When you are looking to purchase any rodent, from a fancy mouse to a more exotic critter such as a jird or dormouse, you will need to decide where to purchase from.
PET STORE
Buying from a pet store is usually a more convenient option, as finding a breeder in your area can be difficult. While most pet stores only carry more common rodent species such as mice, rats, gerbils, Syrian hamsters and cavies, more exotic species are showing up. Most pet store rodents are attained from dealers or wholesale breeders. They import or breed animals en mass and sell groups of them at reduced prices to different stores. Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to know whether or not the dealers or breeders were ethical in their breeding and husbandry practices before the animals arrived in the shop. This can lead to animals which are in poor health, have genetic problems or were even wild caught. The actual shipping of the animals can also cause a great deal of stress even when done properly, and in some rodents such as gerbils and Syrian hamsters, can lead to serious or even fatal stress-related problems such as wet tail. Many pet stores do not have the knowledge of proper animal husbandry, especially when it comes to exotic species. It is unfortunate how often animals are kept in inadequit to poor conditions in pet shops. Sales clerks may not have the correct or appropriate information for customers on how to care for their animals. They are also under some pressure to make a sale, which can lead to the customer being mislead about the time and cost involved in maintaining their new pet.
If purchasing from a pet store, shop around at a few different ones. Avoid impulse buying. Compare the general conditions the animals are kept under, staff knowledge, prices and selection of the species you are interested in as well as supplies and choose accordingly. Before you buy, make sure to educate yourself on the animal you have chosen. Know how to recognize a healthy animal from a sickly one, how to sex them, what sort of housing and bedding is best and what diet they will need. Never buy an animal from a cage that is also housing a sick or injured one.
BREEDER
As previously noted, finding a breeder is usually more difficult than just walking into a pet store. There are many breeder directories on the Internet and in exotic animal/pet magazines. You may also be able to find a breeder through the newspaper or a pet store bulletin board. It is often worth the added effort to find a breeder. Most breeders specialize in a few species and can provide a wealth of knowledge on their animals. Specific care is taken to improve and strengthen bloodlines to produce healthy and well-tempered animals. The young are often socialized to humans from an early age depending on the species. Proper rest time is afforded to the parent animals between litters. Breeding is usually a hobby as well instead of a profit-driven business. Of course there are unethical breeders as well. If possible, visit the breeder and examine the conditions their animals are kept in. Ask questions about how often they breed a specific pair of animals, the weaning process, whether or not young are socialized and about the overall care and diet given. Try to contact other people who have purchased animals from your prospective breeder to see if they were satisfied or had any problems. You can also contact other hobbyists and try to get a referal to a reputable breeder.
Written by LEX Exotics
