What hammy is best for me?

From Hamster Central WIKI

Before the purchase of a new hamster its best that you research as much as you can so you will know what you’ll need for your new hamsters home and health. A good way to do this is to research on line for websites or for forums or message boards. Another way is to find a good book on hamsters. I suggest that you try and stay away from books that read very simply and are geared more towards children, as they don’t always tend to have as extensive information. However its not a bad idea to give a child one of these books who is receiving the animal, but as a parent its also your responsibility to know about hamsters at lest to an extent that you can properly care for it and help the child.

One good book that I have found and recommend is called “The Hamster handbook” by Patricia Bartlett.

Hamsters as Pets

If your looking for an animal companion that is affordable takes up little space, doesn’t smell and doesn’t make much noise then the hamster might be the ideal pet for you. They are equally popular with young children and adults.

Because they are small and easy to care for they can make great pets for young children learning responsibility, of course with the help of an adult. Its not uncommon for classrooms in grade school or elementary school to have a pet hamster in the class where the children can take turns brining the hamster home and caring for it.

The initial cost of buying a hamster and its accessories will most likely put you back just over $100.00 dollars, but after that the only items you will need to by food, the occasional treats, the possibility of new cage accessories and the possibility of a vet visit. Of course keep in mind the more hamster you have the more the costs will increase

What hamster is best for you

If you want a relatively relaxed hamster that easy to handle, then a Syrian Hamster is ideal. If you don’t mind a hamster that’s a little higher stung and compact, you might look at Campbell’s, Winter Whites or Chinese. These can be slightly more difficult to tame and handle so may not be suitable pets for very young children. Roborovski’s are smaller again, and very quick and agile. They are not a pet suitable for cuddling, and can be very difficult to catch and handle, but will provide hours of entertainment as they play together in their cage or playpen.

Syrians are strictly solitary and should only be brought together for breeding. The true dwarf species (Campbell’s, Winter Whites and Roborovski’s) are social animals and should always be kept in pairs or small groups, bought up together. These should be single sex unless you plan on breeding. Be aware that while they are social species there will always be individuals who prefer to be alone, and it is not uncommon for pairs to fight, in which case they must be kept separately. It is not wise to attempt to introduce adult animals to each other, pairs or groups should ideally be litter mates or parent/offspring groups.

There is some debate as to whether Chinese hamsters are social or solitary – many people keep them in colonies with no problems, but there seems to be an increased incidence of fighting within Chinese groups, and some now believe that they should be kept solitarily.

Both male and female hamsters make great companions so sex isn’t really aren’t a concern here. Of course buying a female from a pet store could result in a surprise litter of hamsters if they aren’t separated into same sex cages. If you want a communal cage and are not planning on breeding its best to have a grouping of same sex hamsters.

Long haired Syrians may require extra attention in the grooming department. Trimming of the coast might need to be done and brushing of its fur if its being tangled in bedding. The coast of the male longhaired Syrian is typically longer then the females.