Hamster Info Ireland

22/12/2024

That’s a wrap on 2024 at Hamster Info Ireland.

We had 27 hamsters move into their forever homes this year and we’re very grateful to those who opened their homes for our little ones.

As the festive season approaches, we’re taking a short break to recharge and spend time with our loved ones. We’re now closed for the holidays and we’ll see you all in 2025!

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May your holidays be filled with warmth, laughter, and cherished moments.

20/12/2024

This year, we are sharing the story of each of our 2024 charity calendar stars so you can learn more about the hamster behind the photo. Amelia is our featured hamster for the month of November.

Amelia arrived at our doors in March 2023, surrendered by an owner who, despite their best efforts, couldn’t quite keep up with her energetic spirit. With her adorable face and playful nature, we knew Amelia wouldn’t stay with us for long.

However, finding the perfect home for a young Syrian hamster with high enrichment needs proved to be a challenge. While there was plenty of interest, none of the initial applicants could meet the necessary requirements.

Then, in October, a familiar face emerged. A repeat adopter had a special place in her heart for Amelia and had been keeping up with her story since Amelia joined us. She was more than willing to provide Amelia with the loving home she deserved, including a spacious 6,100sqcm enclosure filled with plenty of enrichment.

Amelia quickly settled into her new home and formed a strong bond with her new owner. They even shared mealtimes, with Amelia joining the dinner table whenever she was awake.

We wanted to give Amelia’s owner space to talk about her, as Amelia passed earlier this year (2024).

"Amelia was such a curious girl with the biggest personality.
Every night when she woke from her sleep, she would wait by the enclosure door for me to let her out. And not necessarily because she wanted to play with me, but more so because she was always ready for a big adventure. She really did live up to her namesake. One of the funniest things about her was if you told her she couldn’t do something, she would make it her mission to do it. And when I caught her doing something she wasn’t meant to be doing, she would freeze and pretend she wasn’t there. Sometimes she even sulked when I took her away from whatever menacing activity she had gotten up to. Which was very funny if you have never seen a hamster sulk before.

Other than exploring, her ultimate goal in life was to eat all the foods. Anytime I ate something near her, she would insist that I shared. She enjoyed eating with me so much that I started to make her miniature versions of my meals to have with me. Life was so much fun with Amelia around. I am forever grateful for having gotten to experience life with her, and I miss her very much."

If you’d like to support our rescue work, you can make a donation here: https://hamsterinfoireland.ie/donate/

Next time, learn about our final hamsters for 2024, Boo and Eek!

13/12/2024

This year, we are sharing the story of each of our 2024 charity calendar stars so you can learn more about the hamster behind the photo. (We've been very busy and ran a little off schedule!!) Fawkes is our featured hamster for the month of September.

Fawkes, our beloved resident, originally arrived at our rescue in 2021 with his three brothers. Back then, he was known as Ravenclaw, and his siblings were named after the other Hogwarts houses. These little guys deserved so much better than their previous living conditions, which were cramped and unsanitary. One of his brothers was even born without a foot, a heartbreaking reminder of how important genetics are in hamster husbandry.

Last year, we welcomed back our old friend. After his adopters were no longer able to provide the care they had agreed to provide when they adopted him, he returned to our rescue. We had to jump to action and offered to take him back as soon as his owners could deliver him to our nearest foster home. Given his age, we made the heartwarming decision to keep him as a permanent resident at the rescue. In honor of his resilience, original name and second chance, we renamed him Fawkes, after the phoenix in Harry Potter.

Tina started planning and prepping our old boy's retirement enclosure, providing him with a large, geriatric friendly 140cm x 70cm home. As lively as he was, Fawkes still needed a modified set up to make sure he could get around as easily as possible.

Since Fawkes passed in January 2024, his purpose built enclosure has brought solace to two other retirees, Tutti Frutti and Alfie and is now known as “Auntie Tina’s Retirement Home”.

Our adoption process is thorough to ensure our rescue hamsters go to great forever homes. Unfortunately, the enclosure setup that was originally approved as Fawkes’ forever home was lacking, and barely contained more than the very basics. Sadly there is only so much we can do once handover happens. Our adoption contracts hold adopters to a certain standard but also state that our rescue will take back any of our hamsters if the adopter can no longer provide adequate care for the hamster.

If you’d like to support our rescue work, you can make a donation here: https://hamsterinfoireland.ie/donate/

05/12/2024

🩷💜 CALLING ALL ADOPTERS! 💜🩷

Did you adopt a hamster from Hamster Info Ireland?
We are hoping to create a mini gallery for our upcoming Charity Newsletter featuring some of our rescued hamsters living their best lives in their forever homes!
If you have adopted a hamster from us please comment a photo below or send us a PM. We'd love to hear how they're doing and what sorts of things they get up to!

29/11/2024

Nominate us to receive a £1000 donation!

It's that time of year again, follow the link below and search our charity. We appreciate anything you guys can do for us, this only takes a few seconds and it would help us out a lot as we start our 3rd year as a charity.

Nominate a charity for a Movement for Good award now.

27/11/2024

🎄🐹 PETS ARE NOT TOYS! 🐹🎄

Many families consider getting children a pet as a Christmas present. While the idea might seem very cute, we want to explain why hamsters aren't Christmas presents.

Firstly, hamsters are a very significant financial commitment. Expect a basic hamster setup to cost anywhere between €350-500, depending on the options chosen. While a child's pocket money can chip away at small costs such as food and substrate, many other expenses, such as exotic vet care, are well beyond those means. Expect an average vet consultation with common meds to run around €100, and more in an after-hours emergency. It's not the case that an adult can become hands-off once the setup is done.

Next, we get to the time commitment. While children may be enthusiastic about daily care initially, many lose interest quickly. Lost interest was the leading reason given for surrendering hamsters to our charity in 2024. Even the most dedicated child simply cannot take full responsibility for all the care a hamster requires, so it is always the responsibility of the adults in the home to ensure the pet is properly cared for - even after the child gets bored!!

Then, there's practicality: hamsters are not usually cuddly, tolerant, or especially social. They also keep antisocial hours when considering a child's typical bedtime schedule. A hamster often doesn't become the companion that parents thought it would be for their children.

Take a look at the graphic below, which features real comments from Irish sales advertising sites. Many of the hamsters were only a few months old. Words like “brand new cages” also show that the children lost interest very quickly. Unwanted gifts in the form of living animals put immense pressure on charities like ours, making the post-Christmas period our busiest time of year.

If you're determined to get a pet this Christmas, please choose to rescue. Christmas day is busy and noisy, so consider adopting after the holidays when you have more time to focus on the new pet. Most ethical rescues won't approve adoptions during the festive period, but open before schools go back for the new term. Use the delay to research your new pet first!

We've made explaining why hamsters can't be delivered by Santa easier by providing a Santa letter for parents to share, with a certificate to gift on Christmas day alongside your enclosure and accessories. That way, your family is ready to adopt ethically as soon as possible, helping to reduce the post-Christmas strain on rescues.

🐹 Santa Kit: https://tinyurl.com/HIISantaGuide
🐹 Hamster Care Guide: https://hamsterinfoireland.ie/care-guide/

24/11/2024

🎅IMPORTANT NEWS FROM SANTA CLAUS - PETS ARE NOT TOYS! 🎅

Mr Claus has issued a worldwide statement to explain this year’s no-pets-on-sleigh policy. He is urging families who want a new pet to work with animal rescues to adopt after Christmas instead, issuing Santa Certificates to redeem after the big day.

Santa has been in contact with Hamster Info Ireland to be an official hamster adoption partner to the North Pole, and we can confirm that any home who successfully completes our adoption process can redeem their Santa Certificate with us.

Remember that you can apply to adopt a hamster with us on our website - https://hamsterinfoireland.ie/adoption-application-pack/

Here’s a copy of Santa’s official letter and certificate for confirmation. Any further Santa-related hamster queries can be directed to us!

24/11/2024

We’re excited to share that Issue 7 of our charity newsletter is now available exclusively for our amazing Patreon supporters! Apologies for the slight delay this time, but don’t worry, our bumper edition is still coming this December!

By joining our Patreon, you’ll gain access to not only our quarterly newsletters but also behind-the-scenes rescue updates and lots of adorable hamster photos! Your monthly subscription directly supports our charity, helping us to continue our work saving hamsters in need and educating the public on these wonderful pets.

A huge thank you to all our current subscribers - you’re making a real difference in the lives of these little creatures.

Become part of our Patreon ‘Hamily’ today for just €3 per month! https://www.patreon.com/c/HamsterInfoIreland

20/11/2024

It’s that time of year again!!
Make sure you’re doing all you can to keep your hammies warm through winter!
For more in depth information, check out our website - https://hamsterinfoireland.ie/usefulknowledge/

12/11/2024

The baby girls, Sage, Thyme and Parsley were out for breakfast and a cuddle! 🐹🥰😍
These babies are 4 weeks old and will stay together until they’re 8 weeks old when they’ll be ready to go to their forever homes.

05/11/2024

💕🐹💕 DONATION APPEAL 💕🐹💕

Our adorable litter of hamsters who were recently rescued alongside their parents are all doing well, but they need your help to start their new lives! Caring for these tiny little ones comes with a cost - enclosures, bedding, food, enrichment and more. With the added possibility that mum may be pregnant again, the expenses are adding up quickly!

Your generous donation will ensure these hamsters have everything they need to thrive: safe homes, good quality food, and plenty of enrichment to keep them happy. Every little bit helps! 🥰

Please consider supporting their journey by making a donation today. Together, we can give these hamsters the loving care they deserve!

Donations can be made through our website: https://hamsterinfoireland.ie/donate/ To make a regular donation to our charity please subscribe to our Patreon for just €3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/HamsterInfoIreland

Thank you! 💜🐹💜
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Hamster Info Ireland is a registered Irish charity. RCN: 20206484

02/11/2024

Today we had a rather unexpected emergency rescue of not just one, not two, not even three... SIX hamsters!

We were alerted to two hybrid dwarves cohabiting in a cage the size of a piece of paper that were being given away for free on an ad listing site. Knowing how risky those situations are, Sophie swooped into immediate action and went to rescue the hamsters. There’s always a high risk of fighting or pregnancy when hamsters are kept together so we always treat these intakes as emergencies. Being the veterans we are, in this case we suspected that one hamster could be pregnant if they were opposite sexes and recently bought from a pet shop.

Upon arrival, Sophie was greeted with two parent hamsters and, as supected, their litter, who are almost 3 weeks old. The babies had not even been mentioned on the ad! Sadly, one of the gorgeous babies had escaped the unsuitable enclosure on Halloween and was found dead by a child, who has been so deeply traumatised by this experience that they have not slept in their room since. This awful scenario of baby animals having babies and then unexpecting owners dealing with the fallout of poor pet shop ethics should not continue happening. We MUST push harder for more robust standards as a nation, especially when we are so dreadfully behind our European neighbours.

We’ve decided to name the young parents Rosemary and Basil. The little ones are called Dill (male), Parsley, Thyme, and Sage (females). We need new adopters to step forward, as the rescue doors are now closed due to capacity. Rosemary will be on pregnancy watch for the next three weeks, but totally derserves a home of her own after giving birth while so young. The stress of cohabiting in that awful enclosure has poor Basil very anxious, so we desperately need a patient, understanding home for this tired-out dad. The babies will be ideal for anyone who usually chooses a pet store due to the age of the hamsters available... adopt a baby from us instead, and open up a rescue space for another hamster in crisis. They will be ready for homing from 8 weeks old.

22/10/2024

Introducing our newest intake - Topolino!

Topolino is a male Chinese dwarf hamster and is available for adoption! Chinese dwarf hamsters need a few more vertical obstacles as their grip and longer tail mean they can climb better than their cousins. Items like grape vine wood or spider wood provide a lot of enrichment for the Chinese dwarf hamster.

17/10/2024

Today we're asking you to please consider sending a small donation to our charity.

In recent weeks our rescue has been hit hard with multiple vet bills for some of our rescued hamsters. One of whom is little Russian dwarf girl Rudi who sadly had an eye issue on intake which needed treatment. Despite doing well lately, the condition has sadly returned which has led to further vet visits. Medication and scans can be expensive as hamsters are classed as exotic pets and often need specialised care.

Aside from this, we've had a steady flow of some very quick intakes and adoptions. This is great news for our hamsters as they head off to their new forever homes, but the result of this means full foster cage setups need to be quickly dismantled and rebuilt for the next intake. Our fosterers always do the best they can in terms of using washable items that can be reused or cheap cardboard items that can be discarded. However, there is only so much that can be done in that regard. Safe substrates and other forms of enrichment can really be a strain on our finances. Transport for collecting, moving or delivering hamsters, while often voluntary, can also be costly for our small charity.

As a registered Irish charity ( #20206484), our work is fully funded by the public. Making a donation to our charity means we can provide the very best of care to little hamsters who often come from cases of neglect and cruelty. We'll also be able to continue to educate and promote ethical care for these wonderful animals.

If you'd like to send a donation you can do so through our website: https://hamsterinfoireland.ie/donate/

Or you can join our Patreon, where for just €3 per month you'll become an official charity member and get exclusive access to behind the scenes rescue news and our quarterly newsletter! https://www.patreon.com/c/HamsterInfoIreland

17/10/2024

An important post from our friends at DRD Knaagdierwinkel about hamster play! 😊

Hamsters would much prefer some nice deep substrate to burrow in, or some sprays and flower blossoms to explore, than being trapped in a hamster ball forced to run around with nowhere to hide!

Remember, the best way to take care of an animal is to give it ways to express its natural behaviour. ✅

BLOG 🐹 Wat Is 'Spelen' voor Hamsters?

Lekker rollen in een hamsterbal? ⚠️🚫
Nee, nee alsjeblieft niet. Een van de populairste producten in de knaagdier schappen als het gaat om "speelgoed", maar heel erg fout voor de dieren. We beginnen even met dit geheel verkeerd geïnterpreteerde speelgoed. De dieren gaan er inderdaad in rennen, maar niet omdat ze het leuk vinden. Uit onderzoek is gebleken dat de hamsters snel wegrennen in de bal op zoek naar een verstopplek. Daarnaast worden door de bal alle zintuigen buiten spel gezet. De dieren kunnen niets meer voelen (handjes, snorharen), slechter horen en ruiken. Wij raden deze ballen ten zeerste af en adviseren in plaats daarvan een leuke ren met genoeg activiteiten, veel leuker voor de dieren. Als we natuurlijk gedrag als uitgangspunt gebruiken dan is de hamsterbal een middel dat natuurlijk gedrag geheel onmogelijk maakt.

Wat wij met "spelen" bedoelen, komt bij de hamster helemaal niet voor! Als hamsterbezitters willen we het beste voor onze harige vrienden, en dat begint met het begrijpen van hun gedrag. Een veelgestelde vraag die we vaak krijgen, is: “Welk speelgoed is geschikt voor hamsters?” Maar eerlijk gezegd spelen hamsters helemaal niet op de manier die we gewend zijn bij andere dieren. In deze blog onderzoeken we het speelgedrag van hamsters en hoe we hen kunnen helpen om gelukkig en gezond te blijven.

Wat Is 'Spelen' Voor Hamsters?
Eigenlijk moeten wij het woord 'spelen' niet gebruiken voor hamsters, maar eerder "natuurlijk gedrag vertonen", want daar worden hamsters echt vrolijk van. Net zoals een spel met een bal een hond blij maakt, is een volle bos oogst of een heerlijk soepel looprad iets waar een hamster helemaal blij van wordt. Heel veel dingen worden verkocht als "hamster speelgoed", maar het speelgoed waarmee een konijn zich urenlang kan vermaken, zal een hamster niet eens opmerken dat het er ligt!

Spelen = Natuurlijk Gedrag Vertonen
Allereerst moeten we met elkaar afspreken dat we bij hamsters 'spelen' eigenlijk gelijk moeten stellen aan 'natuurlijk gedrag vertonen'. En dan komen we tot wonderbaarlijke conclusies voor deze dieren! Lees verder, link in de reactie!

04/10/2024

Happy World Animal Day! 🐹💛🐹💛🐹

At Hamster Info Ireland, we believe that even the smallest animals deserve the best care possible. As a registered charity in Ireland, we’re dedicated to educating the public about ethical hamster care. Unfortunately, Ireland still has a long way to go in ensuring proper animal care, as many pet shops continue to sell unsuitable products and pet owners often receive misleading information. Our goal is to elevate hamster care standards in Ireland to match those of other European countries, creating safe and nurturing environments for our beloved pets!

Our rescue service cares for unwanted and neglected hamsters until they can find loving new homes. This important work is fully funded by public donations and carried out by our amazing volunteers, including trustees, fosterers, and transporters, who generously dedicate their time to help hamsters in need.

🔵 If you’d like to support our efforts, please consider making a small donation: https://hamsterinfoireland.ie/donate/

🟣 Interested in volunteering? Learn more about how you can get involved: https://hamsterinfoireland.ie/rescue/

🟠 Could you provide a loving home for a rescued hamster? Check out our available hammies here: https://hamsterinfoireland.ie/available-for-adoption/

🟡 Want to learn more about ethical hamster care? Explore our Hamster Care Guide: https://hamsterinfoireland.ie/care-guide/

29/09/2024

RAPHY SPAM!

Our foster hammy Raphael loved his new sprays last night, just couldn’t get enough of them!!!

Raphy and his brothers are all so adorable, we can’t believe they’ve not been adopted yet!

If you’re interested in adopting a hamster, please apply now, link in bio!!