I know this is a serious issue that so many of us face, especially when we’re five. I’ve put together this article keeping in mind the needs of my readers and hope that it may be of some use to you.
Let’s face it: America loves hamsters! Approximately 7.37 hamsters reside in every home (actually, that estimation includes wild mice too). With such an abundance, it can be a challenge to find the RIGHT hamster. The one that fits your lifestyle and satisfies your needs, while giving the hamster the most stimulating, happy and healthy life it deserves. So where do you start?
Well, what sort of hamster are you looking for? For the sake of simplicity, this article will focus on dwarf hammies versus syrians. I think there are lots of fancy breeds in between that can be obtained through breeders. Yes, there are hamster breeders.
Very briefly, dwarf hamsters are really popular right now. Most are a soft grayish color with a white or dark gray stripe. Their positives include their super cute teeny tininess, their social tendencies (you can keep same sexes together!) and their cleanliness. The downside to the tiny guys is that they are harder to tame, are VERY quick movers and may be difficult to introduce to one another. It really just depends on the temperment of the individual hamster, but these are generally the characteristics.
Dover is a dwarf hamster available at the Boston MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center.
Briefly, Syrians are the more “traditional” hamster. They are bigger and fluffier and range from black to cream colored fur. They tame pretty easily and are not quite as fast as the dwarfs. Syrians are loners and will fight, sometimes to the death. They need to be kept alone at all times. The last thing anyone needs is the world’s tiniest showdown. Syrians also tend to be smellier. Their stinky butts need to be cleaned at least once a week. (Not actually their butts but their homes). But they are usually sweet, friendly and ultra cute too!
Meghan is a Syrian available at the Potter League for Animals.
What’s that? You already know what kind of hamster you want? Well, Mr. or Ms. Know It All, let’s move on. What’s next?
You could go to Petco, PetSmart, PetLand or another store and for approximately $10, pick out a potentially healthy, friendly hamster. But there is also the option to adopt a secondhand hammy from a shelter or through a venue like Craig’s List. A shelter hamster will usually have a $10 adoption fee as well. Craig’s List might have free animals. I’ve personally gotten animals through all 3! Yes, I am quite the abundance of expert information (not really).
My recommendation would be to start with a shelter. In my opinion, all animals deserve their happy home, whether in a pet store or not. But it is important to support the places that take the best care of the animals in the first place. Shelters are good because they are normally looking out for the animals best interest and not a profit. Because they want to place the animals one time, the adoption process might look intimidating. Don’t be scared. They just want to make sure you’ll have time to spend with your new buddy and that you won’t be bringing it back because your landlord said no. Plus, your hamster will have great stories to tell at cocktail parties (hamsters tend to get talkative around cocktails)! My Syrian, Milton, always tells the same tale about being taken into custody by the “law”. A good way to see available animals is through Petfinder. You can put in your zip code and what kind of animal you are looking to adopt. For hamsters, put in “small and furry“.
A last really important element is that shelter employees are normally skilled enough to tell if a hamster is pregnant and will make that information readily available. Since their mission is to find animals homes, the last thing they want is ten tiny, squirmy baby hamsters that also need new homes.
So, for whatever reason the shelter route is not going to work for you. If you’re going to check on Craig’s List, I’d recommend a few things. First, don’t overpay. People shouldn’t be selling animals but they can charge a reasonable adoption fee. Around $5.00 per hamster seems okay. This could ensure that their little one doesn’t get adopted as snake food! But, if someone has to re-home an animal, they should not be making a profit. My personal feeling is that they should not even break even on things like cages, water bottles etc. because it’s usually used. (Of course, this has no bearing on the people selling just the brand new equipment, with no animals). Another piece of advice, go meet the hamster. Ask questions like, has she been with any dudes lately? Any unusual behavior? Unfortunately, someone adopting out their hamster is a wild card in terms of knowing the animal’s health and history. Some people might have birth dates and vet paperwork and some people might not know that they have a hamster and not a rabbit. Be careful and be safe!
I’m not trying to discourage anyone from buying from a pet shop, though I would advise it to be the last stop. There’s just a few precautions to take. Do your own research into the care of hamsters BEFORE you go to pick one up. That way you know not to buy wood chips as bedding and how big a cage each hammy needs. Some shops train their employees beautifully and others, not so much. They should let you play with the animal before purchase. (This goes for getting a hamster from anywhere!) Hold out your hand and talk softly. Let the hammy sniff you and hopefully he won’t nibble. Gently pick him up by placing your hands on either side of him and then slowly bringing them together and support all four of his paws. If his eyes look clear and bright, his nose pink and twitchy, his fur clean and his body round but not lumpy, this is probably a hamster in ideal health. A baby hamster can be easily tamed and are readily available in stores.
Keep in mind that any hamster your visiting in a shelter, home or shop might not get a lot of socialization and might be really scared. Hamsters do bite and it hurts. They also naturally chew on things to grind their teeth down, so don’t despair if an ideal hammy is nibbly. There are lots of articles online to help you tame them! Once they are tame, you’ll learn to trust them and let them climb on your shoulders, down your sweater and even (as I force my hammy to) give you kisses on the lips. Or as my brother calls it, me kissing my hamster and him not ripping my face off.
So that pretty much is a wrap on my advice! Of course, it’s just a start and there’s tons of great information out there.
Hammy videos that made me laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVr7cNP-L-o&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMWi7CLoZ2Q&feature=related
