Kids are asking for hamsters. Please help!

[rock]

I don't know much about hamsters other than there are a few different kinds and my daughter is specifically asking for a Syrian, and it should be a male. This is based upon her own independent 8 year old research. My 5 year old son just walks around the house and randomly yells, "I want a hamster!"

You can see what I am up against.

Anyone have any advice or can point me in the right direction? Thank you.

[Kcl]

Consider talking them into a pair of rats instead? Rats are a lot friendlier, actually bond with their people, and adapt their naturally nocturnal schedule to when their people are around instead. Hamsters are often bitey, generally prefer to be left alone, will stay nocturnal because they don't really care about you, generally should be housed singly, and are a lot less trainable and tameable than rats.

[Lizardlicks]

Your daughter is the formidable one here. An 8 year old who is willing to do research to get a pet is a force to be reckoned with. BUT! This shows a great deal of forethought and maturity on her part, which is a good indicator that she may actually be ready for the responsibility of this pet. It can also be used as a learning tool: learning to research information and critically evaluate sources is a very valuable skill. She's going to need it for life.

Ask her to present her research! It doesn't have to be formal or anything, but since she put a lot of work into getting this info, have her write a report on the pet species. Don't make her go in blind, tell her specifically what you are looking for. She should list her sources so you can evaluate them independently. She should be able to gather information about their home environment, proper husbandry and care, socialization, life span, common captive ailments etc. Have her also outline a care routine. Does she have other obligations she has to honor that she will need to account for in that schedule? Is she going to be the sole care taker? If not, who is going to share the responsibility, and why tasks is she going to delegate? Is money/cost an issue? Is she willing to work for what she wants in exchange for the animal and its supplies? And at then end, you should sit down and have a frank talk. Highlight concerns that you have and see if she has a plan to address them. She's trying to approach you as an adult, or at least, as a person she wants the adults in her life to respect, so reward that by taking her seriously and being fair.

Your goal is to get her to think, evaluate, consider and then present her case to you. She's already taken some good steps, now's the time to to encourage and foster that. It will carry her a long way later on!

[ladywhipple02]

Consider talking them into a pair of rats instead? Rats are a lot friendlier, actually bond with their people, and adapt their naturally nocturnal schedule to when their people are around instead. Hamsters are often bitey, generally prefer to be left alone, will stay nocturnal because they don't really care about you, generally should be housed singly, and are a lot less trainable and tameable than rats.

I think there are different hamsters like there are different snakes! Lol rats are definitely smarter, but I'm not sure I believe they make better pets in all circumstances. My sister and I bought a hamster for my niece for Christmas (my niece is actually 8 years old and was given the idea from school - her classroom had one). The little guy was skittish to start and nipped here and there, but now Miley can whisk him out of his cage whenever she wants and he will sit nicely, hasn't nipped in a long time, and has even won over my brother in law with his adorable-ness. I was over there yesterday and my niece plopped the little guy right in my lap and he was perfectly fine to sit there and chill. He particularly likes to be scratched behind the ears like a dog.

And this hamster is spoiled rotten - he's grown half again as much in the 4 months they've had him, and is twice as fluffy lol

I believe he is a teddy bear hamster. We just got him from a petstore, so nothing special. Very easy to take care of, and my sister is good about making Miley completely clean out his cage on a weekly basis - scrubbing in the sink and all as they can get stinky, like any rodent. She's learning responsibility, and the little guy has brought a lot of joy into their lives. I get a video of him doing something new about every week lol

[redshepherd]

One of my friends has a pair of syrian hamsters and just bred a litter lol! They're less bitey and frightened than other hamsters, and are generally supposed to be docile and good pets, if I know what I'm talking about. They're not social animals, and should actually be kept individually, so they're easier than rats in that respect (while if you get a rat, you must get at least 2 and house them together, or they lose their minds).

You know your kid best. I knew a 7 year old girl who insisted on a rat, her parents helped with research, but she kept her rat in her room and took care of the rat all by herself.

[Kcl]

I think there are different hamsters like there are different snakes! Lol rats are definitely smarter, but I'm not sure I believe they make better pets in all circumstances. My sister and I bought a hamster for my niece for Christmas (my niece is actually 8 years old and was given the idea from school - her classroom had one). The little guy was skittish to start and nipped here and there, but now Miley can whisk him out of his cage whenever she wants and he will sit nicely, hasn't nipped in a long time, and has even won over my brother in law with his adorable-ness. I was over there yesterday and my niece plopped the little guy right in my lap and he was perfectly fine to sit there and chill. He particularly likes to be scratched behind the ears like a dog.

And this hamster is spoiled rotten - he's grown half again as much in the 4 months they've had him, and is twice as fluffy lol

I believe he is a teddy bear hamster. We just got him from a petstore, so nothing special. Very easy to take care of, and my sister is good about making Miley completely clean out his cage on a weekly basis - scrubbing in the sink and all as they can get stinky, like any rodent. She's learning responsibility, and the little guy has brought a lot of joy into their lives. I get a video of him doing something new about every week lol

Teddy bear hamsters are the same as Syrians and are generally the most tameable from what I understand (although who knows what people will label as a "teddy bear hamster" so it's not really a guarantee that it's the same as a Syrian I suppose). It does depend on the particular animal - just species wide a young enough rat is almost always tameable, whereas most hamsters won't get anywhere near as tame. Although, this is only from what I understand - I don't keep either although I've worked with rats (untamed - got a few bites mostly from new moms, but 99% are fine even though their only human interaction is daily cleaning time) a decent amount. Rodents poop too much for my preference :/

But yeah, not a one size fits all answer, which is really why I said "consider" vs "do." Guinea pigs are also pretty friendly but bigger, live longer, and sound like a horrible hassle to keep to me. But yeah, consider "consider" as bolded. When I was young, I desperately wanted a blue male baby parakeet. Now that I'm older, I've realized that I am pleased that I was never given one because despite my research, I somehow missed the part where birds can be way too loud for my preferences.

[Lizardlicks]

Yeah I think in most instances, it's not a good idea to convince someone to get a "practice" pet or a different pet than the one they want, because they will not be attached to the animal in the same way. If you want a cherry popsicle and some hands you grape, you maybe be okay with it, but it's not what you wanted, so there will always be this little part of you that's disappointed. With a pet, that can lead to disinterest and even eventual resentment/neglect, especially with a young kid that hasn't developed the kind of ability to power through set backs the way an adult would have had the opportunity to.

BUT! It's also important a person has a good idea of the REALITY of what they're getting into before getting a pet, otherwise you'll see the same thing happen because they fell in love with a romanticized idea. That's why research is important, but ALSO why it's important for a kid to have adult direction and guidance. An 8 year old might not be thinking about the fact that budgies can be NOISY when doing research about the other care aspects, but an adult that knows them can point out "hey, these birds are very vocal, they will be loud all day as part of their behavior, because that's how they communicate in the wild. They're very social and will need someone to "talk" to constantly, are you sure you can deal with that?"

[rock]

Consider talking them into a pair of rats instead? Rats are a lot friendlier, actually bond with their people, and adapt their naturally nocturnal schedule to when their people are around instead. Hamsters are often bitey, generally prefer to be left alone, will stay nocturnal because they don't really care about you, generally should be housed singly, and are a lot less trainable and tameable than rats.

I did. At least, we looked at all of the rodents they had at a big box retailer and we discussed each. Actually, I mainly listened as this was all new to me.

Rats, specifically, are out, per my daughter. She is in no way interested in them.

[rock]

Your daughter is the formidable one here. An 8 year old who is willing to do research to get a pet is a force to be reckoned with. BUT! This shows a great deal of forethought and maturity on her part, which is a good indicator that she may actually be ready for the responsibility of this pet. It can also be used as a learning tool: learning to research information and critically evaluate sources is a very valuable skill. She's going to need it for life.

Ask her to present her research! It doesn't have to be formal or anything, but since she put a lot of work into getting this info, have her write a report on the pet species. Don't make her go in blind, tell her specifically what you are looking for. She should list her sources so you can evaluate them independently. She should be able to gather information about their home environment, proper husbandry and care, socialization, life span, common captive ailments etc. Have her also outline a care routine. Does she have other obligations she has to honor that she will need to account for in that schedule? Is she going to be the sole care taker? If not, who is going to share the responsibility, and why tasks is she going to delegate? Is money/cost an issue? Is she willing to work for what she wants in exchange for the animal and its supplies? And at then end, you should sit down and have a frank talk. Highlight concerns that you have and see if she has a plan to address them. She's trying to approach you as an adult, or at least, as a person she wants the adults in her life to respect, so reward that by taking her seriously and being fair.

Your goal is to get her to think, evaluate, consider and then present her case to you. She's already taken some good steps, now's the time to to encourage and foster that. It will carry her a long way later on!

Wow, I really like this approach. I completely agree. Many great ideas. You sound like an exceptional educator or parent!

It's true, I hope to foster and support all of these attributes in her and my son. It is why I initially gave the green light for a ball python. It was her idea but I saw the value in it outside of being a pet and it has in fact been the educational springboard I thought it could be.

So, I continue to keep an open mind when they present things to me but of course, I have to do my own research as well to help guide them as a parent. I also have to narrow down choices as my wife does not want to find a zoo in our home!

[rock]

I think there are different hamsters like there are different snakes! Lol rats are definitely smarter, but I'm not sure I believe they make better pets in all circumstances. My sister and I bought a hamster for my niece for Christmas (my niece is actually 8 years old and was given the idea from school - her classroom had one). The little guy was skittish to start and nipped here and there, but now Miley can whisk him out of his cage whenever she wants and he will sit nicely, hasn't nipped in a long time, and has even won over my brother in law with his adorable-ness. I was over there yesterday and my niece plopped the little guy right in my lap and he was perfectly fine to sit there and chill. He particularly likes to be scratched behind the ears like a dog.

And this hamster is spoiled rotten - he's grown half again as much in the 4 months they've had him, and is twice as fluffy lol

I believe he is a teddy bear hamster. We just got him from a petstore, so nothing special. Very easy to take care of, and my sister is good about making Miley completely clean out his cage on a weekly basis - scrubbing in the sink and all as they can get stinky, like any rodent. She's learning responsibility, and the little guy has brought a lot of joy into their lives. I get a video of him doing something new about every week lol

Yes, 8 year olds should not be underestimated. They are quite capable! I will check on the teddy bear hamster. Very happy your niece is doing such a great job with hers.