Hamsters

Maudi

Hi ive to get a hamster tomorrow.does anybody know where around wicklow south dublin i would get a young hamster and preferably one of the dwarf type..thanks.

baby and crumble

Maudi wrote: »

Hi ive to get a hamster tomorrow.does anybody know where around wicklow south dublin i would get a young hamster and preferably one of the dwarf type..thanks.

Have you done the research into keeping a hamster, if it's for yourself? The reason I ask is that the different types of hamsters have different needs, and if you haven't decided exactly which you'll be getting, then maybe you should. Most pet shops will have hamsters (mostly Syrian though) but with petshop hamsters you may be getting a hamster that's from bad breeding stock in a rodent mill. Also, dwarf hamsters are better if you keep them in pairs, although you can keep single ones.

Maudi

baby and crumble wrote: »

Have you done the research into keeping a hamster, if it's for yourself? The reason I ask is that the different types of hamsters have different needs, and if you haven't decided exactly which you'll be getting, then maybe you should. Most pet shops will have hamsters (mostly Syrian though) but with petshop hamsters you may be getting a hamster that's from bad breeding stock in a rodent mill. Also, dwarf hamsters are better if you keep them in pairs, although you can keep single ones.

Of course ive everytthing ready cage etc.
Ive kept just about everything thats walked or crawled when i was a kid.now my kids are eager..dwarf hamsters wernt around when i was a kid and i would consider a pair of these.i would rrather get pups from a private breeder .

Knine

If the hamster is for children, you would be much better off getting a Syrian male who tend to get much tamer then dwarfs.

They do need a larger cage though and all hamsters can be noisy at night. I have kept lots and lots of hamsters over the years. At the moment I have a long haired Syrian female.

baby and crumble

Maudi wrote: »

Of course ive everytthing ready cage etc.
Ive kept just about everything thats walked or crawled when i was a kid.now my kids are eager..dwarf hamsters wernt around when i was a kid and i would consider a pair of these.i would rrather get pups from a private breeder .

I'm not aware of any private hamster breeders in Ireland. Again, I'd reiterate that the cages for dwarves and Syrian are different. If you have tubes, the ability of Syrians and Dwarves for climbing are different. What cage have you? Like another poster said, if you have kids a Syrian would be best. They're slower and easier to handle and less likely to be nippy.

I know I might be coming off as a hard ass, but I feel really strongly about hamster care. I'm sure you know what you're doing, but there's no harm in saying it.

Maudi

baby and crumble wrote: »

I'm not aware of any private hamster breeders in Ireland. Again, I'd reiterate that the cages for dwarves and Syrian are different. If you have tubes, the ability of Syrians and Dwarves for climbing are different. What cage have you? Like another poster said, if you have kids a Syrian would be best. They're slower and easier to handle and less likely to be nippy.

I know I might be coming off as a hard ass, but I feel really strongly about hamster care. I'm sure you know what you're doing, but there's no harm in saying it.

Did a bit of driving around today .visited a few pet shops no luck unless you want fish or birds..eventually found a very very nice guy in dunlaoighre..explained the three diffrent types of hamster ..the regular common hamster ..(can be grumpy and bite) the dwarf russian type (bite aswell) and the one he had in stock (syrian i think) never ever bite and great for kids..ida bought two but he only had one..but kids are made up and we bought a ball to run round in and a range of accessories..so i know il probly end up looking after the little fella and he will want for nowt

Knine

Just as well you only brought one. Did he not mention that Syrian Hamsters should always be housed alone?

They will actually attack and seriously insure each other.

Good luck with your new addition and please do not let the children disturb the hamster during the day. They are nocturnal.

boomerang

Any hamster will bite if scared, OP. Please show the kids to respect the hamster when it's sleeping or they will get bitten by a sleepy, irritated little ham! And if they feed him through the bars he'll get the habit of nibbling everytime anything that comes through the bars - including fingers! So point that out to them.

And no more than a few minutes tops in the hamster ball or he will get over-heated and/or over-tired. They are a toy that were designed to entertain people, rather than for the hamster's enjoyment.

From what you're saying, you mightn't have been sold a Syrian, because the Syrian is the "regular common hamster." Any chance of a pic? I love hamsters.

Maudi

boomerang wrote: »

Any hamster will bite if scared, OP. Please show the kids to respect the hamster when it's sleeping or they will get bitten by a sleepy, irritated little ham! And if they feed him through the bars he'll get the habit of nibbling everytime anything that comes through the bars - including fingers! So point that out to them.

And no more than a few minutes tops in the hamster ball or he will get over-heated and/or over-tired. They are a toy that were designed to entertain people, rather than for the hamster's enjoyment.

From what you're saying, you mightn't have been sold a Syrian, because the Syrian is the "regular common hamster." Any chance of a pic? I love hamsters.

Now that i think about it he did mention the ordinary hamster and the russian dwarf hamster and that "cuddles" was a cross between the two..does that make sense.?.its certainly tiny and smaller than any hamster i ever kept..il go on lap top latr and try put pics up..cant from phone.

baby and crumble

Maudi wrote: »

Now that i think about it he did mention the ordinary hamster and the russian dwarf hamster and that "cuddles" was a cross between the two..does that make sense.?.its certainly tiny and smaller than any hamster i ever kept..il go on lap top latr and try put pics up..cant from phone.

In all honesty OP it sounds like the pet shop guy trolled you to high heaven. I've never heard of a syrian/ dwarf mix. I can't see how it would work TBH.

You should try and find out exactly what species you have, because the diet for syrian and dwarves are different. dwarves are prone to diabetes so the bags of food or any treats you get need to say suitable for dwarf hamsters, because too much sugar is really bad for them.

ALL hamsters will bite if they feel threatened or scared, which is natural- they are prey animals. Make sure your kids know how to properly pick them up from underneath by cupping their hands together, not coming down from above, at least not until the hammie settles in properly, which could take a few months, depending on the ham.

You should also watch the ham in the ball- ours enjoys ball time, and will get in voluntarily if we leave the ball there and it open. But i know others who freak out, and what looks like happy running is really them scared and trying to escape.

But whatever you do, enjoy your new little fluffball! And do put up pics if you can.

boomerang

Sounds like a Robo to me, OP?

(Google Roborovski hamster)

Maudi

boomerang wrote: »

Sounds like a Robo to me, OP?

(Google Roborovski hamster)

Just did and you are right.its a roborovski alright..so cute..very fast in spurts but calms down v quickly once in your hands..took a small grape from me earlier..

baby and crumble

Maudi wrote: »

Just did and you are right.its a roborovski alright..so cute..very fast in spurts but calms down v quickly once in your hands..took a small grape from me earlier..

Ah, a Robo. Cute. I love watching videos of Robos, especially on the flying saucer type wheels. I'm very tempted to get a pair of dwarves or Robos next time, but Isabella is enough of a handful for me right now!

Best of luck with it all, op. Hamsters are awesome!!!

boomerang

I had two rescue Robos that I found a home for, Pip and Pop. They were SO cute and absolutely hillarious! Like two popcorn kernels popping in the microwave. Full of beans. The only downside with Robos is that they're so small and fast, they're more hands-off than a Syrian or even a Winter White or Campbell's. I know we shouldn't laugh but the You Tube videos of Robos spinning on the wheel so fast they shoot off cracks me up every time.

baby and crumble

boomerang wrote: »

I know we shouldn't laugh but the You Tube videos of Robos spinning on the wheel so fast they shoot off cracks me up every time.

I just love that they just leap back up and start going again!!!

Maudi

baby and crumble wrote: »

I just love that they just leap back up and start going again!!!

When i bought my little robo i bought hamster food in the form of green and brown pre formed pellets and some grains ..she not eating the green /brown lumps at all.what do you people feed yours.?