I guess my main problem with turning them over to a pet store is that they'll
go to anyone who has the money to pay for them. You don't get to question the
people, see what they know/don't know, what kind of habitat they're setting
up, no home check...... ?????
Tam
Deb Rebel wrote:
> >Thanks for mentioning that. I hesitated to mention it, but if you just
> turn the
> >babies over to a pet store, they may start out with "non food" prices....
> but if
> >they don't sell them and need the cage space...... Who knows? And I
> know for
> >a fact that some stores do this. I got my boys for free.
> >
> >Tam
>
> Any store that I supply, I offer a 'swapback' option. Any hamster or
> gerbil getting 'long in the tooth' in the cages; I will take in trade for
> a younger animal of mine. As long as that animal is healthy and still
> young enough to become a breeder. I do this about every six weeks.
>
> The store loves it as they can get rid of an animal (i.e. syrian hamsters
> get pretty antisocial by the time they hit ten weeks old and will try to
> kill any other one in with them) that they can't sell; frees up space for
> them; and I get animals that are usually well into breeding age. We
> swap them at a one for one basis.
>
> If the animal has obvious defects but is otherwise healthy (would make
> a good pet but has some reason it should not be bred) then I place
> it with a school under my 'homeroom hamster/gerbil' project. I loan
> equipment (set up cage) and put an older retired breeding animal
> in the classroom. The kids and teacher care for it; and it comes
> back to me in the spring. The kids do something (like contribute
> a dime a month) to raise the cost of the bedding and feed......I have
> some scheduled for the week after Labor Day to deliver now; and
> I will pick them up about mid-May. Most retired breeder hamsters
> will make one to two 'seasons' as a homeroom pal, a gerbil (just
> adding them this year) should last two to four.
>
> I leave it up to the classroom teacher if they want to let a student
> take the animal home for the summer (the setup doesn't go though)
> and keep it as their pet.
>
> I much prefer that my retired breeders (10-14 months for hamsters,
> and I'm still figuring the age for a gerbil) get good homes.
>
> Deb
> Rebel's Rodent Ranch
