High quality pets! This is already my second Syrian hamster from them and I just love how beautiful, friendly, healthy and curious they are. read more

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The owner was very knowledgeable and all the animals were very healthy and well cared for. The 2 rats we brought are very affectionate. We definitely recommend read more

Furball Critters - This is Jake a 6 week old dumbo rat - Pet Breeders Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

We adopted three young Dumbo rats from Furball Critters, as pets for our 10yo and our family. The experience was great. At first it felt a little overwhelming to see so many creatures in one space (breeding is a whole different ballgame from pet-owning!) but as we relaxed into the process and realized that these were clean and cared-for critters (there was amazingly little smell in the rattery), it became really fun to be there and meet the rats. Diane was patient with my son's inexperience, and explained what was needed to safely handle young rats. Once my son had selected the three that he was most in love with, each rat was given a health check to be sure there wouldn't be any surprises. I appreciated the way Diane spoke to and handled the boys (we went in planning on females, but ended up with males after finding they were calmer to handle) - and also felt really good about the adoption contract. For any kind of animal, having a breeder committed to taking them back if there's any reason they need to be rehomed speaks volumes to that breeder's integrity. Finally, it was great to see that Furball Critters uses zoo-quality food for their animals! When I realized I should have accepted the advice to purchase more than just a little of the bulk food she sells, it was fantastic to go to the website and see that I could opt to have it delivered rather than make the drive again. Our boys are healthy and so sweet; the bonding process has gone smoothly because they have lovely temperaments: confident, curious, and gentle. All in all, I highly recommend Furball Critters if you are looking for pets. read more

we got the sweetest hamster and he has brought us all so much joy! the service was professional and great tips and tricks were provided. I highly recommend. read more

Very knowledgeable and nice lady. Came the first time and I ended up pre ordering a hammy. The owner was very nice about it and just scheduled to come back and pick up the hammy when hes ready read more

Great experience! I bought a golden baby hamster a week ago. The breeder, Diane, was very responsive and took the time to answer all of my questions about hamster care. She gave me a lot of helpful advice, and her co-worker was also very friendly and kind. read more

I bought an umbrous syrian female from her about 5 months ago. I understand that the taming process for different hamsters will vary, but this hamster is extremely jumpy and gets scared at every small movement. Sometimes, I try to place my hand near my hamster (i make sure my hands do not have any food scent), but she bites me every time, drawing a lot of blood. Even when I try to hand feed my hamster, she jumps and tries to bite me instead of taking the food. At first, I was concerned that this behavior was stress induced, but I have provided ample unbroken running space (over 1000 sq in), many enrichment, a large running wheel, and thick bedding. Additionally, I have tried to take my hamster out to her playpen, but she appeared to be even more stressed when I brought her out the cage, so I have not done that ever since. I am not sure what I was doing wrong. Last month, my hamster suddenly died. I was genuinely really surprised. I had checked on my hamster daily, feeding the food the seller had provided me with (1.5 block every other day), so the death of my hamster was unexpected. This was not my first hamster, and all my past hamsters have not behaved this jumpy nor this aggressive. The life-span of this hamster was also concerningly short. I had visited this seller because I was seeking more ethical hamster breeder alternatives to big corporations like petco. However, I will be sticking to Petco from now on. read more

My class is absolutely in love with their new Syrian hamster! He is the sweetest little guy. Thank you Diane for your help picking him out! I could not recommend Furball Critters enough to anyone looking for a friendly rodent for a pet. read more

Furball Critters - Teddy enjoying a sand bath - Pet Breeders Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I know many don't see rodents as pets but I have owned fancy rats and hamsters all my life so I decided to research and get a hamster from a breeder vs the pet store chains. Diane who is the owner is absolutely lovely and knowledgeable in rats, dwarf hamsters, Syrians , ferrets and chinchillas. She helped us pick out the perfect syruan and allowed us to handle as needed to find the right one. We are in love with our little boy and would recommend her to anyone who is looking for a pet. Competitive prices and she will supply you breeder approved food pellets to make sure your furbaby is healthy. She guarantees a 30 day return policy and if you happen to get a nipper She will gladly work with you. Please make an appt via FB and schedule your visit... she responds fairly quick.... located in the Santa Cruz Mtns. read more

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Thank you so much, Diane. It was such a pleasure meeting you today and it was worth the drive. My daughter loves her new furry friend. read more

Furball Critters - Pet Breeders Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Furball Critters is run by Diane and offers you high quality and well taken care of furry friends - hamsters, rats, and chinchillas! Book your appointment on Facebook and Diane will respond generally within 24 hours to confirm. Located in the Santa Cruz mountains, it's worth the drive if you want to know more about the roots of your furry friend. Upon arrival, Diane greeted us and took appropriate covid precautions. She allowed us to peruse at all her little critters and was open to all of our questions. We were looking for Syrian hamsters and she handled each one we were interested in to a separate enclosure so that we could interact and handle them. As a first time hamster owner, Diane was informative and taught us how to pick up the hamsters gently. Diane answered all our questions about hamster care and she also sells the pellets the hamsters currently eat at a very affordable price. We chose a beautiful, golden long haired Syrian hamster who is about 6 weeks old. We can't wait until he acclimates to his new home so we can see more of his personality! Diane offered to remain in touch if any questions or concerns arise. I really appreciate the extra care and support she offers to ensure quality care of her critters. Thank you Diane! read more

I brought each of my kids here to pick out a hamster and both times we had a great experience! They got to hold a bunch of different individuals and choose one with a temperament that matched what they wanted (like more active vs. more mellow). Diane is patient and knowledgeable and I am so glad we went this route instead of a big box retailer. She also breeds rabbits, rats, and other small mammals. read more

Amazing! I got my sweet girl here. Owner was so nice and let me in super last minute to find my special fur baby! I couldn't get the best picture of my new baby because she was so camera shy! read more

Furball Critters - She's camera shy - Pet Breeders Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Highly recommend this place. Diane is very quick to respond to the appointments. She was patient to explain my daughter how to handle and take care of Hamsters. If interested in Hamsters / rats then must visit this place. read more

Furball Critters - Highly recommend! Diane is very patient and explained my daughter how to handle and take care of hamsters. - Pet Breeders Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Diane's animals are absolute breeding PERFECTION. I've been buying rats from her for years, and I've honestly never had rats like hers (and I've owned rats all my life, as I come from three generations of rat owners). Let's just say I've been around the block when it comes to rats, and Diane REALLY knows how to turn out the sweetest, cleanest, most wonderfully intelligent rattos! I also recently dipped my toes into the hamster world, and adopted two hammies from Diane as well, and let me just tell you... I am head over heels in love with these little fur babies. And... THEY. DONT. BITE. I held about ten hammies while I was there for my adoption appointment, and not a single nibble from Diane's stock. That's impressive. She also has a "no bite" guarantee or your money back. Now THAT is standing behind your breeding business. Thank you Diane, and thank you Furball Critters for bringing these little angels into my life. Diane over here is doing the Lord's work. read more

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Yes- it is possible to get a 5 star! Diane made the experience an event to remember with a beautiful destination location and a friendly welcome. We adopted a Furball or course! read more

Absolutely amazing experience. Diane was very knowledgeable and had a wide selection of furry little friends! She was very kind and helped me and my boyfriend find the sweetest baby rat! She even told us about this special food that's perfect from them. Such reasonable pricing! We will definitely keep coming back! I highly recommend Diane and her furry little critters! We brought home the most unique little baby! She's a dwarf, dumbo, rex, rat baby! And she's so sweet and gentle. so so happy with my experience!!! thank u so much Diane for everything you do!! read more

Furball Critters - Our new baby rat, Onion! - Pet Breeders Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

If you want a dwarf hamster, a fancy rat (?) or a chinchilla, skip the local pet store chain and go here instead. Diane breeds them with care (and has been doing so for 20+ years) and will spend the time with you as you get started and answer all your questions. The location is way up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but worth the trip. It's by appointment only (she runs it out of her house) so best to book a time via her FB page. Worth noting that most of the chain stores carry Syrian Hamsters which do bite, whereas the Dwarf Hamsters she breeds, as a breed, are much less likely to do so, plus she cares for them and they are accustomed to humans, so will likely only bite if startled or attacked. You can def hold them without them biting you. read more

I have owned 6 rats bred by Diane at Furball Critters, and I plan to continue getting rats from her until she quits! Every single rat I've ever gotten from her have been healthy, gentle- tempered, and whip-smart. I've included pictures of the two girls I currently have, who will each be a year old in a few weeks. She's so knowledgable and friendly, patient as I picked out each rat, and has an obvious love for what she does. I wholeheartedly recommend her for anyone looking to bring home a rat! read more

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I contacted Furball Critters after reading that hamsters are more sociable and less prone to bite if they're raised in a high-quality setting, which pet stores don't reliably source from. Diane patiently helped my son pick out a Campbell's hamster, letting him hold several of them, and assessing herself which had the best temperament for children. She even spotted one that she suspected was pregnant and took her out of the running (thank goodness)! We went home with a personable, healthy, and apparently very happy little guy who has been a great pet. Before our visit, Diane gave helpful advice about what to buy (and what not to buy) to set him up. We were able to purchase high-quality feed from her at a very low price. Her animal prices are also extremely reasonable. Overall, it was definitely worth the drive to visit Diane! Highly recommended. read more

Furball Critters - Pet Breeders Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I bought 2 rat boys just over a year ago, and while this was a while ago at the time of my appointment I had never had rats before so I was not aware of many of the extreme issues I witnessed, looking back on it, it makes me truly sick. I do not post reviews often, however this experience has stuck with me and I wanted to express to anybody looking into getting any animals from here, PLEASE look elsewhere. I don't mean to be upsetting to the owner or business but some things were truly wrong and I can't go on without trying to educate others. I scheduled an appointment in advance, and even called ahead to the owner to confirm the day of. But when I got there, she was not home and had forgotten. She said to go on with the appointment anyway and had her husband continue by himself. He knew nothing about the animals and repeatedly told us so. He picked up the baby rats by their tails MULTIPLE times (awful no no). Not to even mention the condition of the cages all the rats were in. There were many rats put into cages too small, and there was no hides. The rats were clearly terrified. When I finally brought my rats home they were so scared they did not leave their favorite hide for the first month, only leaving to get food and water and then running back in. I've finally gotten them to be comfortable being handled and sometimes they still even relapse. I'm not sure why my experience was so different from others, but until there is genuine change I can not be recommending this business to others. read more

I can't recommend this business highly enough! I arrived to get two hamsters with my daughter and 3 granddaughters in tow. Diane could not have been kinder or more patient with us all. What an amazing experience ... not only did we get to see newborn hamsters, but we found two hamsters who far exceed her "no biting" guarantee! We have had them home for less than 24 hours and both of them come out to see what's going on when we talk to them and will step calmly onto an outstretched hand to be picked up. We are completely besotted by Diane and her Breeding business. I will never go anywhere else. read more

Diane runs this little labor of love through her garage. She has lots of rats and hamsters. We made an appointment from the Facebook group and got her undivided attention for an hour! She picked 2 dwarf hamsters for us. She personally checked their health, energy level, nervousness, and aggressiveness/risk for biting thoroughly right in front of us. We have a toddler and she picked the best ones to match our needs. Not to mention that they are also adorable! It was a great experience for us and our little one. She has lots of cages, accessories, and food. The prices are very reasonable. Don't go to your local pet store, come visit furball critters instead! You won't regret it! read more

Want a great pet? Connect with Diane at Furball Critters. She is amazing. She's very quiet and reserved, but really knows her stuff and has a great sense of dry humor. We went last night to check out her various hamsters and other small mammals. She has a lot to choose from. Both my son and daughter had a lot of questions, but Diane continued to answer thoughtfully and patiently. She let the kids hold their individual hamsters as long as they wanted then helped us get them back into their cages. Another family came in, but Diane continued to give her full attention to us. We spent about 1 hour with her, talking, deciding and setting up the new cage. Diane really works hard to ensure you're taking home a friendly pet. I wouldn't waste your time at the big box stores head to Furball Critters in Santa Cruz. read more

Diane is extremely helpful and has over 20 years of breeding dwarf hamsters, and it shows! She has so many colors of hamsters to choose from, too. I went in for 1 syrian because I know they are easier to tame, but I came home with 2 (1 syrian 1 dwarf) because her dwarves were literally jumping into my hand to be held and petted. It blew my mind. And the newly born Syrian even tolerates handling. I'm so happy to have tame hamsters, and look forward to even further friendliness as I do treat taming. Her Dumbo rats were absolutely adorable as well! read more

Furball Critters - 4 week old teddy bear hamsters - Pet Breeders Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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We purchased a dumbo Rex male rat from Diane a few years ago. He was the sweetest, cutest boy who had a very expressive face and really loved being pet and scratched behind his ears. We had 2.5 years with him, and I appreciated how concerned Diane was with our treatment of him and ensuring we knew how to handle pet rats. He never grew a tumor and he merely died in his sleep after one day of not eating as much as he usually did. We've adopted rats from the shelter in the past, but our next rats will be from Diane. read more

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Licensed breeder who has different types of hamsters, chinchillas etc. All are non biting. Living in a clean habitat. Female and Male are separated. Very happy with the 3 hamsters that I got from the breeder!! The drive might be a hassle but it was definitely worth it. It is better than pet stores!! read more

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I got 2 dwarf hamsters (male) here for my two sons. One is sweet and doesn't bite. The other bit all the time (sometimes hard enough to draw blood) and died within 3 months. If I had gotten the first hamster only, this would be a 5 star review; if the second hamster only, then a 1 star review... hence the 3 stars. These are definitely better than pet store hamsters (we've had those too) so would recommend getting here than from a pet store, but be wary of the hamster you choose. read more

Upon entering, I smelled a lot of rodent urine and feces. It is understandable given how many animals there were, but stench is easily prevented if enclosures are cleaned thoroughly and regularly, indicating that some might be neglected. After, I noticed that some fully grown Syrians were kept together. Honestly, I'm just surprised that they aren't dead by now. Either way, not good. A Syrian I was looking at also tried to bite me. She's also apparently USDA licensed, but in the pandemic, the USDA have started approving backyard breeders for all sorts of animals out of sheer laziness. All in all, I wouldn't go here. read more

Diane is great! We chatted back and forth as I wanted a Syrian hamster and her babies weren't born yet. Once they were born and ready to go, we drove down. Diane was so amazing, she let us touch and hold each baby and didn't rush us at all. My 7 year old took her sweet time and picked the perfect baby hamster. The hamster is now two months old and is so sweet, she never bites and loves to be handled. read more

Great owner, great hamsters! Diane is very selective about which hamsters she sells and won't sell a hamster that doesn't have a good temperament. read more

I got a 5week old hamster there. She's healthy and full of energy. And she's not afraid of me even on the first day. Totally worth the 40 minutes driving. read more

We bought a dwarf hamster from a pet store in San Francisco that carries Furball Critters' hamsters. We are extremely happy with our new little friend. As a previous PetSmart hamster owner, I notice a drastic difference in their behavior. Our new hamster is so tame and calm vs. our hamster from PetSmart who was so freaked out about everything (he acted more like a wild critter than a pet). All in all, Furball Critters has done a great job breeding and getting these little guys ready for their new home :) read more

I got 5 beautiful, sweet, non-biting dwarf hamsters from Diane. I ended up having to give 1 back because 1 wasn't getting along with the rest. I love all of them. read more

I feel bad giving this low of a rating when it seems like the vast majority of people had a good experience with this breeder. I debated leaving a review for a long time, but I figured I should probably do it. I don't want to hurt this woman's business, but at the same time I wouldn't recommend her to a friend based on my experience. I got three rats in October 2019. One of them had very quick breathing from the first day we got him, but we thought it may have just been nerves. Not long later he died of a respiratory infection and my other two rats got respiratory infections as well. I knew that it came from the breeder and every vet I visited thought so as well. My rats had loose stool for months even with probiotics and other natural things we tried, so finally the vet looked at a stool sample and discovered they had giardia. I puzzled over this for a long time, trying to figure out where and how they could have gotten giardia. Even though I had them for quite a while before we really discovered this, I've come to the conclusion that the only way they could have gotten it is from the breeder and came home with it. I wish it ended there but unfortunately there is more. My rats are adorable and have very different personalities and looks. One of them is extremely beautiful, I have still never seen another rat with markings like his. However, he has a really bad biting problem that we have been unable to fix. He has drawn blood multiple times without warning. The other is a sweet heart and never bites, but even after a year of owning him he is still very very timid. I don't want to spread false information so I'm not going to say that this is a solid fact. However, when I went there and got my rats, it seemed like she had way too many rats for one person to be able to reasonably socialize them or handle them at all. I feel that my rats social problems are likely due to genetics and a lack of proper handling/socializing before they got to me. I don't want to hurt this woman's business during covid, but at the same time I feel irresponsible not sharing my experience. I hope that she can make some changes or has made changes since I went there. read more

USDA Licensed Class A Breeder who offers non-biting dwarf hamsters, long hair Syrian hamsters (teddy bear), and fancy rats. Rather than going to the big box pet store, we drove an hour and a half to pick out our daughter's new Campbell Dwarf hamster from her. Diane patiently helped my daughter handled a handful of dwarf hamsters before choosing the one that she wanted. Big box that we visited before wouldn't let anyone other than employees to handle the animals. Of all the hamsters that we handled, not one of them nip since they are all so tame. My daughter is head over toe for her new pet as it is already walking along her arm without having to spend time taming her. All her animals are kept in clean habitats, the male and female dwarf hamsters are in separate tanks. Her store also carries suitable cages, hideouts and some supplies for the new furry friends at reasonable prices. We feel good supporting local Bay Area business, and we are very happy getting a good pet from her. read more

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