It can be tempting to acquire a hamster on impulse. After all, they're the picture of cuteness: small, round, furry and inquisitive. But there are still some important questions to consider before you commit to bringing one home.
Adopt
Small animals like hamsters are often mistreated and forced into deplorable conditions when they're bred for pet stores to sell. Pet store hamsters are also more prone to medical conditions like “wet tail,” a serious form of contagious diarrhea. If you’d like a hamster as a pet, adopt one from a local animal shelter or rescue and skip the pet stores.
Are you a night owl?
Hamsters are nocturnal, which means they will be most active at night. If you're a light sleeper who is disturbed by the smallest of sounds, a squeaking wheel at 2 a.m. might not be a good fit. If you work a graveyard shift and are looking for furry companionship during the day, hamsters are bound to frustrate your expectations. But if you're a night owl, a hamster could be the perfect companion when you're burning the midnight oil!
Do you have health concerns?
Hamsters can carry salmonella, an intestinal bacteria that causes short but intense bouts of sickness in healthy adults. However, it can produce more severe problems if a pregnant woman passes it to her unborn child. Salmonella can also seriously sicken a person who's already in a weakened state from other health conditions or immunocompromised. Hamsters can also carry Campylobacter and other bacteria that cause gastrointestinal illness.
Although rare, hamsters have been known to carry a virus called Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM). In healthy adults, this virus causes flu-like symptoms or no symptoms at all. However, it can be transmitted from a pregnant mother to her unborn child, and it can produce severe illness in people with compromised immune systems.
Do you have children?
Because of their small size, hamsters are often acquired as pets for children who want to play with them during the day. However, hamsters are not the best pet for most children. Just when it's time for your child to go to sleep, it's time for a hamster to wake up. Many hamsters are jumpy and nippy, especially when awakened from a nap.
Hamsters require a gentle touch and may be easily startled by sudden movement and loud noises. The motor skills of children under 8 are usually not refined enough to make a hamster feel comfortable being handled. Young children who lack fine motor control and self-restraint may inadvertently drop a hamster, or squeeze them, which may injure the hamster or scare them into biting. Therefore, hamsters should never be handled by young children without supervision.
Young children are also at greater risk for zoonotic diseases (diseases that are can be passed from animals to humans) because of their undeveloped immune systems and because of their tendency for close contact with pets without proper hand-washing. Children under 5 are particularly vulnerable to the effects of salmonella, a type of intestinal bacteria that hamsters can carry. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis, a virus that has been found in hamsters, can seriously sicken young children.
Space requirements
Syrian hamsters are solitary, territorial animals who must have their own space in which to live. Hamsters will fight and inflict serious injuries to each other if housed in the same quarters, so each must have their own separate space. A female who gives birth may kill and eat her babies if disturbed, and allowing hamsters to breed is not recommended. Dwarf hamsters, on the other hand, may be able to live together if introduced properly.
Hamsters can be escape artists, so their habitat must be well-secured and they must be closely supervised at all times if let out of their enclosure to play.
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Considering budget
The adoption fee for a hamster is typically small, but there are preliminary costs and ongoing needs to anticipate. The initial purchase of equipment and supplies is likely to include:
- Wire cage, aquarium or modular habitat (20-gallon size is the minimum recommendation for a single hamster)
- Bedding and nesting materials; paper bedding is ideal
- Nesting box
- Exercise wheel
- Food dish
- Water bottle
- Hamster food
- Treats, such as small amounts of healthy fruits and veggies
- Safe toys for chewing and exploring
Are you prepared to spend several hundred dollars per year on your new friend? Are you able to commit to veterinary care, and do you have a veterinarian that treats small mammals? Hamsters are prone to bladder stones, cardiac disease, cancer and various traumatic injuries.
Time requirements
Hamsters are fairly independent and can entertain themselves for extended periods of time, provided their housing is properly enriched with toys, bedding and opportunities for burrowing and climbing. Still, to be happy and well-adjusted, your hamster should receive daily handling and interaction. Keep in mind that you'll need to thoroughly clean your hamster's cage every week and spot clean more often. Food dishes and water bottles need to be cleaned and sanitized regularly.
Preparing for commitment
The average lifespan for a hamster is 1.5 to 3 years, with slight variations among species. If you can't make a long commitment to a pet, this characteristic may be appealing. But if you have young children and aren't prepared for them to experience the death of a pet yet, you may prefer a longer-lived animal.
Do you live in Hawai'i?
It's illegal to own pet hamsters in Hawai'i. The climate is similar to hamsters' natural desert habitat, and agricultural and environmental officials have expressed concern that released or escaped hamsters could establish wild colonies and damage crops and native plants and animals.