Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Hi guys,

I have a hankering for a fluffy pet. Right now, all I have is a Siamese fighting fish in a bowl. My wife and I have nixed dogs or cats. She's allergic to cats, and we don't have the time or schedule to give a dog a proper home, especially when it comes to the poor thing being walked enough.

I have gotten her kind of sweet on the idea of getting a hamster. We've both owned them before, so we know we both like them. We are always home at dusk/night, so we can play with and exercise the hamster when it would normally be awake. And they are not as expensive as dogs and cats to take care of.

Any small animal experts on here? I'm looking especially for advice re: cages and accessories. Also, there seem to be a lot more varieties of hamsters more widely available in the pet trade than there were when I was a pre-teen and had my hamsters. Any recommendations of specific breeds to look for/avoid? I know that there is one breed that is very small and quick, and is not really recommended as a pet.

I am heavily leaning towards buying all the pieces of the setup separately, as the "all in one" kits seem to be too small and of poor quality.

Disclaimer: I love animals. I almost pursued a career in veterinary medicine, but went with music instead. This is not a whim. This is something that I have been thinking about for months. I think people who see an animal in a movie and rush out and buy one are irresponsible. I would never do that to an animal. So if I seem worked up and passionate, that is why.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

get a ferret mate that are the best lol

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Sorry, Ignore me, I thought you were looking for recipes!:r

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

My 12yo has had three hamsters in her life. Two of them lived about 2 years, which is pretty good we're told for hamsters.

I discovered that the metal cages are easier to maintain and less "escape-proof" than the plastic models, although the plastic ones have lots of accessories.

Problem with the plastic ones with all the tunnels and tubes, is they can be hard to clean.

Definitely need a wheel and an exercise ball. My daughter's current hamster loves to chase the cats with hers. Nothing like watching a 6 pound cat run from a 6oz hamster.

Wood chip bedding like pine or cedar tends to control the odor better than the shredded cellulose stuff.

That's all I can think of. I know certain breeds are better than others, ie more friendly, but can't remember which ones. Will have to call the expert when I get home.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

I thought you had an infestation!

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Grilled with Teryiaki sauce-- oh-- never mind.....

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

My daughter has kept hamsters, dwarf hamsters, mice, guinea pigs, gerbils, and rabbits.
She said the mice are the best by far.
Hamsters and gerbils bite, guinea pigs stink, and rabbits and guinea pigs are hard to maintain.
We've had house rabbits before. You can litter train them and pen them when you aren't there. They're really stupid and have zero personality. They eat your lamp cords. :)
We had a dwarf hamster before that was as cool as a mouse. It was hand raised from birth and very tame. They're usually mean as hell.
Guinea pigs are very smart and lots of fun, but you have to do a lot of cleaning, they're noisy and demanding. They're the hardest to care for of all the rodents.

Mice are awesome. They're fun, don't bite, love to be handled, enjoy your company, and they're just plain cute. All you need is a fish tank, a wire lid, some bedding, a wheel for them to run on, and a water bottle. Wood chew toys and all sorts or treats are available at Walmart and most anywhere else.
You can make baby mice very easily if you so desire and sell them back to the pet store for feeders. (Snakes gotta eat, too.)

Hamsters like to climb through tunnels and stuff and you can spend a fortune on Habitrails and balls for them to run in and fancy toys. That's all the fun, cause they really fall short personality-wise. They don't like people, they just tolerate them.
If you've had hamsters before and truly played with them a lot, and found you enjoyed them, go for it. The toys are the best.
If you want a rodent that doesn't require a lot of attention to stay tame, and one that'll be glad to see you, a mouse fits the bill.

I've heard that rats are the smartest and coolest of all the rodents. Problem is that you'll really fall in love with their special personalities and they die. They only last two or three years. A three year old rat is not unheard of, but very rare.
I've had a lot of friends who have really enjoyed keeping rats as pets, I can't stand them. I spent too many years killing them to imagine bonding with one. :)

My brother kept ferrets. They stink. Bad.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

I've had hamsters, mice and ferrets. Of all of them, the mice were the best.

The hamsters ate their plastic enclosures and ended up escaping. I would've thought they couldn't eat the plastic, but they did. They ended up escaping a few times and eventually were lost. You couldn't really play with them, they were always trying to run away.

I had a ferret, who was very mean. He would scratch and bite, and if he was let out of the cage, he would get into some sort of trouble. Eating cables, hiding in walls, etc... He ate his hammock and died.

I also had two mice. One black and one white. They were awesome. I could put them into my shirt pocket and go out. My friends loved them. You could put them into a bowl and they would use it as a lookout. My friends and I ended up building tunnels out of florescent tube covers and they would run all over the place. If they escaped, they would just hang around. They were my favorites of the three.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Try a good rub and some clove garlic and make sure you don't overcook them.

I didn't read the original post but I'm sure that covers it. :D

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

My three kids over the years had just about everything in the order of small animals.
The most fun were either the gerbils or the rats.
If you go the gerbil route, try using an aquarium filled about 1/3 full of a 50:50mix of peat moss and potting soil. Slightly dampen the mix, pack it in and bury a few larger rocks or bricks to give them a challange. The kids loved watching them tunnel and the mix absorbs the smells well. Make sure you have a secure lid as the jump very well.
For the rats, I built a large wire frame condo with multi levels that keep them busy, boy rats are docile and don't wander away from kids while being held. The little girls on the other hand love to wander and have to be watched....
Never really had a biting problem, but keep after the kids to have clean hands before going near.

Whatever you choose, enjoy their company. :tu

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

A mouse? Really? I'm gonna need to do some hardcore convincing of the wife on that one. She likes hamsters because they don't have a mouse/rat-like tail.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

There's a Richard Gere joke somewhere in here. :r

:r

I have a great dipping sauce that goes well with them. :r

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

i have kept ferrets my intire life and i have never had a mean one and i used a few for rabbit hunting and thay still stayed soft as hell were i come from (the west ryding of yorkshire) keeping ferrets is a way of life tho like flat caps and a wippet lol funny talking about mice and ferrets tho both my oldest ferret and pet mouse died a week or so back

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Thanks guys, but we're not at all interested in ferrets. Too expensive, too big, need too big of a cage, and yes, they smell. One of my best friends in school had a ferret and it always smelled like ass.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Ferrets have a musk gland. The one your friend had was most likely not descented.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

yeh thay are out side animals tbh thay only cost about 5 pounds here tho .the smell is down to bad diet most of the time alot of people give them raw meat and that makes them stink

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

yep chop the balls off and bye bye musk gland lol only females are musk gland free to start off with tho lol

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Mice or hamsters, don't over analyze what you need too much. Both my experience with either one required nothing more than a glass aquarium with a snap on screen lid, cedar shavings, a wheel, wood chews and paper towel or toilet paper tubes for them to run thru/chew. I haven't had a rodent pet in years though, just my :2 :tu

:tpd: I had a tenant that had a ferret in my rental, which they weren't allowed to have, and it stunk like the dickens. Had to rip out the carpet in her room because of it when they left. :mad:

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

thats will have been down down to the people not looking after it propley not the ferret its self tho

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

the thing about mice is that thay dont live very long like 2 sometimes 3 years at most how about a chinchila thay live alot longer than mice

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Didja ever consider a skunk? You remove those glands and they apparently make great pets and can be litter trained.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

alot bigger than a ferret tho lol how about a pigmy hedgehog ?
http://www.mrtoffee.com/CloseupHedgehog.jpg

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

:tpd:

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

[quote=Mugen910;285006]:tpd:[/QUO

:dance:

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Although they are all just rodents to me - I'd vote for guinea pigs. After growing up with my brothers and sister - and then my girls keeping a variety of rodents - I think guinea pigs are about the easiest to keep - and they very rarely bite. They also like to be held - they don't normally try to escape, run off and hide causing extended searches for them. The are night dwellers - so they will be active when you are both home then. They like the exercise wheels and balls - not so much the tube things from what I have noticed. Keep is cheap with the food and bedding (buy the really large bales).

Any small animal will smell if you don't keep the cage clean. For guinea pigs make sure to add extra chips, shavings, bedding whatever so they have a place to make their nest and one end for their business. As noted an inexpensive aquarium works the best and keeps the mess confined - although it does keep the smells from dissipating.

How about turtles? I've got a pair here looking for a good home - :)


Ron

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Can their tails be docked (like certain breeds of dogs)?

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

If you are looking for the companionship of a large(r) animal there are several breeds of hypoallergenic cats. Siberian, Russian Blue (some say Siamese as well). Plus the Sphinx, a/k/a "Mr Bigglesworth" cats but they don't meet the "fluffy" requirement. :r

FWIW I have an allergy to some cats, certain longhairs really mess up my eyes but our cats are domestic short hairs and I have had not one problem with them. Even a friend who has sever dander allergies is not affected as bad as he usually is by our cats. My fiancé also has a slight allergy but she cured herself by rubbing them in her face for the first couple weeks we had them. :dance:

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

I have kept hamsters, mice and Guinea Pigs and the Guinea pig would be my first choice. A little more maintenance, but more of a pet that you can handle. We use to take them outside in the yard to eat grass and sniff around and they do have a little personality. The cage was a little bulky to handle, but it came apart easily. They are easy to keep and feed, we had 3 of them, all females. Hamsters bite, mice just didn't work for me until I had snakes. I think Bearded Dragons make great pets and they are pretty clean. :D

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

This put an unfortunate picture in my head...a nice one, but unfortunate...:r

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

I'd like to thank you for putting the strangest image in my head so far today.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...ragyuj06jp.jpg

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

how about a cute cuddly Sugarglider. They make great pets, very affectionate. I believe they're better off in pairs, so you'll need 2.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ar_glider2.jpg

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

This photo rocks!

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l8...ugarglider.jpg

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

I've looked into the sugargliders in the past and although I really liked the animals themselves (check your local laws on these) I found a lot of the breeders to be total nut jobs. Several of them required a home visit to check out the living area before the sale. Several requested interview processes and follow up surveys/check ups.

For a rat with wings? Really? Whatever. If I'm jumping through those kind of hoops I'm getting a pet that can at least roll over on comand. ;)

We've had gerbils, mice, hamsters, and guinea pigs. I liked our guinea pig the best. She would curl up under my wife's chin and chatter away contently.

Now if you're looking for easy in the way of pets, and fun to watch I'd go with hermit crabs. I've had them on and off since I was a kid and they are very easy to take care of. They don't require a lot of attention, and mainly like to come out at night to explore and knock around.

Neat to watch.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Small animal, get a rat. They are smarter than mice and hamsters, also less bitey, and far more social. I breed rodents to feed my snakes, I have learned that rats are the better of the three species. Yes I do socialize my rats and give them attention, even if they are snake food.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

I've had a number of small fuzzy animals over the years...and they were really easy to clean up about a week after i introduce them to my snakes :r

Speaking of reptiles, leopard gecko's are the bomb!

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

I had a female. Smell really wasn't that bad, males are supposed to be worse.

They are OK to run around the house, but it will have to be ferret proofed. They can get into really small spaces and will eat anything they find. A swallowed eraser from the top of a pencil equals expensive bowel surgery or a new ferret.

They are more personable than the rodents and pretty easy to care for. Let me know if you have any more questions about ferrets.

I've had hamsters, guinea pigs and mice. My cousin has had rats and said they are fun to raise.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

I'd like to get a Chinese water dragon.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Please bear in mind, I am also looking for an animal that costs $20 or less to purchase. Last time I saw ferrets in a pet store, they were $100. And wife just gave me a dirty look when I said skunk.

Her reply: Your farts are all the stink I can handle.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Rats are cheap. My wife will take her rat everywhere, even comes to her when she calls his name.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Promise her you will stop farting if you get the skunk. She will gladly accept that trade. Then just go back on your word. Easy enough!

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

I called the expert today and she said to get a longhair or "teddy bear" hamster. They are the friendliest. Don;t get a plastic cage because it makes them sweat a little and make sure they don;t have "wet tail".

:tu

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

I agree with Sean about getting a Teddy Bear if you get a hamster. Another tip is that if the place sexes them, a male if friendlier and less prone to biting than a female.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

True. We got females because the males came with a couple of large accessories that made my daughter giggle waaaaaayy too much.

Crap, I just agreed with a masshole AND a Pats fan....:fu

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Hey Bozo, I made the first mistake and agreed with you.:fu:hf

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

You're right...damn it...:r:dance:

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Let your wife read this:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art3899.asp

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

Which ever you decide on, please don't expose them to wood shavings...

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/guine...odshavings.htm

We used CareFRESH, manufactured from 100% wood pulp fiber for our small pets. It does not cover the odor as well (at all), but if it stinks, you need to change the litter... It also pays to remove the wet spots frequently (daily) with a scoop and replace it with a handful of fresh from the bag.

FRESH WATER DAILY!!!

The problem I have with little creatures is that we have enough time to get very attached to them and then they leave us. But, on the brighter side, if you can give them a good, happy, healthy life, you done good.

My friends and co-workers thought I was crazy when I paid about $150 to have one of our cavies (guinea pigs) ovarian cysts removed. She was getting bald spots on her sides so I took her to the vet. They said she had two to three months if we didn't take care of the problem, she (Pebbles) lived two more years after we had it done. She made it to six years old, our others lived to be three or four. She loved dandelion leaves and St. Augustine grass, but she only got either if they'd never been chemically fertilized.

I'll stop now... Yeah, I know... :wo

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

My old roommates had about 6 sugar gliders after the initial pair mated. They are very affectionate and a lot of fun. The little noise they make sounds pretty cool, almost like a wind up toy.

That being said, they smell. Bad. I couldn't ever go into my old roommate's bedroom. Also, to properly care for a sugar glider they require a very large habitat. The habitat my old roommates built was about 6 feet long by 6 feet high, and 4 feet deep. It was considered small in the sugar glider world apparently. They need room to glide in their habitat.

Re: Need advice re: small animals/hamsters
 

:r

Can't argue with results though! :hf