PetSmart Class Action Says Hamster Homes Are Defective

A recent PetSmart class action claims that the store’s hamster homes are defective, making them unsafe and dangerous for pets.

PetSmart is one of many pet stores in America. Consumers can come to the store for pet food, toys, treats, and even for purchasing animals such as cats, fish, reptiles, and hamsters. PetSmart also sells supplies for these animals.

One type of hamster cages sold by PetSmart is the All Living Things Tiny Tales Small Pet Habitats. These hamster homes come in a variety of “styles,” including Comfy House, Country Barn, Barn Silo, Rocket Ship, Amusement Park, Castle, Castle Turret, Race Car, Clubhouse, and Playground.

The hamster homes have a primary area as well as options to add additional attachments, connected to the main area by transport tubes.

Although these products are portrayed as safe, a recent PetSmart class action claims that hamsters can chew through the lip of connected transport tubes.

Hamsters are notorious chewers and are in fact required to vigorously chew items in order to maintain their continuously growing teeth. This habit allegedly makes it likely that they will chew through the plastic of the cage – allowing them to escape. Additionally, the ingestion of the plastic can reportedly make hamsters sick.

“Despite Defendant’s self-proclaimed expertise concerning pets and pet care, the Tiny Tales Homes contain a critical defect, which renders them unsafe and dangerous to the very animals they are intended to house safely and securely,” the PetSmart class action lawsuit claims. “As a result, the Tiny Tales Homes are worthless.”

Plaintiff Todd Carpenter reportedly purchased four Tiny Tales Homes for his children as Christmas presents. Carpenter allegedly connected two of the habitats together to make a larger habitat and did the same for the other two, allowing the two hamsters to live in larger homes.

Unfortunately, both hamsters allegedly chewed apart numerous connectors in both of their habitats. This reportedly dislodged the transport tubes and allowed the hamsters to escape, leaving Carpenter’s children “completely devastated and deeply saddened.”

According to the PetSmart class action, numerous consumers have left reviews about their own similar experiences on PetSmart’s website.

Due to these reports and common sense, PetSmart allegedly knew that their products could pose a hazard for small rodents.

Although the Tiny Tales Habitats are advertised as being appropriate for rodents, the PetSmart rodent care website reportedly urges consumers to “choose a habitat with a solid bottom or go for a glass aquarium tank with a well-ventilated wire mesh top” because of hamsters’ chewing habits.

Carpenter seeks to represent a Class of consumers who purchased Tiny Tales Homes from PetSmart. He also seeks to represent a Class of the same consumers from California.

The PetSmart class action lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, monetary damages, punitive damages, restitution, disgorgement, interest, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

Have you purchased a Tiny Tales Homes hamster habitat? Did your rodent chew through components of the habitat? Share your personal experiences in the comment section below!

Carpenter and the proposed Class are represented by Christopher D. Moon and Kevin O. Moon of Moon Law APC.

The PetSmart Hamster Home Class Action Lawsuit is Carpenter v. PetSmart Inc., Case No. 3:19-cv-01731-CAB-LL, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

UPDATE: On March 2, 2020, claims in a PetSmart rodent cage class action were trimmed by a California judge who ruled that the plaintiff cannot bring nationwide allegations.

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