Kids should not own hamsters.

Hamsters are not toys and cannot be treated as such, and far too many adults allow hamsters to be neglected and abused by children who cannot properly care for them.

I’m not saying that kids shouldn’t be allowed to have pets, or even pet rodents for that matter. 

In fact, I think children should be raised around pets.

But far too often, a child is gifted a hamster in a fun-looking enclosure sold at the pet store, only for the hamster to be hurt, or even killed, because of the child’s actions while trying to play with it. Usually, the child doesn’t know better. 

Hamsters are incredibly delicate creatures, and just because they are small rodents does not mean they deserve to be tortured and killed.

Of course, not all of this is the fault of the child.

Adults rarely know how to care for hamsters properly, allowing for unsafe handling and husbandry due to ignorance.

This issue could be solved if adults did their due diligence as caregivers and researched proper hamster care and handling before buying a hamster.

The problem does sadly run deeper, as most people don’t even realize that they are caring for their hamsters incorrectly.

Pet stores nationwide encourage the sale of hamster cages that are incredibly unfit for any animal, especially hamsters.

Why would large pet companies continue to sell items not conducive to the care of the animal it is marketed for? Profit.

Hamsters are usually sold as “cheap” and “easy” pets that are easily replaceable should they go missing or die.

But hamsters are anything but cheap or easy.

Hamsters usually require at least 360 square inches of floor space, with at least six inches of bedding to burrow in, along with more than one hide, a sand bath, a hamster litter box and a wheel large enough for the hamster’s back to be flat as it runs.

Not to mention food and water bowls.

This kind of enclosure can be expensive, especially when you factor in proper bedding, which can cost upward of $40 a large pack.

Hamster enclosures should be spot-cleaned daily and thoroughly cleaned every few weeks by removing ⅓ of the bedding and replacing it.

This is to keep the hamster from getting stressed.

The dietary needs of a hamster vary depending on the type of hamster, but all hamsters are omnivores and require protein-rich foods along with fruits and vegetables.

Hamsters require much more than commonly believed, and when they go to a home with children who are expected to care for them, they often lack the necessary skills and resources.

Lacking necessities and constantly being used as a toy often leads to a hamster becoming aggressive, and aggressive hamsters are usually rehomed or neglected even more so than before.

And if conditions are bad enough, hamsters may hibernate to try to outlast their desolate environment. 

Many hamsters who go into hibernation are mistaken for being dead, and they are either thrown away or buried alive. Imagine if we were this reckless with human beings. 

Kids having hamsters almost always leads to disastrous results for the pet and does more harm than good in teaching children responsibility and animal husbandry.