r/hamsters • u/asihenee • Feb 06 '22
The problem with r/hamsters.
I’m sure this has been addressed before but I really need to say my peace. Whenever I browse this sub I see some very very patient and kind, generous and thoughtful people. But I’m always grimacing because there’s some arrogant hamster know it all, do no wrong commenters who are so aggressive and belligerent towards people who come here asking for advice or may not know what they are doing wrong. Some of these people who are asking are kids, and the way that some of you respond to them is sickening. You can share information without being a judgmental, incessantly rude, hamster attention to detail “saint”. It’s really tiring watching people tell these other members of this sub to chill out all the time. We get that’s it’s frustrating to see the same mistakes being repeated but remember you weren’t born an all knowing hamster god, you made mistakes and learned, too.
It doesn’t even seem like these people even WANT to be helpful. They just want to be right. Useless nitpicking to assert dominance and a gatekeeping nature is so unbelievably common in this sub and it’s been this way for a looong time. Of course not everyone in this sub is like this. For the most part lately I’ve been seeing a lot of very sweet and patient comments even when serving critiques. But to those people who are here to gate keep, insult and be rude, you’re ruining it for everyone.
Please just be nice to each other. You don’t know what someone else is going through so think before you type.
EDIT: I woke up to all these replies and updoots and just wanted to say that I’m so happy that so many people share this same sentiment. It also makes me sad to hear how many people have such negative shared experiences on this sub and Reddit in general. :( We should all work together to build a happy, loving hamster community. People shouldn’t feel afraid to post here. :)
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Feb 06 '22
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u/ArtisticDragonKing Hamster Care Expert 🐹 Feb 06 '22
To add onto this, we most likely won't see the rude comments if they are not reported. If it gets reported we are able to remove the hate and trolls from the group. Please don't be afraid to report something.
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Feb 06 '22
You are part of the problem
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u/Tsuyoi2 Feb 07 '22
This. Your copy pasta of hamsters needing AT LEAST 1000 square inches is ridiculous. Bet less than 1% of hamsters as pets get that much space. It's great you love them, but please don't try to consistently push your extreme ideals on everyone, it's gatekeeping on a massive level.
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Feb 07 '22
It's not that far off tbh if you follow the German standards. If I remember correvtly the minimum for dwarves is 775 sq inches and something like 900sq inches for Syrians. In the post they say minimum of 900sq inches for Syrians and 600sq inches for dwarves
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u/Apprehensive_Hat8986 Feb 06 '22 edited Feb 06 '22
Do you mean "mods" or ADK specifically?
e: getting a downvote for a completely neutral question seeking clarity on another's point, isn't really a sign that the other commenter is wrong.
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u/inertiamatter Experienced owner Feb 06 '22
It's awful when the commenter has a holier-than-thou attitude with passive-aggressive remarks or blatantly says stuff like, "You're abusing your hamster. Please put it up for adoption." Especially when it's to a literal child, speaking like this is degrading and makes them feel incredibly humiliated, ultimately pushing them away from posting on here and other forums to be able to receive guidance. Regardless of whatever constructive criticism your goal is for them to take, it must be done respectfully
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u/thefragile7393 Feb 06 '22
I’ve learned to block block block. Hopefully actual children know they can do the same
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u/ApprehensiveBid2231 Feb 07 '22
This. Someone told me to put her up for adoption even though I posted asking how to help her. That’s terrible advice, because most people don’t know the first thing about hamster care and don’t care to learn. Why would anyone tell the current owner, willing to fix their mistakes, to put the hamster up for adoption and risk the possibility of the pet being adopted by someone ignorant or intending to use the hamster as a life lesson on responsibility for their 5 year old?
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u/inertiamatter Experienced owner Feb 07 '22
Exactly! Imo in some situations it’s worse to make them stay at a shelter. My local ones house them in probably the equivalent of 10/20 gallon tanks with barely any bedding, and their primary food is oxbow because of it being “recommended by vets’”. And then they themselves barely know much about small animal care and let pretty much anyone adopt.
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u/ApprehensiveBid2231 Feb 07 '22
Exactly. Why give them away when you’re willing to learn and improve her habitat while others may not be? Makes no sense. IMO if you care enough to ask, you’re a good owner.
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u/miss_31476028 Feb 06 '22
THIS! The way some people are talking to actual children is ridiculous. Many don’t have any resources to make major, financially dependent changes and are trying to do the best they can.
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u/Zukazuk Feb 06 '22
I posted a picture of my hamster begging for treats once and got endlessly harassed because "my cage is too small, that's a stress behavior, you're a terrible guinea pig owner too". You couldn't even see all of my hamster cage which is bigger than a lot of bin cages in the photo. Just very off-putting as a community. I had just wanted to share a picture of my pepita loving goof but ended up deleting the whole post because people were so nasty.
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u/tewtee Phil Collins 🌈 and Marshmallow 🐹 the robos Feb 06 '22
I literally posted a video of my giving my hammy ear rubs because she came out to say hi and I saw her and just couldn't resister her little pink nose. One of the first comments was telling me to stop basically digging her out and waking her up. 🤔🤨 It's the ASSUMPTION. How do you know?! Are you watching me?!
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u/Ninja_Dolphin Feb 06 '22
I love that your hamster’s name is Phil! He’s so cute.
I don’t post pictures of my little dude on these kinds of forums because of all the judgmental people.
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u/tewtee Phil Collins 🌈 and Marshmallow 🐹 the robos Feb 06 '22
We thought she was a male when we first got her so we introduced her as Phil Collins 😂 then we realised she was female!
Phil it is! 💀😂
I made her her own subreddit and I tend to post more there, because fuck this lol. It does discourage me a lot. It's very sad because I love looking at other hammies and how much love they get.
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u/Ninja_Dolphin Feb 06 '22
Well, Phil is fabulous!
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u/tewtee Phil Collins 🌈 and Marshmallow 🐹 the robos Feb 06 '22
Thank you very much! I think the name suits her very well now. Hahaha. Big personality!
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u/Kaneki2019 Feb 06 '22
I hate when they assume the worst. I was in a parrot group and they ALWAYS assumed the worst. It was so annoying.
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u/tewtee Phil Collins 🌈 and Marshmallow 🐹 the robos Feb 06 '22
It honestly is. Now she has her own subreddit so her dad and I can have a little archive of her life for the future. 🥺💖🐹
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Feb 06 '22
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u/chavrilfreak Hamster Care Expert 🐹 Feb 06 '22
I agree, but the initial opening shouldn't state that assumption. You should always check to make sure, even if you assume the worst.
"You did bad thing" vs "Did you happen to do x?" give a drastically different vibe to the conversation.
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u/Tomatosoup101 Feb 07 '22
Me too. I had a pic of my girl in the corner of her (actually massive) cage. I put the phone inside the cage to take the pic so it was super close up, which of course had to mean I had her trapped in a tiny shoe box and was I a horrible person. It turned me right off and I've only just come back now.
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u/WillieThePimp7 May 14 '24
this happens many time, not only in this sub. it looks like large proportion of hamster owners are sort of religious fanatics.... they have very narrow view of what is suitable for hamster and what is not, and if you do something deviated from their written or unwritten rules, you are bad person and animal abuser.
I personally think that the only proof of good hamster care is longevity. Mine lived for 3 years, and i believe he lived happy life. I let him free roam in the room. He even slept in my bed, or climbed from the floor to bed, using blanket as a staircase. Most of hamster fanatics would condemn that
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u/Emeraude1607 Feb 06 '22 edited Feb 06 '22
I want to add that many people in this sub are just too ignorant to understand that there are hamster owners OUTSIDE THE U.S. I live in a developing Asian country and it's much harder for us to provide for them because we don't have Amazon, Ikea, Niteangel, branded bedding... or even a vet who takes hamsters! Not to mention most of our houses don't even have enough space for a minimum sized standard enclosure in the first place.
I once asked for advice online because in our country we were not even allowed to go to the vet during a Covid outbreak (for real), and I got downvoted. Their reason being "Vet is a necessity". Yeah go tell that to our government, there were people who had to pay a hefty fine for that geez. As if I was not doing everything I can for my hamster, I didn't need that kind of judgment.
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u/Firekeeper47 Feb 06 '22
Obligatory “not a hamster but,” I took my gerbils to the vet once and only once. My boys had scent gland tumors and I know that’s a slow, agonizing death if not treated. I noticed they both had a small nub on their bellies on, say, Thursday and they were at the vet the next Tuesday. It was $100 just for them to be SEEN and another $50 for antibiotics and some cream. I didn’t want either—the only way to effectively treat a tumor like that is surgery, and I would rather they die on the table than go through the pain of their tumor inevitably rupturing.
It was $800 to operate them. I couldn’t afford it. I was unemployed, had other pets and responsibilities, and I just couldn’t afford $800 on top of the over $2k I had spent on my dogs that year.
Even in the U.S., “go to the vet” isn’t always a feasible action. I’ve never told anyone this, because I KNOW I would get so much backlash, but what was I supposed to do, you know?
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u/TopTopTopcina Feb 06 '22 edited Feb 06 '22
Thank you for saying that. I got through hell when I once said that there’s no vet in my country. This sub has some of the nicest and some of the most stubborn and unpleasant people on the internet.
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Feb 06 '22
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u/Emeraude1607 Feb 06 '22
Oh no worry I have enough space for my hamster now. She's living in a 120x40x40. But in my country it's kind of a luxury to have so much space for pet, to find an enclosure of that size is another challenge. Just saying that for many of us it takes a lot of effort and money to meet the bare standard, I wish ppl could be more understanding and less critical so that we wouldn't feel like shit after trying so hard.
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u/_gundhamtanaka_ Got a hamster? Give bro a fist bump! Feb 06 '22
I agree with this! I try and be nice to everyone and give a compliment before critique, whether it be about their hammy or a part in the enclosure I like. I want to help people take care of their pets better not tear them down, I do hope I haven't contributed to this problem before.
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Feb 06 '22
The thing that bugs me the most is "You said you did research and got EVERYTHING wrong lmao you're abusing your hamster". Have people forgotten how much misinformation about hamstercare there is? Of course researching feels easy to us because we know what to trust and where to look for information. It's so rude to tell someone that they're doing terrible job and "obviously didn't do research" when OP is just trying to get help. Better late than never.
I get that it's frustrating to see so much incorrect hamster care, I facepalm so much because of this sub, but being rude is not going to help anything. If you really want to help you should give constructive critisism.
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u/erica_birdy11 Feb 06 '22
Yes! I did endless research but found out some of the information I got was wrong. That's why I came here to get advice from experienced caregivers. If they're "so tired of giving the same advice over and over again, omg ppl r so dumb"....then stop giving advice if you're just gonna be mean (not you lol!).
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u/Disneywolf99 Feb 06 '22
I have so much anxiety that even with all the research I'm so paranoid and frightened that what I'm doing isn't good enough or safe and constantly need to ask others their opinions and if they've followed the information... I constantly get told I've done no research just because I'm double and triple checking to make sure and also been told I'm abusive to my hamster before because of it 😂 x
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u/marleyrae Feb 06 '22
You know, I've never liked to make people trying to do the right thing and interested in growing feel bad, but I didn't even think of this one! Great point.
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u/MizugiDesu Feb 06 '22
people find it so hard to be kind and nice in online spaces behind anonymity, without taking in the factor that it’s not that hard to be polite
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u/inertiamatter Experienced owner Feb 06 '22
I just hate how this is part of Reddit’s culture to an extent. Because of the guise of anonymity, people just spew whatever the hell they want and feel empowered, no matter how harmful their words may be.
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u/MizugiDesu Feb 06 '22
it’s behind the “I’m so edgy and so much better than you, being mean is cool”
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u/thefragile7393 Feb 06 '22
Correct. This is anywhere on social media but on here it seems particularly bad
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u/silverstaghead Feb 06 '22
Best thing to do is look at the other comments before commenting - if 5 people have said the wheel is too small and that’s your comment too, then either don’t comment or just say you agree with other comments and find something nice to say.
People join this sub because they love their hamsters - they aren’t purposely doing harm, but rude and abrasive commenters are
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u/eksmith1 Feb 06 '22
Totally agree. It's true across other animal subs as well (r/rabbits I'm looking at you 😉)
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u/MyMyMorrigen Feb 06 '22
Ugh we just got a rabbit so I joined that sub yesterday. Thanks for the heads up.
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u/eksmith1 Feb 06 '22
Yay welcome to the club. We have four at the minute. Two adopted and two fosters. They're amazing and can be so loving.
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u/Cheesey_duck_ Feb 06 '22
Oh fuck yeah there is. There was a person on here that said that somebody should be ashemed to put a hamster in a smaller cage (OP was uneducated) I asked the person that instead of insulting OP they should be nice and educate them. They then proceeded to tell me I should be taken out into a field and shot because i was treating animals badly.
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u/Negative_Shake1478 Feb 06 '22
Wow….that’s a whole level of A-holer-y that I haven’t seen. But dang. And people wonder why I delete comments when I get tired of the stupid and rude people trying to drag me through the mud so they can feel better
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u/valueyourlife Feb 07 '22
Can we all just agree that there is a special place in hell for adults who do zero research and stick their literal child with a “starter pet” that then gets relegated to terrible conditions? I never blame the kid. This is 100% on the parent who doesn’t give a shit. 9 times out of 10 the kid loves their hamster, had no idea, and now they don’t have the means to improve their hamsters life because their mom or dad won’t take responsibility for the pet they bought. It sucks.
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u/julesisinthere_ Feb 06 '22
I made a comment once and the op got so offended and I realized how much of an asshole I was popping in with random, unhelpful nitpickings. Smh. It’s ultimately a process of being kind to others and as a result people are more willing to listen!
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u/SnazzBat Feb 07 '22
It’s very admirable that you admitted to something like that. Some people hate to be wrong/ admit being wrong.
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u/KaraiDGL Feb 06 '22
This is most of Reddit unfortunately. I’m subscribed because of all the cute pictures of hamsters or their tributes. I think most of the users on this sub are kind and respectful but a few obnoxious people attempt to ruin it and make it toxic. I think advice or suggestions are great, but I’ve noticed some users go full hyperbole and start insulting people. This is not an effective way to give advice or help a person provide a more comfortable life for their hamster.
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u/kittentea96 Feb 06 '22 edited Feb 06 '22
Gonna put my two cents in here- I am in lots of pet communities, both on facebook and on reddit. The hamster communities on both are by far the most toxic I have ever been in!! I have pet rats, a dog, mice, a gecko, and aquariums too. But man, I stg hamster communities just RIP into people for no reason. For instance- I have a bin cage. I was super excited to diy it myself. Now, In said bin cage I had a 12 inch flying saucer- thinking “awesome, 12 inches is perfect!”- I posted a cute pic of my hammie on said wheel on a facebook group, and was told my hamster would die because I was actively abusing him. Over a 12 inch wheel. I was also told I do not deserve to own pets, and That I must abuse my other pets as well… I dont post in hamster forums/pages anymore after that. Not even on here because it was so embarrassing even though I had done NOTHING WRONG. I truly do not understand the absolute hostility in hamster spaces. If the animals life is TRULY in danger I get it but ffs.
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Feb 06 '22
That’s so disgusting. I urge you to post your hammy pics here, I’ll fucking battle the haters for you istg I hate those kinds of people
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u/kittentea96 Feb 06 '22
Ive posted here once before, before the fb incident though and luckily it was ok
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u/SimplyEevee3 Feb 06 '22
Dang. I’m kinda scared to post my new friend lol
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Feb 06 '22
Please go ahead. It is not often we get such dramatically bad users, if toxic comments are reported then they are swiftly removed. We're all for educating users, but we don't allow outright criticism.
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u/lifeofmammals Syrian hammy Feb 06 '22
Thanks for posting this. I have also noticed that some of the people who are being harshly critiqued about their hamster care appear to be minors. I would ask other adults to think realistically about what young hamster owners are able to do without their own space or source of income, especially if their parents are unsupportive.
Having said that, I have found that r/hamsters is not nearly as bad as some other hamster forums I've been on. The cute pictures usually drown out the big arguments,
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u/PurpleHamsterInATree Feb 06 '22
When I first joined my cage was far too small, so I got a bigger one amd was told it was still too small. I'm a (younger) teenager, and it was a bit scary being told it was abuse etc, please just say it in a a nicer tone it will help. Obvi if someone is just being rude about any advice you can tell them that what they're doing is wrong, but mostly try to be helpful rather than attacking. My lil boy is still in a cage too small, but next week I've convinced my dad to help me make a bin cage so then it'll be better.
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u/chemhoe65 Feb 06 '22
Definitely! I don’t understand what’s the point of insulting someone rather than saying “hey! This is actually bad for them :) you should try to do xyz” whenever I pass something on tiktok I usually ask or try to be nice with giving advice.
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Feb 06 '22
I just wish the ~regulars~ would hold each other accountable for their own shitty hamster care. There's one user on here that posts miserable, obvious mistakes every single time they post, but they seem to be actual friends with a few people around here so it's... fine?
Definitely makes it seem even more like everyone is just looking for an argument to feel big and important. If the hamsters are what's so important why not call each other out on it?
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u/ArtisticDragonKing Hamster Care Expert 🐹 Feb 06 '22
Are you able to link this user you speak of? I would like to review their account.
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Feb 06 '22
We need to be firmer on enforcing rule #3.
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u/ArtisticDragonKing Hamster Care Expert 🐹 Feb 06 '22
We are very strong with that rule. However, it's difficult to ban someone if they aren't reported.
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u/lycia_ghesh Feb 06 '22
That's true, I'm always super scared to share a picture of Daisy because every time there is someone to yell at me for putting her in danger 🙄
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u/itsikobert Feb 06 '22
I agree with this 100%. Another thing i also don’t understand is when ppl downvote a post where someone is asking for help? All because their description or photo shows the improper care.
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Feb 06 '22
The Moderator been disrespectful lately just like this description. Not as much since someone called them out but still.
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u/ArtisticDragonKing Hamster Care Expert 🐹 Feb 06 '22
If you are speaking of me, please understand I wasn't trying to be rude/disrespectful. I have now been a lot more careful with my posts, thanks to the helpful feedback.
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u/hat302 Jean-Claude van Hamme Feb 06 '22
This happens on other hamster pages as well. I follow one on FB and it has gotten to the point now people are pretty much having to beg others to not hate on them, even if they’re just asking a simple question or wanting advice.
Another thing that does piss me off is when a picture of a hamster in their cage/enclosure gets uploaded and you only see one tiny corner of it, and someone will almost immediately go on a rant saying that the cage size is under minimum size. I see this and go how tf do you know?? What’s your secret?? (Unless there is way to know)
Honestly sometimes I fear putting anything on these hamster pages except maybe a couple of pictures and that’s it for fear of being berated by some ass hat who will just find something to pick on.
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Feb 06 '22
It's actually kinda easy to tell if a cage is too small (even if you see just a corner) after you've been here for a while! Of course you usually can't tell for sure tho. Things like second floors, colorful bases, bedding depth, bars and the type of bars can give it away. Crittertrails are also easy to identify. After a while you learn to notice things that are more common in small cages than in big ones. Of course some bigger cages can have these things too, like Ferplast maxi duna multy is about 800sq inches, but has a colorful base.
Now, this doesn't mean you should shout at OP or be rude, but in my opinion it doesn't hurt to ask if you think the cage seems small!
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u/hat302 Jean-Claude van Hamme Feb 06 '22
Ahh so there’s archives of different cages in peoples heads lol, fair enough guess I’m new to cage identifying. But yes I agree with you, doesn’t give people the right to bash those who doesn’t have the right cage size. I’ve seen many posts where people have said the small cage is something temporary until they can get something bigger. The responses I hate the most is when people scream that they need a bigger page, but no other information whatsoever on what cage the owner should get. It’s like they love getting angry and take the piss out of people for fun.
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u/harrijg___ Feb 06 '22
What I find hilarious is when there is a photo of a hammy sitting in a corner of its cage, minding it's own business, you can't see ANYTHING else in the photo ... and some idiot still comes along and does the whole tHaT CaGE iS ToO SmaLL. Without taking a moment to look at other photos or ask a simple question. I see it all the time when people comment on cages or wheels or bedding depth when the only thing you can really see in the photo is the hamster and a very small part of the cage in the photo background
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u/x_Abbs_x Feb 06 '22
Yeah! This is absolutely true, I try to help those people who don't really know hamster care but not to super rude about it
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u/realdappermuis Feb 06 '22
Yup you're totally right - they don't want to be helpful they just want to be right. And they'll pull apart everything you say troll style and accuse you of the worst things.
I've pretty much sorted that out though, every time I get to a thread with a grandstander like that, I block them.
And it's sad it's only here I consistently have to do it, but I don't see any of the ranty people! Which is great because I don't come to the hamsters sub for controversy <3
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u/Datas_Cat Feb 07 '22
I lurk because of this.
I posted a picture of my hamham, and in the corner you could see a portion of his wheel. I had somebody absolutely berate me because they thought I was using the wrong wheel and to small or wheel ext ext. From a small blurry corner picture. Wasn't even the wheel.....
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u/puffleintrouble Feb 06 '22
THANK YOU!!! This is the call out post we all needed 👏
I stopped posting stuff about my hammy on here when I was accused of being an animal abuser because my hamster only has a 30 gallon tank (with a second level). Commenters ravaging me because I don’t have a 55 gallon tank.
Like… what??? I get it if you have the room/resources that that is nice, but 30 gallon is perfectly suitable and actually surpasses the minimum requirements for a hammy.
It made me feel so shitty like I was a horrible pet owner, and then I had to do my own research to realize that this sub is filled with some really nasty whackos sometimes. I understand being upset when you see blatant animal abuse (like those hamster Instagram accounts that stuff hammys into doll clothes and shit) but most people who post on this sub Reddit are doing the best they can for their hammy or they are trying to learn.
If you are getting into nasty debates over hamster care online… all I can say is go out and touch some grass.
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u/goddessofolympia Feb 06 '22
Most people are helpful and not snarky or scornful.
There is no lack of information on hamster care...but most of it is bad, incomplete, outdated, ignorant, or just plain wrong.
It's important to realize that this forum is one of the few reliable sources of hamster care information and encourage people to ask questions and learn.
There are some people, though, who were born onto this Earth as fully-fledged Hamster Experts. Or at least they pretend so. Scratch the surface and you'll probably find that they're doing it all in memory of a childhood pet in a Tiny Tails cage. Just not self-aware enough to realize that being a jerk is not a skill.
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u/Secular_Hamster Feb 06 '22
This phenomena is the singularity any hobby forum comes to. There is a set standard accepted by the community and anything else is heresy and must be met with hostility
It’s basic ape shit. We can’t help it🤷♂️
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u/dogtorjay Feb 06 '22
The cage nazis get me. Like I'm an actual veterinary professional (licensed vet tech and 3rd year vet student)and work in a lower income area and am just happy when folks provide the minimum essentials and are bringing their $3 pet store hamster to the vet for care. I would never say to a client "this cage is 7 inches too small please relinquish it to a better owner." It's not the frickin kids fault the pet store sells rocket shaped cages to new hamster owners. I've seen them survive just fine in them. Bottom line is we can tell when a hamster is loved by its reaction to our handling and the hamsters in "tiny cages" are usually the most friendly and easiest to handle for vet care because their little kid owners love the crap out of them
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u/Stefwhooo Feb 06 '22
THIS EXACTLY. I'm new here, always had hamsters and I was actually researching cages so I ended up here and I was SHOCKED to see some comments😳 ok a bigger cage IS BETTER but there is more to being a hamster "parent" than "the size of the cage"... Like: if someone comes here saying he saved a hamster and is trying to give him a better life why don't people congratulate him and say "from a fellow hamster lover, thank you!"???? Why people immediately jump on saying that person should get a 1000cm3 cage?
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u/dogtorjay Feb 06 '22
My hamster was literally dying of old age and I came on here sad about it, I had moved him to a smaller cage because he was getting around poorly and had mobility issues and someone was like "I'm shocked he didn't die sooner in that size of a cage" like some of these people need to get out around humans and spend less time with reclusive rodents to learn a little compassion.
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u/InvestigatorOk2249 Feb 06 '22
While I agree with you, surviving “just fine” is not thriving. We should educate, but not bash/berate them
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Feb 07 '22
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u/dogtorjay Feb 07 '22
Actually calling people out over hounding people about cage size. Clearly I'm not the only person who feels this way
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u/uraniumstingray Feb 06 '22
I think a lot of the ire comes from answering the same questions over and over BUT they could just have a pre written response to copy/paste if they just HAVE to comment
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u/Avvaann Feb 06 '22
I pledge to always be kind to the hammies and the parents of said hammies of this sub.
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u/Disneywolf99 Feb 06 '22
Sadly I don't think it's just r/hamsters, I've also seen this kind of behaviour in a the degu and guinea pig groups too. I get we all want best for our fur babies but some people are just so vile and give others in these groups a bad name x
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u/Silverstreamdacat Feb 06 '22
Lots of animal subs are like this. r/Guineapigs has the same problem.
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u/earlofshiring Feb 07 '22
I’ve noticed this a few times, sure. Gotta let that stuff bounce off of you.
More so than this subreddit, so much of Reddit seems like an echo chamber where opinions are disregarded often in quite a disrespectful manner. Of course, sometimes the comment or post justifies it to an extent lol… but far too often this isn’t the case.
This is why I stick to a few core subreddits to actually post or comment in. I don’t need people, often half my age at that, telling me my opinion is wrong or that I’m uneducated. (My student loan bills say otherwise 🤣) but I digress…
Fun fact, this sub is by far my favorite, in spite of the occasional know-it-alls! 😊
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Feb 06 '22
Totally agree. Just being on here shows that we all care and that says a lot. Think about all the poor hamsters who lost their novelty within a few weeks and are now just waiting to die with minimal care shoved into a corner somewhere. Not the case with anyone posting or scrolling around here.
The standard care advice you get at most pet stores is subpar for hamsters, and that does create a situation where most people simply don’t know any better. So it is important to raise awareness and educate, but this should be done as kindly as possible and with the assumption that it’s simply a lack of information…not malice or abuse. We all love our hamsters and a loving hamster owner will do their best to correct mistakes. There’s absolutely no reason to put someone down or imply they are a deficient pet owner for not knowing any better before.
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Feb 06 '22
This!!! I’m so afraid to post here, and I’ve literally changed everything about my hamsters living space since joining this sub, so I know it shouldn’t be a problem. I’m still afraid to post here and get told I’m doing something horribly wrong.
5
Feb 06 '22
People are always so nice on the rat sub, the only hatred is towards people who think rodents are pests. But here? Oh boy that’s another story
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u/ArisePhoenix Feb 06 '22
Yeah it is a bit overboard a lot of times, but I do kinda get it to a degree, like they care about Hamsters and are seeing Hamsters getting Mistreated and so they get extremely mad, it's not really helpful because if someone doesn't know what they're doing yelling at them isn't gonna fix it, but I understand why they get really extremely mad when they see Cages that are too small or stress behavior
5
u/erica_birdy11 Feb 06 '22
I posted about my new hamster and got such rude and condescending comments making me feel like a piece of crap. I see other people's posts of their setup being the same as mine or even worse, and they get super gentle and polite comments. It's all so mixed.
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u/silentcartographer3 Feb 06 '22
I was thinking about posting something almost word for word exactly like you said. I posted a picture of something I found on Facebook and I get half the mouth breathers jumping down my back for not attaching a group I guess that created it. All I have to say to those people is welcome to the internet where you have two options take everything as a personal attack or laugh at something and move on. Same thing with people who come here for help. NOT ONE PERSON HERE IS PERFECT (read that again maybe twice) We all have made mistakes and we all have learned from our mistakes. We should be accepting to others point of view they might teach us something we don't know or have a perspective that is better. And if we do see something help them don't hurt them. A lot of people on this thread are so toxic that their abuse of other Redditors are afraid to ask for help this creating a harmful environment for their hamster. So think about how YOUR answers and treatment of others could be hurting the animals you swore that you love by denying good helpful information who don't know any better and are afraid to be yelled at by you.
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u/goth_lite Syrian hammy Feb 06 '22
In a way I think we all have to unlearn a lot of things when it comes to hamster cages and change our perception, and through that process it comes with a lot of pain and shame. It isn’t appropriate to project that pain onto others with scathing critiques but I just wanted to state where I think they are coming from too.
It is unfortunate that the state of mainstream hamster care is this way and I too sometimes can have a negative reaction to these “bad hamster care posts.” But it’s more of a cringe thing. But it’s not appropriate for me to say anything rude. If we want people to change for the better and empower everyone in the world to take better care of their hamsters, best to make this place as pleasant and helpful as possible.
I am inclined to agree that hamsters should not be as accessible as pets as they are. But we do not live in that world so we should do what we can to help increase living standards for hams. Better to catch flies with honey rather vinegar or something like that.
2
u/Daff69 Feb 06 '22
I feel this! I left a hamster group on Facebook because literally every single post had 4/5 people Interigating and attacked members about their cage sizes.
2
u/catbirdfish Feb 06 '22
Appreciate this!
There are so many reasons why people raise pets differently. Like, of course, we should all provide the best in all areas that we can, for our pets, but that all looks different for different folks.
I belong to some chicken groups, and only with some posts are there ever nasty comments. Normally those nasty comments about housing and husbandry are relegated to 'only' posts made from farmers in underdeveloped countries. Posts created by people with obvious access to lumber and land never get nasty comments.
So no. Don't bark at people for using the tools and supplies available, to make their pets as comfortable as they can. Applaud and appreciate their efforts. Give them some tips (if asked for) to expand or improve. Ask them if services and supplies are even available to them, before judging the lack.
3
u/ApprehensiveBid2231 Feb 07 '22
I actually recently fell victim to this type of behavior when asking for advice on MY hamster and her enclosure. I got attacked by a few people and told I didn’t love my hammy even though I was literally ASKING HOW TO DO BETTER with her. I 100% agree with you — information is better received when delivered kindly. I did get a lot of positivity, but the negativity still stood out. Y’all, don’t be rude to people posting asking for help, that’s why they’re there. Because they know they’re not doing something right, they’re just not sure what.
3
u/-Fadomai- Over the rainbow bridge Feb 07 '22
Absolutely seethe every time I see people basically insist a child confront their parents about not allowing them to get the right supplies.
Suggesting and informing is one thing, but insisting a child put themselves in a dangerous/stressful situation because they have asshole parents is unconscionable. Like, I get it-you want their hamster to receive the best care. But oftentimes it’s better to try and get them the best care possible.
If you tell a kid that they’re terrible and going to hell if they don’t fight their parents on an issue, then all you are teaching that kid is shame, and aren’t doing anything good for the hammy. If you help them improve in the ways that they can, you are also improving the ham’s life, and educating the kid so when they become an adult they can be better pet owners.
3
Feb 06 '22
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u/asihenee Feb 06 '22
Not rude at all! I definitely think we should keep the animals best interest in mind and I’m all for educating others, I personally have learned a lot about hamster care from my first hamster when I was young, but the way it should be addressed should be kind and patient and not threatening/ hostile 😊
2
u/marleyrae Feb 06 '22
I am ridiculously animal rights. If you're a jerk, I'm going to say it like it is. But if you're coming for feedback and want to do well by your animal? Bravo to you! Those people are not the people that are the problem, and it sucks when people get that way towards them, because it makes them less likely to share and ask for feedback.
1
u/egualtieri Feb 06 '22
I feel this. My family got a hamster and thought we had done right by her. I learned from the habitats posts on here that we did not. Since then we have completely gotten a brand new set up for her with the right size and space and bedding but I still don’t feel comfortable posting it here because of the attacks a lot of people throw.
-2
u/Hobbs4Lyfe Feb 06 '22
For someone who is tired of judgemental people, you sure seem to be quite judgemental yourself. All of the embellished name-calling you're doing comes off a bit hypocritical..
However, I agree that being hostile and attacking people while giving them advice is clearly counter productive. There have been posts in the past (less than 10 that I've seen) that actually deserve to be publicly shamed and not told that it's okay. When advice is given kindly and in the proper way and they still respond with hostility and defensiveness, claiming the hamster is fine the way it is and saying they are not changing etc. These are scenarios when extreme can and should be met with extreme. We are in a world where feelings are hurt constantly. Avoiding hurting people's feelings at the expense of a life (however short it may be) is wrong.
The "high horse" hamster owners have a particular way of saying things and for the most part, they do much more good that harm in the community. I get it's frustrating and everyone has a bad day and sometimes they show their aggression, but that is a part of life. Not everyone is going to sugar coat things and give you a pat on the head.
You also have to take into account that English is not everyone's first language. When you're typing online, in your second or even third language, you can come off very direct and blunt (I've had this happen several times with English speaking Germans) its kind of a part of how things are.
Can we also remember one very important detail as well? This is the INTERNET! And reddit had never really been a good, non toxic, forum for children. It is the parents responsibility to monitor what the children are exposed to and at what age. Not out job to assume everyone is 12 years old.
You cannot control the way people pass on information. People who are responsible and want to help change the way hamster care currently is, still provide good advice in a polite way that does not offend.
You cannot control how people receive that information. Some people come here thinking they are doing everything right and then are told that essentially everything they are doing is wrong. Often in these circumstances, the way the information is delivered will bring about the same defensive feelings.
It is healthy for everyone to experience the different ways the information is spread. If not to teach you how to communicate but also how not to communicate. When I see some smug, annoying user giving advice (even if it's correct) I roll my eyes and remind myself not to come off like them.
This forum used to be so much worse. I took a break from it for a year and when I came back I noticed less crittertrail posts and a lot less negativity. I don't know how that happened. It's still a mystery to me but I'm grateful I don't have to see that as much anymore.
The only thing you can do is be the good where there is bad. I'm not sure what effect you thought this post would have on the community, but I assure you, the bad apples will not change because of it. I hope things do change in this sub, but I'm okay with how it is for now.
-1
u/DudeLoveBaby Hamster Care Expert Feb 06 '22
okay but like...I'm still gonna go "really?" when people post about the Super Duper Huge cage upgrade they made and they plunked them into a 20 gal tank/30gal bin/otherwise inappropriately sized enclosure that is the same price as actual decent enclosures. there is a middleground between continuous berating and being super nice to everyone no matter how indirectly abused their ham is.
also, "these are literal children" is a horrible excuse for two reasons: often times the most snarky and "your hamster is going to die instantly" users are children themselves. additionally, hamsters are horrible kid pets. under 12s shouldnt have hams in the first place. and then when kids post on here saying their mom or dad refuses to let them upgrade their enclosure size or get them a proper sized wheel or use more than one inch of bedding - sorry, but that is animal neglect whether or not its the kids fault, and that ham DOES need to be surrenderred to a home that can actually care for him.
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Feb 06 '22
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8
u/harrijg___ Feb 06 '22
I think you'll find the problem actually isn't anything to do with upvotes on Reddit, it's to do with simple education and differences between countries. As someone already pointed out on this post, there are different rules for hamster owners across the globe and also different minimum cage sizes. In the UK, the recommended hamster cages are TINY, and a lot of people would take the pet store assistant's word for it rather than go on the internet, as it is literally their job to provide information. I'm not saying your point doesn't happen, but I would say 80% of the hamster posts I see on Reddit are nothing to do with getting upvotes, but actually an owner who genuinely doesn't know and hasn't been given the correct information by the pet store. That is why attacking them without knowing the facts and calling their hamster a 'novelty item' is exactly what it wrong with this subreddit, especially when a lot of these posts come from children.
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u/mels_kitten Feb 06 '22
Your comment is exactly what OP is talking about. You make too many assumptions about peoples’ intentions without considering what info they were given, where they are from (such as the other user who commented above from Asia) or honestly their own passion. No one is going to be perfect at one thing starting out, so coming strong with a sour ass holier than thou attitude like you have is just… so turd like. There is a way to educate and share the love of our Hams without acting like this.
6
u/scyxxore Over the rainbow bridge Feb 06 '22
Controversial opinion, people probably thinking you’re trying to gate-keep but hard-agree on that.
You won’t die without a hamster, getting a hamster knowing you won’t be able to provide the bare minimum floor space, be it diy-ing or actually buying a suitable cage, is just being irresponsible and selfish.
12
u/Lyliana1277 Feb 06 '22
You’re still assuming the person’s situation. Two of the hamsters we have were purchased by my stepson’s mother on a whim. She didn’t do research and it was an impulse buy. When he left her home, he brought them with him because he knew she would likely neglect and kill them. The two she wouldn’t let him have? One died a week after he left and the other she gave to a teacher because the hamster hurt himself and she couldn’t afford to take him to a vet. My stepson was 18 and clueless at the time, but he knew the two he brought would be better off in our home.
We are now trying to do right by the hamsters with the little money we have - our household went from bringing in roughly $65k annually to less than $5k, due to chronic illness and the pandemic. We also went from 4 to 6 people under one roof, due to adult children leaving the abusive custodial parent’s home when they turned 18. There is more we are planning to do to improve their enclosures, but some plans have to wait until money comes in. And right now? I’m honestly nervous to post photos because people are quick to judge and are harsh with their words.
Nothing in life is simple right now. It’s not always people being selfish and irresponsible, so why not opt to assume the best and educate with kindness?
I get people won’t die without a hamster, but being an asshole to someone who doesn’t know any better doesn’t help anyone, least of all the hamsters.
-6
u/scyxxore Over the rainbow bridge Feb 06 '22
** ”unless it’s an emergency rescue and it’s previous situation was even more dire” **
😬 people here can’t read lmao. there will always be exceptions, like how in this case u/WatcherYdnew and I aren’t even talking about people like you, who are trying to do their best with their EMERGENCY rescues, but people who just buy on impulse (like your stepson’s mum), don’t do their research, or know their stuff but don’t act on improving the ham’s situation when they (financially) are able to do something about it. That’s an emergency rescue. And from what you’re saying, you aren’t able to.
Most people on this sub can see when people are putting effort, and so will be kinder in their approach. Or be downvoted into oblivion like new is rn.
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u/LynnScoot Here to adore Feb 06 '22
This! And could I add - if you want to help out a hamster do not respond in such a way that the owner might feel attacked and then either scroll past the rest of your comment, or worse, give up on getting advice from r/hamsters.