Pets

(Sorry, not available in Australia – Try a guinea pig instead)

Hamsters(Most often you will find Syrian Hamsters in your local pet shop) like most rodents are relatively short lived averaging 2-3 years life spans.  Adults will grow to around 12cm in length(5 inches).  They are not social animals, and prefer to be kept on to a cage.  It’s most likely that more numbers than 1 kept in a cage will lead to bloodshed.  Forget about the 30cm -45cm(12-18inch) cages you see in the pet shop – hamsters are active animals and do best in a cage of at least 75cmx125cm (30-50) inches but more is better. 

When buying a hamster as a pet, make sure you buy one from a breeder of from a pet shop that has been well handled since shortly after birth, so they are agreeable to being picked up, petted and handled.  Do handle it before you buy it rather than buy the pretty looking one, that later bites you at home the first time you handle it.

Hamsters like many rodents are nocturnal, so they will rest during the day and tend to be lethargic or grumpy if too much activity is required of them during the day.  They will be active at night, so if you intend to keep one in your room, better get some headphones to sleep with unless you are a sound sleeper.

Another option to the Syrian hamster is is the dwarf hamster, which can be kept in groups as they are more social, however though they are more social with each other, they are possibly a little less happy to be handled than Syrian Hamsters