As you could probably guess from the title in the middle of a bit of a guilt complex. Went into a local pet shop earlier today and was looking at the livestock, as you do. I noticed one of the dwarf hamsters had really large and red testicles (lovely) and was concerned because it just didn't look right. I'm not a hamster expert in any way so left him as he was and went to get advice from a local rescue. She thought that I was right to be concerned so off I went to go and get him so he could get vet treatment if he needed it. By the time I got back to the shop little poorly hamster had disappeared from the cage even though they were saying that none had been sold that day.

Apparently this particular shop has been reported to the RSPCA before for selling sick animals so now I'm feeling guilty that I didn't pick him up when I was in their the first time. I will be going back in a couple of days to see if he has suddenly reappeared and if he does he will definitely be coming away with me even if I have to throw a tantrum to get him out of there. Poor little man needs the help he deserves.

I wish that pet shops weren't allowed to sell animals anymore, none seem to care about them at all they just see them as 'stock' not living creatures

I ended up with my latest hamster Loki because I'd seen him in a pet shop and he had a gunky eye, took him to the vets and it turned out he must have had a fight with the other hamsters he was with and they had burst his eye ball The pet shop hadn't got treatment for him so it could have got infected.
My vet was furious and she reported them.

Try not to feel guilty, hopefully they have just taken him away to get some treatment.

Perhaps you could call up and say you were in earlier and had seen a little dwarf hamster and you've now decided you want to buy him so could they let you know if he's still there and can you reserve him.
They dont know you're the same person who had already asked about him right, so if he's still there then you can have him
That's what I'd do.

Aww thanks hun...I'll bare that in mind because I will definitely be going back on Saturday to have a look again. I help out a local animal rescue so I had checked with them first that they would be able to take him when they had space (i would foster him untill then) but by that time he had disappeared.

I'm learning alot while helping the rescue but unfortunately hamsters have been 1 of the things I haven't had much to do with yet.

Will keep you up-dated about Saturday.

Thanks again for the support.