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I saved two dwarf hamsters on Saturday. Friday night there was a post on Craigslist from a woman who had two gerbils she was trying to pawn off on someone. She said she bought them for her niece, but the little girl was uninterested. I e-mailed her and told her I would take them in. Jason loves gerbils and wants two very badly, though we haven't actually searched for any. We traded a couple e-mails, and I agreed to pick them up at her apartment on Saturday afternoon. When I got there, I realized they weren't gerbils, but dwarf hamsters. We already have two dwarf hamsters that we're having aggression issues with, so we didn't really want two more. However, the poor little ones came with a Habitrail cage, and I felt bad for them. I gave her twenty bucks for the entire deal even though she was only asking for fifteen.
It was obvious to me from the start that they were not well taken care of. They are both healthy, but unused to contact with people and not easy to handle. They also sleep in their own filth, which is something that my hamsters do not do. I assume this is because they were forced to live in a filthy cage. Their food was low quality and did not have the proper nutrients. I took them because I'm a bleeding heart.
Anyway, I related this story to Payroll Girl, and she asked if I was set on keeping them. She said if I was willing to part with them, she'd love them as a pet for her son. She and her husband were planning on getting hamsters or gerbils from the pet store anyway. I called Jason, and he gave me the go-ahead to rehome the little buggers. So, I took them into work today and gave Payroll Girl a crash course on how to care for them. She doesn't have experience with any sort of rodent, but I'm sure she'll take fantastic care of them. She's already bought them food and treats. Her son is young, but he's very responsible, and he'll do just fine with the hamsters. I'm just happy they have a nice home.
Jason is itching for gerbils even more now, so we're going to get a couple. I've been watching the city shelter's website, but they don't have any for adoption. We may end up just buying two at the pet store. I prefer adoption, but sometimes that's hard with such small and short-lived animals.
It was obvious to me from the start that they were not well taken care of. They are both healthy, but unused to contact with people and not easy to handle. They also sleep in their own filth, which is something that my hamsters do not do. I assume this is because they were forced to live in a filthy cage. Their food was low quality and did not have the proper nutrients. I took them because I'm a bleeding heart.
Anyway, I related this story to Payroll Girl, and she asked if I was set on keeping them. She said if I was willing to part with them, she'd love them as a pet for her son. She and her husband were planning on getting hamsters or gerbils from the pet store anyway. I called Jason, and he gave me the go-ahead to rehome the little buggers. So, I took them into work today and gave Payroll Girl a crash course on how to care for them. She doesn't have experience with any sort of rodent, but I'm sure she'll take fantastic care of them. She's already bought them food and treats. Her son is young, but he's very responsible, and he'll do just fine with the hamsters. I'm just happy they have a nice home.
Jason is itching for gerbils even more now, so we're going to get a couple. I've been watching the city shelter's website, but they don't have any for adoption. We may end up just buying two at the pet store. I prefer adoption, but sometimes that's hard with such small and short-lived animals.
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