Comments on: Justin Bieber blasted by CA Hamster Association for giving pet to fan

By: Laura

Laura — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 03:24:57 +0000

Hamster or not, it’s a living creature and he should have been more careful.
This makes me wonder what happened to his pet snake (Johnson…HUGE eye roll).
I am a snake lover…in addition to my cats I have a snake, Draco. She’s around 14. I’ve had her for 11 years, since I was 14 myself. She is my sweet beautiful princess, and I would never just pass her off to anyone, even though she’s had some health issues in the last few years. I did have a boa constrictor when I was 15 too, and I had to give her away because she got bigger than me and I couldn’t lift her…I picked a family fried who I knew was experienced with herps and would take good care of her but I still get guilt pangs when I think about it.
Pets aren’t for birthdays or Christmas…pets are for life.

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By: Brittney

Brittney — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 12:16:47 +0000

I come to this site partially for the commenters, and this thread has brought out the best in them… but you especially! I cannot fathom having to do your job, and I really feel for you; my high school thesis (weird IB school) was on alternatives to animal testing, My mom rescued dwarf hamsters when I was growing up, and you’re right; it’s amazing to have specialists nearby when your ill animal is as tiny as a shot glass. I have a house rabbit now whose back story and adorable mannerisms have made me a staunch advocate for better treatment of small pets like hamsters, guinea pigs, and rabbits. I totally agree that it was an ignorant thing to do, though I’m sure that fan really will treat the little guy like gold. People too often regard smaller creatures with far, FAR less care and compassion than cats or dogs, and it’s just not fair. They’re just as sentient.

On a happier note, there’s an organization (blanking right now) that’s offering free human body simulation software to the first dozen schools to make an anti-vivisection pledge!

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By: Jub-Jub

Jub-Jub — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:01:46 +0000

Hahahaha!!!!

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By: jwoolman

jwoolman — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 04:05:45 +0000

The hamster lucked out, since obviously Bieber is too immature to be responsible for a pet but its new human companion seems nice. But the hamster organization was right to point out the risks of any sudden change in environment. They weren’t doing a PETA protest- TMZ asked them questions and they answered truthfully. There are organizations for every type of pet. This one obviously deals with shows, which always creeps me out (I was dragged to a few cat shows in my youth), but they all deal with useful info about the specific pet and provide a way for people interested in the animal to get in contact (especially online today). They also generally give advice about how to choose the right pet, when that particular animal is a bad choice for you, how to deal with stressful changes, health issues, general care and feeding and housing, etc. Believe me, if your little furry friend develops problems, you will be grateful when a little googling finds plenty of people who’ve dealt with it all before, especially when you don’t have a local vet who deals with your type of animal.

I’ve run into quite a few websites on specific pet animals in the course of my work, since unfortunately I sometimes have to translate material on use of non-human non-volunteers in scientific research (which is bad science at so many levels, but the FDA requires it before testing human volunteers). Really, I’d rather hear from the hamster advocates than my scientific colleagues experimenting on the wee beasties. The experimental animals are doomed whether they survive the treatment or not and even if they are untreated controls… I had to translate pages and pages of rat and rabbit autopsies in a recent job, and it was so depressing. I really lose it when I run into such experimental abuse of cats… not in a couple of decades, thankfully. (Another translator who feels the same suggested that if we translate such things properly, maybe nobody will feel compelled to repeat the experiments. At least they’re heading toward human tissue experiments, which makes considerably more sense scientifically and morally.) But definitely when setting up a group of animals for such preclinical studies, they pay attention to minimizing the stress of rehousing and other changes. For example, the beasties are kept for a few weeks to acclimate (those who react badly are removed from the group) and the animal rooms have to be kept at certain temperature, humidity, and lighting conditions (light/dark cycle). The California organization was right to point out that hamsters are not little furry robots who can be handed over to a stranger on the street without risk. It can indeed affect their health and lifespan.

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By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 01:04:58 +0000

Lord knows I am a crazy animal lover. But I have a feeling this is now going to be a very well taken care of hamster. If Joe from New Kids on the Block had given me a hamster while I was screaming at him many years ago, I would have treated that thing like a king too.

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By: Shy

Shy — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 01:04:47 +0000

Oh God, those pants again. My eyes! Is he promoting or selling them? Does he think that teenage boys will see him wearing it and will wear it too? He does not have boys fans. Only girls.

Is this trend is USA? Do ordinary men from streets wear those ridiculous pants in public? It’s beyond me how Bieber can look at himself in the mirror and think that he looks O’k.

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By: Alexandra Bananarama

Alexandra Bananarama — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 00:49:09 +0000

Ugh! I feel so awful having how arms:( I run marathons or halves with my husband,but feel terrible my body type in that photo it exposed

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By: Beatriz

Beatriz — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 00:44:58 +0000

What?!? They put hamsters up in there?!?! No way! I remember talking to a doctor once who worked in the ER and he told me the funniest stories about how guys would regularly come in with random stuff up their butt, but wouldn’t cop to it. Like, once a guy came in with an HUGE orange stuck up in there and he just kept saying “oh, I fell on an orange.” But seriously, hamsters?

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By: eb

eb — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 00:06:15 +0000

MC Hammer must be so proud.

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By: Vera

Vera — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 23:31:04 +0000

CHA. Who knew?

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