Hamsters, Chinchillas, etc.

[Bichon Barb]

My 12 year old son has been wanting a critter for some time now. After two really good report cards, we are thinking about giving in.

Both DH and I grew up with guinea pigs, but I don't want to go with something that big (and messy). Anyone have any experience and recommendations? He's a good, responsible kid, so I know he'll take good care of whatever we get. We will have to put the cage in a good, high spot because I don't trust our nosy female Bichon.

So, hamster? Gerbil? Chinchilla? Dwarf bunny????

 

[freckles and boo]

I have heard that gerbils, while not as cute as hamsters, are not as aggressive as hamsters either.

 

[powellrj]

I have heard that gerbils, while not as cute as hamsters, are not as aggressive as hamsters either.

This may sound like a stupid question, but have hamsters just gotten aggressive? We had them when I was a kid and they were so sweet. We would carry them around with us. They use to stay in my DMs bathrobe pocket and she would carry them around with her all day! I remember taking them out and playing with them.

The last few we have had were so aggressive we had a hard time even cleaning the cage, let alone taking them out to play.

I have always heard rats are great pets, I know when the kids were in daycare, they always had pet rats, but I have a hard time getting past the whole tale thing.

 

[Forevryoung]

My best friend has chinchillas so if you want, PM me and I'll get you two in contact (she's not a Dis'er but her husband is a CM and the two of them are obsessed if it matters )

What I do know:

You "shouldn't" just have one chinchilla because they are extremely social animals.

They require huge (tall) elaborate cages to stay healthy. They need that height to run around and play. Think of a very tall guinea pig cage. I also think that they poop a lot. My best friend is always vaccuming out their cages and the carpet around them (she has 2 females and 2 males in 2 different cages)

However, they ARE cute, very soft, and enjoy being held and played with!

 

[Bichon Barb]

I think he'd want something he could hold. I just looked up chinchilla on wikipedia, and it says they are skittish. Too bad. They are so darned cute!



Domestic chinchillas can be kept as pets. Chinchillas are naturally skittish and are nocturnal, thus mostly active for play in the evening. They also have delicate bones and generally do not like to be held. Because of this they are not considered to be good pets for small children. However, Chinchillas can also be very friendly animals, making them excellent pets if their trust is earned by the owner. Also, unlike other small domestic rodents,[citation needed] chinchillas' excretions are easy to clean up because of their small, dry nature.

Captive chinchillas commonly live 15 years, but some have been known to live up to 20 or more.[13]

Chinchillas make many noises, including barks, chirps, and squeaks. They use this variety of vocalisations to express themselves, from a calm, loving chirp given to a potential mate to a loud, aggressive bark when spooked.[14] Since they are active at night, it is not uncommon for them to vocalize in the early hours of the morning.

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Please help improve this article by removing or rewriting the how-to content, which may qualify for a move to Wikibooks.

Chinchillas can be housed with others of the same sex, as long as they do not fight. Fighting or getting along depends on the individual animals. Conflict can be reduced provided the chinchillas are either introduced when young, or if older, are introduced gradually. Males and females will get along well, although they must be spayed or neutered to avoid reproduction.

 

[Bichon Barb]

My best friend has chinchillas so if you want, PM me and I'll get you two in contact (she's not a Dis'er but her husband is a CM and the two of them are obsessed if it matters )

What I do know:

You "shouldn't" just have one chinchilla because they are extremely social animals.

They require huge (tall) elaborate cages to stay healthy. They need that height to run around and play. Think of a very tall guinea pig cages. I also think that they poop a lot. My best friend is always vaccuming out their cages and the carpet around them (she has 2 females and 2 males in 2 different cages)

However, they ARE cute, very soft, and enjoy being held and played with!

We were posting at the same time. Oh man, I wish we had more space. Maybe I'll go over to Countrymax and see what they have.

 

[disney100666]

I've wanted to get a Guinea Pig forever and one of my close friends has one and she is always saying I need to get one that they are great!

 

[Bichon Barb]

When I was about 12, my older brother gave me an Abyssinian(sp?) guinea pig for Christmas. About a month later, we had her downstairs, and my mom mentioned that she was looking kind of fat.

Anyway, I put her back in her cage and a couple hours later went back in my room and did a double take. There wasn't just one guinea pig in the cage. There were three. He bought her pregnant and didn't know it. OMG the babies were so cute! They had all their fur and were all cleaned up. (Not ugly like mice. LOL.)

 

[Bichon Barb]

Here is a gp at 8 hours old.

 

[mjkacmom]

Our hamsters are so nice and friendly - they've never bitten. We got them as soon as they were able to separate from mom, so maybe that's it.

 

[freckles and boo]

This may sound like a stupid question, but have hamsters just gotten aggressive? We had them when I was a kid and they were so sweet. We would carry them around with us. They use to stay in my DMs bathrobe pocket and she would carry them around with her all day! I remember taking them out and playing with them.

The last few we have had were so aggressive we had a hard time even cleaning the cage, let alone taking them out to play.

I have always heard rats are great pets, I know when the kids were in daycare, they always had pet rats, but I have a hard time getting past the whole tale thing.

I have read that certain varieties that are commonly available are overbred for the pet market. They are also nocturnal and don't like to be disturbed when they are tired.

I would probably consider a rat or a gerbil over a hamster at this point. Nearly everyone I know who has a hamster has had a bite or two.

 

[Bichon Barb]

Guinea pigs bite on occasion too. He's 12. He can handle it.

I'm taking to the store now. He has no idea where we are going. We'll see what the sales people have to say. Dwarf bunnies are adorable too, but again, I think they'd need really big cages.

 

[momto2inKC]

My daughter got a hamster for her birthday last weekend. So far so good. The sales clerk tried to deter us from getting a teddy bear hamster. She kept saying that they are well known for biting. But my daughter had her eyes set on Princess from the moment we walked in the door lol Anyway, things are going great. She loves to be held and cuddle. She has only bitten once. My son tried to get her out of her cage while she was sleeping. I think she only bit because he startled her and she was still getting used to us (it was the day we got her). I don't let the kids just go in and wake her if they want to hold her. They have to wait until she is awake.

 

[Forevryoung]

look on craigslist for chinchillas... that's where my friend found 2 of hers for free. One came with a cage as well because the owner was so happy it was going to a good home

I don't consider them that skittish. They react similarly to my hamster did when held. Hold them often, they will get used to you. I always put a blanket on my lap first to contain the poo (they poo all over you)

 

[Martha7]

Our chinchilla was about $250, and he never took to us at all. He's cute, and it's fun to watch him roll in his dust, but if we could do it over again, we'd have gotten a rabbit.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

I have heard so many good things about rats that I am going to get my daughter one for her birthday. A rat is actually her second choice, she really wants a hedgehog, but Dh told her unless it collects gold rings she can't have one.

 

[Pooh93]

Have you considered a ferret? My cousin had one that lived for about 7 years. He took great care of it and the whole family loved him. (Barney, the ferret)

 

[tikilyn]

Have you thought about a ferret? They are great. I had two of them. I would say get a male that is fixed. They are more gentle than the females. They will also play with your son. Both of mine would garb a sock and play toug a war. They also like to play hide in seek too. You can always tell that they are happy when they start barking. You can also house break them!!! I put a pan in the livingroom corner and they would use it all the time. Never had a mess either!!

 

[iggbees]

my sister and i grew up with gerbils and hamsters. i would recommend the gerbils over the hamsters, but both can be SMELLY, not as bad as mice though. i personally like gerbils because of the fact that they are pretty active and they are very friendly. they don't really bite. my sister has a guinea pig now and i love him. he's my favorite and when i get to see him i get so excited. he's very skittish, but likes being held. the thing that makes me laugh about guinea pigs is that they eat their own poop. i guess you can consider them clean?

 

[Bichon Barb]

DS#2 is now the proud owner of two Russian Hamsters. Boys. Names suggested have been: Vladmir, Boris and Stalin. The dogs are completely freaked. Otto sniffed the cage and was shaking like a leaf. Beanie and one of them had a stare off. Needless to say, the cage is up high.