You’ve probably heard of cats and dogs as pets, but have you heard of hamsters as pets?. I know a lot of people have been asking if hamsters can make good pets. Most people want little animals like hamsters as pets but they don’t have information concerning it.
I used to be like you, but today hamsters are my very good friend and I have decided to break the silence. So if you still have your doubts about hamsters, stay clued to this article, it will help you a lot and enlighten you about all you need to know about hamsters.
Yes. Hamsters are very lovely and so interactive, so they make lovely pets. Most people chase hamsters away when they come around them, but if you can just accept that they are not your regular rats eating up and destroying things in your house, you will enjoy them.
Their interactive character is so amazing and do you know they can be very playful as well. Trust me if you have a kid you want to keep busy while you do other things get her a beautiful hamster or do you want little pets you will have fun with, also get yourself a hamster.
Are All Breeds of Hamsters Good as Pets?
Actually, not all breeds of Hamsters make a good pet, some a naturally wild, so they can’t make good pets or else you train them from birth to become docile. An example is the European hamster, this pretty looking hamster is hardly seen, they are not friendly at all so I advise you to keep off. There are so many breeds of hamsters that are good for you as pets. An example is the Chinese hamster; this one is so little and friendly, it’s not hard to interact with them because they are also interactive. You will enjoy Hamsters if you get them to trust me.
Okay, let’s look at some of the breeds that make good pets so that you won’t be confused about making the right choice.
Syrian Hamster
The Syrian hamster which is also known as the golden hamster is located in northern Syria and southern Turkey. It is the largest breed of Hamsters kept as pets, they are about 6 or 7 inches in length. These hamsters have highly sensitive respiratory symptoms, which could make them fall sick easily. So it is important that before you carry them you wash your hands.
They like to be on their own especially when in a new environment but adapt within at least 7days. At this point, they now trust you, and so they become more relaxed to play around you. One more thing, make sure you build a hidey-hole for your new friend because that’s one of the things that keeps it comfortable.
Chinese Hamster
These are special species of Hamsters, they are rat-like in nature. About 4-5 inches long, very little, and tiny in nature. You might even mistake them for rats, but the black stripe on its fur and white tummy should help you identify them.
Once it gets used to you and the environment becomes conducive for him, he begins to interact and play. It’s not harmful at all and it’s not so vibrant too. It’s naturally quiet. So, if you are looking for a quite hamster, there you go; get one for yourself.
Robo Hamsters
it is also known as the Roborovski hamster, a dwarf breed of hamster that is even smaller than the Campbell’s breed, their inches are about 1.5 – 2 long. These cute little white hamsters are very friendly and social. They love it when you keep them with the same sex or friends they grew up with. They are not quiet like the Chinese Hamsters, they run fast and are playful but they are easily afraid or startled, so you have to handle them well. They are very docile and friendly.
Winter Hamsters
These hamsters are dwarfy in nature, they are about 3-4 inches long. Their name winter white Hamsters is derived from the fact that they are exposed to the short days and long nights of the winter season. They are so cute to behold, with their unique brown or gray colors. You will thank me later because these Hamsters are social and friendly. Get him a friend and provide them a wheel for exercise.
Campbell’s Hamsters
These hamsters are nocturnal in nature, but if you can give it attention and care, you will love him. Just like other hamsters, they like the company of some friends he grew up with. It’s so funny to see this guy protecting his cage, sometimes he runs inside and refuses to come out but the bait to get him out is a coffee mug, I really can’t explain it but ones he sees it he runs out. They come in a variety of beautiful colors, so you can make your choice. He is very friendly and affectionate, sometimes pretend to cry, you will see the pity and care in his eyes. Lol. You will love them, I assure you.
Why are Hamsters Good as Pets?
It is important you know why you should keep hamsters, this will help to encourage you and even motivate you to buy and enjoy them when you get them. Don’t just get anything blindly. It is vital you know the gains you will get so that you will enjoy their company well. I have handled hamsters for years so I will show you some reasons why you should choose hamsters as pets. So, let’s get into it.
They are Low Maintenance Pets
It really doesn’t cost much to maintain them as pets, they are not like other pets that need your attention consistently, these ones like to be in the cage almost all the time except when you need them. Most people are scared of maintenance that’s why they don’t even think of having pets.
If you are like that, hamsters are a good option for you because you don’t need much to take care of it. The stress in taking care of these pets is basically, changing their bedding, feeding them daily, and playing with them. They are happy pets and it doesn’t really need you to feed it, if you keep their feeds for them they can happily feed themselves.
I used to think that they would cost much in maintenance until I decided to compare them with other pets like cats, parrots, and dogs; I realized that hamsters are really nice pets and cost little to take care of. So if that is your fear, I hope I have cleared you.
They are Naturally Funny
Trust me you will love these pets, there are no dull moments with them. Sometimes I just sit and observe them, and all I do is laugh; especially when they are discussing, quarreling, or fighting. All you will do is laugh. They help you to relax, you know after a stressful day they will help to lighten up your mood.
Guess what! Hamsters fart, and when they notice you know, they pretend like it’s nothing. Lol, you won’t believe it. Sometimes I really wonder why they feel shy after farting. Seriously though. How can I forget the part where my hamsters shift their cage to a position where they can see everything happening in the house. When you frown at their actions, they fix their eyes innocently as if they did nothing. These pets are tots awesome.
They are Very Clean Animals
Are you surprised to hear that! Of course, they are. They like up themselves often even before they have their bath. You can never find a hamster eating from its droppings, they carefully separate their feeds from their droppings. This amazes me at times honestly and I love them for that. Their cages are also clean when I come to change their bedding, there is really nothing much to do because they keep it clean. I also noticed that they pee outside their cage, very far from their feeds and cage. Hmmm. Isn’t this interesting. The only part that usually smells when I come close to their cage is the part where they pee. You can use a sandbath in that corner to help your hammy use it as a bathroom. He will use the sandbath as a litterbox.
Their Cage Doesn’t Take up Much Space
The kind of cage you decide to get for your hamsters determines the space or will take in your home. Of you are using a large glass tank – you might have more or less space taken up, no matter what, space is never too much and also doesn’t cost much. Hamsters are little creatures so no matter how comfortable you want them to be, no cage can ever take up so much space in your house. So please get the guy a big and comfortable cage.
Hamsters are Cheap Pets to Keep
Apart from their maintenance cost being low, their feeds and bedding don’t cost much, for a month you are likely to spend about $10. This is very affordable compared to other pets. For a dog feed per month, you will spend nothing less than $30, just on feeds. Hamsters are inexpensive.
For a cage and some other things, he will need, like an exercise ball, transport cage, hideout, and toys. All these things are not really a must that they must have it but if you want to enjoy the company of your pets and also make them comfortable, it will cost you about $230. Hamsters are not destructive, so you won’t need to buy these things again. You can even use $5-10 to buy the hamster itself doesn’t cost much as well.
Hamsters are Cute Pets
Hamsters are ever cute, they maintain their cuteness even when they are fully grown. Their big black beady eyes are so lovely, I like it when they gaze at me especially when they need something I am holding. If you look at their wiggling noses, you’ll notice they look a lot like rabbits when they move their noses. They do not really mature like other animals, they remain cute and little just the way they were when you got them.
They don’t Need Special Training.
Some animals require training before they can become pets, otherwise, they will attack you. Pets like puppies when you don’t train and tame them they might end up being wild and dangerous. But as for Hamsters, you don’t need any special training at all, because they are naturally docile and friendly. Seriously they save you the stress fo .
They are Great for Kids
Yes! Like I said earlier, if you want to keep your child busy while you do other things get him a hamster, it will keep him busy. Hamsters are harmless and easy to take care of. I remember the story of a man that took a cub as a pet but when it grew into a lion, it eats up the man and his kids, hmmm said story right! Hamsters can never harm your kids, if that is your fear, naturally they are docile and harmless. Hamsters help your kids become responsible.
Hamsters are Very Quiet Pets.
If you have a dog as a pet get ready for barkings, a chicken and some other animals are very noisy, they might be very distracting especially when you want to have a quiet time but for Hamsters, they are not noisy at all, you can barely hear the sounds they make. So if you are the type that like a quiet environment and you are searching for a quiet pet, please go get yourself a good Hamster.
Hamsters are Acceptable in No-Pet Buildings.
Many apartments don’t allow pets not because of anything but the destruction they cause in the house, you might not see this as a problem until you experience a big pet that roams around the house. One experience I had was with a cat jumping up and down my kitchen, she fell on my plates and broke about five expensive plates, I felt so bad like I should kill it, but of course, I didn’t kill it, I just carefully cleared the broken pieces and disposed of them. Hamsters can never cause you such damage because they are very quiet and respectful. They even prefer to stay in their cage most times.
Challenges of Keeping Hamsters as Pets
You know in life Everything has a good side and bad side, we just took a look at the awesome benefits and reasons why you will appreciate a hamster as a pet, it’s also important that we see some challenges you are likely to encounter with hamsters as your pet. The advantages hamsters have are more than the disadvantages, so you don’t have to be worried. Here are some of the challenges you will face.
Hamsters are Harder to Tame.
Taming means training an animal to behave the way you want it to. For instance, dogs are tamable, I have a dog that I tamed, whenever he sees a strange face in my house, he becomes so sensitive towards that person, to ensure there is no trouble. In the case of hamsters, it’s quite different because they are fragile pets and they get easily frightened.
If they get scared by you, it becomes difficult for them to trust you, so you have to patiently show them love and win their trust again, otherwise, it is very hard to tame them. Hamsters have a unique personality that they are comfortable with. If, however, you are not comfortable with it, changing it becomes a tug-o-war, because they won’t be willing to change. This is one of the stressful parts of Hamsters I don’t like.
Hamsters are Less Affectionate
Of the kind of pet you want is the one, you will carry around, kiss, cuddle and keep by your side while you try to finish a novel over launch, just know that Hamsters are not that pet. They might tolerate cuddling and kisses but not all the time, in fact not more than 30 minutes. They get easily irritated. They might be patient at first but once they get tired of you, they leave you for their cage. Lol. Isn’t this crazy, your pets should be the one craving for cuddles and kisses, not the other way round. I have a friend who doesn’t like Hamsters because of this reason in particular. Don’t get me wrong they love attention but they get tired when it becomes too much.
Hamsters are Nocturnal
By nocturnal I mean they are usually very active at night, boom! Did you just frown? This is the part I don’t like as well. The fun of having a pet is to play with it, observe it’s funny actions and care for them when they need it. How possible will this be if when they will be active is when you will probably be busy or asleep. So because of your little guys, I will advise you to make out time to spend with them.
Asides from this you will miss out on your cuties. They are very active from 9 pm to 12 am sometimes so you can imagine what I am saying. This doesn’t mean they can’t play during the day, it just means that they are much active at night hours. This is another reason why taming them is very important.
Hamsters are Very Sensitive to a Lot of Things
Hamsters are so sensitive to practically everything especially sounds, they can even die of heart attack hearing the horn of a vehicle. Just imagine losing your pet just because it hears a sound. Like I said earlier, they are very fragile, so you have to be careful with them, allow them to exercise often, and avoid scaring them at all. Also, they get easily anxious when you carry them out and keep them in a small cage, so please, please, and please get them a big cage. It makes them comfortable and reduces anxiety.
Hamsters Have a Short Life Span
Hamsters don’t live long, awwn that’s so sad, but the truth you must know is that you don’t have pets forever even human beings you don’t have them around you forever, so don’t feel so bad. This is a major disadvantage of Hamsters as pets because they live for 2-4years. So you can spend so much time and attention taming your Hamsters to be the way you want so that you can enjoy them, then after a few months or years, they die. It’s not good at all.
Hamsters still remain one of the little awesome pets, you will love him, they are affordable, less expensive to maintain very funnily, and interactive.
It’s up to you to decide what pet you want to keep, I have opened unveiled lots of facts about Hamsters to you in this article. I hope you love them now. Everything I shared with you here and more I will still share as your questions come up, is gotten from years of experience, so feel free to throw as many questions as you want. I am here for you.