Okay about this hamster...

[TinkerBess_SnowTori]

So as some of you may know -- my DSIL gave my DDs all the stuff for a hampster -- a cage, food, bedding, water bottle etc... plus the money to buy one. So I guess we are getting a hamster... (it was our gift that made me go hmmmmm - among other explatives)

At first my girls didn't seem too excited but now are talking about how tomorrow is "Happy Hamster Hunting Day!!"

Is there anything I need to know or look for ... is a female better than a male, a specific type that is tamer -- won't bite?

I was bitten by one once as a child - and that sucker hurt!!

I am going into this rather blind and would appreciate any help... Thanks

 

[LisaNJ25]

Just make sure its not pregnant, I bought dd one a year and a half ago. I got her a male. A month later I got DS a male. Put them in the same cage together. On fathers day ds's "male" had 12 babies. We only had Ds's for 2 weeks before she gave birth. What a nightmare.

Thankfully today we are hamster free

 

[RitaZ.]

I have heard that females are not as aggressive. DH picked out our first hamster, he said that he just watched them in the cage and asked to hold her before he chose her. I think she was a Syrian hamster. She was great, very gentle, would let us pet her and wasn't a biter. Unfortunately, she died, she was with us for 2 yrs.

Just do a search on hamster breeds to learn more about the differences. Also, you may want to get a book about hamsters or you can go to the library and check out some books on hamsters.

 

[Mimi Q]

Bless your heart. My older DD talked us into one when I was pregnant with second DD. The hamster bit us everytime we tried to hold it- DH, DD, and myself. The cage had to be cleaned out regularly to keep the smell down, and it was such a hassle to get her to do it. Never again will we have a hamster.

 

[clarabelle]

Hamsters are nocturnal and may be grumpy if you wake them up. I have read that the dwarf ones are less grumpy. We have Gerbils -and the main reason we got them was that they were supposed to have a better temperament than hamsters.
They are pretty sweet -I am much more attached to them than I expected.
You may want to warn your kids up front that the life span is around 3 years.

This is Bellatrix one of our gerbils:

 

[clarabelle]

A link to an article about Hamsters:
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_hamstercare

 

[4greatboys]

When we had ours I found if I put my hand in slowly and let her smell it first then picked her up she was easier to handle. If you poked your finger in through the side of the cage she would always bite, I guess it scared her. She was pretty easy going.

 

[Disney_dreamer]

Hamsters are the only pets (other than fish) I've ever trusted myself to keep... and I think they are excellent pets. And not just because they are low maintenance!

My dd6 is on her second. She has only had the dwarf type, and unfortunately, they only live about 2 years. Her first was an all white with black eyes. Very sweet and gentle, we got him when he was very little. She now has a gray one, not quite as sweet, but still does not bite. I believe they are (were) both males and I believe males are less aggressive than females.

They key is to make sure you get a new one. A hamster that has lived alone and unhandled in a pet store wants to stay that way for the most part. The first hamster she got was an older one, a teddy bear variety and I ended up taking it back to Petsmart becasue it would bite, and the bites would actually bleed. I had probably two dozen hamsters growing up and never had one that bit that hard!

Also, I think what some people do not realize is that like any other animal, a hamster relies on a sense of smell rather than vision. In otherwords, if a friend comes over to see the new hamster (that doesn't bite) and proceeds to stick a finger in the cage, it may be bitten! Hamsters seem to do better being handled by someone familiar with the new "hands" close by, smelling the new hands and then being transferred....

Good luck!

 

[TinkerBess_SnowTori]

Well - I must say that I am feeling much better about this little critter --- I was so worried. You all have given such good advice.

Thank you

 

[airtime247]

I had hamsters for a lot of years as a kid. I had both golden and teddy bear hamsters at different times. Both types were very easy to handle and made great pets. The only time I was ever bitten is when they would get spooked by the cat and I tried to pick it up without him seeing me.

I recommend getting female hamsters. Both were fine individually but when I had males they fought constantly. The females always got along fine.

It was amazing all the toys and accessories available for them!

-steve

 

[Shutterbug]

Just remember they are nocturnal. My brother had one when we were growing up. That thing made so much noise running in his wheel each night!!!
ugh!!!

 

[taramarie]

I have always gotten gerbils for my classroom pets for the kids. They are so much nicer than hampsters. I got two of them and they got along great and kept each other company on weekends and nights.

I loved my gerbils....got bit by one too many hampsters!!!

Tara

 

[Jockaroo]

Hubby had several hamsters during his batchelor days. The meanest one was a Siberan Dwarf. He said it was an evil little (insert approprately dis-censored explitive here). My favorite hamster was a standard little golden hamster. He had a wonderful personality. One thing I did was wear gloves when I first got a hamster. If I was nipped it didn't hurt. Within a few weeks, the hamster will get used to your hands and won't bite as readily. Also, read up on something called "wet-tail". I lost my first within a week from this and it was not pretty.

 

[Tiffann4k]

Take all the stuff back and buy a rabbit cage and a rabbit
But seariously...we had some hamsters for 2 years and one of them died so we bought her a friend......the friend ended up eating the other hamster that we had for over 2 years...... so we thought we would try again and got another hamster buddy and the other hamster decided to eat that one as well. We did get lucky and one ended up having babies, we only found 2 and then the next day they were gone After that I gave up on hamsters.......I will take my 50 rabbits anyday over 1 hamster...they dont smell as bad, dont bite and are a lot easier to clean and take care of.

 

[ttfn3]

My DS had talked about getting a gerbil. We got books from the library and talked about it. Well, one day DH and DS went to get haircuts and they came home with a hamster! Imagine my surprise!

That said, our hamster, Nibbles, has been a nice first pet for our son. We clean the cage out weekly and use hemp bedding. Oh, you may laugh. But it's been the best bedding - little dust and doesn't make us sneeze. Maybe that's why our little hamster is a great pet

Anyway, when you first get the hamster, it will be afraid. You will want to wait to pick it up at first. I know it's hard for little ones, but it's helpful if they get use to their new home and your voice first. Then, I would strongly urge you to make sure that you have clean hands when you pick up the hamster. If you have food smells on your hands, you're more likely to get bit. Make sure you open the cage, talk to the hamster for a bit, then pick him up. Yes, they are nocturnal and they often don't like to be awaken and then grabbed.

Get one of those large hamster plastic balls - so your hamster can get some exercise out of the cage. It's a hoot to see the little guy running all over the place. Our hamster loves his ball. Oh - make sure you have an exercise wheel in your cage. Hamsters need activitiy. Also, hamster likes to bury itself. We tear up white paper towels and put it in the "bed" area of the cage. The little guy LOVES those things.

I highly recommend also going to the library and reading some books on the care of hamsters - maybe even before you buy one. It's really helpful!

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

We just lost our last hamster. We have always had a hamster. I started with a female, bought her pregnant! Six babies! Kept her and gave all the babies away except one male, few months later our hamster had twelve more! I thought how did this happen, they are in seperate cages! I asked my son if he had put them together by mistake, he said No I let them out to PLAY! We enjoyed the babies, she took great care of them. I found homes for all twelve babies. Our hamsters were always very friendly, we handled them alot so they never bit. They only live about 2 years. So I got ninteen hamsters for the price of one.

 

[Marseeya]

Take all the stuff back and buy a rabbit cage and a rabbit
But seariously...we had some hamsters for 2 years and one of them died so we bought her a friend......the friend ended up eating the other hamster that we had for over 2 years...... so we thought we would try again and got another hamster buddy and the other hamster decided to eat that one as well. We did get lucky and one ended up having babies, we only found 2 and then the next day they were gone After that I gave up on hamsters.......I will take my 50 rabbits anyday over 1 hamster...they dont smell as bad, dont bite and are a lot easier to clean and take care of.

I was going to suggest the same thing only with a bird instead of a rabbit!

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Forget the hamster..use the $$$ to buy a pet rat instead! Rats are cleaner, friendlier and less of a PITA than hamsters. Rats are also diurnal,which means they aren't keeping you awake all night running in the wheel, whatever.



Just my advice. I've had both rats and hamsters and of the two, I prefer rats.

TOV

 

[maelcu]

another vote for rats. I know its sounds yucky but they are VERY sweet. We had two for years. I had hamsters growing up they are fine but pet rats have much more personality and they dont stink as bad. Our rats didnt spend their entire life chewing to get out either.

Here is a tip no matter what you end up getting buy the chew sticks their front teeth never stop growing. they wear them down by chewing. They will be less likely -they still will do it-but less likely to chew a hole in the cage.

 

[Tiffann4k]

Probably the first vote AGAINST a pet rat.....we got one for my daughter, it wouldnt let anyone else pick it up except her, she carried it around all day long, loved on it, it would come to her etc...we thought it was one of the perfect pets for her until one day she went to take it out of the cage and it latched onto her finger and wouldnt let go, the rat literally bit the tip of her finger off!! Blood sprayed everywhere! I had that rat taken care of immediatly. We took her to the ER and they cleaned it up nicely and told us they couldnt give her any stitches because it was an animal bite and they were worried about an infection, we had to call the health department so they could document it. Not sure what happened, she had "spot" for well over a year before he did this...never again will I even look twice at a rat and will NEVER recommend them as a pet to anyone. Yes I know not all rats are the same but we had this rat for over a year he was very spoiled, nothing was different that could of caused any type of behavior change but I will tell my story about the rat for as long as I live so that others are aware of what they are capable of. Luckily it wasnt one of my other children with smaller hands or it could of taken a lot more than the tip of a finger off

Flame away if you must but it will not change my opinion or feelings on rats.....last I checked I am still entitled to my opinion so.......... Flame away ( I know some of you cant resist..lol)