Hamsters (RIP Princess Hammie)

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ilovehlloktty
ilovehlloktty Posts: 31 Member
in Chit-Chat
My daughters hamster died today, on her 8th birthday no less. She has been inconsolable all day, and has been begging me to get a new hamster.

She had a female normal winter white russian dwarf, she was an amazing and sweet little hamster that allowed my daughter to hold her and love on her all the time without ever biting.

Now she wants to try a golden teddy bear hamster, which we had tried once before when she was about 4, we named him Wall-E and really tried to love him but he was so mean that every time we tried to handle him he would hiss at us and we had to use gloves when we handled him. We ended up taking him back to the pet store.. I said never again.

I don't know if it's a luck thing or if any particular breed is better for children or handling. I did a google search and I got a lot of ALL hamsters are good family pets, but I guess I need personal opinions.

Anyone have any luck with a particular type of hamster? Does a particular gender matter? Also, do most hamsters have the same lifespan? We had only had Hammie since Christmas, which doesn't seem like very long at all.

Thanks so much!

I also wanted to add that my daughter took very good care of her hamster. She changed the bedding and washed the cage out once a week, and always made sure she had fresh food and water and only handled her with tender loving care. She is definitely responsible enough to care for a pet.

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  • WithOutPainThereIsNoGain
    WithOutPainThereIsNoGain Posts: 137
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    R.I.P In peace.
  • Forty6and2
    Forty6and2 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    To be honest, rats tend to be better pets. I know some people are grossed out by them, but they are much friendlier and smarter than most small pets.

    My advice on hamsters in particular--the younger you get them, the friendlier they will be. I have noticed that smaller hamsters (robos) tend to be meaner than others, though.
  • RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle
    RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle Posts: 1,349 Member
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    After going through many hamsters with various issues, some of which I think were caused by pet store issues, we settled with guinea pigs. They were awesome pets for my rodent loving daughter. They are awake in the day time, they live longer and they are quite intelligent. I actually clicker trained one to do tricks.

    Good luck!
  • ilovehlloktty
    ilovehlloktty Posts: 31 Member
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    Thank you both for your responses. I would prefer sticking with a hamster because of the size of the cage and already having everything we need for it.

    Raspberry - Can I ask what issues you were running into with your previous hamsters? Maybe Hammie had a similar issue. I am truly at a loss as to what caused her death.
  • Forty6and2
    Forty6and2 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    Pet store animals are notorious for having respiratory infections among many other issues. It is always best to get them when they are young.

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