ngl like half of the population that owns pets shouldn't be allowed to have them
like the amount of mistreatment of small pets on social media platforms is ASTOUNDING the average hamster owner doesn't have a clue how to take care of hamsters properly, and while it's partially the owner's fault, i blame chain pet stores for this absolute madness
@crocutamatata Like imagine an episode of Elmo’s world (is that still going?) where Elmo learns that actually his pet fish ISNT in the right environment! And he gets to make a nice new tank for him. That would stick with kids!!
@crocutamatata One of my sister's dwarf hamster habitats. People are always surprised at how big it is for such a tiny animal. (The spike mats are to keep the cat from sitting on the lid.)
@crocutamatata There's a reason I rarely interact with the reptile keeping community online, because Jesus Christ do people (including most of the big "influencers" in the space) love to treat these living, breathing beings like fucking collectable figurines.
@crocutamatata In contrast to them, my best friend had a 3 legged hamster named Henry, rip, whose original owners only kept him in a small cage and saw him more as a toy. My best friend on the other hand, let him roam around constantly, spoiled him, got him a huge home. He lived to 4 years.
@crocutamatata People like these are part of the reason the pet trade is horrible, right up there with the people who want animals that should in no way be pets.
@crocutamatata Pet stores and popular media is absolutely most of the problem, imo. Pet stores shouldn’t be allowed to sell bad housing. If people in movies simply showed goldfish in proper aquariums, birds in proper cages, and rodents in correct tanks, public perception would shift 😩
@crocutamatata I’ve been into reptiles for most of my life. The amount of people I’ve seen treat them as if they’re toys is depressing. Worse is when it’s people who do care about these animals but cannot take any criticisms about the way they raise their pets.