About Us
What is Ethical Breeding?
I get asked this question a lot. Why choose an ethical breeder instead of a pet store? What makes ethical breeding different?
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Pet stores breed solely for profit, and they get their animals from large pet mills. These mills do not provide even the basic necessities for the hamsters. They are housed together in large groups, where fighting oftentimes occurs. They are not provided proper nutrition or enrichment, and receive little to no human interaction. Inbreeding is common, which produces many health concerns, and their females are bred continuously, until they're deemed no longer useful. Every time you purchase a hamster from a big chain pet store, you are opening another spot for a hamster to be bred and sold in these same conditions.
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Ethical breeders only breed their females between the ages of 4 months and 1 year. Our females will never have more than two litters, and oftentimes will only have one. Breeding males and females are chosen based on health, temperament and conformation. All of our hamsters are pedigreed, which means we know their ancestry going back at least 5 generations. Our goal is not profit, but to better the species! All of our hamsters are provided with a high quality lab block and seed mix, and fresh vegetables and fruit several times a week. The enclosures all have a minimum of 8 inches of bedding, and are filled with enrichment!
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We breed according to the California Hamster Association's Breeder's Code of Ethics. I encourage you to visit their page to get a deeper understanding of ethical breeding.
Education & Our Promise
Beyond our desire to provide the community an alternative to purchasing from a pet store, we want to educate families on proper care, nutrition, and the unique needs of Syrian hamsters to ensure their lifelong happiness. We understand that everyone starts somewhere in their husbandry journey, but learning and improving is what can change the future for these often neglected animals. Please visit our Recommendations page for great suggestions on enclosures, bedding, wheels, etc and even some great YouTube channels for learning!
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We will support you throughout the entire life of your hamster, and if your personal situation changes and you find you can no longer care for your Rocky's Nest hamster, we will gladly take them back, and ask that you notify us before trying to rehome them. After taking them back, if we cannot find another home for them, they will simply stay at the hamstery with us and live their best lives!Â
My Journey
I got my first hamster in 2021, and like so many others, I purchased him from a pet store and sadly bought the Critter Trail cage for his home, and was given all kinds of incorrect information from the pet store. I fell so deeply in love with my sweet little Rocky and spent the next few weeks reading and researching everything I could get my hands on about proper hamster care. Thankfully Rocky only spent 3 days in the Critter Trail before several upgrades landed him in a Niteangel Vista. He was the sweetest boy, so extremely friendly, and I had such a deep connection with him. I still miss him to this day.
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I got my 1st rescue hamster, Louie, in 2022. He was left in an apartment when the renters moved out. All that was left was a Critter Trail with 2 hamsters in it. It broke my heart so badly, and is when I began to understand that this type of neglect is so common with hamsters, especially with "store-bought" hamsters, and I just felt like I needed to do something. That began my journey of rescuing on a personal basis, and eventually my desire to become an ethical breeder. I could not find an ethical breeder anywhere near me when I wanted to add another hamster to my family, so I drove 6 hours each way to Poppy Bee Hamstery in VA to adopt 2 of mine. It was well worth the drive! 💞 I understand not everyone has that ability, so I'm hoping my hamstery will fill a geographical gap in the Carolinas and surrounding areas.
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Hamsters can make an awesome pet if they are provided love and proper care. They are intelligent, curious, loving little creatures who deserve to live enriched lives. They may only be a part of your life for 2-3 years, but you are with them for their entire life! Make it a great one!
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​The photo above is my Rocky, and everything about my love for hamsters is because of him and my son's hamster, Slim Shady...our 2 OG's ♥Â
Contact Info
Please feel free to reach out with any questions you might have!