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I got a strange call from my cousin's husband. Well, it didn't start out strange. It started out with him asking me what Dan (Lime, my husband) might want for Christmas. But they he said, "but first I have a crazy idea, but you'll probably say no, so you can if you want."
Hmm.
The idea is a Siberian hamster. He wants to get my husband a Siberian hamster for Christmas.
I have never had a hamster before - I've always had a dog, and never wanted to risk another pet becoming a doggie treat. Right now, we have a cat (she's 9 months old). She's pretty inquisitive and will get into things if she can. I have no idea how she'd react to another animal, even if it was in a cage or aquarium or whatever. Do you think it would be a big problem, or is she likely to get used to a hamster pretty quickly?
I've also heard that hamsters tend to be smelly. How much of a problem is this? Like I said, I've never had a small pet of any kind, and don't really know what to expect.
I need to call Shawn and talk to him again, to see what all would be included. If he's not providing a cage/aquarium, water bottle, whatever, then I'll have to say no - I don't think we can afford all of the pet start-up costs at this point. But if he is, then I still want to be able to consider it. Do hamsters have to go to the vet like cats and dogs do? Do they need shots and stuff? I really have no idea.
I would really appreciate any advice or experience or stories that anyone has - hearing different perspectives, and talking things out, are the best ways for me to make decisions. That's one of the reasons I love Hatrack so much!
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A Siberian hamster? Cool. I've never heard of such a thing. Is it anything like a Siberian tiger?
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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In all seriousness, I've had hamsters and gerbils and never once taken one to the vet. They don't need shots because they really don't get out much. They're rather low-upkeep type of pets, I've found. One precaution that I learned the hard way is not to fill their cage with cedar wood shavings. I don't know what kind of animals do well in cedar, but apparently the aroma kills hamsters. But it was OK, he was a mean hamster that bit me and I didn't feel too bad. Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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Introducing small rodents into a house with an adult cat is kind of like ... well, exactly like introducing small rodents into a house with an adult cat.
How well does your cat get along with his cat toys? Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Ooo! I had two Siberian hamsters! They're incredibly cute and smaller than regular hamsters. Hamsters do tend to bite. I guess you just have to hope you get a nice one. Out of 3 I've had, 2 bit. But one of them only bit when you picked him up. After he was in your hand he didn't bite at all. And NEVER pick one up after you've just played the drums in the same room as it. It literally hung from my finger by its teeth. And the hamster cage shouldn't smell unless you don't change it often enough.
Posts: 1658 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Although I have never had hamsters, I did had gerbils several times while growing up. Smell is only a problem if you don't clean the cage regularly (much like not scooping the cat box regularly makes it get smelly), weekly is pretty standard. How your other animals would react is difficult to guess. I had a cat at the same time I had the gerbils. He loved to watch them. I did have the cage organized so that it was impossible for him to get his paws into the cage (the wire cage was inside a glass aquarium, which made it nice because the wood shavings the gerbils would kick out wouldn't get all over the place). I would recommend a similar arrangement in your case. I've never heard of anyone vaccinating their small rodent (mouse, rat, gerbil, or hamster) or taking it to the vet, but I can imagine that some people might... Has Lime ever had any other small animals? You would need to be sure to provide plenty of toys/activities and space for the hamster. We had the standard running wheel, some plastic tubey things to run around in, and also those plastic spheres you can put them in to run around the house in (how your other animals would react to that is uncertain). They can be quite a committment, in terms of time, since they can live several years (we had one gerbil that lived probably 5 years). Keep in mind also that most small rodents are nocturnal.
I think this may be the kind of hamster your cousin's husband is referring to.
Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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quote:One precaution that I learned the hard way is not to fill their cage with cedar wood shavings. I don't know what kind of animals do well in cedar, but apparently the aroma kills hamsters. But it was OK, he was a mean hamster that bit me and I didn't feel too bad.
I had guinea pigs when I was little, and we used cedar shavings about half the time. I don't think it harmed them. Their cage was in my room, so I always smelled cedar. I miss it now. Posts: 2149 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I had a hamster once. With the right sauce, they're great! Remember to de-fur it first. (edit: especially if it is one of the long hair varieties).
Pets are not a good gift, IMHO. The person whose pet it will be should do the selection of the pet. It's just not a good idea to dump a pet on someone. And especially not as a gift.
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Annie: Not quite that big. And, I'm glad to hear they're low upkeep!
Tom: I'm hoping she just won't be able to get to the little guy in the first place. If I don't come up with some solution for that problem, it'll have to be a no-go. ludosti's cage inside an aquarium idea might be a good way around it, though.
RRR: Don't have any drums, just an oboe. But I'll remember the advice just the same, if I decide to let Shawn get us one. And I'm glad to hear they don't smell much if you keep their spaces clean - of course I'll do that!
ludosti: Yes, that's exactly the kind. Neither of us have ever had small pets before, so it would be a new experience. That pdf you linked to was pretty helpful. Thanks!
Farmgirl: If you're keeping a snake as a pet, I don't think you have room to be baffled by rodents as pets!
Miro: Yeah, too bad cedar isn't good for them - it smells really nice!
Bob: I'm going to see if Shawn plans to pick the little guy out himself, or just bring Dan in to pick out his own. And that's also one of the reasons he's consulting with me first - so it's not just dropped on us. Also one of the reasons I'm giving it so much thought before I decide. I appreciate your two cents, as always!
I still haven't made a decision. Darn!
Posts: 2661 | Registered: Apr 2002
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I always kept my hamsters in cedar, and only one died unexpectedly. Also, that one was in a cage and not an aquarium. Unless the thing that kills them is a combination of cedar and fresh air. All my other hamsters met untimeley ends.
I think my daughter will be getting either a hamster or a guinea pig when she turns 8. I always swore I wouldn't let them have pets because it is too sad when they die. I will not get a dog or a cat because we can't afford a people Dr., let alone a vet. But I guess we'll see.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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We got our hamster when its owner's cat ate her bird, and she worried that the hamster was next. She was going to take it to a shelter -- we took it instead. She I would have gotten rid of the murderous cat . . .
They are a fair amount of work to take care of, especially the long-haired varieties, but they can be very sweet.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I have 2 gerbils and 2 cats. The gerbils live in a 10 gallon aquarium with a screen lid. I made another one out of 1x2s and hardware cloth to put on top. Or I have used one of those sliding window screens that is adjustable. The cats sit up there and watch the gerbils sometimes. To be sure the lid doesn't get knocked off, I used two nylon suitcase straps around the tank. They also help if the tank needs to be moved. I can just pick up the straps like a handle. While feeding and cleaning or to play, I just make sure the cats are out of the room and shut the door.
I've never had mini hamsters myself, but they are cute, especially when their cheeks are full of seeds. My friend's hamsters are really fat for some reason.
Posts: 1379 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I had both hamsters and gerbils growing up. I *love* gerbils. They are playful and fun and inquistive. Hamsters tend to be a bit more laid-back. But they can be incredibly cute, especially when they stuff their cheeks with food.
We always used cedar chips. There was a slight odor, but nowhere near the odor I've noticed around ferrets and white mice (then again, could be that their owners didn't properly keep the cage clean). Like others have said, we kept our small rodents in glass aquariums with a wire top. Both hamsters and gerbils can climb, though, so you want to make sure the top is either locked or too heavy for them to lift. We used to keep the dictionary on the top of their cage.
Change their litter often, and completely empty and wash the cage every once in a while. You can get a plastic ball to put the hamster in while you're cleaning the cage. It's fun to watch them roll around the floor! Lock Valentine up, though, as otherwise you'd have one dizzy hamster.
Kleenex boxes and paper towel rolls make excellent (and cheap!) toys. They can use them for nesting, hiding, or playing, and chewing the boxes keeps their teeth strong. Plus, free litter! Just make sure you remove any plastic from the box first.
The only bad thing about hamsters is that they tend to fight. We've had gerbils that have fought, too, but most of the time gerbils get along well. Too well, in fact -- can't tell you how many baby gerbils we gave away. On the other hand, we've never been able to keep a pair or hamsters. They'd just keep fighting themselves bloody, so we had to separate them.
If you do happen to keep a pair of hamsters and they mate, make sure to keep your scent away from the cage while the babies are young. Feed and change litter while wearing gloves. I don't know if this is true for hamsters, but we've lost many baby gerbils because their mothers killed them due to too much human scent in the cage.
I've thought about getting a small animal for myself. I'd love some gerbils or a finch, but I'm afraid they'd become a snack for Raina. Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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You know, Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs are cute and they're bigger than cats so your cat can't eat them. Of course, they grow up to be Vietnamese pot-bellied elephants, but it's all part of the fun.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I wanted to add that my family has always had between 2 and 4 cats during my life and I have successfully had 2 gerbils, 3 hamsters, 1 fish, 3 chinchillas, and 1 lizard as pets without any of them getting eaten. I also had a turtle, but I don't think there was much chance of it getting eaten. Though my dog does like to gnaw on box turtles he finds in our yard.
Posts: 1658 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Ok, I'm pretty sure that your cousins husband was making a Fawlty Towers reference there with "Siberian Hampster".
Fawlty Towers was a John Cleese 1970s-80s comedy where in one episode, the foreign bag clerk was conned into buying a "Siberian Hampster", which was in fact just a common rat.
[Edit] No wait... just a thought... I may be horribly wrong. The Faulty Towers thing may have been a Hungarian Hampster.
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Right. You'll want to feed it high clorie foods. You can get shakes and all at the health store and most of the time hamsters can eat them with no real side effects, short term, at least.
You'll need lots of excercise equipment. Wheels, plastic balls, etc. Fat is unhealthy.
Now, you'll wan't to shave it and cut off the head and limbs, then flambee, probably. You can cut it open and stuff it with vegetables and such then bake it, but it's not as special. FOr both, you'll probably want to gut it first though your husband may like some of the organs--very tender.
Both of those are really one person meals. If you want to share the special experience, you should probably do this little Siberian forced-labor camp delicacy. You gut him, shave him(though not in that order), then spit him and roast him on an open fire(very Christmas-y!). The eyes and brain are delicious, though you'll need a nutcracker for the skull, and be careful not to exert too much pressure or it'll splatter.
The guts you should save. The bowels, of course, taste vile, but you can toast the heart, liver, and kidneys to eat along with your hamster or candy them and save them for later.
Posts: 767 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Wow - more great advice. I've left a message on Shawn's phone to call me with more details, so that'll help.
I'm glad to hear that some people have had success with keeping both a cat and a small rodent.
Storm Saxon, you crack me up.
Black Mage, that's just so wrong!
I'd welcome any more stories or opinions, and I'll also be sure to let you know once I've made a decision. Thanks for all of the help so far!
Posts: 2661 | Registered: Apr 2002
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We bought our daughter two baby gerbils a couple of years ago for Christmas. They were adorable! They make cute, fun pets because they are always so busy.
We also have a cat. Our solution was to keep the gerbils in an aquarium with a topper, and the cat would often sit on top of it. The gerbils would climb on things and they would touch noses with the cat through the grating. Of course, the cat could never reach them. Sometimes, she would bat at the cage and make that low rumble in her throat, but the gerbils never knew that she wasn't their friend.
If you pet your hamster often, it will become very docile. Make sure to keep it supplied with toilet paper tubes to chew. Also, occasionally put sticks or untreated wood things for it to chew. Rodent teeth keep growing, and without something to chew, their teeth overgrow their mouths and they starve.
Hamsters and gerbils don't last very long - if you get two years out of them, that's pretty good.
Enjoy your furry little friends, if you get one. They make delightful pets!
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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Make sure he's not planning on including a sturdy cardboard tube as part of the gift. I think that would be less than tasteful.
Posts: 5264 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Well, a little hamster has joined our family, and Dan has named him Bean. I sense a theme in our pet names. Posts: 2661 | Registered: Apr 2002
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And, I'm glad to hear they're low upkeep!![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
I'm hoping she just won't be able to get to the little guy in the first place. If I don't come up with some solution for that problem, it'll have to be a no-go. ludosti's cage inside an aquarium idea might be a good way around it, though.![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
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