Without the health of the animal is in danger, the empire is in danger. Nonsense, says the Hoogeveense. “The animal lives inside, so the argument of the climate is incorrect and with a good cage the hamster can dig well or find a sheltered place.”
When asked whether the animal could be dangerous for humans, Stoevelaar is clear: “I have never seen any of a Russian dwarf hamster strike anyone.”
In July 2024 the government came up with a stricter pets list for mammals. First 320 different species were allowed to have at home, but the number was reduced to 30.
Chinchillas, meerkats and Russian dwarf hamsters were forbidden. On the other hand, water buffalo, dogs or cats and Chinese dwarf hamsters can have at home.
For example, why a distinction has been made between different types of hamsters is a mystery for Stoevelaar. “The Chinese variant is allowed and the Goudhamster too, why it is? I’ve been asking for a year, but I don’t get any answers.”
People who already bought a pet before the start of the stricter rules, which is now forbidden, can keep the beast as long as it lives. Do you or do you want a fish, reptile, amphibian or bird? Then you don’t have to worry. No lists have been set for this.
The sale of the Russian dwarf hamster is forbidden in the Netherlands, but you can still get the pet across the border. “There is just a black market here. Where it stops I wonder,” says Stoevelaar.
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