Hamster breed

[Uinen]

i'm getting a hamster soon and i wanted to know what breed to buy. i've had hammies before and i don't know what breed they were...but i wanted to know all your favorites and what you all suggest for a "family" ( lots of kids in the house eager to hold it) hamster. also , male or female...all mine have been female but i want to know the pro's and cons. can ayone help? thanks.

[TiaMaria]

I would reccomend 2 different hammies..campbells dwarfs or syrian hammies (teddy bear). I have 2 of both, and i love them to death they are soooo lovable.

[swEet pEa]

I would also recommend syrians or Campbell dwarves. I have lots of experience with both so I know their pros and cons, but I would recommend a syrian if there's going to be lots of kids handling it-- they tend to be a little more friendly and easygoing. Make sure the kids are always gentle though because no matter what breed of hamster if it feels threatened or scared it probably will bite. Campbells are also very cute and pretty friendly, and easier to handle if the kids have small hands. When you're picking out your hamster hold it first and make sure it doesn't bite and is friendly because little kids don't have much patience with wild hamsters! Hope I helped.

[swEet pEa]

p.s. Females and males can both be very sweet. I've had mostly females but right now I have a male syrian and they've all had very different personalities but were/are very friendly and cute. I've come to find out it doesn't really matter what sex they are.

[Uinen]

thanks guys...i have some news though...my mother has drawn the line at dwarf hammies...she thinks there too small. and she wants to get a girl because they are supposed to smell less than males...is this true?

[Revenge]

I suppose cause my campbell dwarf female is more dirty then my males I don't know why

[TiaMaria]

Syrian hammies grow to be alot bigger then dwarf hammies, ive dealt with mostly males in syrians, and they are sweethearts always lovable, easy to teach and train..Dwarf hammies get lonely they are not solitary like Syrian hammies are..If u buy one dwarf id recommend buying another so they have companionship..just make sure they are both the same sex, or u will have babies like mad, if u find the post 'PLEASE READ .....Dwarf Hammies' You will find a diagram to tell how to sex the hammies...its helpful to know these things. :) Good Luck, and keep us updated.

[swEet pEa]

I would say that's opposite from what I've found. My male hamster (October) is the cleanest hammie I've ever had! His cage doesn't need to be changed for like 2 months (that doesn't mean I don't change it more often but he rarely needs it!)! He doesn't drink much and doesn't pee much but he seems perfectly healthy. It's great :) My other ones weren't dirty, but they needed their cages changed much more often.
I agree with TiaMaria, if you do decide to get a dwarf get more than one.

[Revenge]

I know the sex of my two adult hamsters but how can you know the sex of a 3rd litter of pups?

[TiaMaria]

http://www.petshub.com/forums/showp...72&postcount=12

[Revenge]

Thank you for the post TiaMaira

[Uinen]

so let me get this straight, just to make sure i'm not confused, For syrians males are cleaner and for dwarfs, get more than one. thanks

[swEet pEa]

This is my only experience with a male dwarf but yes he is much cleaner than the two females I have had in the past. And yes dwarves are happier in groups.

[swEet pEa]

Oops I meant male syrian! Sorry about that.

[Uinen]

thanks for all the info!

[JessicaReed]

I suggest getting dwarf hamsters. I PERSONALLY think that dwarf hamsters are easier to tame, plus you can have two together! It's so cute to watch them together. Make sure you get two males or females, not mixed, because it's really dangerous to breed hamsters. Anyway, I like females more because they don't smell as much. You really have to be careful with dwarf diets because they get diabetes more often than Syrians do. BTW, hamsters are breeds, they're species. That's why you can't breed Syrians and dwarves. ;) And check out

http://www.hamsterific.com

and make sure you register with the bulletin board! :) I'm Level27Girl on there. :D

[Revenge]

Your welcome Uinen comeback to us if you have more questions okay?

[TiaMaria]

OK..Just so no one misreads the post...Dwarfs are good in groups....Syrians are solitary..males are cleaner then females..when dealing with syrians.

[Revenge]

can females be put together from the same litter in a tank or will they have cat fights alot?

[TobyRat]

can females be put together from the same litter in a tank or will they have cat fights alot?

Female dwarf hamsters usually get along better then males. So yes, you can try it with your dwarfs but not syrians.

[FerretFreak141]

ohhh I love black bear hamsters... theyre so adorable!

[Revenge]

okay thanks thats what I wanted to know cause I want to keep two females from a litter I breeded