Getting a Hamster Responsibly
One question people often ask is how they are supposed to get a hamster if they can’t go to a pet store. Well, there are a few ways.
Ethical Breeders
One way you can get a hamster responsibly is by getting one from an ethical breeder. Ethical breeders responsibly breed hamsters and actually care about them, while pet mills (pet stores use these such as PetSmart, PetCo, Pets at Home, and any other large pet store chain to quickly breed hamsters nonstop, and it is smart to not support these) don’t actually care. Of course, not all “ethical breeders” are actual ethical breeders. It is very important to question them and never ever go to their house alone (try to meet up in a public place). A few good questions to ask them are: “Why do you breed?” “What do you feed your hamsters?”, “How old are you giving your hamsters away?”, and just looking for odd things like wheels that are too small or unsuitable cages. A few good ethical breeders that may or may not be near you are down below.
Hubba Hubba Hamstery: Find Them Here
Cheeks and Squeaks Hamsters: Find Them Here
Poppy Bee Hamstery: Find Them Here
Happy Paws Hamsters: Find Them Here
Rescues & Shelters
For others who don’t have access to ethical breeders, you may find hamsters at shelters or rescues. It is important to be patient so that you don’t pass up on a cute furry friend and go to a pet store instead. Here are some rescues and shelters I like below. (You can also use Petfinder or Adoptapet to look at shelters and more.)
Small Angels Rescue: Find Them Here
Gretta’s Hamster Rescue: Find Them Here
PetCurious’ Hamster Page: Find Their Hamster Page Here
Adopt A Pet: Find Them Here
Pet Finder: Find Them Here
Rehomed Hamsters
For people who don’t have access to hamster rescues, shelters, or ethical breeders, you can always ask around Facebook, Instagram, and other social media apps. Just be very careful and make sure (just like with the ethical breeders) you know where they got the hamster. Make sure they tell you the whole truth about why they don’t want the hamster before taking their hamster. Again, never go alone to anyone’s house and try to meet up in a public place. On social media apps, there is always someone looking to rehome a hamster.
