Mice, rats, guinea pigs, gerbils, these days there are so many small animals that you can have as a potential pet. And which small animal is the most popular of them all? If the name of this website is any hint, it’s the hamster. Just look into a cage of hamsters and you can instantly see their appeal. They are fluffy, cute, have large eyes and adorable cheeks. The biggest reason people love them, though, is their small tail. Lots of people don’t like long rodent tails; they find them disgusting. Hamsters are virtually tailless and that adds to their appeal.
So what else does a hamster have going for them? Surely it is not just their looks that makes them so popular? To begin, they are affordable to buy and take care of. Since they are so small (especially dwarf hamsters) they can fit into any house, apartment, dorm room, wherever you want. And unlike other larger pets such as cats or dogs, hamsters are comparatively quiet and will never annoy your neighbors. (Unless you give them a loud and squeaky hamster wheel – squeak, squeak, squeak!).
In today’s busy world, these animals actually fit extremely well into most people’s schedules. Whereas other pets are stuck being lonely at home while you are at work or school, hamsters avoid this problem because they are nocturnal! Don’t feel guilty about leaving them behind, they are probably just sleeping the day away. And when you finally come back home in the evening, you are probably going to catch them as they wake up.
Don’t have any time in your hectic life to groom a pet, or even to take your pet to the groomer? Not to worry, hamsters groom themselves, and they don’t require any baths. On top of that, you never have to take them out for walks, which means you never have to worry about the weather. As long as you provide them with hamster toys, soft bedding to burrow in, or just some add-ons that they can play with, they will exercise on their own.
With that said, hamsters are not perfect and you will have to keep the negatives in mind. For instance, hamsters must have peace and quiet during the day when they sleep. If you disturb them frequently, they can develop health issues and get sick. So if you find yourself at home during the day and want to play with them or do anything that might make a loud noise (such as vacuuming or playing music out loud) then that can harm them. And though hamsters look friendly, they take some time to feel comfortable around you, otherwise expect to get a nasty bite from them.
Unfortunately, many hamster owners do not know how to properly take care of their hamster. They don’t realize hamsters are nocturnal, for instance, or that they have to regularly clean out the urine soaked bedding. Instead, hamsters are often left to languish in a smelly cage, with nothing to do except run around in circles. If you follow the advice provided in this website, you will be capable of giving your hamster the best possible life they can get. After all, why get a pet if you don’t even know how to take care of them?