Hi there!

[Savemykissesx]

Hi guys! My names Danielle, and I actually do not own a hamster YET. I am recently revisiting the idea of getting a hamster.

I think I feel 'childish' in a way for wanting one - but that's just because I am 25 and haven't had one since I was a lot younger. Now I have kitties, and dogs.

I live in MA and am seriously thinking about going out tomorrow to buy some things to make my new friend a bin cage, I've been reading a lot about them. Cheap and also easy.

Anyway looking forward to reading more on here.

[SoapyVP]

Welcome Danielle.

I'm 47 and love hamsters. I'm probably childish anyway though.

What breed of hamster are you thinking of getting?

[Savemykissesx]

To be honest I am not entirely sure. I am not sure how I am going to go about getting one either. I am really really big on rescue so I hate the idea of a hamster breeder so I was looking at craigslist to see of any were available. I'm not picky on breed I just don't want a hamster that'll be terrified of me.. And bite That's my worst fear. I always had real friendly hamsters. I had a black bear hamster that lived FOREVER when I was younger. And he was black and turned gray and it was so cute. I loved him a lot. I know that my relationship with one will be different than it was when I was a child but I know I'll love it all the same.

I haven't had luck on Craigslist - any other tips? I sent an email out to a rescue with baby hamsters - they're located in NH somewhere and I'm insure WHERE or if it'd be way too far away. Gas money isn't a issue for me because like I said.. I much rather rescue than buy.

My BIGGEST thing is - I may have to just go to a petstore. How do I pick one out at a petstore? How do you know if it'll be friendly, etc?

[linford27]

If you're fairly new to hams, I reccomend getting a Syrain. They need to live alone and they need a fairly spacy cage, but are very cute and can become very tame if you put in the effort! Though tameness and biting can be an issue if you rescue, like you say. Search round for breeders too, as well as rescues and gumtree etc, if you do go for a pet shop, there are a few things to look out for:
*They have clean cages, are well kept and cared for
*A knowledgeable pet shop that can give you good advice
*A healthy looking ham, that is clean, has no bald patches or wounds, clean ears, nose, mouth, bottom etc. It is normal for them to be snoozing during the day though, and baby syrians can be kept together until they are adopted.

There's no exact way to tell if one is friendly, but if you get a young one and put in the effort to tame it, you can almost certainly tame him!

[The Hamster's family]

Welcome aboard !!

Hope you get here everything you were looking for in a forum !!

Looking forward to see what you decided !

=D

Annie xx

[Savemykissesx]

Thanks guys! I am not exactly NEW to hams, but new as an adult to hams. I owned hamsters before when I was a girl growing up.

I am currently working on my bin cage. I am hoping to have it done for this weekend, and am pretty sure I am going to check out the pet stores in the area to find the hamster I'm meant to be owned by.

Tonight I went and got a pretty big sized bin.. and I'm excited to see how it'll come out. I also went and to LOOK at the two petstores in the area to see their hamsters. I am pretty sure I am going to end up buying from a store since I am unsure of the other options. I am also thinking strongly on a 'fancy bear' or 'teddy bear' or I guess theyre the same thing as a syrian hamster. I asking some questions to one of the store clerks and she knew a lot, I'm excited and I think I'll be able to find a good one this weekend.

I was really looking forward to a baby baby hamster like small, but they grow so fast and they all seem to be 'full grown' in the stores right now.

[The Hamster's family]

Free adds are another place to look for hammies that are looking for a for ever home because they are unwanted... =( Shelters too, RSPCA and such... I LOOOVE giving a hammy a 2nd chance... It feels sooo rewarding...

[Savemykissesx]

yeah I've been looking for the last couple of days straight, and haven't found any on the free ad sites. I have even been looking at rescues.. I'm really big on rescue but havent had much luck.

[DrKMcK]

Hello and welcome to Hamster Central. If you can get a rescue that would be wonderful. There are so many hammies who are abandoned or returned to stores. You could ask in the pet stores to see any hams that have been brought back, or if they have a hammy who's been there for some time and no one is interested. But even if you decide to come home with one of the babies in a tank that catches your eye, that's okay too. But understand that any hammy will be anxious and may be scared of you at first. A baby, if it hasn't been handled, almost certainly will be afraid. All new hammies require time to settle in and learn to be comfortable around you. Most Syrians don't bite if you take it slow and give them time. Read the taming thread on this site and ask questions. It sounds like any hammy you take in should be able to look forward to a wonderful life. Most people who take the time to make a cage and find other people who can help them with what a hammy needs BEFORE they even see the hammy usually does very well. This site has wonderful info on feeding, housing, medical issues, toys, and a host of other info that only enriches a hamsters life. Check it all out. I hope to see you on the site with a new friend's photo (After s/he has settled a bit )