Hamster

[taproot97]

i'm planning to get a hamster. some tips please

[Badstench]

Before attempting to answer this, can we know why you want a hamster? I mean, I understand they look cute and stuff, but so do rabbits and squirrels. Mice are portrayed as cutish creatures in cartoons; always hard done by against cats and women with a tendency to scream when they see a rodent.

And hamsters are rodents. But I'm not an expert on owning pets... I have a fox terrier that annoys the heck out of me, and there used to be a mouse in the house that only disappeared after we laid poison in the cupboards.

Oo, oo... I woke up at some ungodly hour one morning (I needed a drink of water) and went to the kitchen. I heard this strange noise and looked around.

A mouse was on top of a bench... it sprinted to a cord dangling from the microwave oven, jumped onto the cord, and shimmied up it to a point where it could jump on the fridge.

It had always been a mystery as to how mouse poop could get on top of the fridge, and now I knew. The little buggers are gymnasts!

Okay, so the hamster would be too heavy to jump on the fridge, but.... it's still a rodent.

[taproot97]

Sqirrels and rabits reproduce quickly. They are not very merry when they are alone. My mom is OK only with fish and a hamster or even a guiny pig (sorry about the spelling).So, i thought a hamster was good.
By the way, mom thinks cats scratch too much and dogs are very demanding.

[thingirl]

By the way, mom thinks cats scratch too much and dogs are very demanding.

Cats- well, that depends on the cat. Bella is a scratcher, but I have a friend who has 6, I think, cats, and only one of them is a scratcher. I can't speak for dogs though, other than I have another friend who has 8 siblings and 4 dogs and it seems to work out.

[taproot97]

Anyway, i cant do anything about it so please help me.:confused:

[scout1idf]

Sqirrels and rabits reproduce quickly. They are not very merry when they are alone. My mom is OK only with fish and a hamster or even a guiny pig (sorry about the spelling).So, i thought a hamster was good.
By the way, mom thinks cats scratch too much and dogs are very demanding.
I've had both a hamster and a guinea pig. Loved watching the hamster run through his tubes but he wasn't something you could pick up and play with.

So I would suggest.......

Go for a guinea pig. You can play with them easier. Just watch the green "jelly beans" on the floor.

[Oldschool]

---------- Groan Alert -------------


Or alternatively you could opt for one of these. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_zwx6OXjMc&feature=related) ;)

Little experience with either therefore no practical no advice. But good luck all the same.

[wetheril]

---------- Groan Alert -------------


Or alternatively you could opt for one of these. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_zwx6OXjMc&feature=related) ;)

Little experience with either therefore no practical no advice. But good luck all the same.

*head desk* LOL!! You know...I was sort of dreading it would be that commercial. I actually do remember that, at a time when pet rocks were still in fashion...

Edit: to add something relevant - do not get a bird, since it sounds like you're a first-time pet owner, and they're actually not recommended for beginners. I don't know the difference in temperament and habits between guinea pigs and hamsters, but what Scout says sounds like good advice.

[smv1973]

Have you ever thought about getting a ferret. I used to have 3 of them and they were the best pets I have ever had. No they do not smell. I found that the only time they may start to smell was in the summer time, and I took them outside to play. They sweat so after playing in the warm weather can make them smell a little. Nothing a bath can't handle.

[Young Ned]

We had hamsters when I was a kid, but now I wish we'd had guinea pigs instead. Guinea pigs are smarter and more affectionate. Hamsters are pretty boring.

Ferrets are very smart and active, but they're not legal in some states. You can't have ferrets in California, for instance.

[taproot97]

ferrets mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[scout1idf]

So, what did you get????