updates on the boys and my situation

[Dezzi]

Wow, I've missed you guys!!! Again, life got in the way and I haven't been online much.

Long story short:

Basically I went stir-crazy being here in this environment. When I went back to BC for a week for Christmas, I decided I wanted to move back home. I got in numerous arguments with my birth father about it, but ended up quitting my job so I could focus on getting myself to where I want to be.

Upon doing research, I found (to my horror), that I would have an insanely difficult time getting the hamsters back to BC with me. No airlines will let me take them with me in the cabin, and the cargo holds aren't heated. I have no vehicle and can't afford to get one right now, so I can't drive them back. I don't know anyone up here who will drive them. Greyhound won't let me have them in a carry-on either.

And now my rant about the shortened story:

I had been trying to find someone who could look after them until the spring when it would be warm enough to fly them back, but wasn't having much luck. I decided to post an ad for them on Kijiji (we don't have a CL in our area) to see if someone couldn't look after them, then maybe I could find someone to give them a good forever home. I wrote up this horrible ad at about 3am in hopes that someone might reply.

I had 95 emails in my inbox by the next night.

Of those emails, I deleted about 80 because they were from people looking for snake food. (apparently people can't read) One of them was actually from a lady who sounded genuinely interested. (However, upon her doing a bit of research and finding out that hamsters can "possibly" get mites, she decided against it. Her kids are getting goldfish. Maybe I should warn her about Fish Lice...) The other 14 were one liners, most of which said "doo yew still half the hampsters?" or "i wood like pitchers".

By this point, I was about ready to give up, but I gritted my teeth and tackled the task of replying to these emails. I basically said that yes, I still had the hamsters, but I would require more information about where they were going before I would agree to anything. A few people took offence and told me to "pound sand". One gave me a list of all the pets he currently has (which makes me wonder if he'll have time for another one). One little girl made me smile, because she wasn't allowed to get a pet, but she thinks hamsters are cute and just wanted pictures. (of course I sent her a few)

The other emails I got were basically "I'll look after it." It's nice that they tell me this, but how do I know for sure? Grrr... I don't know how to reply anymore. I don't want to give up completely, because maybe one of the replies I got could actually be a good home for one of the boys. Maybe the person just sucks at spelling.

I was thinking of coming up with some sort of adoption form I could email people and have them send back, and come up with a PDF care sheet so that people know what to expect. I know what kind of home I want the boys in. I just don't know what questions to ask to get the information I need without offending anyone in the process.

I'm almost regretting putting up the ad, but I am going to at least give it a chance. If I don't find suitable homes for them I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and try to find some other way of getting them back to BC.

Sorry for the long post, I just really needed to vent. As always I'm open to suggestions!!!

[pinky]

Dezzi! Great to hear from you! Vent away! I've read your posts elsewhere and so have some idea of how much you've struggled with this problem. . . . I've been to Edmonton and Jasper, and if where you live looks anything like where I was after skiing several miles into the Jasper backcountry I can see the difficulty. . .

Yes, just because someone can't spell doesn't mean they couldn't take good care of a hamster. But you do need another mechanism for screening them. Getting them to tell you about their pet-owning history is one possibility. Do you want to keep correspondence restricted to email--or could you see yourself interviewing these people by phone? They could make up stuff in an email, but you'd be able to see (hear?) past it if they lied about pet ownership while on the phone.

Maybe you could request information and then interview only the "finalists" in your "competition."

Tom and Kate will probably have other ideas. . .

I can't believe you can't take them on Greyhound in a carrier (though you'd need three carriers). My cousin can take a feral cat in a carrier on a Pittsburgh bus.

Sure hope you find a way to keep your fellas with you!

[Die Fledermaus]

Great to hear from you!

I was about to go to sleep after feeding the critters. So I will answer this later Saturday.

[Die Fledermaus]

>> I went stir-crazy being here in this environment. <<

It does seem kind of isolated especially into November and beyond.

I have found adoptions of any animals very problematic and worrisome. In the current economy, with people giving up pets and not adopting it is worse. My attempts at adoptions were futile with the exception of two rats, and I had a lot of help from a well-known adoption group. You can go back two years to the Rats forum and read the thread about Ebony and Ivory. As, about seven months later, the guy (who I trusted after meeting him) went to jail for a time I had to make a long trip and get them back!

I adopted out two spiny mice to someone I trusted and knew; someone an animal expert (and he co-worker) approved of.

When I a pet store in December of 2006 at an Adoptathon I saw an adult female crying when her two black kittens, who she rescued from her backyard, were adopted out, even though that was what she wanted!

I found it all futile mostly, and too worrisome. So I have a lot of work here. Would not have it otherwise!

I am surprised no airline would let you take such a small critter in a carry-on bag.

Hope you can delay your departure until it warms up. I assume you do not trust those yiou are with now to care for them.

BTW, I would never adopt out an animal to someone who called that critter an "it".

Someone wanted to adopt "one" rat. I did not reply as they know nothing about rats being social.

No animal shelters where you could pay them to board the hams?

I have ideas on dealing with mites, if you need them.

Good luck.

[Dezzi]

>>you do need another mechanism for screening them<<
I was thinking of doing one of those forms that SARS has (by the way, Andrea I love you guys, and will see what I can do to help when I move back home) where it asks about the household, other pets, experience, etc. I guess I could do part of it via email and part of it via phone. Then of course an actual interview where they met the hamster they wanted and I could see how they were around it... Would making them provide references and then doing a random follow-up of some sorts after like a month be taking it too far?

>>I am surprised no airline would let you take such a small critter in a carry-on bag.<<
Nope, they won't let anything smaller than a chinchilla be in the cabin, as they're liable if anything happens to it. They will fly it cargo, but the holds aren't heated and that means the boys could be on the tarmac at -20 for a few hours between flights. I'm not putting them through that.

>>Hope you can delay your departure until it warms up.<<
I wish I could, and I just might have to. I live in a small town and gave up my job because I'm moving; it would look really REALLY bad on my part if suddenly I was working somewhere else. I could probably get a job waitressing at the sports bar my friend manages... The real reason I want to get home so badly is because the people here and I have been having 'issues' to the point where they no longer consider me family and leave me out of everything. It's like a bad version of high school drama (except in high school I had friends). They also sold my horse out from under me, and my car, of which I am livid about, but that's a rant for another time. (and a lesson learned - always make sure your stuff is bought in your name) I guess I could stay here till it warms up... I just don't know if I can emotionally handle it much longer.

>>No animal shelters where you could pay them to board the hams?<<
The nearest animal shelter that takes in small animals is a 6 1/2 hour drive away. I already called them to see if they know anyone in my area who could board them for me. They're looking into it.

>>I have ideas on dealing with mites, if you need them.<<
The boys don't have mites and never have, but I'll keep you in mind, should they get them!

[Hamsters82]

Dezzi, it's great to hear from you!! ;D I'm so sorry though that you can't take your hamsters with you; I always thought planes allowed any animal as long as its in a carrier...odd. When these people take care of your hamsters, they're fostering them for you right?

Also if they are fostering them for you and once you get back to BC, you can meet them part way, driving wise and get them back. Or a local shelter can take care of them for you, I mean foster again, I've heard some do do that.

That's really all I can come up with, but I hope you can eventually find something and take them with you. Can someone from your family meet you partway?

It is good to hear from you again!