Pet Hamsters: Pros and Cons

Here, you can find out what advantages and disadvantages hamsters have!

Hamsters are sweet little animals that potter around their cages, dig, climb and are very fun to watch. Because they are delicate and small, they’re more suitable for calmer children.

Most hamsters are active at night and sleep during the day. That’s why pet hamsters are best from the age of around 12, otherwise they’ll only be getting up when you’re going to bed. What pros and cons are there for pet hamsters? This table will give you an overview. Don’t forget that each animal has its own personality, so these points won’t match every animal 100%.

Hamster Food Hamster Food - Photo: EniSine/Shutterstock

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Pros

Hamsters are fun to watch
Hamsters are patient and curious animals
Hamsters don't make noise
Hamster don't take up much space
Hamsters don't need walking
Hamsters don't mean a lot of work
No tax

Cons

Hamsters are active at night (from around 8 pm, but sometimes later)
Hamsters only live for 2-4 years
Hamsters are not suitable for cuddling
Hamsters are quite delicate
Hamsters chew on cables (could mean extra costs)

Can You Teach a Hamster To Do Tricks?

Hamsters cannot be trained. They don’t understand commands in the same way as dogs and cats. But they will get used to your voice and react to you. If you’d like to teach your pet to do tricks, a dog would be a better choice.

Hamsters Are Fun For Crafters

If you like making things, you can design your hamster’s cage and its interior to your heart’s content. For example, you can add a ladder to link two levels (make sure you secure the end so the hamster can’t fall!). It’s easy to build beds and hide-outs from wood. Of course, you should only saw wood under the supervision of your parents so you don’t get hurt. Building things together will be lots of fun.