Is a Hamster a good pet for companionship?

My DGD's hamster has just died. As far as I know, she used to pet him, but he seemed fairly indifferent to it! I am afraid they do not live very long. So - maybe not the best bet for you. Can you find some rented accommodation that allows you a more affectionate pet?

Have you checked with your landlord? Even if the tenancy agreement does not allow pets they will sometimes allow a cat if the tenant is known to be reliable. If you've been there a year it's worth a try.

My daughters when they were younger had a hamster each as a pet - and so did I!

I now live on my own and feel that having any other life around, be it hamster, goldfish or...whatever, is very soothing (though will admit, I found gerbils are inclined to be a tad nippy). Just having something there to talk to other than the wall is very therapeutic.

Some hamsters are downright nasty and they do keep you awake at night. Could you possibly have a guinea pig in an indoor hutch and, if anyone complains say it started off hamster size and just kept on growing. I love guinea pigs.

Yes - Jennywren1 - go for it - they can be great company if you get the right one and can last for years (Sid was still rolling around in his ball and being cleaned out regularly after 6 years plus) My son had grown from 11 to 17 in that time and had become a bit fed up with Sid and his demands - so I took him on - he died 6 months later and my son has never forgiven me

Are you sure it was a hamster, jomarie? I've never heard of one living that long - usually 2-3 years, 5 years absolute max!

Thank you for all your comments. Luckygirl, moving is not an option at the moment. I know what you mean about their life span, but as Jomarie said hers lived for 6 years which is quite a long time. I'm not sure about a Guinea Pig Tegan, I thought that they should be kept in pairs and have access to an outside space, which I haven't got. I just like the idea of having something to talk to & have a cuddle with (even though I do know that not all hamsters like been been handled)

One thing to be aware of is hamsters sleep during the day.

Yes Ana - it was that long life which is what really annoyed my DS2 - he said they are not supposed to live that long!!! Sid was the exception to the rule I must say and died peacefully thank goodness. Houdini, who came next lived probably for about 8 months - but as he absconded - as was his wont - we don't actually know his date of death! We got some tropical fish after that but they weren't a success - passed them on to a father and son who were thrilled with them. No more creatures in this house since then only temporary visitors. Jennywren1 please note they are only reckoned to live two to three years maximum but they are sweet and can be cuddly. I would have one again quite happily. Houdini was horrible though - not sorry when he went although I wrecked the flat looking for him! Just a tip, if you do get one and he/she gets out a teacloth is very useful for catching him/her.

Hamsters aren't very companionable. They are nocturnal and can be rather bad tempered (which I suppose any of us might be if we are woken up when we'd rather be asleep) and can give a nasty bite. Guinea pigs or rats are much sweeter natured and much less likely to bite.

When I stayed at my brother's house, the hamster lived down stairs in an area next to the kitchen. It made such a racket during the night that I ended up going down stairs and moving it into the downstairs loo.

What about a bird of some sort, a budgie or a canary?

Hamsters tend to be nocturnal so, unless you're a night owl, no.

Now gerbils make good pets, especially if well handled from an early age. You will need to get a pair as, unlike hamsters, they need company. They are very amusing and will keep you entertained by their frolicks.

A tip for catching escaped rodents. Throw a large towel over them first, it slows them right down and then you can scoop them up.

A house rabbit ?

They are nocturnal and like whizzing round endlessly in their wheel at night - even though we live in a house, we could still hear them at night!

We had one that lived until nearly 3 and that seemed a very good age.
The other thing is that you would have to try to prevent The Great Escape! One of ours could escape from her cage and was very adventurous, we renamed her Houdini.

Jenny are you sure that a small pet will help with your problem of loneliness?

I see on another thread that you live in a village and often don't see or speak to anyone from when you get home on Friday until work on Monday.

Having a pet might make you less inclined to make opportunities to socialize and have something to look forward to of a weekend.

I recommend cockatiels as good company, and they live a long time. Wiggy was hand reared so is very tame and climbs all over me and sits on my knee when I watch tv in the evenings. (packet of wet wipes nearby solves the poop problem). She 'talks' to me too.
I honestly think that any pet is better than none, but possibly hamsters are a bit limited and tend to bite. (well, actually, so does Wiggy, sometimes!)
Coincidentally, I also left my husband after 32 years of marriage and never regretted it. You'll be o.k. in time. It's better to be on your own than in an unhappy marriage. Lots of luck to you.

My mother had a hand reared cockatiel too henetha he was lovely!

He did actually talk, and always greeted my arrival by saying "Hello dumpling"

He would also mimic other sounds, like scissors cutting paper (which was done every day to re-line his cage)

However one particular sound would o my mother saying "shush, shut up you little bu**er!"

When my step father came in from the garden just before 6pm he would pout himself a scotch & soda, a sherry for my mother and retire to the sitting room to watch the news. Mum would sneak an extra sherry while finishing off the dinner, and Ozzie learned to mimic the sound of the cork being pulled out of the Harveys Amontillado

I would second a house rabbit, as long as you keep all wires out of its reach. Mine died a year and a half ago, and I still miss her. It was like having a cross between a cat and a dog. She was really my son's, but he went off to uni so I 'inherited' her.

Dwarf white Russian hamsters are supposed to make really good pets, they are really pretty and are not as nocturnal as other varieties, also not as prone to the odd nip.

exoticpets.about.com/od/hamsters/p/winterwhitehams.htm

I'd forgotten about rats [as mentioned by Eloethan]. I've always wanted one as a pet and, if it's companionship you want it could be perfect.

phoenix

I love rabbits and had several when I was a child. However, my friend's daughter has a house rabbit and when she goes on holiday my friend looks after it in her house. It is quite disruptive and bites wires and anything that takes its fancy, sides of cupboards, etc - mind you she does have it running free in the kitchen, which doesn't seem like the most safe or sensible place to me with bits of hay being kicked around everywhere.

Having had every pet under the sun in the past (Have we all had a hamster called Houdini?) I can say that gerbils are more entertaining than hamsters, and yes, you have to buy a pair.You will feel less guilty about leaving them alone as there are two of them, so it's worth it.
If you can pursuade the letting acency or owner to allow a cat, that would be much better for you though.Good luck.

Thank you all for your comments & suggestions, definitely given me food for thought. You may well be right Riverwalk, but I do think that having a pet of some sort will give me a lot of comfort. I do know that I have got to try & get out more and socialise with people, easier said than done though.