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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that hamsters make rubbish pets for children?!

54 replies

threeleftfeet · 23/06/2012 22:31

We've been looking after some hamsters for some friends for a few days.

They're super-cute dwarf hamsters.

But the bloody things only wake up at night! What use is that to a 3 year old?

Having hamsters seems to me to involve the grown ups looking after them and the little ones being disappointed as they can't play with them.

What good is that? Have I missed something?!

I'm really keen on pets in cages anyway. If they were my hamsters they'd probably end up with an enormously daft cage the size of the room or something!

OP posts:
smoggii · 23/06/2012 22:32

YANBU but Hamsters are lovely and make good pets for slightly older children and adults.

CuttedUpPear · 23/06/2012 22:33

I agree. Nothing short of vermin. Stinky too.
So glad we don't have them any more, should have got a dog years before we did.

AgentZigzag · 23/06/2012 22:34

I totally agree, and they bloody bite the little fuckers

Rats are much better, have a lot more about them and do more stuff - like chewing up curtains/clothing/wires awww Smile

I used to let my rats out to have a scout round the room, they used to pick up random items before going back in their cages on their own.

bitofcheese · 23/06/2012 22:35

i don't like any pet that gets stuck in a cage, really upsets me. when hamsters are awake all they try and do is escape from their prison. i got bought one once as a gift, i found it really upsetting, poor bastard. i used to let it out but i was living in a rented flat and all it did was chew the carpet in an attempt to get out of the place.....don't even get me started on birds (in cages)

HumphreyCobbler · 23/06/2012 22:37

Their bite is vicious. If you get a placid one then you are fine, but otherwise it is not exactly a cuddly pet. I always feel sorry for vets when presented with a hamster, which bit would you get hold of in order to hold it still?

thenightsky · 23/06/2012 22:39

Unsociable little buggers, but cute to look at.

Gerbils are far far more fun with huge personalities.

Ingles2 · 23/06/2012 22:40

You are so right... Ds2 had a dwarf hamster a couple of years ago when he was about 10, so more than capable of looking after it himself. It was aggressive, antisocial and eventually developed a tumor that pushed its way out of the poor thing's ear..was grim. I eventually took it to vet to be put down and told ds2 it died naturally. Awful
Not an experience to be repeated.

MrsVamos · 23/06/2012 22:41

YABU

My DD has a Robo dwarf hamster (we did have 2 but one passed away) and she is a right active little thing. In and out of bed at varying intervals during the day, racing about, and doing what little hamsters do.

She does have several cages though, (joined together by tubing, iyswim) all with different things to do. We purposely put her food and water in a seperate bit to her bed, so that she has to get up and about to eat and drink. She has various things to play on/in, various things to gnaw, and is currently setting about re-designing her lovely new beach-style cardboard activity !

We got the robo's because they are supposed to be more active than 'traditional' hamsters. I've had syrian hamsters in the past, and we purposely avoided one of them because all you see or hear all day is a bit of bed-rustling, and then the hell that is the wheel of a night !

cornysilk · 23/06/2012 22:41

we've always has lovely syrian hamsters. I think that they are nice pets for teenagers.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 23/06/2012 22:41

Hamsters are crap, gerbils are even worse (little bitey fuckers Angry )

Rats are the way forward (though it did used to freak out my teachers when they saw the scratches on my arms... though they did this face Shock when I told them it was rats Hmm Grin )

FunnysInLaJardin · 23/06/2012 22:42

we have a dwarf hamster and she is lovely. Miles less noisy and smelly than the normal syrian hamsters, plus she's been with us for 8 months. Ours usually die after about 1 month! She's a Russian White and I love her. Her name is Rambi (the feminine of Rambo!)

PizzaSlut · 23/06/2012 22:42

YANBU, more trouble than they are worth.

We bought one for DD1, it died within 6 weeks. Explaining its demise was worse than her demanding one.

elliebug · 23/06/2012 22:45

YABVU IMO! Hamsters are the best pet ever Grin Syrians I think are better for little children as they are more easy to handle and are slower, mine have always adjusted their awake hours to early evening when I was home, I would be lost without one, in fact one of mine died today Sad now I only have 2!!Smile

mumeeee · 23/06/2012 22:46

YABU they make great pets for older children DD1 and DD2 both had hamsters at the age of 9. The hamsters would be awake in the early evening and sometimes during the day. They used to get them out of their cages am play with them. I do think a 3 year old is to young to gave a hamster or in fact any pet of their own,

vess · 23/06/2012 22:47

Yes, you're right. I saw a documentary on wild hamsters once. They are shy, nocturnal creatures, really not cut out for contact with humans at all.
In other words, they are boring and they hate you!

Original poster
threeleftfeet · 23/06/2012 22:48

Not sure we could handle rats! We had sewer rats get into the cavities in our old house and they chewed through the wiring several times before we worked out how they were getting in (a redundant pipe). Rats have a bad name round here!

OP posts:
Original poster
threeleftfeet · 23/06/2012 22:48

"In other words, they are boring and they hate you!" Grin

OP posts:
BigusBumus · 23/06/2012 22:48

Our nasty little Gerbils sprayed piss up the walls of our utility room. Don't know how but it was coated in it. One bit my son after a fortnight and he hated them from then on. Plus we have working jack russells and they were sent demented by them.

I was so thankful they went to a nice new home courtesy of Freecycle.

lovebunny · 23/06/2012 22:49

there are no good pets for children. children shouldn't have pets. its an adult responsibility.
whatever you do, don't get your children rabbits, or worse, a poor single rabbit, locked in a tiny hutch at the end of your garden, nothing to play with, no-one to talk to... oh, sorry, did i rant?

syrians are by far the best hamsters. full of personality. get a long haired one.
send the dwarf ones home.

Almostfifty · 23/06/2012 22:49

Guinea Pigs are the bestest. They make very cute noises.

Original poster
threeleftfeet · 23/06/2012 22:50

"there are no good pets for children"

Sorry but I've got to take issue with that! I loved having cats growing up; DP loved having dogs.

DS will have a dog as soon as we feel he's old enough (the two cats will be my responsibility).

OP posts:
MrsLetch · 23/06/2012 22:51

Syrian hamsters are great pets - but not for a 3 year old. My DD's hamster book says they're not suitable for children under 8, and I'm inclined to agree. Certainly my 5 1/2 year old is too young to really handle one - and we have a very tame hamster. Also, their sleeping patterns would be completely wrong for a young child. My DD's hamster doesn't wake up until gone 6pm.... That would be almost bedtime for a three year old.

topbannana · 23/06/2012 22:52

YANBU all of mine (bar one) slept ALL day and rampaged around in the dead of night, bit like mules and resolutely died at a particularly traumatic period in my childhood, thus compounding the situation further.

Moved on to mice which were brilliant, had gerbils which were less friendly but great fun to watch and then rats which were also great but demanded massively bigger housing. I would rather pull my fingernails off than allow DS a hamster :o

maybeyoushoulddrive · 23/06/2012 22:52

Dd(8) has a Syrian and she adores him. He makes her giggle with his escapology tricks - he is soooo fast. We've just bought him a cardboard fort to play in - took him about 5 minutes to work out how to get out - I'm sure he was grinning at usGrin

The best thing we've bought is a silent wheel - he whizzes round in it and theres just a very very quiet hum. I wasn't convinced I wanted a rodent in the house but he's won me round with his cuteness.

Brightspark1 · 23/06/2012 22:54

I agree that they aren't suitable for young children, but they are great for older children. Freddie Starr, our hamster isn't completely nocturnal, he will wake up if he hears voices and come and say hello. he loves rolling around in his ball. He is cute and doesn't throw up on the sofa like the cat

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