I hate my new pet..what can I do?

So give it away.

@faye I can’t. I’d make my mom mad and hear about it for weeks.

If you have that kind of attitude towards it, better to tell your mom and have her get rid of it than to have you ignore it, or worse, be mean to it because you hate it.

Tell your Mom several times each day how much you hate it and maybe she’ll get rid of it just to make you stop.

Just tell them you’re not happy with….I forget it’s name, oh yeah “little shit!” Give it to someone who can look after it & appreciate it. So what if they get mad at you, seems like the lesser of two evils to me. Besides, I reckon the hamster & you both would benefit.Poor ickle shit! :¬)

@chyna I wouldn’t neglect it or hurt it. I’d give it what it would need, but I wouldn’t have an attachment to it.

You said “get that little shit away from me.” What else am I supposed to think? But I really think you need to tell your mom you don’t want it. If you aren’t going to give it any more attention than you would a house plant, at least think of the animal. He/she deserves attention and love.

Return it to the pet shop and tell them you do not wish a refund. This will ensure that they take the pet back.

The pet deserves to be with a companion that appreciates it.

Animals sense human emotion. This animal deserves to be with someone emotionally ready to care about and for it.

You need to be mature enough to put the pet first and do what is best for it.

You also need to be mature enough to tell your mother that the grieving process cannot be ended by simply tossing in a replacement.

I went to go look at it and it’s cute. I don’t “hate” it, but I’m not sure about it? My mom says it’s going to take some time to get used to the change. :/

If you just play with it and give it attention it will come to love you and someday you will never be able to imagine life without it ;)

By the way, Sylvia is a kick ass name for a pet. I love human names for pets.

It is not Sylvia. This is not the right time in your life and maybe a hamster is no replacement for an opossum anyway. Hamsters are a bit dull. But it is a pet and deserved to be loved by someone. Do it a favor, give it that chance. Return it if you can’t love it as others have suggested and wait until you are ready. Even then there will be a hole in your heart for Sylvia, but a new pet-love will give you a new happiness. You will know who you need and when you will need him or her.

I loved my Jacky like you loved Sylvia. 2 years later I still cry when I think of him [after smiling at the memories]. His sister Jilly is still alive and we console each other . I love her too, very much, but she is different, more aloof—he was intensely loving and giving and needy all at once. I was closer to him than any other critter in my whole life and he to me. Still Jill and I grow closer as we miss him together. She is terribly, terribly important to me. She now sleeps between my legs or on my chest instead of in the “ring” with her brother.

Take good care of your pet and give yourself more time to appreciate it for what it is, instead of resenting it for what it is not. The process may be helpful to you in the long run. If you don’t warm up to it, discuss it with your mom and find it a new home.

Based on what you’ve said so far, I think you’re still mourning the loss of Sylvia, which is perfectly natural. When some people lose a pet, they are able to go right out and get another one, which distracts them and helps them cope. Other people cannot even fathom having another pet because they feel the loss so greatly. Both ways are perfectly fine and normal.

Change can be startling and unpleasant at first. Having an opossum as a pet is really cool, by the way. Certainly, a hamster is not an opossum. However, hamsters are really cute and can be quite funny if you get to know them. Before rejecting Hammy outright, I think your mom is correct in this instance. Give it a little time, a little getting used to. Some hamsters are super cool and friendly and like hanging out with their owners and being handled. The more you interact with Hammy, the better chance you will have that s/he will be one of these awesome hamsters.

If you’re not feeling it in a week, let your mom know. It’s better that Hammy be with someone who loves his/her company and will give him/her the best treatment.

The same thing happened to me! I had a parakeet for 12 years and when he died it tore me up. My hubby and kids got me a new one and I didn’t like it. A few weeks later they got me a different one and now my daughter has 2 parakeets. Just explain it to your mom the way you explained it to us. As a mom myself, I’d rather know if you didn’t like it than have you hate the poor little guy! If I could I’d take it! I’ve always wanted a teddy bear hamster!

We’ve had hamsters and enjoyed them. It may be too soon, for you, though. The hamster is much smaller than Sylvia. It will be different to cuddle her, I’m sure. Be sure to have clean hands. . .I learned that after having a peanut butter sandwich, one of ours nipped my finger! They take some care. They hoard food. So, the cage needs to be cleaned, not only for droppings and wet wood shavings, but also hoarded food that could spoil and make it sick. The exercise ball that you can get are a crack up! The hamster goes inside and runs and makes the ball roll. Ours could turn corners, on purpose! One would even roll up and hit our sleeping cat! It knew it was safe! Then would turn and roll the ball way, leaving the cat looking really dumbfounded! We’d hang a curled Frito corn chip on one of the bars across the top of the cage and watch ours go after it! It would climb up the side and cross the bars, pretty cute. They are darling when they’re curled up asleep, and when they’re on their back in the palm of your hand. You have to be gentle, they’re small and soft. I never had a teddy bear one, but always thought they were the cutest, School is starting, maybe your Mom would let you give it to a class room, for all they kids to enjoy.

There are groups, your vet can tell you about, of all ages, of people who have lost a loved pet and are missing it terribly. It can be very comforting to share with people who understand. I bet your Mom, or someone else in the family could go with you, if you wouldn’t want to go alone. Our society does give people much time to grieve a loss like losing Sylvia. She was lucky to be so loved by you. I’m new to Fluther. I think that’s so great you wrote your question and asked for help.

If you do end up keeping the hamster, some things to keep in mind. Maybe it is a good thing not to get too attached to it. Hamsters do not live long, typically about 2 years. In the wild, hamsters are strictly solitary creatures. It may enjoy interacting with you, but it tolerates its own company very well.