Friday, November 03, 2006

Caspar, checking things out. Posted by Picasa

4 comments:

Gardenia said...

This kid is CUTE! I wonder if I got one, if Cat would eat it?

S.M. Elliott said...

Most likely. They make nice bite-size snacks for other pets! ;D

tweetey30 said...

I was looking at getting the girls a small pet like that. How much does it cost to get started with one? just wondering. you cant always e-mail me and let me know the answer also.

S.M. Elliott said...

I'll email too, but here's the basics: Cages run anywhere from $30-$100 dollars depending on what you want. I wouldn't advise getting a HabiTrail cage (the ones with all the plastic tunnels and stuff): They're cute, but they're a bugger to keep clean AND they're full of escape routes. Also they're plastic so they can crack easily. Aquariums aren't so great either 'cause hammies love to climb. The best cages, I think, are wire cages. They let the hamster climb and seem to be escape-proof. They're also cheaper than the other two options; you can even get kits that come with food, some bedding, and other things you'll need.
I know this is gonna sound a little weird, but since you're in the States...I would recommend not a hamster, but a rat. They're extremely intelligent, tame as easily as hamsters do, live longer than hamsters, and require the same kinds of food and cages that a hamster does, so they don't cost much to keep. They're usually not as prone to illness as hamsters, either. No matter what you've heard, they're not vicious or diseased or ugly. They're adorable, actually I'd have rats (I had two of them when I was younger), but Alberta is a RAT-FREE province. Back in the 1950s, a RAT PATROL went around the countryside killing every last rat, and we haven't had any since. You can't bring them into the province. Bastards.
Anyway, just food for thought. I know some people are creeped out by the long tails and the rumours about rats, or are afraid of them, so it makes sense to me if you don't want one. I just know they're awesome pets.