Lovely small pets. (Hamsters)

Member Name: Holidaying

Product:	Hamsters
Date:	28/12/08 (57 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Having a pet and the enjoyment that brings.

Disadvantages: Do need quite some care (but don't be put off!).

Hamsters are small furry rodents that live in the wild and are kept as pets. There are several breeds of hamsters; the ones that live in the wild generally inhabit semi-desert environments, and the ones that are kept as pets are usually either Syrian hamsters or Russian hamsters. In captivity, they can live for about three years.

You might be interested to know that the word hamster is derived from the word 'hamstern', which means 'to hoard' in the German language.

Although hamsters are small, they do take quite some looking after. They obviously need food and water provided fresh daily, and they need cleaning out often as they do make a mess of their cages (however, I have heard of some hamsters using a litter box; these can be bought in pet stores).

Hamsters also need exercise. This can be provided by a hamster wheel in their cage; a solid one is better than one with 'bars', because hamsters can get their feet caught in the bars. Preferably, however, a hamster will be taken out of its cage and allowed to run around. The area in which they run needs to be safe for the hamster- enclosed, away from other pets, and without things upon which they could climb, and then fall off. However, as they do gnaw, of course, this should not contain any wood, unless of course it is safe for the hamster to gnaw on, and the owner does not mind that! Of course, you can let the hamster run across your hands, placing one in front of the other in quick succession.

I should say that it is important that hamsters do have somethng to gnaw, because their teeth do grow continually and they must gnaw to keep them down.

As a child, I had both Syrian and Russian hamsters. I preffered the Syrian ones, as I found them more docile and less likely to bite than the Russian ones.

Hamsters can be bought for about five or ten pounds. They make lovely pets, especially for children, but they are delicate and as I said they do need looking after. I think that children should be supervised with hamsters because a fall could injure the hamster badly or even kill it. Therefore, like all pets, buying a hamster is a commitment and one that must be thought through before being made.

Summary: Hamsters.