Hamsters - tell me the good the bad and the ugly

[jackemail]

I cleaned the hamster's cage out twice a week, sometimes 3 times a week and it still smelled. I'm glad we had her, but we won't get another.

 

[torinsmom]

If there is one pet I don't like, it is guinea pigs. I think the noises they make are just bizarre. I inherited one in my classroom, and we had to clean the cage twice a week or it would stink like a pigsty. It went everywhere, so it was a whole cage clean too. And it's a bigger animal than a hamster, so.....you guessed it, bigger poop and more pee, YUCK! I was also told I had to clip its nails every so often and it needed fresh foods in addition to the bagged food. The one we had wouldn't come out of his igloo. He would DRAG the igloo to the food bowl or the water bottle One of my kids kept putting non-food items in the cage, so I ended up giving it to an assistant teacher for her daughter.I think hamsters are more fun and cleaner. My teddy bears have always come out for a few hours during the school day, so the kids got to watch and(if they were really good) play with them. Obviously, different strokes for different folks.

OP, maybe you could borrow a hamster or guinea pig from a friend and do a trial run?

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

The good is that they don't usually live very long, the bad is that they are eating, pooping machines that are really cute and will break your child's heart for a while when the do die.

 

[Chee Chick]

I had hamsters and guinea pigs growing up. I also worked at a pet store in college where my job was to care for all the small animals. I recommend a guinea pig over a hamster for sure. They are much more social and fun. I have never been bitten by a guinea pig, but I've been bitten numerous times by hamsters. The dwarf hamsters were the worse!!

We have a guinea pig currently. I use a product from Petsmart called Carefresh Natural pet bedding. It is really absorbent and the cage never smells. It is much better than the wood chip shavings I used to use.

 

[Anne34]

I had hamsters and guinea pigs growing up. I also worked at a pet store in college where my job was to care for all the small animals. I recommend a guinea pig over a hamster for sure. They are much more social and fun. I have never been bitten by a guinea pig, but I've been bitten numerous times by hamsters. The dwarf hamsters were the worse!!

We have a guinea pig currently. I use a product from Petsmart called Carefresh Natural pet bedding. It is really absorbent and the cage never smells. It is much better than the wood chip shavings I used to use.

Totally agree -- we've had both. Hamsters cages STINK quickly!! My DD got gerbils this time and we've enjoyed them so much more. They don't smell, are very friendly and are much more fun!