AIBU to say adult DD cannot have a pet?

[HiWorld]

I honestly have no idea if I'm being unreasonable!

DD (19) lives at home (full time job) and would like a hamster. She had hamsters as a kid and never cleaned them out and it was always left to me, swore never again. She says it was because they were from pet shops and they were not handled properly by them so used to bite. She says she has researched breeders who handle them from babies. However, I still can't imagine her cleaning it out! I don't want that stinking out her room!

Plus, we have cats!! She says she can shut her door and thinks her room is her space... I do agree but the reality is, is till her final say, right?

She did want rats but I wouldn't even be able to look at them

Wouldn't bother me as hamsters only live for about 2 years.

We have had hamsters before and they are very easy to look after.

Oooo, I'll keep hammy when she moves out! I love Syrians. I'm an insomnia so they're great pets for me. There's one room in our house where Hammy can just run about freely. He goes back in his cage when he's had enough. Ours is getting on now - he's nearly 2, but our last one we had for 2.5 years. We handle our hammies a lot, though.

I'm 23 and living at home whilst I save for a deposit to buy a house. Even though I work from home a lot they won't allow me to get a dog, which is fine I'll just get one once I move out!

No way I'd have a hamster in a house with cats. Not fair to either, and sometimes they do escape.

My DD is 19, and moved out last year. She and flatmates adopted an escapee (owners appears but happy for her to stay). They got huge cage, flying saucer, ball to roll about in etc, and seemed to care well for her. That said, I was clear that hamster couldn't come here if/when she moved home. Have old cat and would have been anxious the entire time. Sadly hamster was older and passed away anyhow.

I am sure your DD can do caring, but as I said too many issues re cats, possible escape attempts etc.

Personally i dont like the ethics of this - keeping an animal locked in a room when it can probably smell the permanent presence of predators right under the door crack

Not only that, but the cat will be aware of the presence of the hamster, through smell, and therefore permanently be looking for ways to gain access to it. I know. I've been there.
It's really more trouble than it's worth. I'd say no.

Those balls are terrible for hamsters, too! They can't see where they're going in them and they can damage their spines running into objects or walls. Poor hammy! Tell her to get a black and white/teddy bear hamsters. We've had three and they have the sweetest natures. In fact, I think I'll go see if Chris the hamster is awake.

I was going to say YABVU, she's 19 and can do as she likes. If she still lives in your house though, then of course you get a say in whether another pet enters the household.
If she wants a pet she should wait until she has her own place.

Maybe take a look at this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2997869-cat-has-killed-my-hamster

I love hamsters. Please don’t get a hamster when you have cats. They are not compatible. I have a cat too and would never get another hamster while she’s around!

Yabu only because you vetoed rats who are way nicer than hamsters!

I would let her but we are pet mad in our house

I've had hamsters and cats before. It didn't end well.

My 19 yr old is an adult and I treat him as such. I don't enter his room, it's his space.
Actually, I don't enter any of their rooms without permission.
If any wanted a pet in their room, and there have been some over the years, it's up to them. I am very clear that it is NOT my responsibility but theirs. That includes food etc.

Keeping animals in cages is cruel regardless of any human's age. Also the presence and smell of a cat would be terrifying for it. Ditto the cat who would probably be driven demented by it's instincts when aware of hamster in the house. Sorry.

My dd (18) wants sugar gliders (so do I really, but realistically, no) and I have said when she's in her own place she can have whatever pets she likes.

Thus she tries t find putative pets of such immeasurable cuteness that I'll want them myself

Is it likely that she'll be moving out into rented accommodation in the next few years? If that happens and she's not allowed a pet, will you be stuck with the hamster?

See I'm not really into this your house your rules unless there was sever piss taking going on. My kids are quite young but I think it's all our home, we all live here and I want everyone to be happy. I'm a bit whatever about most things unless it's dangerous tbh. If it was my dd I'd get her one. I also hope my dc are still at home at 19 I think that's still quite young.

PeanutButterRules most hamsters will always go in the same place in the cage. So once you know where that is (usually a corner), take out the wet sawdust from there, mix a little bit with some dry sawdust and put it in a jam jar. Put the jar in corner where they went to the loo, and they'll usually start to use it. Once they know how to use it you can just put clean sawdust in the jar.

Have two jars and you can just swap them each day/every other day. Sometimes when they get old they can't manage to turn around in the jar though, so we started using a little open box instead, and then they can usually manage that.

Except if you have Roborovskis. They just go where they like! Usually in the bit of the cage that's the hardest to get to to clean...

I ended up acquiring a hamster at uni that came back home with me for a year after. It died of natural causes after a decent life span. No incidents involving my mum's cats. There was one weekend when he escaped, but he turned up safe and well in the remnants of a sleeping bag in a warm cupboard where the pipes passed through. I found him in 30 seconds.

It was a useful bit of life experience for me. I've gone on to successfully raise human offspring

It is unlikely to last long if your cat Is so minded

If yours is more laid back OK then

Hammies don't live long, pity me stuck with a bearded dragon who will live on and continue to enjoy live insects regularly long after my DS has moved out to college

I was in yr situation,but not a hamster,think much bigger and free roaming....suddenly a boyfriend is on the scene.shes slept in her bed once in the last Couple of months..she's kindly given the pet to me now😳

Hamsters bite once or possibly twice when they are being tamed... Are you telling me one of you tamed your hamster ever??

No I wouldn't let her, I think it's very cruel with cats. We rehomed some gerbils once for someone emigrating, the cats were constantly trying to get in that room and shredded the carpets trying to do so.

I also think caged animals lead sad existences.

Yanbu to say no. She can get a hamster when she has her own place. Getting one now would complicate things if she decides to go off to uni or travel. It is your house. Just no.

No, absolutely not. She can get as many hamsters as she likes when she lives in her own place. She's more than old enough to move out if this bothers her.

I wouldn't, but because of the issue that a) it's your house and she doesn't pay rent so it's up to you and b) the cats - has trouble written all over it.

That said, the fact that she was bad at cleaning out her pets as a kid isn't a factor for me. I was dreadful at cleaning out my hamster cages as a child (my poor mother!) but now have cats and deal with the litter tray daily without complaint mostly