I don't want to get saddled with dealing with another animal to feed. We already have a cat that I take care of. How will the cat and hamster get along? Do they stink?
2006-10-14 05:58:23 · 14 answers · asked by Agent99 5 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Hamsters are alot of work. You have to clean the cage thoroughly every day, scooping up wet shavings and feces. Clean it thoroughly. Every week you should take everything out and wash the cage thoroughly with warm water and soap. Be sure to dry it completely and put a thick layer of shavings to keep it warm and from getting sick. It needs to be feed every day a good diet. Fresh cool water everyday. Never give it ice cold water as it will make it sick. Never hot water either. You need to wash out and rinse the dish and water bottle every couple of days ( 2-3) Sometimes can get salt blocks for the hamster to help it get vitamins it needs. It shouldn't smell if you take well care cleaning the cage everyday and doing proper maintenance. Hamsters like wheels to because it gives them something to do and helps with exercise. Hamsters sleep during the day and are awake long hours into the night. Good Luck
2006-10-14 06:07:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hamsters do stink and if sheis only seven i would reccemend not getting one. My 11 year old has one and I still clean up after it. They take alot of work. Buy her an easier pet like a fish and then see if she can remember to feed it and clean its bowl and things like that. Make a chart (for yourself only) and mark down the days you have to feed the fish and that will be about the same with the hamster. If you accept doing it how ever many days you did it than you can buy her a hamster as long as you accept to help with her however many days you helped with the fish. Hope this helps.
2006-10-14 06:04:40 · answer #2 · answered by I ♥ Tanner so much! 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are smelly little things. You can buy a litter called Soft-Sorbent that takes away the smell a little. She may be able to care for one, they are low maintenance. Just make sure that the cat and the hamster stay far away from each other, and that the hamster cage is somewhere where it won't be knocked over easily by the cat :)
2006-10-14 06:30:35 · answer #3 · answered by ilikebunniesandpi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hamsters require not too much care, and do not have an odor. We had a cat with our most recent one and it didn't seem to mind the little rodent, but would chase it when it was in its little ball rolling around the house.
The bad thing about Hamsters is they do not live long. We went through two hamsters in about two months. We took good care of it and took it to the vet and he was fine. They just don't live long.
2006-10-14 06:05:32 · answer #4 · answered by Cortni W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hamsters altho do not have to be entertained other than a wheel to run on or something to crawl back and forth over - need regular cleanup care or do have odor problems
dependent upon the hamster, some bite too
if child is not good thus far in helping to care for the cat - then this will end up yours too cos they eat, sleep, play and bathroom in their environment
from the rodent family, very similar to the rat family - thus may be big entertainment to the cat(providing trauma you may not with to have) - but still dependent on the cat
your call parent!!
2006-10-14 06:12:30 · answer #5 · answered by Marsha 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its not really about her age, is she responsible enough to take care of it? Do you think she's responsible enough? Hamsters stink if you don't clean up after them. As for the cat, hard to say, all cats are different but my cat ate my hamster when I was 10, but he was a crazy tomcat who lived outside for the most part.
2006-10-14 06:07:04 · answer #6 · answered by missmelissa80 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you should wait until she is older. You will definitely get stuck with it. Kids that age are only interested for about 2 weeks, then they don't want it.
The cat may not hunt and kill the hamster, but there is no telling until that sad occasion, so keep them apart unless you want a "wild kingdom" moment for your kid.
Yea, hamsters smell. You will hear that if you keep them clean they don't, but that means changing the cage every other day.
Also, they are nocturnal, so if you have a small place, they will be running on that wheel all night long. They are surprisingly noisy too.
Sorry to be so negative.
Cheers.
2006-10-14 06:13:19 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
She might be old enough but hamsters are not the best options to have as pets (my opinion). They smell they make noise and if they escape it is difficult to catch them. you also have to buy food ans stuff to keep the hamster alive. and last the worst thing to do is clean a hamster cage.
you should pick a dog or cat instead of a hamster
2006-10-14 06:10:02 · answer #8 · answered by guillo19 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
they dont stink. the cat will probably eat the hamster if it gets a chance, and they dont stink. your daughter might be able to take pretty good care of it. i had a dwarf hamster when i was 8 and took perfectly good care of it. if she's responsible, she will do just fine. but make sure first that she will take good care of it.
2006-10-14 08:08:40 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I say yes. You will have to do the cleaning, but hey! Just changing the cedar chips once a week isn't bad. Throw a food kibble in there once a day, and your 7yr old can help and start learning some responsibility. The cat will most likely want to eat it.. make sure the cage closes securely.
2006-10-14 06:08:02 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋