Let’s face it. Even Kyiv can get a little lonely sometimes, even for the most popular among us. So if your are looking for a little companionship, but are too shy or too broke to call one of the many escort services advertised in the back of the Post, why not invest in a low-maintenance, inexpensive and warm companion – like a hamster.
It is tempting to rush into a newly remonted pet store and purchase the latest rodent equipment from Poland, but we suggest taking a more personal approach. There is a place where you can leisurely stroll along rows of rodent stalls and comparison shop. It’s Kyiv’s largest animal bazaar, the Ptichy rynok.
Don’t let the name fool you. While a bird market suggests the availability of only feathered, two-legged friends, this market in the Kurenivsky district has plenty of the fur-laden, four-legged types. It is here where love can be found in the many stalls of domestic animals yearning to be snatched up and taken home.
But how to choose? What are some of the qualities a potential hamster owner should look for? Is it in the fur or the personality? Fortunately, hamsters go cheap at the bird market, so you can pick up a pair for less than Hr 10 and begin breeding your own family of rodents. A wide selection of breeds, colors, sizes and smells is available, so why settle for just one?
Test driving the animals for friendliness and compatibility can be done at some of the stalls, so you can get to know the creature before taking him in your love slave. A complete setup, animal, cage, food, water bottle, food bowl and shavings will set you back about Hr 50-Hr 80, depending on how many hamsters you need and how big you want the cage to be. This compared to the higher prices of the pet stores in town, where a setup could run you closer to Hr 150 and up, is a bargain in any pet lover’s eyes.
If, after selecting a your four-legged friend, you still think you will have hours to waste away care giving, there are plenty of other options. A wide assortment of dogs, cats, turtles, parakeets, and fish is on sale, purebreds and mutts alike. In fact, anything you can think of is here: food, leashes, cages, fish tanks, cat toys and even a few turkeys. But if you are hoping to stick to the rodent family, you might want to check out the pet squirrel department. Reptile enthusiast can choose from snakes and turtles and lizards, and can find their required nutrients across the isle in the mouse department.
