Syrian Hamsters- would it ever be awake early evening?

[jenthehen]

DS 7 would really like one but anything I've read seems to say that they don't wake till about 10pm. Anyone with any experience of this?

[bella29]

Our hamster gets fed at tea time and he'll usually pop out for this, especially if there's something smelly like cheese on the menu!

[fircone]

Yep. Our poor old hamster rubs his eyes and shuffles over to the bars at about 10.30pm, just as dh and I are heading up the stairs to bed.

He is NEVER awake during the day. He does get out of his nest and makes a quick trip to his "loo" at about 8 o'clock in the morning, but he's not too sociable then.

I reckon a hamster is a good pet for a night-shift worker.

[jenthehen]

Does it make any difference if it is winter time and the nights are dark earlier?

[haggisaggis]

Get pet rats instead! THey're cute - awake when you are - cuddly.
Try and get girls though (and you must get at least 2)
Boys are really smelly!

[bella29]

I don't think so, not with ours anyway. I quite often catch him running around in broad daylight, but maybe he's an insomniac

[jenthehen]

I read that boy rats were more friendly than female ones, so I went to look at some yesterday and was put off by their HUGE teeth and HUGE testicals!
I don't think rats are for me.

[bella29]

My hammy's got huge testicles too

[geekgirl]

ours is awake early evening and also in the morning.

[Iklboo]

Get him a pair of male rats. V sociable, very handle-able after a short space of time and usually out and about much of the day/early evening.
Our ratties favourite platime was about 7pm

[Iklboo]

Rats' teeth are sort of about the same size as a hammie's (watch hamster yawn - you'll wonder where they put their teeth). Plus they're less inclined to bite than a hamster. I've only ever ben bitten once by a rat and that was becuase she was pregnant and we didn't know and must have been hormonal

[jenthehen]

oops sp testicles!!
I've also read that rats dribble urine, is this true??

[jenthehen]

Where do you keep your rats' cage? ie in which room and how reluctant are people to look after rats when you go on holiday. Rat ownership seems on a whole different scale to hamster ownership.

[WeeBesom]

So has my hammy bella, he used to have a wee house which he slept in and they were always hanging out the window (I kid you not!) [boak]

[Polgara2]

Our hamster is awake early evening (or whenever she is grabbed!) and for parts of the day - it varies. Probably depends on how much exercise she has been subjected to . She has been a great and much loved pet so far.

[Icanseethesea]

Our syrian hamster is usually awake early evening. Ds 7 loves him to bits! He has pots of character too - lovely pet!

[bella29]

They are cute aren't they - even when their testicles are completely out of proportion to the rest of their body, weebesom!

[jenthehen]

This is more encouraging. I'll have a look at some hamsters.