I can't get a hamster

[AdrianPops]

Hello!

This is my first ever post on here and I do apologize if I haven't posted this where it should be. I've had two dwarf hamsters before when I was little, they were brothers and didn't fight. I took good care of them and they lived three happy years before passing away(probably of old age).

Now I miss them but sadly I can't persuade Mother to allow me to buy a hamster again. In fact, I've gone to the pet store just two days ago and when she found out what I've bought she told me to return them(I bought both a male and a female from the same enclosure) and get some dog food with the money. How selfish!

I've tried telling her everything, about how I'm prepared to be responsible and own a pet hamster, about how I have everything for a DIY cage, about how this entire project would be relatively cheap for my pockets. I told her how sociable and harmless hamsters are, how they can recognize their owner, etc.. I've presented her facts from my days of research but she just dismisses them as nonsense. She claims that 'I'm 17, it's not for me anymore' and it just annoys me.

I really need to start owning a hamster again. I've always dreamed of breeding them, and just having a ton of them roaming around in a -huge- cage built by myself. It'd kind of be like a hobby, but however one which Mother is against at. Any suggestions as to how I can persuade her?

Thank you in advance.

[souffle]

Unfortunately when you are still living with your parents you have to abide by the house rules. If they don't want you to have any pets at present then it may have to wait until you have your own place and can do as you wish. It's entirely possible at your age though that life will change before the hamsters live out their lives such as going to college or having exams coming up or starting work etc and you may have less time to care for pets and less money to spend on them so perhaps they are concerned about that aspect?
Do lots more research before taking on any more hamsters and give yourself plenty time to enjoy other aspects of your life for now. I'm sure in time you will have new hamsters to enjoy. Research breeding carefully because your plans for a large roaming colony is a disaster waiting to happen in terms of the inbreeding and inherited diseases as well as your ability to manage so many both financially and physically!

[InkyPen]

While you're living at home, this is the sort of thing that you have to deal with.

I am sure that your mum is concerned you would move out at some point within the hamster's lifetime e.g. to go to university, not be able to take them with you (few tenancy agreements allow pets) and she would be left to look after the hamsters, which she clearly doesn't want to do - and it wouldn't be fair of you to ask her to do it.

Furthermore, I would suggest doing some more research on hamsters and their needs, and responsible breeding. In particular
- Syrian hamsters must always be kept alone once they are adults, as otherwise they will fight to the death
- Dwarf hamsters can only be kept alone or as a same sex pair from the same litter. Even then sometimes they fall out and have to be permanently separated.
- pet shops are not suitable places to buy breeding hamsters, as you don't have a record of their parentage and genetics, and they are likely to be siblings, so you'd instantly be inbreeding them
- hamsters reproduce up to every 16 days, so you would instantly have a population explosion on your hands, with no one to sell them to. If the male is in the same enclosure, or if the female is otherwise stressed, she will eat her own babies alive (yes, really)

There are plenty of unwanted hamsters in this world. The only reason to breed is if you have show quality stock, your core aim is to improve the species, and you have a waiting list of good homes lined up.

Wait a few years until you have your own place, your landlord has given you permission or you own your own home, and then have ONE Syrian or a maximum of two dwarves living in one huge cage. And please, please, please do some more research into what they actually need in terms of habitat, and don't breed anything unless you meet the criteria above.

[Crystalroborovski]

I'm sorry you're frustrated, but if your mother says "no" it's best to accept and respect her decision. Once you have your own place you can get a hamster for yourself, but until then, don't disrespect your mother's rules (even if you don't understand them and think they're silly).

As for breeding hamsters, please do not do it unless you meet all of the requirement below:

-You have done at least a few months of research. This includes knowing genetic combinations (which ones are lethal or could produce deformed or sick offspring), knowing prenatal and postnatal care for the mother (proper diet, housing, nutrition, etc), knowing all of the possible complications of breeding, knowing what a phantom pregnancy is, etc. There are a lot of things to cover when researching breeding, i just listed a few.

-You have money set aside for an emergency vet trip/possible surgery (this can add up to hundreds, possibly even a thousand dollars)

-You can provide properly sized homes and supplies for up to 20 babies if they do not find homes. Again money plays a big part in this.

-You have high quality hamsters from a professional breeder, with the genetic information on both the breeding hamsters and their family line

-You have a vet near you that will treat hamsters if an emergency vet trip is needed

-You have proper homes for the babies to go to. If you don't, you will have to house them yourself which can be very expensive

-(most importantly) you have an ethical reason to breed. Reasons for breeding which are not ethical are
-you want cute baby hamsters
-you want to make money from selling the babies
-you want to breed because it is "fun" or "an experiment"
The only ethical reasons to breed are if you want to have show quality stock (as inky mentioned above) or if you want to improve the domesticated hamster species itself.

Breeding is a huge gamble- the mother could eat the pups, she could have deformed or sick babies, and the mother, father and babies could die. I don't mean to crush your dreams of breeding in any way, I just want you to realize that breeding is not a joke and you need to do loads of research before you start.

[Drago]

Hello and welcome to HC!

As everyone has already said, as much as it's going to suck, you have to respect your mother's wishes. When I was young, I wanted a hamster so bad, and I thought I had done a lot of research on them when in reality, I knew little to nothing about them and a majority of the information I did have, was incorrect! Luckily, she never allowed me to get the hamster and I'm so glad she didn't as I never have to live with the shame of keeping any hamster in a cage that was too small with improper care. Sometimes parents really do know what's best and it may not be something you see now, but can see later It sounds like you really love hamsters, and luckily for you, not being able to own one doesn't necessarily mean you can't be with them! You can spend time researching and advocating for the betteremant of their care. You could also volunteer at a shelter or small pet rescue so you can get exposure to them and get to bond with them. Not only will you get exposure to hamsters, but you'll also be supporting a wonderful organization and what could be better than that? I too think you should research more before breeding. More goes into it than simply putting two hamsters together! You have to have extensive knowledge of genetics, colors, coat types, behavior, and genetic disorders. All of these things are very complex and can take years to learn. Besides that, realize that birthing is hard on female hamsters, is it worth the risk of your female hamster dying just so you can bring more pups into this already overpopulated world? It's going to cost hundreds, if not thousands to start up breeding as well. Each hamster will require his/her own cage and each can run over $100 for only the cage. Then factor in toys, bedding, food, wheels, bowls, and water dishes and you're at around $600 for about 2-4 hamsters. Then you've got to purchase a pair of high quality breeders, and this can cost $50-$100. You'll also need to have a bare minimum of $500 stuffed away as an emergency vet fund. There's more to it than just price though as I mentioned earlier, learning genetics and knowing how to recognize good health and temperaments is crucial and is a skill not everyone can master. Being 17, you'll also need to realize that you may be going off to school soon or getting a job, and all these things cost A LOT. It may be best to consider only keeping 1-2 hamsters until you're all done with this and know for sure you'll have the funds and knowledge to partake in breeding.

This wasn't meant in any way to sound harsh, just something to consider! In the end, it's your choice and there's nothing we can do to stop you, but you should do lots of research at least before getting into this. Hope to see you around the forum

[snow pony]

I'm lucky in that my parents allow me to have hamsters, but unfortunately everyone else is right in that you have to follow the rules your mother has. Maybe ask her why she doesn't want a hamster, as it could be something you could work around. (If it's that you're too old just show her this forum as I'm 18 and lots of others on here are adults, but she probably has other reasons too.) And even if you can't get them now, you can always get them in the future.

[LucyToons]

I agree with sticking with the rules of the house, but as snow_pony said talk to your mum and ask her why she doesn't think you should have a hamster at the moment, i'm 37 years old, I have a cat, rabbit and hamster, but if I couldn't afford to look after them (food, toys, treats, bedding etc.) then I wouldn't have taken them into my home, my circumstances are different though in that I am disabled so not able to get out as much as I would like, so for me my pets (my babies) are my reason for getting up each day!

[dreamtree1234]

Hi and welcome to HC, AdrianPops! I am so sorry that your mom will not allow you to have hamsters at the moment, but I am sure that she has her reasons. Although you may not always understand exactly the reasoning behind your mom's decisions at the time, hopefully when you are older you will come to understand and agree with her. Regardless, it is always extremely important to remember that she is making those choices with your best interest at heart and looking through experienced eyes. She probably realizes that you are going through a crossroad in your life where you may not have as much time due to attending a university or finding employment soon. She may also be considering the heavy responsibility and financial strain breeding hamsters can be for someone who doesn't have the expertise in that endeavor. Please try to give your mom a chance to guide you without being frustrated or angered by her decisions. Listen to her reasoning and together come up with a solution. When you have your own place, done extreme research on hamster breeding, and all the conditions are right, you can reconsider having hamsters and breeding at that time. Until then, you may want to consider interacting with hamsters by volunteering at a hamster rescue or working at a pet store where hamsters are sold.

Best of luck, and I look forward to seeing you around HC.