At one level or one other, your youngster will seemingly ask you for their very own pet, and in lots of circumstances, this pet will likely be a hamster. Whereas hamsters could make a wonderful starter pet for some kids – they’re playful, cute, and pretty low upkeep in comparison with different pets – they do require cautious, light dealing with, and would possibly chew in the event that they really feel unsafe in small fingers.
It’s nearly sure {that a} toddler gained’t be capable of deal with a hamster correctly (squeeze too arduous or drop by chance), which is why it’s greatest to attend till your youngster is at the very least six years or older. Even then, hamsters should be dealt with solely with grownup supervision by kids beneath eight years previous.
We’ve listed a couple of execs and cons that will help you make an knowledgeable choice earlier than bringing a hamster into the household.
PROS
- Hamsters could be tamed if performed with usually and develop into fairly loving and social.
- These critters are undeniably cute and like to play.
- Their housing set-up is pretty low upkeep – they require a roomy cage, meals, water, bedding, train wheel and nesting field.
- They’re comparatively cheap
- They educate kids duty
- They don’t take up lots of house
- They like dwelling solo, so that you don’t have to pair up. They gained’t get lonely or bored so long as they’ve loads of toys and equipment to maintain them busy.
CONS
- Totally grown hamsters can take a number of weeks to tame.
- Like all pets, they might want medical intervention throughout their life. Hamsters are susceptible to a bacterial illness referred to as moist tail, in addition to dental issues, pneumonia, pores and skin irritations, diarrhoea, abscesses and tumours. You possibly can count on to pay the identical vet charge for a hamster, as you’d any animal.
- Hamsters want clear cages to maintain them from getting sick. If their cage isn’t cleaned frequently (at the very least as soon as per week), it might scent.
- They’ll simply get misplaced in your youngster’s bed room, and are capable of squeeze into tiny holes and hiding locations.
- They don’t work together effectively with different pets within the residence, together with canine and cats.
- Hamsters love operating on their wheel at evening and could be loud and disrupt your youngster’s sleep.
- They’ve a brief life expectancy. Domesticated hamsters sometimes solely dwell for 2 to 3 years, whereas Syrian hamsters might dwell barely longer.
Keep in mind to undertake, don’t store
When little animals like hamsters are raised for pet shops, they’re incessantly mistreated and compelled into terrible situations; should you’re fascinated by adopting a hamster, name a neighborhood rescue organisation first, and keep away from pet shops.
