What hamster makes a better pet?

Question

I want a hamster, and not one that is too big. I was thinking of getting a dwarf hamster, but hear they are very aggressive and bite alot. I also heard they are always asleep during the day, which leaves me no time to play with it.
I badly want a hamster, but do not want to be constanly bitten and napped at. And I do not want one that gets too big either...
???

Answer 1

I would reccomend a teddy bear hamster. Only problem is they get bigger.. Actually, any hamster other than a dwarf hamster gets big. Not super big, because they can still fit in your hands. I have a teddy bear hamster that is extremely sweet. You want to care for them and don't ignore them.. any hamster. You also don't want to play with them without washing your hands after eating first. If they smell food, they will bite.

Answer 2

The bottom line is that out of all the "pocket pets" available on the market today, hamsters are the most likely to bite.

That being said, dwarf hamsters are less likely to bite than their larger, Syrian counter parts. This isn't to say that a dwarf won't bite, but the bite is less likely to break the skin and they are a bit easier to tame. One draw back to the dwarfs though, is they are faster and harder to handle than the Syrians. This is especially true of the very small Robos who move like greased lightening and won't hesitate to leap from your hand. Out of all of the species of hamsters kept as pets though, the Robo is the least likely to bite.

You also expressed concern about their sleeping habits. Unlike the larger Syrian which are nocturnal (sleep during the day, awake at night), dwarf hamsters are largely crepuscular. This means they sleep during the day and night and so its a bit more likely that you'll see them awake during the day.

With time and patience, it's possible to tame down just about any hamster you decide upon, just remember that during this training period, it is likely that you'll get bitten. Much depends upon the hamster's individual personality and all hamsters in general do not enjoy being woken up from a sound sleep no matter how tame they may be.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

If you want a small and furry that you can play with during the day, a hamster might not be the best choice for you. They tend to sleep all day (normal size and dwarf). If you really want a hamster, and you want to play with it during the day, you can wake it up. It will be grouchy at first, but it will wake up. My favorite (the nicest) types of hamsters are Long-Haired (aka Teddy Bear), panda hamster, and short haired hamster. All of these hamsters are full sized. If you really want a dwarf, you can visit all the pet stores in your area and try to find a nice one (they do exist, although sometimes few and far between) You will probably have the best luck with blueberry or black berry dwarfs, and the worst luck with Russian dwarfs. Hope you find the perfect pet!

Answer 4

well...heres what I know:
European hamsters=the BEST hamsters for kids, rarely bite and love to be held; the largest breed of hamster about the size of a small rat but they don't need any more space or care than any other breed.
Teddybear and Fancy hamsters= not as ideal as a European, it's hit and miss, some bite alot and some don't at all; they are the cheapest and the most popular breed to buy but not the most ideal
Dwarf hamster=very small and VERY AGGRESSIVE...I would never get a dwarf for a child or for anyone without experience

I think that you should follow the above suggestion to look at gerbils...gerbils look like dwarf hamsters in size, teddybear hamsters in color, and they have a tail similar to a mouse....I like gerbils many because they have such as good temperament (just like Europeans, they like to be held and rarely bite) ...they are small and friendly which you said you wanted ...however if you get a gerbil you should get 2 or 3 not just one because gerbils like to have friends in their cage with them...(if you get a hamster then only get one per cage and don't let them play with each other-hamsters don't like friends but gerbils do)
hope this helps!

ps, I have owned teddybears and fancies in the past, currently I own one European and one Sib Dwarf and although neither currently bite I had to really work at it to make them feel comfortable with being held...the european was friendly from day one but the dwarf needed time and alot of attention-dwarfs are good pets but not for children and not for people with minimal experience handling/caring for hamsters

Answer 5

As long as you handle it every day gently, a female dwarf hamster is a great pet. The one thing that you need to be aware of is that hamsters are nocturnal, so no matter what kind it is, you're going to piss it off if you try to play with it during its sleepy time (the daytime). As long as you handle it gently every day and it gets used to your smell, and you play with it only around bed time, your hamster will not bite you.

Answer 6

I would say robo dwarf hamsters are the best.They never bite me when I hold them.I've got 7 right now!None of them bite me.They only grow up to 2 inches when they're an adult.They are also the smallest of all hamsters.They are very cute,too.They can live longer than other dwarf hamsters.They don't always sleep in the day.So you can still play with them.

Answer 7

I love teddy bear and black bear hamsters. My hamsters are always awake for a few hours before I go to sleep and in the morning when I'm getting ready to go somewhere, so I play with them then. It's nice that they sleep during the day when I'm gone.

Answer 8

I love Teddy Bear hamsters. They do not get really big, but they are larger than a dwarf. They also do not seem to bite as much.

Answer 9

the best hamster is a Chinese dwarf hamster. i have two. they don't grow to big and they are the hamsters that come out the most. there is another two types of dwarf hamsters but they run really fast and are aggressive. i can honestly say Chinese is the best. good luck

Answer 10

hi!
i also thought the same thing when searching for a hamster. didnt want one thats bit and was so affraid of being bitten...

my friends siberian dwarf hamsters had babies and i went to see them, they were so cute! i chose the one that looked healthy and not aggresive. he was very small at the beginning, maybe an inch to inch and half, now he is about 3-4 inches and i think that is the biggest he will grow. i did alot of research on them but learned more about their behaviors as i lived with the little thing.

he has bitten me only once since i got him over a year ago. i think he got really scared but surprisingly it didnt hurt at all. kind of like a soft pinch with your fingers. other than that, he is always nice and always happy to see me (or the food... probably the food haha). i think dwarves are easier to take care of because they dont require as big of a cage and from experience, they are very nice. just remember to watch them at the store and not get the aggresive one chasing the other hamsters.

my dwarf usually wakes up when i wake up, around 630~7am and when i get home around 6pm he is climbing the cage. he naps alot but i can always hear the wheels turning when hes up. he is most active at night tho, around 10pm.

i read alot about how they only play at night blah blah blah, but from experience it isnt all that true. when i walk near him he wakes up and begs to be let out of the cage, even in the afternoon. i put my hand in the cage, he stands on my hands and he runs around on my hands, sometimes in his ball. if he doesnt want to play, he goes into his house and doesnt come out.

just keep doing research if your not sure. a warning tho... just get one! even if they have a special for buy one get one free... dont get more than one in a cage. =]