Hi, i,m looking to get a hamster for my daughter ( no not a swap ! ) does anybody know the best place to get one from and also the best type of hamster ie whats the friendlyist male or female and which type of breed is the best ,thanks

Syrians tend to be calmer than the russian dwarves - so make better pets for youngsters. My dwarves are VERY cute but they are fast (well one is, one is very overweight!!) and they have attitude! Felix shouted at me for taking him to the vets and not taking sunflower seeds with us!

Don't know about male vs female but generally in most animals the males are of better temperament and calmer. (Generalising there!)

I would only go to a good breeder or rescue as I disagree with pet shops selling animals but don't have details to hand - possibly do a search for hamster rescue south yorkshire?

http://www.animalrescuers.co.uk/html/rabferr.html

Anything local on there??

http://www.animalrescuers.co.uk/html/rabferr.html

Anything local on there??

thanks but i can,t see anything local at all . ps can you keep 2 hamsters together (ie 2 males or 2 females ) or do they all have to be solitary ?

syrian hamsters have to be solitary the dwarf varieties will live in a group but they are really too skitty for kids. My 8 year old looked after our hamster really well (a syrian male). I wouldnt say they were my first choice as a kids pet but my daughter did love him....apart from when he kept her awake at night running in his wheel !! lol

edit to say - we got ours from ami j on here but not sure if she is still breeding them - she may know someone who is though locally.

As sezbetz says dwarfies live in groups but there's a MASSIVE fail rate with them and then you have to be prepared to split them into different cages if/when they begin to fight.

I've got two rescue dwarves who were already split by the time I got them because they fell out.

I would still say syrians are a better choice than dwarves (although one of mine is very slow, will lay upside down in your hands but he also does nothing but eat and sleep - not very exciting) because of their size and character but if you do get two dwarves, they need to be in a cage without levels, two water bottles, two wheels, two food bowls etc. etc. so they don't need to get territorial over anything.

not breeding any more but there was another breeder in sheffield that i know of whether shes using the same email address i do not know. syrians by far are the best pet species of hamster , intelligent and friendly...they have to live alone though they are very territorial..males imo and others tend to be a bit friendlier
breeder list
http://www.britishhamsterassociation.org.uk/locate_breeder.php

i recommend anne dray i had some lovely hamsters off her :)

I have a hamster and cage free to good home, but.......
I am in York area, not visiting South yorks just yet.

syrian hamsters have to be solitary the dwarf varieties will live in a group but they are really too skitty for kids. My 8 year old looked after our hamster really well (a syrian male). I wouldnt say they were my first choice as a kids pet but my daughter did love him....apart from when he kept her awake at night running in his wheel !! lol

edit to say - we got ours from ami j on here but not sure if she is still breeding them - she may know someone who is though locally.

Hi, thanks but its not going to be her first pet she already has a rabbit and some fish so i think she,ll be ok with a hamster ( but we,ll see when it starts going loopy in the middle of the night !!!! ) cheers

I have a hamster and cage free to good home, but.......
I am in York area, not visiting South yorks just yet.

Hi , you have pm, thanks

not breeding any more but there was another breeder in sheffield that i know of whether shes using the same email address i do not know. syrians by far are the best pet species of hamster , intelligent and friendly...they have to live alone though they are very territorial..males imo and others tend to be a bit friendlier
breeder list
http://www.britishhamsterassociation.org.uk/locate_breeder.php

i recommend anne dray i had some lovely hamsters off her :)

Hi ,thanks i,ve emailed somebody off the link you gave me but i don,t know there name i,ll just have to see if they reply , cheers

Hi ,thanks i,ve emailed somebody off the link you gave me but i don,t know there name i,ll just have to see if they reply , cheers

good luck :)

Syrians are the easiest to handle and can only be kept alone however sleep alot. and russian dwarf hamsters are the most social and the best to keep together. roborovskis are the faster and even though they are very friendly and cute i wouldn't recommend them for a child cos they will easily get away out the childs hands.chinese dwarf hamsters are good to keep togethere but are also fast.