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Fred_505 · Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 7:57 pm

My 6 year old son, Ricky, wants a hamster for a pet. Ricky's friend Jake has one and now Ricky wants a hamster for his b-day. I do not have a clue how to care for a hamster. I need the 101 in hamster care.

Xebby · Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:35 pm

Hi Fred and welcome to Awesome Pet!

I have had a pet hamster in the past and it was very simple to care for. First I would start by getting a simple cage, the ones with tubes are always fun and I'm sure your son would enjoy watching the hamster run around in the tubes. Next you will need some bedding, some people will say that hay is better than wood chips or pellets but as long as you keep it clean you should be alright. You will need some good food ad that should be the basics of what you need. I would change the bedding at least every 1 to 2 weeks. A hamster ball is also good to have and very fun to watch. You say your wife has a cat so try to keep the cat away from the hamster and keep the cage in a place that will not get knocked over. If you have any more questions feel free to ask!

-Xebby

Fred_505 · Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:58 pm

Thank you, my son will be very happy with his new friend. They sound simple enough to care for. Can i keep more then one in the same cage?

Eclectica · Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 6:25 am

The only hammies you can keep together is the miniature ones. Be sure its the same sex, they can have babies of upto 6-8. The larger hamsters get along while they are babies, but they are solitary by nature and will seriously injure one another. I would recommend the miniature as they are also diurnal, meaning they are active daily. The bigger ones are only active at night, so i think the smaller one would be better when your son is awake and he is awake.

Good luck, they are really one of the easiest pets to look after.

Fred_505 · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 4:26 am

I took my boy down to petco and he picked out a teddy bear hamster. I do not know what the difference is. He named the little guy Mr. Red Head Dude. So far so good.

Eclectica · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:34 pm

yip, their cute hamsters. Its the bigger ones, and should be kept alone. Is it a golden colour with white underside? Golden/teddybear hamsters are a golden colour or golden mixed with darker shades and white on the underside. They make great pets, he will have fun with it. Its also nocturnal so he might be a bit more busy at night. Just put him in another room if he has a wheel, it could drive you and your son crazy.

Good choice though, they are beautiful and very docile, mostly anyways. Let us know how he gets on with the little guy!