Deciding on Whether or Not to Get a Hamster

Behavior

• Syrian hamsters, or golden hamsters, the ones you are most likely to see in pet stores, are not especially sociable. They prefer to live alone, so it can be difficult for an owner to to build with a golden hamster the sort of relationship possible with a dog, a cat or even a rat. On the other hand, if handled properly, golden hamsters might learn to become trusting and tame. Some are friendly and all hamsters are intelligent, meaning that watching them can be entertaining for a family. The fact that they don̵7;t need and often don̵7;t want a lot of hands-on care might be a plus for people with busy lives. If a hamster has a large enough cage and plenty of things to occupy his time, he won̵7;t care that you are working all day and are out for much of most evenings. Hamsters are nocturnal, so you won̵7;t see much of him during the day anyway.

Life Span

• Hamsters have very short lives. A hamster is unlikely to live for much more than a couple of years, which can be difficult for their caregivers, especially children. A hamster will start aging not very long after you adopt him. On the other hand, heartless as it might sound, if you know you are making a major life change in about five years' time, such as moving abroad, you won̵7;t have to worry about finding a new home for your pet.

Time and Costs

• Hamsters don̵7;t cost much to maintain, but they are not free. The big expenses to consider are a suitable cage ̵1; the larger the better ̵1; and vet bills. You̵7;ll also need an exercise pen if the cage is on the small side. Enough money saved to cover an emergency trip to the vet, at least a couple of hundred dollars, is essential. Food and bedding aren̵7;t expensive; but if you are on a tight budget, make sure you can cover these costs. Allow about half an hour each day for day-to-day care, and allow an hour or two on weekends for cleaning. If you don̵7;t have even this much time, you̵7;re best off getting a plant, not a pet.

Family Set-Up

• Hamsters are small, delicate and easily injured. If mishandled they can and will bite. For these reasons, they are not suitable ̶0;starter̶1; pets for small children. A responsible child over the age of 8 could have a hamster, but your child needs to be shown how to handle her pet properly, and an adult must take overall responsibility. Bear in mind that if you want an affectionate, hands-on pet, a hamster might not be the best choice. Rats tend to build better relationships with people if a cat or dog is out of the question.