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Anyone know how much a hamster cost?

i think they're around 15 bucks, maintenance... no idea, shouldn't be more than 30 a month though, in my estimation. probably less.
 
i think that' a bit excessive...let's see, a bag of food will last a long time, water, a bag of litter, the salt tablet that they gnaw their teeth on (or is this only for guinea pigs?)..and maybe the wheel for them to run on and a 10 gallon aquarium for shelter

they're pretty cheap to maintain, u just need to change the litter 😛
 
Don't get it unless you are going to put it in at least a 30gallon tank, as any less is not enough room, even though many pet stores will gladly sell you an undersized tank in which case you will be either neglecting your pets needs or you will soon be replacing their enclosure. Food is cheap, under five to ten bucks a month, they need an excersize wheel and possibly a salt tablet and vitamins. They are quite cheap after the initial tank and supplies, and they make great pets.
 
Around here, hamsters cost $5.99 to $7.99 for Golden, Fancy, or Teddybear hamsters. Add a couple of bucks for the miniatures (Siberian?), although they're harder to handle & more nervous (don't like 'em...).

A good cage might cost $25 to $50 (or more, depending on how much room you want to give them to run around), which usually includes a water bottle, wheel, & a little house to either sleep or p*ss/sh*t in..... You can get GOOD hamster food (includes many different types of seeds & multi-colored compressed hamster-grade meal) for about $1.29/lb. Bedding you can get cheaper in large packages, say $10 for a big-*ss bag of cedar chips.

We let ours run around the apartment from time to time, although some can be pretty destructive (use you own discretion...)

Owning a hamster requires that you don't let him/her starve to death or go without water, and their cage will need to be cleaned when it smells like it needs to be cleaned, so maintenance IS required.......


Hope that helps, -kd5-
 
:Q

Last time I heard the hamster thing, two fags were doing it, and it got stuck. One used a match to see where it was stuck, and the match lit the methane. Launched the hamster out at Mach 3, hitting the guy in the face and messing him up pretty bad.

U.L. probably, but nontheless it is funny.
 


<< Don't get it unless you are going to put it in at least a 30gallon tank, as any less is not enough room, even though many pet stores will gladly sell you an undersized tank in which case you will be either neglecting your pets needs or you will soon be replacing their enclosure. Food is cheap, under five to ten bucks a month, they need an excersize wheel and possibly a salt tablet and vitamins. They are quite cheap after the initial tank and supplies, and they make great pets. >>



30 Gallon Tank?!! Yes, your cage should be large, but no, it doesn't need to be 30 gallons. That would be for larger animals like guinea pigs and maybe small rabbit. I kept hamsters for a number of years and the cost is extremely low. That bag of food tablets will last you a good year, there's so much. They also sell mixed seeds which hamsters enjoy which is a little more expensive but will last just as long. You can also throw in a carrot which hamsters love and is also good for them to knaw on. As for vitamins, there's this stuff you can buy that comes in a bottle with a dropper that you just slip into their water. No need for salt tablets.
 
$8 or so for the hamster. About $10-$20 for a decent cage. $10 for a lot of bedding. About $15 in misc things (water bottle, food bowl, exercise wheel, salt disc, maybe a rolling ball). About $10 a month, tops, in food.

I got a hamster a few years ago and the initial purchase ran me just over $40, and that's buying all that I stated above because the pet store had a "starter kit" that was a bundled cage and all the other necessities.

Good luck, and be careful with those Siberian dwarf hamsters... they bite! 😀
 
After you get everything set up, if you have kids, figure $10-$20 month. They will see toys in the pet shop that they will want for the pet. Also, depending on the type of cage that you get, there may be expansion parts that you can add later to create a maze of tunnels.

My daughters room was full of PVC pipe and clear plastic which became a master city/maze for her hampsters.

One at a time. They are territorial and will fight even if they are siblings.

One escaped into the patio and tried to swim - they need life preservers😀

IF allowed to run around the house, they will probably create a aux nesting area and store food for themselves in it. We had one that nested under the kitchen stove.

We would purchase a 50# bag of shavings and use it for bedding. Lasted about 6-9 months.
No vet care was required - lived about 2-3 years.
They will chew on things (remote control buttons).

One liked to eat rice and chestnuts. She would be allowed on the counter and grab a chestnut that my wife had shelled. Then would protect the nut from my wife by turning her back and stuffing it as fast as possible into the moutn.
 
Hamsters are fairly inexpensive. I had one for about 2 years (they don't live very long). He was comfortable in a 10 gallon aquarium. If you would like a larger aquarium or cage, be my guest. Ten Gallons will work just fine for your needs. A hamster wheel/ball is almost a must, but if budget restraints are reason for otherwise, try a giving the hamster something to play with. Pine/Cedar shavings are relatively inexpensive for a large bag of them. Hamster bedding of shredded cotton balls and paper towels made my hamster happy. Never forget a top for the aquarium (if you buy an aquarium). My hamster managed to chew through his so I recommend placing weight on the lid, even if the lid locks on. Just for safety. Hamster hunting might be fun for some folks but it took me an entire day to find the little fuzzball.
Total cost: $50-100 depending on where you shop.
 
If you're the type who gets attached to pets easily, I wouldn't recommend a hamster. they only live for about 2 years. Mine died in my hands when he was about 2.5 years...god it was sad 🙁 *snif* He just slowly stopped breathing then went cold.

As for maintaining them, it is really cheap once you get over the initial costs. I fed mine the seed mixture stuff, and had to buy a new bag of that every few months. the wood shavings are dirt cheap (especially if you buy them in bulk). Probably the cheapest pet to maintain!
 
For extra entertainment try hooking the wheel up to a 120mm Panaflow and don't forget the grill guard - hamsters love chrome.
 
If you aren't so keen on the maintenance thing, may I suggest the Cell-Sorb Plus Litter, Link .. Its a special litter made for small critters that absorbs smell and also will dry back out after absorbing pee and such. With cedar chips, I used to have to clean my hamsters' cages once a week or else my apartment would smell disgusting. With these chips I can go for around 2-3 weeks before needing to change the litter. It isn't too much more expensive than normal cedar chips either when you think about how long it lasts.

With litter, food, and treats (my hamsters love cheerios) I probably spend ~$20 a month caring for 2 hamsters... Initially you'll spend more because aside from a cage, hamsters need an exercise wheel, and they need a chewing/gnawing stone. A ball for them to run around in always helps too. Make sure that you don't buy a drinking dish for hamsters, because they have a habit of using a water dish as a litter and then drinking from it ... Only water bottles will do!

You can find a lot more information on hamsters online, just goto Yahoo and search for it.
 
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