to think that hamsters make rubbish pets for children?!

[threeleftfeet]

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!

I used to have a hamster at university, and apart from it keeping me awake as they are nocturnal, I felt like a Nazi officer in The Great Escape. And their bite is excruciatingly painful. The only rodent really suitable for small children is guineapigs.

Tolerant cats are pretty good too. If you get them from a good home and their mum is tolerant and friendly then they will probably be tolerant and friendly too. I think having cats it teaches you how to approach animals in general - how to handle them, come into a room quietly so as not to frighten them. I find our cats love other people who have cats as they don't tend to come into the room shouting the odds or clumping about - unlike say the inlaws who have a dog and wonder why the cats run off when they come into the house (without the dog) bellowing "Hello!" and generally being loud.

Chickens are pretty good too esp hybrids and most of them like being handled, are not much harder to take care of than guineapigs, plus you get eggs. I get pecked every now and then but it doesn't hurt.

I think at 10 any pet is ok though germyrabbit.

Your hamster breakdances, germyrabbit?! This we have to see!
Youtube?!

We've just got rats. They're lovely :)

Two girls, tiny little things, they were so shy but with gentle handling they're getting more and more sociable every day. They've got a bloody big cage (I refused to listen to MIL who said they can fit in hamster cages - they can't!) which was a tad expensive, but the DCs already love them and I'm so excited about having my very own pets