Hamster issues .

[redcogs]

To the pet shop with offsprings for two girl Campbells dwarf hamsters with cage yesterday.

They are about 2" in length. One is sweet and enjoys running about on your hands. The other is a complete terror, and enjoys sinking its teeth into anything that moves, especially thumbs. i'm frightened of it, so are kids.

What to do? Take it back to shop? Hope we can socialise it into some sort of decency? Trouble is they like each others company (the hamsters), and ought not to be kept as individuals. Also, any attempt to exchange the violent one for another is fraught with difficulties because they apparently reject other hamsters with whom they are not already acquainted.

Advice anyone?

 

[redcogs]

That's very helpful Maggot, thankyou. Shall i execute before the children, or after they have retired for the evening?

 

[Elmer Fudd]

I'm no expert, but I got my daughter a couple of hamsters a few years back and had the same problem.
Was told by a vet that [a] It depends on the breeding and the vicious barsteward one was male ! I've had that little bugger hanging of my finger, 8' off the floor covered in (my) blood !

 

[alecstilleyedye]

did you get them from the same shop as manuel?

 

[Cab]

Dwarf hamsters are barstewards.

With constant handling the evil one should get better, but don't count on it.

Make sure your hands are spotlessly clean. Less likely to smell of food.

I'd have gone for a single syrian hamster myself, rather than the dwarf ones.

 

[redcogs]

Yes, research after the event is a bit of a non starter..

 

[redcogs]

Nope - that was Harrod.

 

[mosschops2]

I recall with Gerbills that handling was important to stop them becoming aggressive. If that helps.

Alledgedly you could get into his good books with very small and very rare portions of anchovy. (Alternatively he may get arsey when you don't arrive with an anchovy portion every time, so it might backfire!!)

Also I gather that hamsters in general don't like being handled. So the meany one should be encouraged to get used to it. How about some ski gloves??

See http://www.smallanimaladvice.com/looking_after_your_hamster.php
for some interesting tips....

This one http://www.giveusahome.co.uk/database/hamsterfaq.htm says that you can give them "a dog bone to chew on - it's healthy for them, and is great for their teeth."

Enough googling for me - I was just on a coffee break..... back to it....

 

[yorkshiregoth]

My kids wanted me to get them a couple of Russian dwarfs but I managed to convince them to get a single male syrian hamster instead. Much more friendlier and a lot easier to handle. The dwarves can be fast little blighters.

Replacing the aggressive hamster probably won't make matters any easier as they will probably fight each other. Two males are more likely to get on together if I recall, but a male and a female may fight especially during the females heat which occurs about every 4 days or so.

 

[redcogs]

Most most helpful again Maggot. i'm afraid there is a distinct shortage of Hamster councilors in Banff, although i have heard that 1st Minister Salmond has plans to initiate a degree course at Aberdeen next year (assuming that we can continue to extract appropriate funding from the English contingent).

 

[Emu]

We rehomed a single Roborowski hamster that had eaten it's companion. Although very cute to watch it was actually terrified of us and so in the year we owned it before it died none of us were actually able to hold it - and the fun we had trying to catch it if it escaped! It was so fast. If your children have one each I suppose the child with the evil hasmter will be a bit upset and jealous. The evil one just might take longer to get used to be handled and it just takes time. You've only had them a short time. It may take few weeks for this hamster to trust you. How about always having a little bit of food in the palm of your/childs hand so both hamsters can come and take some food and get used to you all?

 

[alecstilleyedye]

guinea pigs are a much better bet imho. easier to handle for small kids, and do a good job cutting the lawn. and how an animal can do poo that's exactly the same shape each time is a mystery

 

[redcogs]

mine's always the same shape - a bit like a titanic.

 

[fuzzy29]

I sure I heard somewhere that all hamsters in this country came from the same imported pair, many years ago. This means that due to generations of incestuous breeding, you get the odd one or two that are mental.

 

[ChrisKH]

Nope - that was Harrod.

Herod? I know you socialists have no need for religion, but even so...........