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On case your looking on how to breed chinchillas and hamsters, please go to another website because there are too many animals that need wonderful homes. Please don't breed or buy while shelter animals die. Don't add to the homeless animal population. This information is not a substitute for a vet. If something is seriously wrong with your pet, seek professional information and/or medical attention immediately.
Hamsters make wonderful pets especialy for youg children (in the proper hands). They're fun to look after, fun to play with, and are very sweet, but like all animals, you have to know how to care for them properly for them to make good pets. Remember hamsters normally live for 2 years but we were bless to have one to live for 4 years. Before getting one talk to your child about death to an animal. Two years goes by pretty quick!  
Security and Housing A hamster needs to be secure in it's home, especially if you have other pets in your house, such as cats and dogs, that have access to where your hamster is kept. Hamsters are small creatures, with little defence, which is why it is vital to keep them safe from danger at all times. Every time you leave the area where your hamster is kept, it is a good idea to check the door of their cage is tightly secure, to stop it getting out and other animals getting in. One time my brother left Jr's cage open at night. In the morning I heard paper crumbling. I thought it was a ghost but then I saw Jr. under my bed chewing paper. We were lucky to get him back. When housing a hamster uses metal cages because when we had Goldie and Brownie, they would chew through their plastic habitrail cage and escaped luckily we found them the same day. When housing syrian hamsters always separate them into different cages after the are old enough to be on thier own. If you leave them together, they will eat each other. To make your hammie more conforable, be sure that the cage is all set up prior to bringing it home. The basic cage should include: wheel, chewsticks, water bottle, water, food dish, food, litter, and a house (I prefer SuperPet's small animal igloo. You can find it at PetsMart).
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Taming Taming your hamster can be quite difficult and tedious at times, and young children are often disappointed to find that their hamster is afraid of them and may even bite them. This is why you must be patient. Hamsters aren't usually handled a lot before they are sold, so they are not used to being petted and stroked. When your hamster is wandering around in it's cage, then might be a good time to start your taming process. Gently open the cage door and put your hand in slowly. Hold it infront of your hamster's nose, so it can smell you, then, find a treat and hand it to your hamster. The treat should be held in your index finger and thumb. Do this a few times each day. When your hamster is used to the smell of you, leave a trail of hamster treats on the floor leading up to the open door. When your hamster has reached the last treat, hold one between your finger and thumb, and tempt your hamster with it. When it is far enough out, put another treat flat on your hand. It will then climb on, and because your hamster is used to the smell of you, he shouldn't mind being held as long as you do it properly. Hamsters are nocturanl so try playing with them at night, they are more active.
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Handling
Handling your hamster is easy, as long as you know how. I never picked up Goldie for one year because he would always bite and when he bites, he bites hard. But after much handling, goldie became the best and most tamest hamster in the family. Now you know how to tame it, it is a good idea to know how to hold it safely. Hamsters have a desire to keep moving, as they are very energetic animals, and so when you hold your hamster, let it climb from one hand to another, to satisfy it's desire. When moving your hamster from one place to another, it is a good idea to reassure them. Hold your hands cupped against your chest, with the hamster gently tucked inside, and gently stroke it with one finger, so it feels calm and relaxed. When you handle a hamster scoop it up, don't grab it by puting your fingers around its tummy. Always keep in mind that hamsters do have the tendency to bite like all other animals with teeth!
Health
Hamsters are quite hardy creatures. Like most animals hamsters can get cancers and tumors, can get blind and/or deaf. The only problem we had with Goldie was that he got blind. But that was all. If you leave to hamsters together (not dwarf hamsters because they can be kept in pairs) the will likely eat each other up. Luckily Goldie only tore Brownie's lip. It could've been worse, Goldie could've eaten Brownie. But scars like these should be looked by a vet. Hamsters do need thier nails to be cliped too. We just let our hamsters run around on the cement sidewalk to wear them off. If you have any more concerns about the health on your animal don't email me because Im not a proffessional vet (yet!). Just call your local vet and they will help you or you can surf the web for hamster sites that do have the answers you need to your questions.
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