where to buy a hamster in Dublin

uck51js9zml2yt

I'm looking at getting some dwarf hammies for the kids.
Where's the best place to get them in the Dublin area?

baby and crumble

How old are your kids? I only ask because dwarf hammies are live wires and a lot of them can't be handled by adults never mind kids. They're great to watch but that's not so much fun for youngsters. I'd highly recommend looking st getting a Syrian. They're larger and slower and far easier to tame. You can't keep 2 Syrians together though, they are solitary animals.

When it comes to getting hammies in Dublin I always recommend Shaunas pet shop on Capel St. They know their stuff and source their hamsters ethically (ie not from rodent mills where the breeding females are constantly pregnant.)

uck51js9zml2yt

Your the first person to say Shauna was good. Anyone else I know has had bad experiences with animals from her.

baby and crumble

Addisyn Fluffy Cardboard wrote: »

Your the first person to say Shauna was good. Anyone else I know has had bad experiences with animals from her.

Only one of my hammies came from her (and he was great) but we used their boarding facilities multiple times and they were really great. Maybe they've changed in recent times but I stand by my recommendation. Best of luck either way op.

dudara

I've had dwarf hamsters for years. In order to have good interaction with them, you'll need to get youngsters that have been handled from day one by the breeder. But even so, they are squirmy fellas and might be too much for kids. My current pair are extremely well handled but even so I'll get a nip occasionally if they don't want to play along.

I'd specifically recommend Djungarian or Campbells hamsters over Roborovskis (Robos) when it comes to handling. Robos are even more energetic and naturally a bit more timid.

Shivi111

We had a beautiful Syrian (Sherlock) from a local small pet shop going back, he'd been well used to being handled before we got him and as a result was a lovely pet.

After he passed we got a Dwarf hamster from a large chain pet store, which was a big mistake, never got used to being handled and bit us constantly, leaving us with a very negative feeling about Dwarfs.

I'd suggest a not going with a large chain type pet shop.

Have you thought about Guniea pigs at all? My friend was advised that they are a better pet for children than hamsters and her kids are very happy with them.

uck51js9zml2yt

Im getting to the point of lmost being sorry for going down this road.....the weight of making a decision.


Cant go back though as too much invested at this stage.
I have the Kallax Shelf, the toys and 85L of Megazorb ordered from the UK:D

gerbil, dwarf, syrian or guinea pig!!!!

A GP is probably too big.

Kids are 3 & 6 and its their first pet...My concern is jealousy if I only have 1. At least with 2 dwarfs they have one each

Cherry Blossom

In my opinion hamsters and gerbils are not really suitable for kids under 10. Even the tamest are not really fond of handling. Gerbils tend to be a bit tamer but they are still fast and wriggly. A hamster cage is not suitable for gerbils. You'll need a tank like set up or preferably a gerbilarium for those.

uck51js9zml2yt

8 months on my hammies are settled into their home except for one problem.
One of them is vicious. It bullies the quieter one daily and any time I go to pick her up it's teeth are showing with lots of hissing.
They're not handled a whole lot except for cage cleaning.

The other one can be picked up and handled no issue but this one is a case of a quick transfer to the holding cage and the use of a toilet roll to contain it while it's put back in the cage
Any suggestions as to what I can do to calm things down or is it beyond redemption?

TIA

Knine

Addisyn Fluffy Cardboard wrote: »

8 months on my hammies are settled into their home except for one problem.
One of them is vicious. It bullies the quieter one daily and any time I go to pick her up it's teeth are showing with lots of hissing.
They're not handled a whole lot except for cage cleaning.

The other one can be picked up and handled no issue but this one is a case of a quick transfer to the holding cage and the use of a toilet roll to contain it while it's put back in the cage
Any suggestions as to what I can do to calm things down or is it beyond redemption?

TIA

What type of hamster are They?

uck51js9zml2yt

Knine wrote: »

What type of hamster are They?

Dwarf!

Ashbx

Addisyn Fluffy Cardboard wrote: »

8 months on my hammies are settled into their home except for one problem.
One of them is vicious. It bullies the quieter one daily and any time I go to pick her up it's teeth are showing with lots of hissing.
They're not handled a whole lot except for cage cleaning.

The other one can be picked up and handled no issue but this one is a case of a quick transfer to the holding cage and the use of a toilet roll to contain it while it's put back in the cage
Any suggestions as to what I can do to calm things down or is it beyond redemption?

TIA

I think you probably should have listened to the other posters here who told you that Dwarf hamsters were probably not the best idea for young kids.

You say they aren't handled a whole lot. How much have they been handled in the last 8 months? Daily, weekly?

In terms of biting, I don't know how to stop this but I assume the tamer you get the hamster, the calmer it will be. As your kids are so young, the responsibility is completely on you. Daily handling is your first port of call.

uck51js9zml2yt

Ashbx wrote: »

I think you probably should have listened to the other posters here who told you that Dwarf hamsters were probably not the best idea for young kids.

You say they aren't handled a whole lot. How much have they been handled in the last 8 months? Daily, weekly?

In terms of biting, I don't know how to stop this but I assume the tamer you get the hamster, the calmer it will be. As your kids are so young, the responsibility is completely on you. Daily handling is your first port of call.

It's not the kids I'm worried about. It's my fingers that are at risk picking it up. Its vicious!