Differences?

pinkneon · 03-05-2016, 04:15 PM

Hi
*Please move if in wrong section!*
So those of you following my past few posts (mostly Serendipity lol) will know that I am getting a new hamster really soon - I've already ordered everything, and hopefully it'll all be here by the end of next weekend, so by the weekend, or just after, I should have my new ham. BUT I wanted to ask, out of curiosity really, whether anyone has ever noticed if there are any differences between male and female? I've had both (not at same time) and have always chosen the one I wanted based on the color, or the most friendly at the shop, or the cutest, or the one who I most fall in love with - remember most of the hams I had, I had when I was a child, so to me at the time of choosing those things were important!
I'm not sure if I've explained myself very well ... What I mean is, all the females I ever had have always been more active, more willing to play, tamed quicker, lived longer, would go to toilet in same place, whilst the boys have been lazy, and would go to the loo anywhere they fancied - even in their food bowls sometimes! I just wondered if this was actually a gender thing or if it was purely pot luck and the way a hamster is raised? It doesn't really matter to me whether I get a male or female hamster, I was just curious. Though if temperament and things are more to do with gender than genetics or the way they're brought up, it might help me with raising them differently.
So I guess what I'm asking is, is there really a differences between gender or not?

On a seperate note, though again I don't know where to post this question : Apart from the first 2 hamsters I had, all my hams used to eat their dried poo. I was told this was normal, and that sometimes they did this for nutritional reasons, but I wanted to ask if this was correct? I thought I may have read something earlier saying that if they eat their poo it means they are sick?!

Pebbles82 · 03-05-2016, 04:32 PM

There are lots of opinions on the differences between male and female, but I think most people think it depends on the personality of the hamster. Having said that, we have a boy and he is a bit lazy lol. But he is also very clean and only ever pees in his potty. Bertie Bobbins has a male 'yellow' hamster who is very active (apparently something to do with the yellow gene possibly). I haven't had a female so can't compare, but find Charlie very easy, if a bit reclusive sometimes.

Eating their poo is normal and ok. It contains vitamins. They have two stomachs so the poos that they eat can be redigested to get extra nutrients. I know when Charlie was a baby he used to and he also used to poo in his food bowl lol. I believe they do this so there are 'emergency supplies' just in case there is no food one day. Charlie doesn't do this any more - maybe he knows that food is plentiful now!

So - I think really with the male female thing it does come down to personality and genes as well. But I think generally males are seen as less active and a bit more lazy, plus females come on heat every four days.

Rsclio197 · 03-05-2016, 04:32 PM

My knowledge is fairly limited I'm afraid and I lack the experience of most of the members so can't comment really.

But I'm looking forward to seeing your new hamster! Would you consider adoption? I know your totally unsure at this stage like you say but I can say it is rewarding ( just 24 hours after adopting) haha. It's great to see them so happy knowing you made it so

pinkneon · 03-05-2016, 04:57 PM

Rsclio, possibly. I'm living with my family at the moment, and they stupidly decided to live in a very small town (well, compared with my hometown which is a massive city and SO much better!), so there are only a few pet shops. That said, there are a few that are a little further away, but not too far in the car, and I ordered a carried when I ordered the cage so it may be that we go and explore some of the bigger places in the nearby towns. However, I am not sure how long I'd want to travel with a new, possibly frightened, hammy in a travel carrier, as I'd want them to get home and into their cage to start settling in as soon as they could without having to travel a further distance, so it's something to consider but not totally rule out just yet. When I was a kid and we had hamsters from the shops in this stupid little town, they would put the hamster in a cardboard box to transport it home in, and by the time we got back it would be trying to chew it's way out! It also meant that the cardboard box they came in would go straight into the cage too, so they had something a little familiar to help them settle ... If I'm unable to do it this time, I will probably consider it next time though, as by that time I'll be have more options to do this as there are plenty of places in my lovely (did I mention big?!) city that you can adopt hammies from - including places like the RSPCA

Rsclio197 · 03-05-2016, 05:05 PM

Well its totally upto you but maybe there's a tame hammy you find that could easily deal with the travel!

As for the chewing out of the box thing, I stupidly didn't have a carrier when I picked Bonnie (still unnamed) up, she was in side 2 cardboard p@h boxes one big, one small, she chewed her way out of both withing 5 minutes of pulling out of the metro centre. Her little fave just popped out all of a sudden full of mischief! luckily I wasn't on the motor way at this point and pulled into a housing estate to secure her again! I was on my own too so thank goodness she didn't pop out while driving on the motorway!

pinkneon · 03-05-2016, 05:14 PM

Awww bless her! I love seeing their little faces just pop out of somewhere! Those little pink noses!!!!!!!!

**zak** · 03-05-2016, 08:29 PM

Males are generally cuddlier, more friendly and laid back while females are generally active, curious and outgoing. Again, it solely depends on their personalities. I have found that female Syrians become very mischievous and troublesome when they come into heat.

Pebbles82 · 03-06-2016, 02:53 AM

Our pet shop wouldn't give us a little cardboard box - she said she'd had too many hamsters escape on the way home! They sent me away to find something to put Charlie in to carry him home! The familiarity thing was ok though as he had a cardboard kitchen roll tube in his cage (they used it to get him out as they never handled them!) and the tube came with him. He still has it! Although he's too big to fit through it now. Just shows how little he chews things lol.

CMB · 03-06-2016, 03:07 AM

My males have always been friendlier than my females. They were also easier to tame. My males never bit me hard, where as the females bit and hung on, once tame the females were fine though.

I suspect females have to be more aggressive as they have to protect their babies especially Syrians as the males are not involved in caring for the pups.

Pebbles82 · 03-06-2016, 03:17 AM

I wonder if size makes a difference to personality too? Our Syrian is ginormous! He weighs 225g. And he's always been like a little old man with pipe and slippers lol. He'll happily sit for a stroke for 5 minutes or so, on my arm, and go to sleep on my knee under a blanket - now he's tame that is. And can get quite cross sometimes and stamp his feet, if things aren't just so. He has never once bitten but used to threaten it by jerking his head, when we were taming. Apart from a gentle nibble once in a blue moon to let me know he didn't like being held in mid air too long! He was very nervy and neurotic when we got him though. But now he's tame, chilled doesn't describe it lol.