Yaay :)

I found this petshop whne looking for ones in the south wales area on the net!! I love it's ethos and aims

http://www.killaypetshop.co.uk/

Check out it's rent-a-hamster scheme :lol: :lol:

Poor little hamsters Imagine being moved from one place to another every week, just when they think they have settled they have to move house again

I think they are the pet shop's own and I doubt that they go somewhere every week. I think it is better than a lifetime of misconduct

sometimes some animals have to suffer for the greater good of the species e.g. dolphins. If dolphins were not in Oceanaria and there were no swimming with dolphins programmes, they may be extinct by now. We may not care about the the same way if we had not been able to interract with them so well. its going to be goodbye tiger fairly soon.... same vein

If the hamster is moving in the same cage each time, then he's effectively taking his territory with him, which reduces the stress for him. As far as hammy is concerned he's staying put, it's the people that are moving. However, all those excited little kiddies grabbing him might not be much fun, but then I've never approved of pets for sticky handed children. I like the idea of getting pets too heavy for children to pick up. Maybe he's got a couple of really laid back hamsters that he sends out on the away missions.

When I've hamster sat for other people, the little critter didn't really seem too bothered, as long as it got fed, but then I wasn't a little kiddy and I wasn't grabbing at it all the time. I dunno. I think it's a better idea to let a person try a pet out and bring it back, no questions asked than to sell them a hamster, have the child get bored, and the animal gets left in a dirty cage with intermittent feedings. But I'm not sure I like it if it's always the same two hamsters and they never get a loving home of their own.

I dont think a week is long enough to establish whether a child would get board of any animal, it would take longer than that by which time, the owners would have established a bond with the temporary hamster so it seems sad to hand it back to get another one

why could they not try a 3 month trial period with a hamster of their choice which could be returned within 3 months should the child and parent get bored :wink: At the 3 month point, if the owners decide to keep the animal then the petshop could do a check to make sure things are running nicely for this little critter :wink:

Thats sounds like a much better idea

I thought that the site was great at first and it sounded like the people who are running it sound very knowledgeable and experineced, then i saw rent a hamster. This surley can not be a good idea it has madness written all over it. I for one think this idea is crazy and in terms of animal welfare and the five freedoms she must be breaking at least one of the codes. Going back and forth from one place to another is surley stressful for the animal. Stupid!!

i bet they dont live to the life expectancy of 3 years

I am sorry, but someone that really cares for their pets would never consider giving their pet to just anyone "to see whether they like it or not...". I for one couldn't stop worry about how my pet would be treated, whether it gets fed and watered every day, cleaned out properly etc.
Nope, I don't think that's fair on an animal!

Vera