Anyone here have hamster? My sister used to have a dwarf hamster which was cute and pretty friendly. I need some positive stories about them though, as right now they are really not on my good side.
I helped transfer the animals to the cages at Petco today, and I was stuck with the hamsters (teddy-bear)....with no gloves and no warning either! They just hissed at me and when I went to pick one up it bit me...HARD...it jabbed those front teeth waaay into my thumb, and it was bleeding badly for at least 5 minutes. I helped catch a loose hamster a few days ago too, and it was also really mean...and all of the other hamsters I put in the cages tried to bite me too. The mice and rats were ok...all of the other employees said they didn't like the hamsters either.
I kept thinking "Who would want one of these as a pet, ouch!" Lol....but it was just the pain in my thumb thinking for me.....I know not *all* hamsters can be like that! I guess if I was shipped in a box like that I'd probably be grouchy too!
I was so sad when she passed on and we got another a couple of days later and named her Buffy. Buffy was just a baby, not even full grown. I tried spending a lot of time with her as well, but she was always more aloof. When I put my hand in Nibbles cage she would come running up and climb up, but with Buffy she always ran & cowered in the corner and you could force her up, but you could tell she didn't like it. Buffy never bit us, but I didn't exactly trust her either.
Did you happen to try to take them out right after they woke up? Hammies are extremely grumpy when they first wake up and do not like to be disturbed for at least a few mintues. We actually adopted a hamster from the humane society and this is what we were told. They also need to be socialised a little first before they become really friendly. Its not instantaneous.
My hammie Midge was the sweetest little girl ever, I miss her so much (she passed away last Apr.). We kept her in our bathroom and every mornign when I went to get ready she would be at the front of her cage chatting away to me. She would than do what I called her Tarzan routine, she would swing from the top of her cage all the way across.
I never thought hamsters were to smart but boy Midge was brilliant. We had to take her wheel away cause she figured out how to open the top of her cage by locking the wheel on her wood chew climbing to the top of the wheel and than pushing up she could open the door:) Luckily we foud her the couple of times she did this.
I really miss her and am not going to get any more hammies as they do not live very long and it was too hard to lose her. I just felt like we were really getting to know each other.
That reminds me when my hamster Waffles(that went to the RB a year ago) she bit me like once and my daughter three times. I think my daughter stuck her finger in the cage and Waffles thought it was food. Or she had waken her up. When Waffles bit me I guess I woke her up and she bit me. It really hurt. Most of the time she was a loving hamster. But I still wore gloves when I got her out to put her in her ball. Cause well I was afraid she would bite. I don't think hamsters are bad. I guess we just pick them up at bad times.
I have NEVER been bitten by a hamster and we have had them as pets for years. Maybe it is because we never try to handle them right after they wake up, but truly, they have never been anything but gentle and loving to any of us.
I had a hamster named Brock when I lived in the dorms. I couldn't handle not having a pet, so I sort of snuck him in. Luckily when my RA found out about it she wasn't upset, in fact she would occasionally come over to play with him. All the girls on my floor loved him and would take turns playing with him. When we would have floor mettings/dinners he was always there and we would give him some treats. He was such a friendly little guy. Here's a picture of my RB hamster Brock.
ps. ignore the mess in my room. I was kind of messy as a freshman.
Black bear hamsters are pretty tame, I had one named Stumpy (so named due to the lack of one leg) and he never even tried to bite me, or anyone else :). I also had many teddy bear hammies as a kid and I looooved them.
As a matter of fact, I just bought both of my daughters hamsters for an early Christmas gift. THey had both had them before, and they each died with a few weeks of eachother about a year ago... so we are back to 2 again. One is a golden hamster, and one is a dwarf.
So far, these two are friendly, and only try to bite if you are silly enough to stick your finger in their face...hehe!!
lmao actually I believe I groomed a St. Bernard the very same day wahaha.
I have had 2 hamster and out of those tow one I couldn't hold, Aspen (Yea my screen name is named after him lol). He was the meanest little thing. I swear everytime you went near his cage he would try to kill you. Scary little guy he was, I still loved him though. I taught him to climb into things when I stuck them infront of hime, like his open ball or a carring cage, that way I never had to touch him. I had a hamster named Sage, she was a sweety. I would let her come out and sti on the bed with me and all she would do is sit there and cuddle. She was so cute. She was the pretiest colors to!
I have found a few tricks since I started working in a pet store.
If I'm in a hurry I use a big fishnet to just scoop them up. A little stressful on them, but it helps if they are sleeping or if you have to do something quickly.