Hamsters are beautiful creatures and make fantastic pets. However, when buying a hamster, it’s important to buy from a place that has treated hamsters well and also makes sure that their hamsters are healthy, happy, and used to human contact.
Here are the 3 best places to buy a hamster, to ensure a long and happy life together:
1. Hamster breeders
The best place to buy a hamster is from a specialized breeder. Breeders will usually also be hamster owners and as such will know how to care for a hamster to ensure it is healthy and well cared for. Breeders are also well versed in the best way to raise a baby hamster, so they tend to produce robust animals with good temperaments.
Many breeders will keep one or two animals from the litter, to take to hamster shows or to keep as their own pets. This is an excellent sign, as it means that they will have done everything possible to produce a strong litter.
2. Rescue houses
Rescue homes specialize in taking in abandoned or surplus animals and helping them find new homes. We often hear about this in relation to larger animals like cats and dogs, but these homes are also accepting of smaller animals like guinea pigs, mice, and hamsters.
Rescue homes will test the health of their hamsters before attempting to rehome them, so you can be pretty sure your animal will be healthy. The downside is that these centers sometimes also require you to fill out various forms, or even undergo an interview. However, this is not a cause for concern, it is simply to ensure that the animal will go to a loving home.
3. Pet stores
Finally, many pet stores sell hamsters. This is a bit more hit or miss as many of your animals will come from farms specifically designed to raise pets for sale. This means that they are not always as well cared for as if they came from a specialist breeder. This usually means that information about their breed and background is a little harder to come by, and the animals may not always have good temperaments.
However, pet stores still have to adhere to strict animal welfare rules, so your pets should be very healthy and you are unlikely to have any problems with them.
As you can see, buying a hamster can be a tricky business, but by following the tips above you are giving yourself the best chance of finding a healthy, happy animal that will give you lots of love and pleasure.
