Robo or Syrian

[hamsterlover10109]

Hello Everyone! i have wondering because I am hopefully gonna get a new hammy soon and I was wondering which species should I get a robo or a Syrian? I love syrians because how easy they are to handle but I also love how fast and the live span of robos are. Could you guys give me pro's and con's of each species or suggest which one i should get?

Thanks!

xoxo hamsterlover10109

[velma]

Well I'm not much help because I have one of each
What you need to work out is what you want from a hamster. Do you want the fun of watching a robo zoom around or do you want to be able to handle a hamster & interact a lot more? If it's the latter, then I'd say Syrian. If you've not Pwnef hamsters before them a Syrian can be easier. Where you live, can you get rat sized toys & a large wheel that a Syrian will need? A lot of stuff sold for hamsters is only suitable for dwarf species.

[cypher]

I know you've been looking into getting a ham for some time now but were having trouble getting your grandmother to allow you to have one, has she agreed now?
If she has I'm just wondering how she will feel about a syrian having out of cage time, either in a play pen or free roaming in your room maybe or however you plan to manage out of cage time.
If she's still a bit apprehensive about you having an animal in the house would that be a problem do you think?
Maybe something to consider when you make your choice, if you went for a robo (with some patience!) you would be able to have some interaction in the cage & maybe handle it to some extent without it needing all the extra space & out of cage time a syrian would.
What kind of cage or tank can you get? That will have some impact on your final decision too.
I don't think there's that much difference in life span between the two species tbh so that's probably less of a consideration so think about which you have the space & facilities for then as Velma says decide what you want from your ham, if possible I would go to the shop or breeder where you plan to get your ham, if possible handle some or at least observe them for a while to get more of an idea of which appeals to you most.

[SugarFairy123]

Robo hamster pros :

*If you want an energetic pet they are great to watch running around in a nice big cage
*They have a very unique body shape and they are cute / attractive
*They are the smallest so they do less toilet business everywhere which means a cleaner cage
*They are less expensive than Syrians as they need smaller toys , wheel etc..
*They have very funny personalities
*They are able to live in (even) groups
*Aren't prone to diabetes like dwarves (then again Syrians aren't either )

Robo hamster cons :

*Unless you get them from a private breeder where they are handled from an early age , it's quite hard to tame them & they are actually never 100% tame -i.e. just let you pick them up , they are really just for watching .
*Because of their extreme energy ( running up to 20 miles per night in the wild )
they need lots of space and they will appreciate as much floor space you can possibly give them . They can even develop repetitive behaviour from living in a cramped environment .
*As they are very small they need bar spacing to be no more than 7 mm
*HUGE escape artists
*Come in less colours and patterns

Syrian hamster pros :

*Syrians live alone so there is no need to buy him/her a pair (unlike guinea pigs who get lonely without company )
*They are the biggest of all domestic hamsters so they are a bit easier to find if they escape for their cage or your hands
*Syrians are generally very tame and friendly and will probably like some occasional interaction with people . However some Syrians are aggressive and will not like human interaction which we can't change .
*You are less likely to find an aggressive Syrian than an aggressive Robo (that's actually a matter of opinion )
*If tamed it will allow you to stroke or hold it for a while .
*If tamed it is very friendly and will get very exited when it senses your presence.
*Aren't prone to diabetes

Syrian hamster cons :

*They are more active during the evening and they are VERY noisy (atleast mine is )
*Usually not suitable in a house with young children
*Prone to wet-tail (an illness caused by stress )
*Pricier than Robos
*Females can get quite smelly when they are in heat

I would probably recommend a Syrian if you are a first time owner but if Robos appeal more to you then go for it ! Hope this helped & Happy New Year
P.S sorry this was so long

[HenriandHobieHammies]

I don't reccomend robos for beginners, but if that is what you have your heart set on and you think you can handle it, go for it!

[barley]

I have one of both

Rupert my Syrian is actually very shy and doesn't like to be handled much and he's quite cautious of everything and anything! But he's super adorable, loves anything with food involved and is a real sweetie.

Joey the Robo is like a little lightning bullet, he shoots around his tank and is such a busy little character, he's great fun to watch and loves toys and tunnels. He isn't at all shy but is too quick to handle.

I'm not much help! I think they're too different to compare really.

[flowerfairy]

My two roborovski sisters had to be separated due to fighting (quite common, which I knew when I got them both).

They are just so pretty and tiny and I love kitting their cages out with little hidey houses, pretty china food dishes and lovely wooden wheels.

They race about. Wash, roll in their sand bath, play on the wheel. Pouch food at ninety miles an hour and have just begun to come out a tiny bit in the day time (to collect food).

They are very shy despite coming from a well known breeder and flee from my hand so I just chat to them and watch lovingly now.

My syrians (I have two, both boys) are beautiful, one white long haired with red eyes and one dark brown long haired with black eyes) are slower and will allow strokes (x)

They also love playing on their wheels and appreciate food! They need taller cages to fit their wheels and enjoy out of cage time (eg playing in the bath).

Google pics of them both and look on zooplus and amazon for all the great accessories oh and try youtube. I love the videos that erinsanimals makes (you may already know them).

Good luck in your choice. I have always had syrians and then fell in love with the cuteness of robos.

[Cinnamon Bear]

I have a robo and she is a sweetheart. She enjoys limited interaction. Not able to hold her or pet her. I do take her out and she enjoys treats and a sandbath in the taming bin. But she doesn't like to be out for more than a few minutes. Take that into consideration that they are more of a watch pet, at least for me.

When I had a Syrian I was giving it attention all the time, very different experience.

[Cinnamon Bear]

I also found that I could bond easier with a pet you can handle. The Syrians are a little more expensive due to them needing bigger toys, eat a bit more food & treats, more frequent bedding changes, etc. So robos are economical & super cute, you can bond with them too, I just can't handle her very much. Extreme amounts of energy, so they are fun to watch. Thought I'd add these thought to my above post