The importance of buying from a breeder

[Marie]

I'm finding it quite alarming that there are various shops and brokers advertising suggies for 75 quid each, beacause apparently thats the market value!  They talk about them like they're nothing more than a commodity!  Glider prices need to stay high because they're NOT hamsters, you can't just throw a handful of rodent (or bird) mix in the cage and be done with it!  They need specialist care and these people are encouraging anyone to buy them just to line thier own pockets!! 

Before buying suggies from this type of person, consider this, I wouldn't sell my suggies to these people (I've turned away 3 different people) despite the fact I do have 'spares', I keep them myself rather than they sell them to an unknown, uninformed person.  They cannot give the same sort of advice an experienced breeder can, they don't 'care' about the animals, all they're interested in is money, money, bloody money!!  You have no assurance that they feed a good diet never mind an optimum diet, look at how many shops have a cage with suggies and a bowl of rodent mix in there! 

You have no idea who the breeder is, the conditions the parents are kept, the diet they're fed which is important to the 'quality' of the animals.  You don't know if they've been handled, you basically have no idea what you're getting; unless of course they'd tell porky pies ... anthing for the $$$!!

They will of course sell singles!!!!       

From a breeder, I'm not saying everything will be perfect, but if the person is genuine, they will offer good, sound advice, will socialise with their animals, feed a good diet, keep them as pets rather than a way to make money, be bothered about who buys them and they'll offer after care.

[jaina_organasolo]

I totally agree with you.

it's the same story with Chinchillas - although you will pay more usually for a "pet shop" Chinchilla than you will for a "pet quality" Chinchilla from a breeder ( my boys are both pedigree from good lines and they cost less than the pet shop would charge me).

As you know; the pet shop near me has them for £375 and there idea of care is to stick a book on suggies to the cage.  although since I complained to the RSPCA, they have Finally! been getting fresh fruit in their diet.

The advantage of having a breeder to turn to is vital! I had looked after Chins for two years previously before getting my boys' but it doesn't prepare you. Every time I panic about something, I contact the breeder who is always there should I need guidance or reassurance. I don't feel daft if I ask him questions that I would feel too stupid to post on forums. He is a life-line for me and my Chins and if not, I have a supportive network in Chin forums with lots of breeders to ask.

If (hopefully when!) I can get some gliders, I would only buy from a breeder and only buy from one I would trust!

[Marie]

Good on you.  As if the influx of hobby breeders isn't bad enough, but now we have some people selling them for 75 quid to all and sundry, it makes me mad, soooo irresponsible!

[roxyandboys]

This is more than just a sugar and chin problem - you only need look at the re-homing/pet sale websites to see the affect "hobby breeders" is having there are hundreds and hundreds of unwanted, badly looked after, poorly little critters of all shapes from tiny mice upwards.  If there were less people breeding there would be less unwanted animals, also, their is a misconception that there is money to made in breeding animals.  Normally the cost of caring "properly" for your pets far outweighs the actual cash you'd get for any babes, this of course leads to people having animals they do not "care" for so that they increase the profit they make on the babies.  I've seen a "hobby breeder" keeeping hamsters in plastic containers in the garden shed along with 40 rats all lumped into a 3 foot cage with no bedding or toys so that they could breed from them, that garden shed was beside about 20 tiny rabbit hutches housing 2-3 rabbits of guinea pigs each who were all having babies, and next to that was 3 chicken coop style things housing 3-4 pedigree cats each who were all there to be baby making equipment, inside were 3 mothers at various stages of looking after kittens.  awful, don't even get me started on it!

[Marie]

I had someone contact me a while ago now just enquiring about suggie goodies, but a friend of a friend of this person phoned us up begging NOT to sell this person suggies.  He apparently said they're just to make money, and he can't be bothered with a proper diet.  This peron didn't get any suggies from me but s/he did buy a load of dietary items which is a step in the right direction.  I just pity those poor animals when he discovers that there is no profit to be made!!

[roxyandboys]

that is where the problems come from when these little ones dont give the owner the profit they were hoping for - they get sub-standard care, eventually becoming neglected/abused because the person loses interest.  All that being said ther are some hobby breeders who are very responsible and caring, i never planned on breeding anything but have ended up taking on a pair of degus and a pair of chins who will have babes as well as now having two females suggies who can also have babes, but they are first and foremost my much loved pets and i certainly wont be popping their babes in the local freead papers for £70 a pop!!  I've seen several people asking for "free or very cheap" sugars for "adopting" - i wonder of they cannot afford the intial cost of a suggie how they will afford the ongoing costs and god forbid they need a vet consult!  When i rescued the little stray kitten i found afew weeks back the consult and drugs needed set me back over £90 - just for a small bag of fluffy bones - but, well worth every penny when i see him being a proper healthy little kittie now!