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Small pets

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Original poster

To hamster or not to hamster, that is the question

56 replies

expatinscotland · 08/09/2007 22:34

K, so dd1's been begging for a hamster.

And DH and I quite like hamsters so wouldn't mind keeping one.

Finally moving to a place where there's room for one.

But we have a very dominant 7-year-old black and white female cat who likes to exercise her hunting skills.

Is there a workround?

Will there never be a hamster, 'spinning round and round on a wheel', as DD1 says in our future?

OP posts:
Sekator · 08/09/2007 23:27

You know what, though
Rats are lovely pets
Ex-bf had two
His flatmates were absolute household sluts, I mean, just bog-awful. Takeaway every night, never cleared up. The rats used to run around the flat and had a fantastic time, and if you called them they'd come and play.
TOtally disgusting set-up but the rats were great.
(I ditched the bf btw)

blousy · 08/09/2007 23:41

As I sit here listening to the deafening noise of hamster in its wheel, even though it's nowhere near me so I would say NO! They are mostly a PITA - loads of maintenance for very little in return. And, they stink. Our now resides in our study after we realised there was no way it could be anywhere upstairs - noisy feckers.

WendyWeber · 08/09/2007 23:45

Gerbils much much nicer than hamsters but rats...rats are the biz - cute, smart and funny.

(We have 31 of them at the moment, can I post a couple to you, epis?)

WendyWeber · 08/09/2007 23:46

All rodents use their paws like hands, you muppet!

Ripeberry · 08/09/2007 23:54

Believe it or not, when i was little (about 10yrs old) in my bedroom i had, 2 hamsters,4 gerbils and a budgie.
The noise at night had to be heard to be believed.
Hamsters can be a bit boring as they sleep during the day and become active at night, gerbils are great as a pet and i used to let them out and they would run around my bedroom and climb up onto my shoulder when i was sitting on the floor.
Later on i had a pet Blackbird but Mum would not let me keep it once it had fledged as it made a bit of a mess of my bedroom!
I've had pet rats and they are quite fun and can be taught tricks and they don't bite as much as hamsters.
AB

mustsleep · 09/09/2007 00:06

yes the noise is awful we have one and some nights we have to put him in another room to watch a film etc as we can;t hear the tellt over him!!

Original poster
expatinscotland · 09/09/2007 17:02

NO rats. Rats are vile.

There is no way we are getting a rat.

OP posts:
WendyWeber · 09/09/2007 23:53

Pet rats are not even slightly vile, honestly, epis - ours are adorable

LittleB · 10/09/2007 14:01

Had gerbils, mice and hamsters. I think hamsters are easier to handle, a bit slower and you can keep one on its own which can be easier. If you keep one in an old aquarium type cage then you don't have to listen to them chewing the bars too. Ours would wake up in the evening for a play but did sleep all day, and were kept either in the dining room or on the landing depending where we lived. Did use 3in1 oil on the wheel though! Great fun seeing how much they can fit in their pouches and then watching them regurgitate it all. Will definitely get 1 for dd when she's older (she's only 2.4).

cornsilk · 10/09/2007 14:05

I have a house rabbit, he is very easy to look after. Sawdust would drive me mad as would the wheel spinning round at night. I had hamsters in the past, one was caught by the cat, another I stood on . I wouldn't let my own ds's have one for all above reasons.

MrsPuddleduck · 10/09/2007 14:10

I would quite like a guinea pig - they are more substantial than a hamster and are awake during the day.

I had a hamster as a child and she died after about six weeks. I was gutted as my Mum refused to get another. The cage was on a polished table and one night the vibrations from the wheel spinning made the cage drop off and the hamster then proceeded to spend the rest of the night knawing a hole in the carpet. She also used to run off quite a bit if you let her go and often ended up behind the fridge.

I quite like the look of Marge on Eastenders - her cage isn't too big either.

Sadly my children have no interest in a pet and DH has banned them

PestoMonster · 10/09/2007 14:13

We had a dear little silver grey hamster called Harry. He lived in a large Rotastak cage on a table in the hall and was absolutely no trouble at all. We trained him to wake up at about 4.00pm for his 'tea' every day, by giving him some fresh veg treat at that time every day. He was soooooooo cute and would then come out for a play with the dds, who used to build him lego mazes/castles/houses etc to play in.

We don't have a cat ourselves, but our next-door neighbour's cat virtually lives here and it was never a problem. She didn't try and break into the cage or anything, just looked a bit bemused when Harry ran around the room in his perspex ball

Oh, and you can toilet train them by putting a little of their soiled (wee) sawdust in a jam jar on its side and then they'll soon get the hang of weeing in that. Then all you have to do is rinse it out frequently and your cage will stay pong-free for a g e s.

mytwopenceworth · 10/09/2007 14:18

Hamsters are CRAP pets for kids.

Hamsters HATE kids.

They do not want to be;

Kissed
Stroked
Cuddled
Squeezed
Slid down the bannister onto a pile of cushions
Popped in with your mate's hamster to watch them scrap
Carried to school in your pocket
Popped into the bath to see if they can swim
Dressed in a tiny bonnet and put in a barbie pram
Sellotaped to the engine of a train set (or onto the tracks!)

Hamsters want you to piss off and leave them alone.

Guinea pigs are nicer, but far too delicate for children. Far too many guinea pigs die at the overenthusiastic hands of children.

Rabbits are mental.

Mice are smelly.

Gerbils are nice.

Rats are nicer. Get a pair of rats, get a pair of rats, get 'em.....get em

wannaBe · 10/09/2007 14:24

rats are vermin.

And everywhere they walk they urinate, microscopic drops of urine everywhere ... totally unhygienic.

I had hamsters as a child and they always used to wake up at about 4/5:00 so although they were pretty much awake all night, they were around for play for part of the evening at least.

I did however have a friend whose hamster was eaten by the cat and it was horrible.

Original poster
expatinscotland · 10/09/2007 14:30

there is no fucking way we are getting a rat. DD1 hates 'em.

SIL had the most adorable, friendly hamster.

but he died.

it's either guinea pig or hamster.

but NO to rats - they are vile.

OP posts:
mytwopenceworth · 10/09/2007 14:37

So that's a definate no on the rat idea then?

Original poster
expatinscotland · 10/09/2007 14:39

they are rank, rank, rank. don't care if they are pets or from the gutter - same difference.

i'd rather shag David Tennant than touch one of those, and that's saying much .

OP posts:
mytwopenceworth · 10/09/2007 15:03

Blody hell Expat, calm down now, no need to go loco......

Original poster
expatinscotland · 10/09/2007 15:04

Rats belong in sewers, MTPW.

OP posts:
mytwopenceworth · 10/09/2007 15:21

I meant your threat to shag DT.

kekouan · 10/09/2007 15:23

Hamsters are OK, I had gerbils and rats when I was a kid and they were great. You can fill a fish tank with peat or soil, and the gerbils will dig tunnels through them. Easier to look after (only have to clean it out about once every 6 weeks) and fun to look at too. Plus, don't smell as much.

Rats are brilliant too though..

kekouan · 10/09/2007 15:24

sorry - just read that you hate rats. Whoops

mytwopenceworth · 10/09/2007 15:29

What about a snake?

Or a tarantula?

Or one of these Apparently they make great pets! - CAUTION, don't click if you don't like bugs!

cornsilk · 10/09/2007 16:18

wHAT IS THAT THING?

mytwopenceworth · 10/09/2007 17:24

It's a hissing cockroach. Very friendly, apparently.