Hamsters make for adorable pets, and one Hong Kong pet shop is insisting that be the reason you actually take one home after finding out a number of customers were buying them only to turn them into snake food.
In a notice put up at the Tin Shui Wai district pet shop and posted to Facebook yesterday, the owners laid out their new rules.
“As we have found out some customers bought hamster for feeding [their pet snakes], we will stop selling hamsters only from now on. Customers who would like to buy hamsters have to also buy other pet supplies. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.”
Whether or not that extra hurdle will slow down hamster-as-dinner sales remains to be seen, but the move in already winning fans in the pro-pet community.
One animal lover took a photo of the notice and posted it on a public Facebook group for cat lovers, commenting approvingly that, “Although it is not about cats, I can see the shop owner’s love for animals.”
The post quickly attracted more than 1,400 likes and comments from netizens debating the shop’s motives.
While many were supportive, describing the shop owner as “kind and doing something good to the animals,” others were quick to label it a business gimmick.
“They just want people to buy more products as people selling animals have no kindness at all,” one comment reads.
The post also sparked discussion over whether hamsters were acceptable dining for your pet snake. Based on the responses from pet snake owners, it doesn’t seem like the practice is likely to stop any time soon.
Reader Interactions