Can someone compare hamsters and gerbils for me please!! I am not sure what I should choose.Either another hamster or a gerbil.
Answers:
Either one can be a rewarding pet if you decide it is right for you. Here is some info on each to help you make your decision.
Hamsters - Nocturnal (awake in the evening/at night). Dwarf breeds can be kept in pairs (must be purchased at the same time from the same litter). Syrians (anything that's not a dwarf) are solitary and must be housed alone. Many people will say they are "mean," but if you know how to handle them properly, this will likely not be the case. Wait to handle your hamster untill it is fully awake and moving around. If you don't, she/he will be grumpy and may bite. Also, your hamster will be in a better mood if you let her/him climb into something(like an empty toilet paper tube) and climb out onto you. Hamsters tend to get stressed out and upset if you just reach in grab them. Also, if you talk to it when you want to take it out, it will be less prone to biting b/c it will know you are there. (Wouldn't you be afraid if a giant, silent hand reached down from the sky and grabbed you?) You will need to clean its cage 1-2 times per week to prevent odor and keep your hamster healthy. You will need to handle it every day to get it used to you and keep it tame.
Gerbils- Awake in the morning, take an afternoon nap, awake in the evening, sleep late at night. If you go with gerbils, you will need to buy two. They are social and will be lonely and not live as long or be as healthy if you only have one. Just like hamsters, gerbils require time, effort, and patience to tame. One of the best ways to do this is to place a treat in the palm of your hand and lower your hand into the cage. Let the gerbils check you out. They will "taste" you to figure out if you are food (this doesn't hurt) and then most likely take the treat and scurry away. Eventually they will climb into your hand and up your arm to play. It is important not to chase them around the cage with your hand as this will make them less tame. Once they are used to you, you can teach them to perch on your shoulder, in your shirt pocket or in the hood of your sweatshirt.
Hope this helps. I tried to keep it objective, but it's probably pretty apparent that I like gerbils best. That's just me, though. Hamsters are nice too. Choose whichever is right for you!
hampster. just because they are easier to look after and live longer
My choice wud be Hamster. You say next pet in your question. I gather u already have either one or both kinds. make ur choice based on ur previous experience... =)
Get a Gerbil and name him, Lemmiwinks!
Gerbil defo -- i used to keep them they are so nice hamsters bite and never want to get up and play during the day (very grumpy if you disturb them!)just at night! while your asleep.. but gerbils are happy to be handled day or night
Hamster, I had these when I was younger and found them must more fun and friendly everygerbil i had always bit me :-/
Hamster.Gerbils have tails.
Both of them would be a good pet. I have a hamster he bit me once but not really hard. It didn't hurt much. My dad had a gerbil. He was really really nice to it. One day when he took it out of his cage at the time he normally does ( the gerbil was running around the cage and was wide awake) the gerbil bit him in the thumb hard his thumb was bleeding a lot! I would get a hamster they are soooo cute so are gerbils but i would get a hamster!!!
In my opinion a pair of gerbils make better pets than a syrian hamster. You'd need to get a pair of gerbils though -- they are social.
Here is a page comparing the two:
http://www.abcgerbils.com/versus.html...
Gerbils are crescepular (awake night and day with napping) and hamsters are nocturnal, so your schedule won't overlap much with the hamster.
Gerbils are from the desert and their tank can go two weeks between cleanings. Their waste is the least smelly of any small animal pet.
They are bold and curious and don't stress out easily. They are very busy and fun to watch as they gnaw things up and build nests and tunnels. Make sure to give them an interesting environment to play in.
http://abcgerbils.com/setup.html...
http://gerbilized.tripod.com/id9.html...
They like a big climbing branch, too.
Get your gerbils from a breeder -- then you can get the rare colors and they will be tame and friendly from day 1:
http://www.agsgerbils.org/breeders.html...
first of all, i disagree with Jonny G, hamsters are not easier to look after, and they definitely don't live longer. the average age for a hamster is about 2 or 3 years, while the average for a gerbil is about 4 years.
i've had both and i definitely prefer gerbils. both are cute, but hamsters do bite most of the time. gerbils are friendlier and like to be held more. plus like you said hamsters are nocturnal so no matter which way you spin it, they won't be much fun anyway.
gerbils have on/off sleep cycles throughout the day and night. gerbils are cleaner and don't need cage cleanings as much as hamsters. my gerbil tank sits right next to my bad, and i NEVER smell them. gerbils are also more fun to watch then hamsters, bcuz hamsters are always sleeping. gerbils run around making nests, playing with each other, and having fun. also get 2 gerbils instead of one, they are very social and do best in pairs. hamsters are solitary.
as with any pet, whichever one you choose, do as much research as possible before buying.
i hope i helped!
You should get a gerbil because there just like mice and used to have mice Don't get a hamster they are little evil biting Devils!
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