Tell me about..... HAMPSTERS OR GERBILS!

[Mikey0709]

I have a kid BEGGING for one for their birthday.

New territory for me.... so please talk me into or out of it! PFA - we have 3 rowdy boys.

He's actually asking for a hampster, but in reading some old posts it sounds like gerbils are more friendly and easier? I honestly know NOTHING about them, we've had cats, dogs and fish. Thinking of getting another cat soon in the future.

SO any advice? Where to purchase? What setup to get? (amazon is my best friend). Sounds like we would want to keep this in the living room.

HELP!

PS - how much are these pets anyway???

[JBaxter]

They bite they stink they escape We went through a hamster phase. They say they will keep the cage clean but it but it starts to smell pretty quick. I'd wait for the cat. ( Ive also had cats dogs birds fish turtles lizards and hamsters)

[firstbaby]

DS had a gerbil and it was a great pet for him. We got a more expensive tank/cage that was glass on all four sides and a screen top. DH did not want a gerbil on the loose in the house so the solid sides were our best bet. :) DS replaced the bedding and cleaned the cage weekly and freshened her water, etc. The bedding and food wasn't super expensive. Nibbles lived for about three years (we were told 2 years tops when we got her). We haven't gotten another one but I have no regrets about having one.

[hbridge]

We have a very sweet Chinese hamster. He lives in a 20 gallon glass tank with a wire top. He doesn't eat much so food lasts quite a while. The only real expense is the paper bedding that we use in the tank and veggies. The plan is to clean his cage every two weeks although that does not always happen. We purchased him from an independent pet shop that handles all their animals regularly so he came to us tame and has never done more than nip at DC. He was a little more expensive than the chain stores, but worth every penny. DC is very good with him. Do keep in mind that they don't live a terribly long time 1.5 to 2 years). Ours is just over 2 years old and he is showing signs of aging. DC is preparing for when he is no longer here.

I highly recommend hamsters. Just remember that they are nocturnal. Ours runs an his wheel...ALL...NIGHT...LONG... The rhythm of the wheel sooths us all to sleep every night, however you probably don't want to keep a hamster in a bedroom.

I think gerbils may be diurnal which might work better for you...

Good luck!

[trcy]

I have had both and prefer gerbils. IME they are friendlier (though individual personalities vary) and they are not nocturnal. Gerbils are best kept in bonded pairs (I never had luck introducing two adults) and hamsters are solitary. Our animal shelters always have hamsters and gerbils for adoption, so maybe check there first.
We recently got two guinea pigs and they are way more friendly than any hamster or gerbil I have ever known. They are more work and need a bigger cage, but are much better pets IMO.
I have also heard rats are amazing pets, but no personal BTDT. So something else to consider.


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[mom2binsd]

DD has a hamster, she is 14 and does all the care. It doesn't smell, but she cleans the cage a lot. It stays in her room. It's a pretty cheap pet. It doesn't keep her up at night. It can bite and isn't super cuddly. They only live about 2 years, so it's got about 5 months and she is prepared for that.

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[ellies mom]

Growing up we had hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and rats. Hands down, rats are by far my favorite. Followed by guinea pigs. Rats are friendly and not nippy. They have good personalities as well. And they aren't as delicate. Guinea pigs are great but rats will always have a special place in my heart. If we ever bring a rodent into the house it will be a rat.


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[nfceagles]

Growing up we had hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and rats. Hands down, rats are by far my favorite. Followed by guinea pigs. Rats are friendly and not nippy. They have good personalities as well. And they aren't as delicate. Guinea pigs are great but rats will always have a special place in my heart. If we ever bring a rodent into the house it will be a rat.


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I agree. Rats are the best. I wish I could convince my hamster-begging daughter of that.


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[doberbrat]

I had a rat for 24h until I realized I was severely allergic :(

Otherwise, I had many hamsters. Loved them. Yes, they stink and they escape. However, I was always able to train mine to wake up at 3:30 to play with me. and I think all of the ones I had were pretty snuggly. Takes a while to get there but they do like to eat so they can be trained. I guess I'm a decent sleeper b/c I always had them in my room and the night noises never bothered me.

I will say that when I first got mine, I was 11. It was with the agreement that for every hour the hamster was gone, I'd have to write "I will keep Annie's cage locked" (or something similar). One day she got out. Annie was gone about 20 hours! I spent the next week writing out my punishment and it never ever happened again. .... except for Rodney who still lives in my college dorm's walls!

If you're thinking of a cat in the future, I might just wait - not that fair to the hamster to bring a cat in a few months after they've settled.

[lizzywednesday]

NOOOOOOOOO!

My brother and sister got gerbils before I left for college. They're nocturnal and they wig me out.

My cousins had hamsters. They also wig me out. I forget if they're nocturnal as well.

I've told my DD they violate my "no bowls, tanks, cages, hutches, or habitats" rule for pets. Small mammals just wig me out.

[gamma]

Thankfully, they have a short life span!

[JBaxter]

Thankfully, they have a short life span!

Yes but that is a double edge sword. Have you ever had to dig a hole in the flowerbed at 8am with a 9 yr hanging on your leg crying his yes out because "scoops" had died and he "loved him so much".... Uggg the repeat when Jet also passed a few months later

[nfceagles]

Yes but that is a double edge sword. Have you ever had to dig a hole in the flowerbed at 8am with a 9 yr hanging on your leg crying his yes out because "scoops" had died and he "loved him so much".... Uggg the repeat when Jet also passed a few months later

This is what's kept me from saying yes for so long. My DD is so sensitive. She worries too much about ME dying. I can't imagine dealing with her losing a hamster.


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[jren]

I have severe allergies. That's my out for all critters. But then my DD found out about hedgehogs. Ugh. So the rule is (because of my allergies) you don't get the pet until you can provide all care, cleaning of cages, bathing, etc. So at 13 she finally got her hedgehog. I have sewn it some fleece cage liners (because it turns out I'm also allergic to paper bedding) and fleece pouches and toys. She does everything else. They are nocturnal, which is actually great because there's no guilt for leaving it all day when we are busy. It has a wheel to run on all night, which is not silent so the cage can't be in her room. That's the only downside is that it's in our upstairs loft area. But other than that it's been a great pet! We even had my DD take her in to my DS's 2nd grade class last year and do a presentation.

Oh, they live 3-5 years so will time perfectly with going away to college. We got it as a rescue and she was already around 1.

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[jren]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170917/3e821b819fed87e9ecdcb2fc4171e572.jpg


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[Simon]

That is one cute hedgehog! Allergies are my big "out" too.

[citymama]

DO NOT GET GERBILS. They live 20 years - nuff said. ETA I shouldn't malign them - trcy pointed out it's more like 3-5 years! Whoops!

Dwarf hamsters are easy pets, they need to be played with/socialized daily or they get afraid of people and become un-tamed essentially. Their life-span is 2-3 years.

I'm not a big fan of Syrian hamsters. Guinea pigs have the most personality and are most like "pets" but they are also more work, and longer lived than hamsters.

[trcy]

DO NOT GET GERBILS. They live 20 years - nuff said.
They live an average of 3-5 years, sometimes a little longer, but never 20 years.



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[ray7694]

I prefer guinea pigs as they can be handled and don't run. They make purring noises. We bought two baby females as they prefer to be with a buddy. We found cage and accessories on fb garage sale. G pigs do need a bigger cage to run.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170918/5c1af66b37e191f85709a6db0e8b1216.jpg

[Simon]

Our friends have been very happy with guinea pigs, though I second the idea of getting two. They are much happier in pairs (our friends started with one and quickly adopted a second).

I don't think gerbils usually live that long, but rabbits do live an unusually long time (8-12 years) for a small mammal!

[citymama]

They live an average of 3-5 years, sometimes a little longer, but never 20 years.

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Gah, you're right - maybe I'm thinking of chinchillas! Although they live more like 10-12 years. Thanks for catching that!

[dogmom]

Whenever you do don't go to a pet store! So many of them arrive sick and die after they are home for a few weeks. Animal shelters have plenty of small animals and they get handled and the staff are usually good at finding one that it kid friendly. And don't be tempted to go for a rabbit We have one, it's a great pet, but not low maintenance keep in a cage thing.

[cilantromapuche]

If the boys are rowdy, I would not get hamsters. We love our hamster but if mishandled bites HARD (as in draw blood). They are nocturnal and loud. Our is sweet and meets the short lifespan and low effort criteria.
I have heard great things about rats. For rowdier boys that might be a better option. I think they have more personality as well.