Hamsters: a reminder about small animals.
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Anonymous
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Does anyone here have or had a hamster? I would like to talk about proper hamster care and the dangers of getting hamster care information from pet stores.
Basically, lots of people view hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, etc, as small, disposable, beginner pets. However, this is not true. A lot of the information spread about them is false. For example, the tiny colorful wired cages with tubes at the pet stores are horrible for hamsters. Since they are newly domesticated animals, they still have most of their instincts. They are very territorial and will show stress behaviors if kept in a small enclosure. These include bar climbing, bar biting, jumping, pacing along the walls, and chasing your hand when it’s inside the cage (cage aggression). Lots of these behaviors are often considered normal when they are not. Hamsters are ground dwellers, not made to climb. This brings me to my next point, which is that often hamsters will not be provided with enough bedding. In the wild, they make complex systems of underground tunnels which they sleep in. Care guides usually recommend one or two inches of bedding, which is not enough at all for hamsters to burrow and satisfy their natural instincts. Another problem with these cages is that the wheels in them are too small. There are five species of domesticated hamsters. The Campbell’s Russian dwarf, the Winter White dwarf, the Roborovski dwarf, the Chinese dwarf, and the Syrian. Only one of these species fits the wheel that is included in these cages. Some brands of cages have a four or 5 inch wheel, others have 6 inch wheels. The Roborovski at minimum should run in a 6.5 inch wheel. Winter whites and Campbell’s dwarf hamsters should have 7 to 9 inch wheels. Chinese hamsters need 9 to 11 inch wheels, and Syrian hamsters need it 10 to 12 inch wheels. Some stores also sell wire bar and mesh wheels, which hurt hamsters’ feet and can cause bumble foot. Plus, how would you like running on metal wires? It’s painful for hamsters too. Over time, running in a too small wheel can cause back damage and premature death. These reasons are why ethical hamster breeders and the hamster community recommends at least 6 inches of bedding or more, at least 450 in.² of floor space (levels or connected habitats do not count). The bedding also should not be scented with lavender or similar scents, or made a of soft wood like pine or cedar. These have toxic fumes that can cause hamsters to have respiratory issues, which can lead to death. Often times, hamsters are not provided with the veterinary care they need so they die early and are just replaced by another hamster that will suffer the same fate. All because of them being marketed as easy to care for, cheap, disposable, and good children’s pets, which they are not. Hamsters are nocturnal, usually waking up at around 9 PM and going to sleep at 5 AM, meaning if you do not wake the hamster up (which is bad for them), a child will almost never get to see their hamster. Since hamsters are newly domesticated, lots of them prefer not to be handled, which is not something that children want in a pet. Instead of these cages that are horrible for hamster’s well-being, the hamster community recommends bin cages, which are storage bins with the lid’s center cut off and replaced with mesh, DIY cages, fish tanks with a minimum of 40 gallons, or IKEA bookshelves turned sideways. Lots of these options are often cheaper than the ones sold at pet stores and are bigger and better for the hamster. Hamster balls, something that is often associated with the hamster, is also something that is bad for the hamster. They are poorly ventilated with little slits, which are also death traps for hamsters’ toes if they get caught in them. The ball makes it so that every step the hamster takes cause them to roll, so they either have to run around or stay still. The poor ventilation causes high humidity inside the ball, which can make the hamster feel stressed and trapped. I recommend avoiding those at all costs, except to carry the hamster around in with the lid off. Finally, hamsters should never be kept together. Syrians are strictly solitary, and if caged with another hamster they will fight to death. Dwarf species do live in groups in the wild, but only to hunt together for safety. Normally, they live miles apart in their own territories, something we are not able to replicate in our care. For this reason, no hamster should be kept together with another hamster. Of course, this is not all the information about hamsters, but some that I feel is important to share. For more information, please look at Victoria Raechel, MunchiesPlace, and ErinsAnimals on YouTube, the Hamster Hideout forum, and www.hamstercareguide.com. I hope you learned something from this, and please remember that all animals deserve love and care, regardless of price or size. Feel free to ask me any questions regarding hamsters and their care. |
Anonymous
| I learned SO much from this. Thank you. We would never keep a hamster but I have seen classrooms do it and I never realized the cruelty. |
Anonymous
| wow thank you! is there a different species of small mammals that makes a better pet? |
Anonymous
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Guinea pigs -- cannot recommend them enough. Far more personality and brains than hamsters. BUT you need to have a big enough cage for them to run. They are more akin to having a small cat in terms of amount of care than a hamster or mouse. This is key.
https://www.wikihow.pet/Care-for-Guinea-Pigs https://www.thesprucepets.com/guinea-pig-care-1236838 |
Anonymous
Note, they will learn when you even LOOK at a bag of salad will start wheeking for veggies. It's uncanny. 
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Anonymous
| Thanks, OP! My kids have been begging for a hamster and their tiny rodent feet on my hands creep me out, so now I have additional ammo to say no beyond “No rodents in the house.” |
Anonymous
| Hi OP here. Guinea pigs are more friendly and social, but they require much more and must live in pairs. 2 guinea pigs need 8+ square feet. They are much harder to care for but live longer than a hamster. Rodents in general may not be suitable for small kids, as they get stressed very easily and kids often handle them incorrectly. |
Anonymous
| I would still recommend hamsters more as a first pet, guinea pigs cost a lot more, require a lot more, and are a much bigger commitment. They have more dietary needs and poop sooooo much. For hamsters, just make sure you have the right setup, and then they are great pets are relatively easy to care for. Hamsters can be left alone for a few days, but guinea pigs need a constant supply of hay, veggies, and poop cleaning. They also WHEEK WHEEK when ever you open the fridge. |
Anonymous
| I wish I had read this a few years ago. Our hamster was difficult to care for and never seemed happy (although it’s not like I know what a happy hamster is like), and then I am pretty sure I killed the poor thing by putting it too close to an air conditioning vent. |
Anonymous
Guinea pig poster here. This is true. But they are also so much more rewarding. Mine give kisses. I'd say for small kids, get a fish first. |
Anonymous
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We got a hamster that was a sweet little thing. So social and interactive! I’m still pissed when I think she died of dehydration- I hope she didn’t suffer, but probably did while thirsty and unable to drink water because of a failure in the bottle contraption. Something I discovered only after I found her dead.
We liked her so much that we went and got two sisters (of the same litter). Because of my past experience I was obsessed checking their water bottle daile to make sure it was working properly. But anyway, because they were a pair and had each other, they never bonded to us like Petunia, our 1st. Always skittish, nervous and trying to hide/run. It was not the same experience at all, not even close. Petunia would come to the cage door when we called and fun to our hands/arms. Allowed us to dress her, take cute pictures… would even climb and ride the back of our cat (while holding on the cat’s fur). This was a very special cat BTW - it would never be possible with our current cats or any other “normal” cat. I still miss her, 4 years later. |
Anonymous
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We have a house rabbit, who is super sweet but rabbits (and guinea pigs are poop machines. Our rabbit is mostly litter box trained, but sometimes the turds just pop out - and they look like dog kibble so sometimes the dog eats them.
I find I really enjoy our hermit crabs. They are much less maintenance, are friendly (and you can hold them, etc) and are about the size of a kid's fist. They are really interesting creatures. |
Anonymous
As someone owned by a houserabbit, I just want to point out that mosf People wanting a small pet wouldn’t be suitable homes for a rabbit. Having a rabbit and caring for it properly is more akin to having a cat, and that’s something that people don’t realize and understand about them. They live 10 years, but are very delicate in some capacities. |
Anonymous
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We love our gerbil pair! Gerbils, unlike hamsters, need another gerbil friend, otherwise they're unhappy. They're also greater chewers, so they need a glass aquarium, not anything plastic in their cage unless it's hard plastic and you provide plenty of cardboard and interesting chewy toys to distract them. A determined gerbil can chew a hole through a hard plastic bin if they're bored and have nothing to do! On the other hand, gerbils don't bite, and will come to nuzzle you affectionately when you put your hand in the cage. If an untamed gerbil does bite, you can train it not to by tapping their nose. In gerbil language, it means "stop that". Eventually, they get it. Like hamsters, they need a ton of bedding so they can build tunnels to their hearts' content. I recommend the odor-control paper bedding called EcoFiber. It lasts for a month and does not produce dust, which is important for humans with asthma or allergies. Oh, and about the fish comment. No! Fish are very complex and should not be a first pet! |
Anonymous
| Thank you for posting! Great information! Hamsters are awsome - we have had a few over the years |