room for their hamsters. They need room for the various supplies required for hamsters, they need room for adequately sized cages (recommended bare minimum is 360 square inches of floor space) and room to move around in general.
2. Breeders must consider the optimal place for where to ‘set up shop’. The room must be quiet, free from disturbances, temperature controlled and large enough to provide enough room for everything.
3. If homes cannot be found for the litter than it is up to the breeder to keep and care for all of the hamsters. This means the breeder needs cages for every single hamster. Considering the average litter is about 10-12 pups that is 10-12 cages that a breeder must provide space for on top of all the room needed for other hamsters and their supplies.


Cost
Breeding hamsters is not cheap, nor will it be a thriving business. Breeders must expect this hobby to cost them money, rather than make them money. That means that the reason to breed to make money is not only a poor reason to breed, but one laden in false hope.
1. Breeders must purchase quality breeding stock. Most hamsters are not up to standard to be a quality animal to be bred. This does not make them any less valuable than a well-bred hamster, but these are not the hamsters that a breeder should be breeding. A breeder cannot simply go to a pet store for breeding stock nor should they purchase from the nearest breeder without putting much research into that breeder’s program. In order to find quality stock a breeder may need to travel a great distance to find a quality breeder from which to get their breeding hamsters from. This can be costly not only for the hamsters themselves but for the travel required to actually obtain the hamsters. Breeding poorly-bred hamsters is not an option for a good breeder.
2. Breeders need to purchase food, substrate and nesting materials. Breeders have many hamsters to care for and so things such as food, substrate and nesting materials do not last as long as they do when caring for one or two hamsters. This alone is a costly part of breeding and quality of the products cannot be substituted for a cheaper price,
3. Breeders must purchase cages, wheels, toys and other cage accessories. With many hamsters comes a need for many cages and supplies for the cages. Some breeders even have cages set up for pregnant/nursing mother hamsters, special cages where mating will take place, etc. Supplies for hamsters are not always cheap and yet a breeder still needs to consider the cost.
4. If homes cannot be found for the litter than it is up to the breeder to keep and care for all of the hamsters. This means that all of the associated cost of keeping all of these hamsters fall upon the breeder, along with the cost to care for any other hamsters. Including possible vet bills that could crop up.
5. Breeders must have money out aside when a vet is required. With so many hamsters it should not be a surprise that a vet will likely be required at least once each year, especially as hamsters grow older or if the entire hamstery falls ill for whatever reason.
6. If a breeder wishes to show their hamsters than they will likely be required to pay a club membership. Most hamster clubs, if not all require a membership fee in order to help pay for the costs associated with keeping a club going. Many quality breeders are encouraged to join, yet it is another cost to be considered.


Emotion
Breeding can take a large toll on a breeder’s emotions, often it is explained as an emotional roller-coaster. The happiness found at seeing young hamsters nursing form their mother can be quickly crushed when disaster strikes. While this does not mean that the breeder be cold-hearted or emotionless, this does require the breeder to not let their emotions hinder their responsibility.
1. Breeders must be able to deal with the death of a mother hamster emotionally. It is going to hurt, but not everyone is able to emotionally handle the death of the mother-hamster from delivery or birth complications when had the breeding not been done, she would still be healthy and alive.
2. If the mother dies or rejects her litter, the breeder must be strong enough to take on the care of the pups. Loss of sleep for the next two and half weeks can also cause emotions to run higher, and yet the breeder must be capable of enduring it for the sake of the pups, even if often times the pups do not survive, which again can be emotionally gruelling.
3. The breeder must be able to handle the emotional strain of the mother culling pups. Sometimes when pups are born with birth defects or if the litter is too large or if the whole situation is too stressful, than the mother will cull (kill) some or all of her pups and will also likely consume them, as in the wild dead animals attract predators.
4. The breeder must be able to accept that there may be genetic issues with their lines. Hiding the fact that there are genetic issues with a breeder’s line, even if it seems embarrassing or if it upsets them, is not an option. Honesty is the best policy, even if it is difficult for the breeder to realize that they have brought lives into the world that may be suffering from genetics issues.


Conclusion
Breeding hamsters is no small thing; it is time consuming, expensive, emotionally draining and all around not an easy task. Breeding hamsters should not be taken lightly, it is a serious thing to consider and only if you are prepared to take on full responsibility and do the required research in order to become a quality breeder intent on bettering the species should one attempt to breed hamsters.

NO pets for Christmas!

Naturnahe Hamstergehege: Schenkt keine Tiere! / NO pets for Christmas!

Simply scroll down for the English version.

Please do remember that giving someone a pet as a present for any occasion is not a good idea. Not unless it has been okay'd by the person receiving the animal. So many animals get forgotten once the 'magic' of a new pet wears off and many people aren't prepared for the responsibility of a pet or perhaps not well researched in the needs of that animal. Look in the shelters even within a month after the holidays. Look through the want ads. Countless animals of all sorts needing homes. Just don't do it and save a life. Animals aren't things that can be thrown in a corner once the human grows bored, they are living beings too and deserve respect.

On a less serious note, Merry Christmas from myself and from my hams, Rory & Bones. Christmas pictures will be up soon. :)

"Rescue or Sympathy Purchase"

     Anyone that has been keeping pets and has been to a pet store has likely come across the unfortunate situation of finding the conditions of the animals in the store to be neglectful and down right appalling. As animal lovers and enthusiasts it can be be difficult to leave behind an animal living in squalor or one the is quite obviously ill. However we must ask ourselves what purchasing this animal will really mean in the long run. This post is to bring to light the term "Sympathy Purchase", that is wonderfully defined and talked about here: Rescue or Sympathy Purchase By: RandomWiktor (Ren Weeks) at UlitmateBettas. I highly recommend that you read through it, it isn't long. It is based around betta fish, but I'm sure that filling in the details of what ever animal, such as hamsters, can be left to the imagination. 

     Basically RandomWiktor says that quietly purchasing an animal living in poor conditions at a pet store is not a true rescue. It does indeed help that one hamster, but this is short sighted and does not help the problems in the long run.

     There are two problems that are not being addressed in doing this. First of all purchasing an animal at any pet store only supports the animal mills from which the said animal comes from. (Don't know what I'm talking about? Read this too: Rodent Mills. Yes it's the same for hamsters, and even if your pet store gets from local breeders they are just a smaller scale of this). Secondly and in regard to this topic, by purchasing this animal you are saying to the pet store that it is perfectly ok to keep their animals in this manner. Another hamster will only take their place afterwards anyway.

     So quietly purchasing an animal to save it or nurse it back to health is called a Sympathy Purchase. And while this act is good in intention, it is not in fact exactly good.

     So what can you do then?  RandomWiktor gives you some much better ideas. Including talking to management (letters, direct conversations, phone calls, etc), keeping up on their progress, asking for a discount on the ill animal, giving advise, etc. You really should read it!

     I brought this up mostly because while this is common knowledge within some circles of animal lovers (betta fish and rat owners come to mind) it isn't always common knowledge in others. So next time you are tempted to make a sympathy purchase, stop and think about the consequences and what might be better action.

Upgrade Your Information

"I had hamsters 10 years ago and they never had any problems with __________".

"I used to breed hamsters thirty years ago, I know what I'm talking about".
"When I was a kid we never did that for our hamsters."

     I've heard it all when it comes to people who are not new to hamsters be rather new to today's information regarding hamsters. Thirty years ago, twenty years ago, ten years ago, even five years ago there wasn't a whole lot known about hamsters. So much new information is out there and as the years continue to progress we are learning more and more. We never knew that cedar shavings were dangerous thirty years ago and it has only been in the last five to seven years that people have accepted that all softwood shavings are dangerous for example. Cage sizes were small and it was considered ok, now we know that they need so much more room. Knowledge on every area of hamsters has changed because we know more now and we are learning more and more everyday.

     Hamsters aren't a popular area of study so we learn slowly, but we are indeed learning. Now for those that used to have hamsters but have taken a break it is important to research again. Pet store employees and old books aren't the only resource that can be used in your studies, the internet is a vast and powerful tool too. There are websites, blogs and forums that hold a ton of information and experience. Times have changed, mostly for the better when it comes to our beloved hamsters. So while a small cage, no wheel, table scraps and cedar shaving may have been accepted twenty or so years ago they should no longer be accepted at all today.

     I understand that it is difficult to change what you know, but when new evidence comes up, it does need to be taken into consideration and more often then not acted upon. In the end it is up to you to decide if you should upgrade your information, though at least knowing the updated information of the pet you are keeping is important, even if you will continue using past and outdated information. For those that base their care on such outdated information, I am not saying you are bad owners, only that you reconsider what was once considered the norm for hamster care. This is what this site is all about- providing the updated information on hamster care.