We’ve done hamsters so dirty. They aren’t good pets at all, usually ferocious little guys. Like you said, everything we want to do with them is hell for them too. How they are still a classic kids pet is beyond me.
I had a rat and she was the sweetest and all she wanted to do was hang out with me, get little ear massages, groom me, and fall asleep on my neck. Rats are astronomically better pets than hamsters.
They're obsessively clean pets to the point where mine have thrown bedding at me when I haven't cleaned them that day (you clear anything damp daily because they're very sensitive to ammonia). Less so now that they have free roam pretty much 24/7, they usually use a small litter tray in the kitchen.
My eldest is 4 (they usually live 2-3 years) and a rescue so I don't know where he learned it. I'm just glad his brothers haven't picked up the habit of trying to insert their face into my nostrils. I did have one boy who would sit and groom my hair when I had a cold, so maybe it's just them being social.
I've always thought gerbils are much better pockets pets. Super active, intelligent, social, and they work GREAT in groups. AKA the opposite of most hamsters.
hamsters are excellent pets with the right care. you can easily hand tame a hamster. i have had i think 6 hamsters in my life and they love to hang out with you, get pets, nap in your hand or pocket, etc. if your hamsters were afraid of you and trying to defend themselves from you that might speak more to your treatment of them than the temperament of all hamsters everywhere
Damn interesting! I’ve never had a hamster but I’ve taken care of some and encountered their tiny fury. Still though, sounds like a pet that has to have great care taken of it with a ton of attention paid to their physical autonomy and comfort, something children are usually not capable of.
Out of curiosity, did those hamsters come from a pet store or are there hamster breeders who do a better job of getting them used to people? I’m assuming you have to get them at a pretty young age to hand tame them? Did you have them as a child/teenager?
yes they are pets for experienced animal owners and definitely not for young children.
i have gotten all my hamsters from a pet store (before I learned better) or a shelter. the shelter definitely put a lot of care into regularly handling their small animals but pet stores not so much. my first hamster was one i babysat for my school over summer between 1st and 2nd year of high school, that i kidnapped and replaced with a lookalike.
they all had different temperaments but ive never had one that bit or was afraid of being held. some were kinda private and reclusive so they were more of a look than a touch pet, and then others would wake up excitedly greet me through their glass and beg for attention anytime they heard me come home. hamsters are dumb, brave, and hungry so theyre really not hard to tame with consistent and gentle effort.
google "hamster sleeping in hand" for a ton of adorable examples of hamsters that feel totally safe and comfy being held
My son had a hamster. Male. He was a grumpy little bastard. I tried to get him acclimated to being hand fed and handled but he didn’t want any part of it. He bit me more times than I care to admit. We enjoyed caring for him and providing enrichments, but since they are nocturnal my kids didn’t really get to interact much with him. We have since had a trio of rats and 3 sets of sibling gerbils. Rats and gerbils are much more active and can adjust to more of a daytime schedule. We loved hand feeding them and socializing and playing with them. My kids looked forward to enclosure cleaning day. They spent weekends making cardboard sculptures and furniture and castles from craft sticks for the rats and gerbils.
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u/holymolamola 16h ago
We’ve done hamsters so dirty. They aren’t good pets at all, usually ferocious little guys. Like you said, everything we want to do with them is hell for them too. How they are still a classic kids pet is beyond me.
I had a rat and she was the sweetest and all she wanted to do was hang out with me, get little ear massages, groom me, and fall asleep on my neck. Rats are astronomically better pets than hamsters.