If dogs are too much responsibility and cats just aren’t your thing, but your children are still clamoring for a pet perhaps a caged pet might be a good choice for your family. Caged pets are comparatively cheaper to care for, easier to make arrangements for when travelling and take up very little space in the house yet they can be handled and played with by children. Having a caged pet might also be just the right amount of pet-care responsibility for your children. The most popular caged pets are hamsters and gerbils and while they seem similar, they are several differences.

Hamsters come in three varieties, the most popular of which is the Syrian hamster. Despite the fact that they are the most popular variety kept as pets, they should be caged individually as they will fight if kept together. They are quite tame and friendly when it comes to people though. They are typically 6-7 inches long and live around 2-3 years. Second in popularity are Dwarf hamsters that are friendlier with each other in captivity; however, they can be a bit skittish and hard to handle by people. Dwarf hamsters are 3-4 inches long and live around two years. The third type of hamster is the Chinese hamster which is similar in size and life span to the dwarf hamster. Chinese hamsters are temperamental with each other and with humans, but can get along with both if handled from a young age.

Hamsters come in a variety of colors and coat types including short hair, long hair, striped and angora. They are white, albino, black, tan and many other varieties. Hamsters weigh in at between 3-5 ounces and are slightly stockier than their gerbil cousins; however, they are easy to differentiate from other rodents because they have a very short stubby tail. Despite their similarities hamsters of different species should never be caged together.

Hamsters require a diet comprised of sunflower seeds, wheat, nuts, beans, barley, maize, pea flakes and millet seed. Avoid feeding hamsters other caged animal food mixes because the pieces can be too large for the hamster to properly digest. Be careful not too overfeed as hamsters have a tendency to hoard and over-eat their food. Common health ailments of hamsters include colds, wet tail, diarrhea, constipation, mange, fleas and lice. Hamsters are also prone to stress so providing a daily routine for you hamster is important.

While there are over 80 species of gerbils the most popular and common gerbil is the Mongolian gerbil. Mongolians are typically around 6-12 inches long with their tails comprising half of their body length. The average gerbil weighs approximately 2.5 ounces making them half the weight of the average hamster. Unlike hamsters, gerbils are social animals and prefer to live in groups of other gerbils with male and female combinations being the most successful pairing in captivity. While they typically do well when handled they can become startled which occasionally results in a surprised squealing sound.

Gerbils enjoy a diet comprised of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and peanuts. The diet can be supplemented with fruit peels, parsnip cores, apples and carrots. Gerbils will eat just about anything so be careful to balance the food given as too many sunflower seeds can cause illness. Be careful when feeding fruits with high water content like watermelon or celery as it can increase they occurrence of the bacterial infection known as wet tail, which is also common among hamsters. Hamsters typically groom themselves; however, a cool bowl of sand will help them groom themselves as they are originally desert burrowing creatures.

Housing requirements for the two animals are similar and should have several different components. Cages can be wire, glass or plastic with adequate ventilation. The cage environment should have several inches of bedding to provide a place to borrow and serve as a means to soak up urine. Avoid cedar shavings, corn cob bedding or other scented materials in favor for plain pine wood shavings. The habitat should also have an area for the furry guy to hide out in times of stress along with an appropriate outlet for exercise such as a wheel or a series of tunnels. Fresh water and food should be provided daily and the cage should be cleaned weekly to avoid foul odor or the spread of infection. When properly cared for and handled regularly both hamsters and gerbils can make affectionate and low-maintenance pets for people of all ages.

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