Both my sons really want to get a hamster. We have had one before and my only concern is about it biting. When my son was in Kindergarten, they had a hamster as a pet in the classroom and it never bit. What kind/type or breed of hamster is the best for children? Thanks in advance!
2006-12-12 13:52:36 · 14 answers · asked by crafty mama 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
All hamsters have their own individual personalitys, although differant breeds will have some sterotyping to an extint. Syrian hamsters come in many differant colors (panda,dalmation,blackbear, ect.) they also come in differant lengths of hair. You can not judge by coloration, and say a black bear is nicer than a short hair hamster. they are the same thing. Finding a nice one starts with visiting petstores in your area and having a knowledgeable employee handle a few of them to first determine their "first impression personality". You want one that is laid back and doesnt mind being rubbed, not one that jumps and flips on it back ( a sign of aggression) Usually i find the ones that are a few weeks older to be more suited for pets, smaller is not always better. as per dwarf hamsters. Russians aka cambels dwarf hamsters. they can be nippy if they are not properly handled. Unless they were handled alot from 5 wks up they will need to be picked up in a non threating way until they are used to people. Use their hiding home to let them crawl inside and then into your hands from there. This will eliminate the "preditor v/s prey" of the big hand swooping down to grab them, lol. There again a employee at a petstore should be able to do this for you to determine the " personality" of the hamster. Chinese dwarf hamsters are usually not nippy, but are very fast and not recommended for very small childern. be advised that if they excape you will probally not catch them. On the plus side they do usually have good personalitys. Robo dwarf hamster, they are the smallest dwarf avalible in the pet trade, they are simular to russians in determining personality and should the cupped up in a bowl or house and allowed to crawl into a persons hand until trust is established. Hope this helps.
2006-12-12 18:28:17 · answer #1 · answered by talisy77 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I usually would not recommend a hamster for a child. They are nocturnal (they are awake mostly at night), their urine is quite stinky, they defecate wherever, and they are more apt to bite than most other rodents.
Depending on the age of your children, you may want to consider a gerbil or even a guinea pig instead (gp's urine is pretty stinky, too; gerbils are desert dwelling, so they only need the cage cleaned every other week, usually) I would do a lot more research before you get any animal, though. Hamsters definitely have the 'cute' factor, but they usually don't turn out to be what kids consider 'fun', since they are asleep almost all day, and only get really active when the kids are getting ready for bed!
If you still decide on a hamster, I would recommend the Syrian/Golden/Teddy bear variety. (They are all the same...teddy bears have long fluffy hair) At any rate, they are the larger hamsters you will see in the stores, not the tiny dwarf ones. The dwarf species are typically even more aggressive, so stay away from those. Also bear in mind that you must keep hamsters singly! They are extremely territorial, and although you will see them together in the store, these are youngsters typically. Adults will either mate (and if they are left together they will eat the pups. yuck!) or fight. You would have to cage hamsters separately if you got one for each of the kids.
This is why I would recommend a gerbil for kids...they can be kept in pairs and are typically quite tame :) But there are downsides to every pet. I would also recommend finding a local breeder (yes, people do that!) for whatever pet you pick, so you will be sure to get a socialized pet.
amanda
2006-12-12 14:21:36 · answer #2 · answered by Amanda C 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Every hamster needs to get tamed down first because it can be handled without it biting in fear. Im not really all that for small rodents in the company of small kids. (The hamsters are simply too small) But if you insist on sticking with hamsters then try Syrian Hamsters, they are a bit bigger than Russian dwarf hamsters but they are quite sensitive to being squeezed.
2016-05-23 16:37:19 · answer #3 · answered by Beth 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best hamster, would be the Golden/Syrian Hamster. They tend to be the friendliest (of course, any hamster can bite, if never properly handled).
The only ones I'd recommend staying away from, are the Russian Dwarves (and all the Dwarf breeds). They are the more aggressive hamsters. I wouldn't allow the risk.
2006-12-12 13:55:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have owned everything from hamster to chincillas in the rodent world. If you are considering a rodent for your boys please stay away from gerbils and hamsters. Yes they are cute but they love the smell of anything on your fingers and are way more inclinded to bite. there bites are nasty and often go right to the bone. Try a rat. Make sure it is a baby and handle it. teh aren't agressive once attached they don't run of too far they are cleaner(even though its a rat) They are less grouchy when waking them.
All around they are an exceptional little creature.
good luck
2006-12-12 15:32:44 · answer #5 · answered by virgogirljenn 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Get Teddy bear Hamsters or Russian hamsters. They rarely bite but you must be careful because they try to escape in the night (sleep in day and the more activey in night) which happened to my hamster who ranaway and never returned, he has escaped much more times before. Most kids get these hamsters, and more common I guess.
2006-12-12 13:55:45 · answer #6 · answered by TianXiaTaiPing 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i had a hamster when i was a little girl and the best kind for me was a teddy bear hamster, they are very sociable and they love to be held, but you do have to be nice to them ofcourse. the dwarf hamsters can get aggressive and tend to bite a lot. no matter what, they are just like that.
2006-12-12 13:56:04 · answer #7 · answered by stix246 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Any breed will bite if it's not socialized. Rodents need to be handled for at least an hour a day, starting at a very young age so they get used to human contact. The ones that do bite, do it out of fear of an unfamiliar touch.
2006-12-12 13:55:46 · answer #8 · answered by Emmy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I believe a common one is a Teddy Bear Hamster. If I remember right if you get them young and handle carefully they are not as likely to nip as one that is older and not accustom to being handled. Only get one, they multiply like rabbits and you can not tell them apart easily or at least not until they are PG. Been there! Best of luck.
2006-12-12 14:00:49 · answer #9 · answered by JAN 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Golden/Syrian HamsterThey r the best and any hamster can bite of course
2006-12-12 13:58:59 · answer #10 · answered by -Rissa- 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋