Hamster owners--one bad, one good. . .

[pinky]

It generally takes me a few weeks after a loss to feel as I'm ready to take on another critter. . . and even though I will probably adopt from Stacey again I've been looking around online for adoptables. Well, I was actually on Craigslist for something else, but I looked at posts regarding rehoming of pets, and I noticed one from someone in Aston, PA offering four Chinese hamster sisters. The person wrote that "they have to go together." I groaned when I read this--clearly a clueless owner who will lead an adopter to believe that the four cuties will love each other till death, when in reality they may very well fight to the death. (There was a very gruesome example of this involving two female Chinese on another forum recently.)

Well, I posted something about reading this on that other forum--and not long afterwards a fallen-away member--from PA--resurfaces, saying, "I just got four female Chinese--any advice?" Several of us then proceeded to try to knock it into this guy's head that just because they're "friendly" (his word) now does NOT mean that they will be able to be kept together in the long run, and that he was asking for trouble. His replies indicated that he refused to listen. Aaaaaaargh.

On a brighter note, I also found on CL a posting regarding free hamster cages. A woman rescued two badly-neglected Syrians, but despite her TLC they died. She decided that she couldn't go through that again and so wanted the cages to go to someone who could use them for the proper animal. (I guess she was getting emails from owners of critters too small or large.) I thought of Stacey--and long story short I will be getting the cages later today and will bring them to Stacey when I visit her to check out her critters in the near future.

[Hamsters82]

That's nice of that woman to give away her cages to someone who could use them. And yes, it's very frustrating to know someone won't listen to you. And it's even more frustrating when they learn the hard way. *shakes head*

[Die Fledermaus]

People are stupid.

>> A woman rescued two badly-neglected Syrians, but despite her TLC they died. She decided that she couldn't go through that again <<

Interesting. Other people feel that way, like Katie. I for one could never leave an animal to a fate I knew would be dismal, no matter what the exact situation.

I am looking at a dead spiny right now in a tank. Last night I spotted a male in a long-established tank of males who was seriously and freshly bitten. I got him out at once, and he seemed passably frisky. He went into a tank, alone, and when I woke up he was barely moving. he is surely gone now.

I always wondered why that suddenly happens with males who have been together for a long time.

I guess the point is we do what we can, and when I have a sad loss - and I have had scores and scores - I think they were a lot better off with me, and I move on to another rescue, as available.