|
 Hamsters can make ideal pets for people of any age, but young children must be supervised when handling their pets and be warned! Hamsters will bite hard if they feel afraid or have not been socialized by being handled regularly. However, hamsters are an ideal pet for people who are at work or school during the day as hamsters are nocturnal, which makes them active on an evening and at night, whilst during the day hamsters will sleep.
These adorable creatures are relatively easy to care for, odour from them is limited when kept clean regularly and will provide hours of endless amusement with their busy and energetic characteristics. Hamsters come in an abundance of colours and coat lengths and there are several hamster species now available. Long coated hamsters will need regular grooming to prevent their coats matting. Our top tip is to purchase a good hamster care book, as this will not only tell you the best ways to care for your hamster, but provide tips on how to get the best relationship with your pet, including how to tame them. Naturally the more you handle your hamster the tamer he will become. Finally, research which hamster species is best for you. Remember, not all are suitable as childrens pets.
Syrian Hamsters are suitable as a pet for both children and adults, but younger children must be supervised. This species is the largest of the hamsters kept as pets, and because of its size it is the easiest to handle and Syrians usually have a tolerant temperament. However this particular species of hamster is solitary once maturity has been reached. Be warned, that although Syrians may appear to be living happily with others in the pet shop, this is because they are normally young hamsters, but their solitary nature will be developing. A mature Syrian hamster will require a cage of its own as pairs will fight which can be fatal.
Dwarf Russian Campbells and Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamsters are not as tolerant of clumsy handling, than the Syrian Hamster, and with this type of temperament as well as being small in size and extremely active the Russian Dwarf species are less suitable as pets for younger children. However, they can make interesting pets for older teenagers and adults. Russian Dwarf hamsters are socialable creatures and this species do prefer the company of another and so are best kept in pairs or small groups.
Chinese Hamsters are small, however, they will require a relatively large cage. This species is usually very placid natured and tend to be "quiet" and less lively when handled than the other hamster species. This makes Chinese Hamsters an acceptable choice of pet for young children compared to the Russian Dwarf Hamsters. However, due to their small size and timid nature Chinese Hamsters can be difficult to catch, so young child will find the Syrian Hamster a more suitable pet.
Roborovski Hamsters are extremely small and very fast making them difficult to handle and because they are extremely active this species will also require a large cage. These hamsters are sociable and make an amusing pet to observe because of their active characters. However, they are not an ideal pet for children as they cannot be easily handled, even by adults.
Note: Male hamsters are generally more even-tempered than the females in all the hamster species. However, females can still make good pets, but a male is probably a better choice as a pet for a young child. With the Syrian species the Female Syrian can emit a pungent musky smell around the time of coming into season, so again if you do not want to risk this odour then a male Syrian or one of the other hamster species would be a better option.
|
