hiya, can i just make it clear the hammy isnt mine, i was just trying to get it out of a bad situation and Lil Miss kindly offered to take her and i know shes very knowledgable on rodents, as it happens i cant do anything about her at the moment anyway ive got too much going on in my personal life, so i cant help the little hammy she will have to stay where she is for now sadly....but i would homecheck anyone who has an animal via me, and im sure Lil Miss would have no problem with that

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"If the wolf is to survive, the wolf haters must be outnumbered. They must be outshouted, out financed, and out voted. Their narrow and biased attitude must be outweighed by an attitude based on an understanding of natural processes."
L David Mech

We have doomed the Wolf not for what it is, but for what we have deliberately and mistakenly perceived it to be..the mythologized epitome of a savage, ruthless killer..which is, in reality no more than a reflexed images of ourself." -Farley Mowat

Sorry, I really feel moved to say this: that depends totally on the person in question.
I don't know this person, so maybe you are right, and its always better to be cautious, but it is a pet hate of mine to see people assume that just because someone has an above average number of animals, they don't give them individual care.

I run a rat sanctuary, and have 44 residents. Now, to a lot of people, 44 rats is just.....unthinkable (though I know other rescuers who have twice as many as me and would still agree with me on the point I'm going to make).
And I'd agree that for the average person with a full time job and kids to look after, it would be tough. Just the cleaning alone takes several hours a day. It'd be do-able, but tough.

But we're not all the same.
I only work part time, in the evenings, so I have all day free to spend with my animals. I don't have kids, will never have kids, so all the time and money I would probably be spending on human kids goes on my animals.

Every single one of my rats comes out daily, each one is individually health checked and cuddled daily, they come out for runs, every single one has a name, every single one has an individual personality that I could ramble on at you about for hours, I am acutely aware of the habits, idiosyncrasies and personality of each one. I know each one's favourite foods, what they're each going to grab for in the bowl and who is going to leave which bits.
And each one knows me.
They all have their own specific relationship with me, some adore me like a god, others see me more as an equal and a buddy or playmate, others couldn't really care whether Im there or not and just wanna do their own thing.

It does bother me to see people say things about how having more than the average number of animals means they get less care, partiularly when they have no information to suggest this is the case and are just 'speculating' because they've maybe never had that amount of animals themselves so don't really 'get' how someone can care for lots.
I've known people with 3 rats who could not look after them to the standard I do. In fact, 99% of the rescue rats I get come to me are from homes with only 3 or 4 rats, and they can't even look after them properly.
Similarly, I've known people with over 100 rats who, like me, treat them like their own kids and they want for nothing.
Numbers are not necessarily the deciding factor; commitment and love are.

Its all down to your individual lifestyle and how devoted you are.

I recently visited someone's house who had over 65 animals in their home, of a range of different species: rabbits, guinea pig, chinchillas, rats, degus etc But I kid you not, the house was immaculate, as were all the animals and the cages. They had a very strict cleaning and handling rota which was followed daily, and you really do need this level of discipline to do this right.

If I wasn't 100% committed to my rats, having a lot would quickly become very difficult. Just the spot cleaning alone takes about 1-2 hours a day, they eat their way through a big metal bin of food a week, and yes, having lots of animals does mean sacrificing things other people would not be prepared to sacrifice, as well as not always having the money to buy yourself little luxuries like a holiday or a posh frock because you'd rather put it in the vet savings fund!
But believe it or not, there are some crazy, childless weirdos like me out there who would not want it any other way

Give me my hoard of rats, even with all the vet's bills, expenses, heartache, cleaning, poo scrubbing, litter strewn everywhere and restricted social life, over 'normality' any day!

I hope one day you get to visit a crazy like me, meet the animals and see that having lots of pets is absolutely no indicator of how they're cared for.
What dictates that is how much love and time you have.
And I have a lot of both :P

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www.shadowrat.com - Rat sanctuary, rescue and welfare. Specialising in rats with behavioural issues, biters welcome!