Kids are asking for hamsters. Please help!

[rock]

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.

I was thinking that each one in their own cage would be ideal as the kids could keep them separately in their own rooms. I know it is an extra enclosure but I would not want to keep a single enclosure in the same room as the snakes.

Good to know to know about the Syrian hamsters. I believe that is what she had read and also watched on YouTube. It is amazing the amount of animal care videos out there.

[rock]

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?"

I agree. The best thing I can do to prevent mistakes is to help them see past just the wants and help them understand the reality. And you are correct, usually the "practice" item quickly loses it's interest.

[Kcl]

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.

Well, definitely no rats then.

There's a whole lot of people out there who should be talked out of the pet they think they want as evidenced by animal shelters and plenty of other things. It wasn't a practice pet suggestion- it was an alternative pet suggestion. Having rats won't make hamsters any better as pets. I'm personally of the opinion that most hamsters aren't great pets for most people. But they are great pets for a few and acceptable pets for many. To me it's closer to a kid asking for a chili lime flavored Popsicle and offering them a grape one. The latter will be more universally popular and generally a better bet, but if the kid hates grape or really loves spicy things, or the chili lime is exceptionally good, maybe the former will be better after all.

[rock]

Well, definitely no rats then.

There's a whole lot of people out there who should be talked out of the pet they think they want as evidenced by animal shelters and plenty of other things. It wasn't a practice pet suggestion- it was an alternative pet suggestion. Having rats won't make hamsters any better as pets. I'm personally of the opinion that most hamsters aren't great pets for most people. But they are great pets for a few and acceptable pets for many. To me it's closer to a kid asking for a chili lime flavored Popsicle and offering them a grape one. The latter will be more universally popular and generally a better bet, but if the kid hates grape or really loves spicy things, or the chili lime is exceptionally good, maybe the former will be better after all.

I appreciate the alternative suggestion. I've kept an open mind and as I've suspected, this is not a decision to be taken lightly and I am not familiar at all with rodents. I've only been learning about them recently as prey items. This has been a complete reversal!

[Vithaxton]

Haha oh wow! Your children are very persistent! Hahaha! I owned robo hamsters when I was younger and they were so fast! But they bit me every now and then. I also owned a big hamster who's name was Alexis and se was a sweetheart! She was active but not crazy and she loved her house! Unfortunately she was not hamster friendly. One day she saw my stuffed hamsters I had on my bed and I left for a minute. I came back to find them shredded and all their marble eyes on the floor of her house mixes in with her bedding. She was a ferocious creature when it came to stuffed animals lol


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[Bmocken]

Have they ever had a hamster? My kids wanted a hamster until they hamster sat for a weekend for a friend. Hamster kept them up all night doing what hamsters do by running in his wheel. The cage also needed cleaned because it smelled. After that I never heard another word about hamsters. Now on the plus side you could look into the possibility of your snake eating hamsters (not really sure that's possible) and that would cut down on food costs.

[Booper]

On the topic of having hamsters in their bedrooms, they are nocturnal so they will be up ALL NIGHT. My sister had a male hamster in her room for a while, and he not only smelt very strongly from the urine, but he was very loud at night and it kept us awake. He ended up moving into the living room lol She always keeps Syrian hamsters, and every single one has been very well-tempered.

[LightningPython]

I had a hamster years ago. She was my first *real* pet. Before that it was just tarantulas and fish.
She used to keep us up all night by chewing on the bars of her cage, but my god she was just so cute and friendly!
She never bit me but she did bite my brother a lot :3

If you are looking to get one, maybe keep it in a aquarium or something so there are no bars to chew, and lots of room for it to dig and move around. Those plastic cages you buy in stores are often wayyy too small.

[Lizardlicks]

Much like reptiles, pretty much nothing they sell in pet shops is really appropriate for rodents except maybe some of the toys and hides.

Here's a neat DIY hamster cage built out of a tub. If you're keeping your snakes in tubs already, might as well use a spare one for your hamster!

[rock]

Haha oh wow! Your children are very persistent! Hahaha! I owned robo hamsters when I was younger and they were so fast! But they bit me every now and then. I also owned a big hamster who's name was Alexis and se was a sweetheart! She was active but not crazy and she loved her house! Unfortunately she was not hamster friendly. One day she saw my stuffed hamsters I had on my bed and I left for a minute. I came back to find them shredded and all their marble eyes on the floor of her house mixes in with her bedding. She was a ferocious creature when it came to stuffed animals lol


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lol Yes they are persistent! And, oh no, they have lots of stuffed animals ready to be chewed up!