Hello and welcome to HC! I'm so happy that you are planning on getting your son a hamster. They make great pets, and I'm sure he will love him/her very much. Good luck and have fun finding the perfect home for your new ham. I look forward to getting to know the little one and seeing pics whenever he/she is settled in. Hee-HEE! Having a pet water vole sounds to be great fun, too. Maybe that could be your family's pet in the future, lol.