Kids want a hamster

[alcoholnightmare]

Hi, my kids would like a hamster - they are 6,5&5, so I’m fully expecting to look after said hamster which wouldn’t be a problem, except I don’t know how.
Had hamsters and other pets as a kid, but my Mum did it all and I don’t remember what to do. I know to clean cage weekly, feed and water daily, hamster ball for excercise, nocturnal (not a problem), cuddles etc, not overwhelming hamster with noise etc.
what else though? Do they need vaccines? Pet insurance etc?
I’ve only ever owned a dog and cat as an adult so no idea where to start with a hamster

I don’t want to say yes to kids if I’m going to get this wrong.

I had 4 DKs,who had hamsters as teenagers,I also had them as a child
They are nocturnal,can be nervous and bite. Mine also used to hibernate and many times we thought he was dead.. they need as big a run as possible , lots of tunnels. They can be really noisy at night. Last pets my DKs had apart from cats and dogs,rats, lovely pets, keep 2 females, very noise sensitive,need to get used to being handled,or guinea pigs, frankly that's what I would go for..

No hamster ball and a lot bigger cage then you think you will need. Deep bedding to allow for burrowing but they need a lot of area to cover rather than it being too high. Hamster balls are really bad for them so you need an area for free roaming. You should look for a good breeder your hamster too instead of using a pet shop as they utilise rodent mills and disgusting conditions.
100x50x50 is considered minimum cage size.

Hamsters aren't my species as I keep rats but hopefully someone will be along soon to give you more advice.

I think you’ve covered most of it. Please get more than just one exercise ball; my son’s hamster had a 4 floor hamster house!
Don’t forget hamsters do not have long life spans.
Guinea pigs are more entertaining but I don’t know anything about them except my DF had one which she cuddled regularly.

Do let your kids know that hamsters are A. nocturnal, so they won’t really get to play with them, and B. Not very social and can sometimes be aggressive.

Hamsters are quite expensive to deal with properly. You need a huge hutch (all on one story, not the multi story ones they’re awful for hamsters) minimum size a metre squared. Anything smaller is cruel and ideally bigger than that size would be best. Stimulating stuff inside like a wheel, and a few toys.

hamsters also only live a couple of years so you’d need to tell your children that too. Don’t get a hamster ball either they’re cruel.

you will need to get a separate large box to put hammy in and clean out his hutch and all his poo and soiled bedding, wipe down with pet safe cleaner and replace it. You need to do this weekly.

lastly go to a proper breeder, not pets at home.

Tbh. I would wait until they are a bit older. I made my DD wait until she was 8 before getting Guinea pigs. Fully aware it would be me looking after them. She hated them, totally not what she was expecting.

They don't really enjoy being handled or cuddled or anything and mainly sleep during the day.

The cage needs cleaning every few days if you miss a day it's gross.

And it will almost certainly attempt to escape. And probably succeed.

And they chew wires etc so can cause loads of damage.

They look sweet but they aren't really that great as pets for very small kids. Maybe aged 11 plus. As it is quite a bit of responsibility.

Hamsters are pretty terrible pets for young kids.
G.Pigs would be a much better option.

Okay, I think youve all put me off! Thank you.
back to ‘borrow my doggy’ it is!

I would second and third them not actually being great pets. My DSC had hamsters when they were 8/9. Not friendly, nocturnal and kept escaping. Very cute though.
Gerbils are more entertaining but not really handling pets - but can be interacted with.

Don't get one. The kids will likely get bored of it because they're not interactive. Unless you spend an eternity trying to "tame" them all the while having your hands nipped to shreds

Current recommendations are that they are housed in a cage/enclosure that is at least 100cm x 50cm, i.e. bloody massive.

Hamster balls no longer recommended either as they stress out the hamster and can cause injury.

They also need a tonne of bedding to burrow in.

I learned the hard way!

https://www.happyhamstersuk.com/care-guide

Hamsters are not nice pets for children as young as yours, and children as young as yours aren’t going to be good at handling any fragile, nervous creature that will bite when frightened or angry.

Don't get one. They are nocturnal and can be aggressive, definitely not great children's pets. I would recommend rats instead.

Definitely not pets for small children for all the reasons already mentioned. I had two as a teenager and really enjoyed them but I was old enough to know how to handle them properly and I had a huge cage for them with lots of enrichment toys. One of mine used to sit on my shoulder while I did my homework and make little squeaking noises. She was particularly fond of a rich tea biscuit dunked in tea!

This might be controversial and it may not be the right fit for you, but we have found the best pets for kids are cats. DD(6) feeds her, cleans her bowl and water and does pretty much everything else for her. I do the litter tray, but pretty much everything else is her. The cat is good because she can play with her, and they definitely have a bond - because of this DD is much more willing to take care of her. Kids get small animals like hamsters and rabbits and expect to be able to play with them, they can’t play with them, then they lose interest. When we first got the cat it took a bit of supervision, but now DD knows what the cat likes, dislikes, knows when she’s not in the mood to play ect.

It may not be suitable for you as I don’t know your set up, but worth thinking about.

Yup - never had a rat but have read a bit about them and they honestly seem a much better fit for responsible young kids.

I think the misconception about hamsters being good pets is the leftover legacy of a time when people saw them more as cheap living toys almost and didn’t care that their environment should mimic more their natural habitat and be bigger etc. I remember from the 80s, it was literally a plastic cage with paper/wood shavings, water bottle, maybe exercise wheel, sunflower seeds - and off you go! 😬

Get rats or guinea pigs instead, far better pets for younger children.

Do YOU want a hamster? You’ll be looking after it. They can be cute and they can be vicious biters. I would say no.

Having gone through all the small furry pets I would say cats are by far the easiest of all pets and if you are lucky they love you.

I was going to say exactly this. The kids feed them and play with them. We do have a litter tray (the robot one so it’s not much work) but if you get lucky they’ll go outside so that’s then nothing to clean except stick bowls in the dishwasher. If you get them from being a kitten and DC are a bit older, not unpredictable toddlers, then they should be happy being handled and petted. Unlike a dog you don’t need to commit to daily walking. I honestly think cats are the ideal childhood pet.

Another saying no. I have no experience of hamsters, but DC got guinea pigs and they grew bored of them so quickly! And GPs require a lot of maintenance - changing the hay, feeding twice a day, cleaning the pen weekly. And they don't do much. We tried to train ours (in moments of deep boredom in lockdown!) to no avail.

We eventually rehomed them with a GP-loving neighbour (with whom they still very happily reside) and later got a cat. DC1 has a much closer bond with the cat than she did the GPs. DC2 isn't really a pet person, it turns out.

So yeah - another vote for a cat! Also far, far less work than GPs!

I have 4 cats. Don't get 4.
One, at a push 2 is plenty.
Get an older rescue cat if you don't fancy kitten madness. Very robust (in the main) and easy pets.

I’ve just got another hamster for me. I got her from a reputable breeder. I won’t use pet shops like Pets at Home because they don’t have the first clue when it comes to hamsters. They sell cages and wheels that are far too small and hamsters shouldn’t be put in exercising balls.

Mine is in huge cage. She’s 10weeks old and is happy to be handled because she was handed from being tiny by her breeder. She will, also, grow to be a lot bigger than any hamster than you’d ever buy from somewhere like Pets At Home.

That said, I wouldn’t be buying a hamster for little children unless you’re 100% happy to be looking after it yourself and to be putting the effort in to handling and training it.

Having had all the small furries over the years, I would only recommend rats. Anything else fundamentally hates or is scared of being handled, they’re expensive (more expensive than cats and dogs if you’re doing it right in terms of housing, bedding and food) and they smell/make mess, even if you clean them religiously. Rats do all the above too, except that they really like people and want to be friends with us, so they’re excellent company. Very clever too and learn their names, and can be taught tricks. But they must live in pairs or small groups (obviously single sex unless you want a rat factory), they need a massive cage and they only live 2-3 years and absolutely break your heart when they die.

I would agree with other posters and get two kittens. It’s kitten season now and rescues are overflowing. Two are good company for each other and play together which lessens the attacks on your curtains, they’re fine to be home alone (unlike dogs) and they are honestly low-maintenance and a lot easier than rodents!

Yup a no on the hamster front, all I remember about mine is they were bitey buggers and died easily! If you go for cats try the small charities the big ones are very anti children. But Guinea pigs might be a good call too.