Learn from my Failures: Hamsters

Having a pet is an absolutely fantastic idea. Petting any kind of animal has been shown to be beneficial by decreasing blood pressure, increasing life satisfaction and lowering stress. Pet therapy is a form of intervention used for a variety of psychological disorders ranging from schizophrenia to depression. It has also been used for children and the elderly in hospital, school and hospice scenarios. During a very hard time in my life about two years ago, I found that my friend's pet rat helped me feel a little better even for just a few minutes. So I decided to get a hamster. I did a lot of research on hamsters and a good deal of what I found online suggested that people get more than one hamster since they're social animals. Believing this bit of advice was the biggest mistake I could have made in buying a hamster. After being warned by several people, I checked several times with the store and based on online criteria that I had two male hamsters. The store (a well-known, well-credited one at that) assured me that they only sold male hamsters. I bought two hamsters and got pretty attached over the following few months. One day I went to get the pair out from their cage and realized that one of the boys was way bigger and firmer than the other one. Sure enough, the boy hamster was a pregnant girl hamster. Two days later, I had my two "boy" hamsters and seven tiny baby hamsters. I kept in contact with the "hamster expert" at the pet store who told me that the dad could be kept in the cage because they couldn't breed again for another month after the first litter. Mistake #2 was listening to this bit of expert advice. Another few weeks after the first litter was born, I found myself with a total of two adult hamsters and fourteen baby hamsters. This is stressful and annoying (although adorable) for anyone, but when a sophomore in a small college dorm has sixteen hamsters, the cons outweighed the pros of owning hamsters. Luckily, lots of college students were interested in taking a hamster or two off my hands. Hamsters are great pets for many reasons: they're adorable, low maintenance, friendly and playful. But if you're thinking about getting a hamster, I would highly suggest only getting one. Two years after my hamster mishaps, I'm down to one hamster who seems just as content to be alone as he was to be with a bunch of other hamsters. In fact, there's a good chance that if you get multiple hamsters, they will fight loudly and a lot. Hamsters are so tiny that it is near impossible to identify their gender. Play it safe and get one. If you end up in the same position I was in, at least remove the dad as soon as possible so they can't breed again after the first litter is born. After accidentally becoming a hamster breeder, I can guarantee that one hamster is much better than sixteen. Either play it safe or have a large group of people who are willing to take hamsters off your hands.