#pocketpetcare

When I was asked to start blogging, I panicked! Blogging is something I haven’t done in over twenty years, and I froze. What topic do I choose? How do I personally use social media? What am I passionate about? What social media platforms do I use most?

The ideas swirled in my head but I couldn’t get anything to stick. Then, as I was cleaning my hamster cage, it came to me! Where have I learned all my knowledge on taking care of my many pocket animals?! Social Media! I heavily rely on Facebook groups, X, and TIkTok videos to learn how to properly care for the animals that are so often neglected. 

If we rewind about nine months, I fell in love with the sweetest little hamster at PetSmart and I couldn’t leave without her. I brought her home with my freshly purchased Facebook Marketplace castle cage and I couldn’t wait to watch her explore…And then it was nighttime. I had totally forgotten about how hamsters had always kept me up at night, constantly gnawing on the bars and running on their squeaky wheels. My dogs looked up at me in dismay and I knew something needed to change. There I sat, in my dark bedroom, at 1:30 a.m. googling why my newest friend would be behaving this way.

My Google search led me to the one place I never expected, Facebook Groups. I had always been critical of Facebook groups and/or pages, as I thought many people would join and share opinions, not facts. Over the past couple of years, I really learned to dislike Facebook. I’m well aware that the platform is different for every individual, but I noticed the negativity was taking a toll on my mental health. X, where I had spent many years tweeting with my favourite Boy Bands, had changed and I felt no one was being held accountable for the opinions/information they put on either platform. 

So obviously I was ridiculously surprised – the more small animal groups I found and joined, the more I realized the information was pretty consistent throughout. My tiny friend, now named Daisy, wasn’t in her ideal environment at all! Here I was, thinking she was The Queen in her pink and purple castle, when in reality she was a prisoner trapped within the four barred walls. According to the Facebook Group Syrian Hamster Care, Daisy would require a minimum 40-gallon tank and a 12-inch wheel. Not only that, it was highly recommended that I enrich her space with many different boredom breakers.

How could I have so many misconceptions about owning a hamster?

As I mentioned earlier, I never considered that the majority of my education would come from these Facebook groups or X, but it has truly impacted Daisy’s quality of life…. And my ability to sleep. 

Keep your critical thinking caps on friends!

Have you ever searched the internet for better pocket pet care?