Hamster Yes or No

[Katef44]

I've posted a lot of threads recently but I'm new to Mumsnet yesterday and the support is just amazing! So here's another questions
My Ds Patrick has been asking me for a Hamster recently but he's only 2 and a half so I guess I'd have to do most of the looking after. I had one called Erney when I was 10 and I remember he was a pain!! Not sure what to do? Any ideas?

• Kate x

Do YOU want a hamster? You say the one you had was a pain- why?

If you chose the hamster carefully - a good breeder not a Gumtree or Petshop one. My NDN used to breed them, they were lovely tempered and handled lots.

Make sure he has a good cage , lots of space and activity .

My DD asked for one when she was 9yo (her friends had them) , I steered her in the direction of guinea-pigs (because I used to keep them) . DD is 16 yo now and we have our last two middle-aged hogs larding upstairs (we've had 8 over the years)

And yes , they are mine legally. morally . DD and I share the looking after .

One advantage of hamsters is they don't need outdoor space , but do need runabout space. But sadly short lived

2 1/2 too young for a pet. Should not really understand or know about things like that yet. 5 is minimum age. Hamsters are very allergy unfriendly, by the way, so not in the house

He's too young. He will probably end up hurting the hamster unintentionally.

Too young for a hamster. Guinea pig maybe? They quite like being held but they do tend to wee on your lap!
But you need two, they like company

Ds got a snake for his second birthday!! Still going strong at 8!!

If you socialise them well enough they start to come out earlier, ours usually got up late morning for a snack, had an afternoon nap & were awake when DS came home from school. Don't buy from Pets at home, we have had 5 from them & the last 3 didn't live very long at all, find an independent pet shop & ask if they know anyone who has any for sale.

He is far too young to hold a hamster without killing it.

Hamsters are not the best pets for children that small. Easily startled unless socialised early, nocturnal, and not very easy to handle for little hands. Stick to something larger - guinea pigs or male rats would be a reasonable shout.

I would not get a hamster until your ds is about 7yrs old. They are small, fast and need a lot of gentle ‘socialising’. Definitely not suitable for a toddler.

Actually guinea-pig hay is potentially allergenic (and my DD is very allergic to our coarse coated pigs )

I wouldn’t get a hamster either . We have one and I am sure is insomniac as only seems to nap day and night. I am a cm and the little ones enjoy looking at her but it is my son’s who is older.

At about 3 he had g. Pigs much more sociable and easy to handle

I recommend not getting a hamster at this moment of time due to hamsters needing a lot of attention, and at the age of two and a half your attention span is rather limited. It's best to wait for when they're older and more responsible, hamsters are animals not toys and although they're cheap they're a handful and again, need a lot of attention

Hamsters are nocturnal so it will not be awake in the day when your ds wants to see it. Hamsters also tend to bite - they take a bit of time to get used to you - but need to be handled regularly to get used to you. They are also very lively and would be difficult for a small child to handle safely.

I think 2.5 is too young for a pet but I'd consider getting a couple of gerbils when he's a bit older. We have had several. They come out in the day, don't bite - they're very gentle - and are interesting to watch - they build lots of tunnels. They also live longer than hamsters and don't smell either. You do need to get a pair though because they don't like living alone.

Whatever you decide to get remember he's too young to look after a pet. So it will be your responsibility to feed, water and clean out the pet and to handle it and make sure it has a good quality of life.

A few people have recommended guinea pigs but they live 4-8 years. That's a big commitment. Sadly many guinea pigs (and rabbits) spend their lives sitting in a hutch without exercise of stimulation because the kids have lost interest and the parents aren't bothered / are too busy.