Bearded dragons? Hamsters? Anyone have either for a pet??

[JESW]

DS10 has been asking for a lizard for forever and now he keeps hounding us about getting him a bearded lizard. On saturday we went over to Pet Smart and had a very friendly and informative employee talk with him and give him an information pamphlet. The store has several young lizards that are ready to go. DS has been reading the pamphlet all weekend and keeps asking when he can get one. Ugh. Silly me thought they stayed that small (about 5") but nooooooo, they grow to over two feet! I have been told by several people they make great pets but I wanted to see if anyone on the DIS has any experience with them...

And then DD6 wants a hamster. She wants a pet she can hold and "play" with. We have two 17 year old cats who basically just eat and sleep and run away when the kids get too close. And the 10 birds, well, they aren't much on the cuddling.. Are hamsters good pets? High maintenence?? Good for kids?

Did I mention that one of my female parakeets is sitting on SEVEN eggs and they could start hatching this week?? I think I am running a zoo here...

Jill

 

[Serena]

I don't have a bearded dragon, but my kids were the same way, they really wanted one.
There is a lot of information online and at the library. From what I hear they are a great pet, but I would really look at the food requirements before getting one.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Having been a hamster owner as well as a rattie mama many times over, I can honestly say that rats are a better choice for young children than hamsters. Rats are diurnal, which means they are awake during hte day and sleep at night. Hamsters, on the other hand, are nocturnal which means they'll keep you up all night running on their wheel and generally being annoying.

Hamsters, unfortunately, also are sort of nearsighted and they will bite first and ask questions later in some cases.


While both are fairly low-maitenance pets with cleaning out the cage weekly being the biggest hassle, they both make fairly good pets for children. Though honestly, I would suggest getting a rat as a first pet because I've owned both and rats are my favorite of the two.

TOV

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

Hamsters. Yuck! Didn't have any luck with these (as a child) or gerbils (when my kids were little). Hint: don't put 2 hamsters or gerbils in the same cage. I woke up one morning to the sight of my 2 daughters peering into the cage, trying to decide who owned the one left alive. The little rats did not like to be handled and the sound of the exercise wheel - gerbils running to nowhere - just made me feel guilty.

I've heard guinea pigs are a lot more fun to hold, but I'm not sure about that.

 

[pixiedust23]

I had mice, hamsters, lobsters, fish, dogs, sea monkeys, etc. Just call our house the zoo! I def do reccomend hamsters as a pet, however be careful what kind you buy. The russian/siberian type can be very aggresive and is much more prone to bite your little fingers. I had a couple different teddy bear hamsters and never got bit once. They are fun to play with, you can buy balls to put them in and then they can run all over your house. Just make sure your children are prepared to clean the cage once a week, that was our downfall we never wanted to clean it but our parents forced us to do it anyway of course. (dont worry we ran a clean and humane zoo)

 

[hiwaygal]

I used to have hamsters when I was younger...every single one I had bit me! It got to the point that I was afraid to take them out of the cage to clean them for fear of them biting me! (remember, I was LITTLE! LOL!)

When I was in college, I got a guinea pig...and I liked her LOTS better than the hamsters! She never bit me, would "talk" to me, I even got her a little leash so I could let her play a bit in the yard. They also don't try to escape like hamsters do!! They don't use those little wheels (so no noise at night)...I just think they are a better pet than a hamster (especially if a child wants to "hold and cuddle").

And, just because I've got this chance...see if you can find one that someone has given up for adoption! Check out the local vet's office and see if someone wants to give one to a good home...There are so many pets out there that need good homes!

 

[minkydog]

Just say no to hamsters. EVery hamster we ever had was a vicious biter.They are loners and very territorial. On the other hand we have raised over 100 gerbils and found they make wonderful small,cuddly pets for young people. My DD12 has been raising them snice she was 5.Like reptiles, small rodents can carry salmonella so whatever you get, teach your child to wash hands and not to kiss the pet.

Gerbils are communal animals.They thrive best in groups. However, you must get gerbils from the same litter or they will fight. It doesn't matter if you have same sex or opposite sex(just understand that they can breed every 30 days!) And if you separate them for even a week, they will forget about each other. They sleep a lot and play mostly in the evening. Since they are desert animals their urine is minimal and their stools are fairly dry, which means little smell. we change the litter about once a week. Right now we have "Ed" and her handicapped son "Special(Ed)". I know, that's pretty sick. (We have several disabled family members so we have a bit of twisted sense of humor--no flames needed.)

PM me if you have specific questions about gerbils. my DD12 is a gerbil expert and she cn tell you anyhthing you might want to know. We love our gerbils!

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

My DS got a hamster when he was 10. He will be 12 next month. Well, I gave in to him and her name is Hammie . . .he really really wanted her . . .well that lasted about 2 weeks . . .now Hammie lives downstairs with me . . .I feed her, clean her, talk to her . . .hold her . . .she is a really nice girl.

There were several hamsters at the pet store but the person who helped us pick one put his hand in each cage . . .most of the hamsters squealed or made angry noises, except for Hammie. Hammie is probably the exception to the rule, she is friendly and gentle.

If you are going to get a hamster, make sure it is friendly. After Hammie passes on, I'm done with little fur babies.

I have no experience with lizards . . ..

 

[DrCavin]

We have a hamster & he will bite on a rare ocasion. It is not a very painful bite, but does wake you up a bit.... My kids don't seem to mind when if they get bit.. Maintenace is simply cleaning the cage & food/water changes.

Our cats just sit & watch the hamster in the cage. We had the hamster in my DD's room, for about 2 days and she didn't like him making noise at night so hamster now resides in the den...

 

[ashjohnson80]

I must have had really good luck with my hamsters! I've had two, Rocco was a long haired hamster who lived 3 years and never bit me and was very gentil. I now have a short haired hamster named Napoleon and I've only had him about 2 months and he is also very tame and gentil and hasn't bitten me yet. He also stays awake more than Rocco did. He wakes up about 7 pm at night and doesn't mind us watching him or picking him up or anything.

But if you get one be careful of wet tail! Napoleon got this when we first brought him home. Its best not to handle them for a couple of days to let them get used to their environment. He had to go back to petsmart for a little over a week to get cured. But they could die from it so its best to get it taken care of.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I must have good luck w/ my hamster too. I have had him since last Oct. and have only been bitten twice, and it was when we first got him.

I love my hammie. He's precious!

 

[OK!]

Wow, I guess I also must've lucked out with my hamsters--I owned a total of 6-7 (not all at once) and never once had any of them make so much as a threatening move toward me, let alone bite me, and I picked them all up and held them, played with them, etc., quite a bit. I never had any problems with their exhibiting aggression toward each other, either, and I don't think I ever got any of them at the same time as each other (so they weren't being friendly because they already knew each other from the store). I also had long- and short-haired ones that lived together with no problems. Never had to deal with babies because after the first hamster, Herbie, showed me how to differentiate between males and females, I always made sure only to get males. (long story short--after I got him back to my sorority house, I called the pet store back because I thought there might be something wrong with him, as he looked radically different than he had when I bought him. The guy I spoke to said, "Back by his tail, is he, uh, REAL SWOLLEN?" I said, "Well, yeah," and he said, "Well, ma'am, that's a male!!" Oh. I then felt like an idiot for having called, but geez, I certainly hadn't expected Herbie to just fling his business out there for all the world to see!)

 

[bballmom56]

Yes, Bearded Dragon owners here! We have one that was given to DS about 4 years ago. She was supposed to be 4 years old when we got her so that would make her 8 now which is somewhat old from what I understand. Well, all this time we thought George (that was the name she came with) was a boy. Last month she laid 13 eggs for the first time! So now she is Georgette. They do make very good pets, they are not aggressive. There is a LOT to learn about them and I just found a very good discussion board at www.beardeddragon.org/bjive/ You can find all kinds of information and get questions answered there. Good luck!!

 

[sunni]

I recommend that you find a vet and sit down with them before getting a new pet. It is worth paying them for their time, they aren't trying to sell you something or convince you their pet is the best, so they are more objective. We have had discussions with our vet when considering new pets, including bearded dragons (and of the lizards, they would be my choice). Also, IMO it's an unusual child that keeps their end of the bargain to clean the cage, etc., without being nagged or mom having to do it. Be sure YOU are willing to take all responsibility if necessary, not just financial responsibility.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Our "hammie" just passed away...Her name was Sugar. She was a sweetie. Never bit or was scared of my dd. She did sometimes nibble if you were not careful to wash food off your fingers before handling.
Even DH liked her.
One of the secrets we used was to leave her alone when we got her That way she would get used to her new surroundings, almost 2 weeks. Gradually handle her. Also give her "wet tail" meds in her water.

Now cleaning the cage is a different story. That will rest with you. It needs to be done 2 times a week for a nice smelling cage. If you are not up for that I would say might want to wait on the hamster for the 6yo.

As far as the dragon, I know reptiles are not recommended for children. (Must wash hands before and after handling & particular requirements for proper care.) There is a risk of salmonella poisoning. I don't know if I would let my kid be responsible for cleaning a reptile cage.