We have a young 'Teddy Bear' hamster who would absolutely chew my arm off if it was a larger animal. We have spent a few weeks now, night-after-night offering it sunflower seeds, and trying to get it used to our smells and our voices, and all those things that help you tame a hamster. We approach it with clean hands and treats. We speak softly to it. We lay our hands flat at the bottom of the cage only to get bitten repeatedly. This hamster bites hard.
Cleaning the cage is an adventure. I acually have to coral the creature into a big, plastic cup, turn it upright, toss her some seeds, and thats where she stays for the 10 minutes it takes to wash, dry and setup her cage. Every other night I use the same plactic cup routine to transport her into her excercize ball. In either case, we let her walk back into her cage on her own by holding either the ball or the cup up to the cage door. She is always real happy to get back in that cage because she wants nothing to do with us.
Also, I know they are nocturnal, but this one goes to sleep at around 4:30am and can stay that way until almost 9:00pm. What if it needs to go to the vet or something and we have to wake it up? What do you do with hamsters like this one?
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Anonymous2009-09-29 23:20
If you have to wake him up, be gentle and quiet. Rub his back gently to rouse him, wait a minute to make sure he's completely awake, and then scoop him up with both hands.
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Anonymous2009-09-29 23:22
Hamsters make good pets, but they are not the right choice for everyone. Learn about the pros and cons of hamster as pets before deciding if a hamster will be the right pet for you. You will also need to consider whether you want a larger Syrian hamster (always keep one to a cage), smaller dwarf hamsters (can be kept together), or even the less common but still lovely Chinese hamster.
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Anonymous2009-09-29 23:24
Syrian hamsters are solitary animals and should always be kept singly; that is, one hamster per cage. But if this is the case, why do you see groups of Syrian hamsters apparently living in peaceful coexistence at pet stores? Why can't owners do this at home?
Answer: Simply because most hamsters seen at pet stores are quite young, and even Syrian hamsters can be kept together at a young age. Usually by about 8-10 weeks, they must be separated, or serious fighting (often fatal) may occur. Trying to keep adult Syrian hamsters together is just asking for trouble.
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Anonymous2009-09-30 1:01
I used to have a guinea pig. Made a little home for it out of a shoebox. During the day he would just sit inside it like he was a turtle, and at night he would run laps around it. Best thing about guinea pigs though is that ridiculous squealing sound they make
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Anonymous2009-09-30 1:15
>>5
Best thing about guinea pigs is the sauce they serve with them in Guatemala. What is with you people, keeping rodents as pets.
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Anonymous2009-09-30 1:18
Oh, and its corral, and you kill a rodent that bites you. Stomping on it usually works nicely.
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Anonymous2009-09-30 10:52
I have a panda bear hamster. It never has done any of these things to me. Sounds like you just have a defective hamster.
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Anonymous2009-09-30 11:23
>>6
They are far better pets than canines. The easiness of care makes them the cactus of pets.