To tell my friend I don't want her "birthday gift"?

[harrietbarrier33]

Three weeks ago my friend asked me to look after her 2 hamsters whilst her house was being decorated.
I have never had hamsters and I don't really like them but she was desperate for someone to look after them so I said yes.
When she has asked how they are I have been positive "oh they are fine don't worry we are getting on great" etc etc
Today is my birthday ..she rings me
As my gift to you I'm letting you keep the hamsters ...
So I said "oh no don't be silly,I've enjoyed having them but they belong to you"
She replied .."no no I insist ..."
I don't want them
Aibu to say no ?
I think she just can't be arsed with them anymore tbh

Message to cf:

"Good gawd no cf. Way too much work and mess to be dealing with on a regular basis!!!"

This really made me chuckle and reminded me of my dad getting rid of my gerbils when I was about 12. He advertised them and when a guy and his son came to check them out, there were about 10 multi generation inbred gerbils in a huge glass tank, my dad just said 'right! you grab the other end' and made the guy carry them out the house.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it but if, by a certain someone's dickheadery, you end up stuck with them - pets at home stores take small animals for re-adoption.

Ynbu
But if it was me I would take them to a shelter, not give them back to somebody who clearly doesn’t care abou them

OP if you are in a 50-100 mile radius of Northamptonshire I’ll take the poor babies x

OP that's the dogs bollox of shit presents
Take them to her
You don't want them
End of

@LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood so sorry to hear about your wee hammy, I do love our wee furries. We're currently hamster-less since the last one died and DH gets too upset when they die. He hasn't thrown the cage out tho...
Anyway @harrietbarrier33 I appreciate you're not a hamster person, but please consider rehoming them privately or finding a small animal rescue to take them in.
Your so called horror of a friend clearly doesn't give a crap about them or you for that matter. They are lovely wee creatures who need a home they're wanted.

If you're in Scotland, above the central belt, I'll take them.
DH moans about my taking in all manner of waifs and strays. He forgets he's the biggest one I've taken in

Good for you, OP. Drop them off, and tell her (if you're feeling cheeky), "Thanks for thinking of me on my birthday, but they really don't fit well, and the colors are SO bad on me!"

Bloody cheeky cow!

Please don't take the poor things back, she'll abandon them - get in touch with these people, and then never speak to her again - www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/support-adoption-for-pets

I think she definitely deserves a CF award with this one!

My advice is don't make an excuse like it's not fair on the hamsters because she will twist it and say "They're fine". Just tell her straight that you can't keep them any longer and drop them off.

"I got on great with your hamsters for the short time I had them but now I've had enough and I'm not looking for a new pet right now, so here they are!"

If you're in Beds/Herts and feel like adopting them after all OP then I have an enormous hamster cage going spare (after our last hammie died at Christmas, just to round off 2020 in style). I bet your CF friend's got them in a tiny one.

@Wheresmykimchi yes but as long as their cage is clean and they’re fed they really won’t give a shit about the OPs friend not caring about them i promise you. Don’t lose sleep over it now

[quote littlepattilou]@harrietbarrier33 That's so crazy that it's actually funny!

If she won't have them back, see if the pet shop may have them. I would tell them why you're taking them there though, and give your 'friend's' name and address. The RSPCA may want to pay her a visit.

Sounds like they are better off without her tbh.

What a cheek![/quote]
This might work. Pets@Home offer "pre-loved" pets for a donation to an animal charity, but I'm not sure if you can go to them direct, or if you have to go via a rescue.

Can we have an update please OP. Have you spoken to your friend?

Are the hamsters living together in the same cage? Probably not a good idea if so! And YANBU.

WildfirePonie makes a good point about them sharing a cage; they are solitary creatures by habit. Unless they are littermates, they tend to fight if same sex, or fight and have babies if opposite sex.
My first pet was a hamster, they're lovely little creatures, but like any living thing, they need care.
It sounds as if your friend has reached the stage of the novelty wearing off with a pet, which is annoying in a child (as any mum who has ended up doing the grunt work when all the sincerely meant promises fail, will testify) but quite unacceptable in a grown woman.

Are you anywhere in the South East? I know someone who recently lost their hamster and would love to have them.

Please don't give the hamster back to your so called friend as she clearly isn't a responsible pet owner. If you can re-home the hamster through a rescue that would be better.

@acatcalledjohn - why should it be up to the OP to find a suitable home for these hamsters? The CF friend should be the one to find a new suitable home for these hamsters or return them to a pet store (I don't know if this is something that pet shops can facilitate)...

@harrietbarrier33 - I hope you manage to return these hamsters to the CF.

I agree it should be up to the friend to find the hamsters a home but the friend doesn't seem to care that much about them so for the sake of the animals OP might want to do it

Or perhaps find a local rescue and point her in that direction eg I don't want your hamsters and if you don't either I suggest you take them to this rescue

I'd make her pick them up from you too tbh!

Why did you even have them? It sounds like she gave them to you because she didn't want them in the first place

PS I also want an update

@LookItsMeAgain, you are ultimately right, and I agree with Alice. I absolutely don't think it's the OP's responsibility, but for the sake of the animal I would not give the hamster back to the "friend".

Pets at Home have an adoption programme, or they certainly used to. I don't know if that has been impacted by COVID at all.