Okay, a few posts ago I mentioned that a couple of weeks ago we went to a pet store and the kids really wanted to get a hamster. Well, they got their wish last Thursday. About a week after we went to the pet store, I went garage-saleing and found a huge box of cages, tubes, and other hamster equipment being sold for $10. A call to Roger at home with the kids to ask his opinion and he said go ahead. Brought it home and we disinfected everything and were so excited about the treasure I had found. All of the stuff I bought for $10 would have cost us between $150-200 at a store. A week after getting the equipment, we went to the pet store and bought a female Dwarf Winter White Hamster. She is actually brownish-gray, but they turn all white in the winter to camouflage themselves in the wild. The kids decided to name her Snowflake and she is so cute. She has gotten used to her cage, but not us handling her yet, so we are slowly getting her tamed. They are so incredibly easy to care for. It is most definitely a pet I would recommend starting kids out with.
Hi Becky,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new hamster! I had hamsters when I was a kid, and have actually gotten back into them as an adult. (I have one male teddy-bear hamster, right now.) One word of caution about the plastic cages: pet stores and manufacturers have somewhat moved away from them because the hamsters often chew on the plastic. The shavings they chew from the plastic can be harmful to them. They can also chew all the way through the plastic and make a getaway. The plastic play cities are great for play-time, when you're supervising your hamster, but you might consider a metal cage or a glass aquarium for their primary home when they're not being supervised. Metal bars are safe, though they can allow your hamster to make a mess. (Hamsters are very clean and like to clean up their messes, which means throwing refuse out through the bars of the cage.) I prefer a standard ten gallon glass aquarium with a fitted screen for a lid. With that setup, I have to clean the cage more often because my little friend doesn't have the option of cleaning out his cage himself. I hope this helps, and enjoy your new pet!
Stephen
Brave woman! You're such a good mom. My children could never have such a pet because their mother does not like any thing that looks too much like a mouse. Hope I can remember to show L&E the pics of your pet in the near future.
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