Are hamsters good pets for a 9-year old?

I would say yes, with some reservations. There is a lot of care needed for a hamster, as much as a dog or cat. They need an hour of playtime a day (night!), of course feeding, and their cage needs thoroughly cleaning with soap and water once a week and their bedding and toilet area needs constantly changing. I am a big fan of the Dwarf Hamster, but they are very quick and can easily get free from a youngster's hands, but do not let that put you off, as long as you have an area to contain the hamster when you clean its cage (put it in the bath lined with towels and a lot of toys, or in a Dwarf Hamster ball). Also remember your pet will run up to 5 miles a night on its wheel, so it cannot be in your child's bedroom, you have to think about the space issue in advance! As long as you know beforehand what you are getting into, I would go with a Dwarf, your child will learn how to care and love the animal, learn responsibility and have a lot of fun with it, they really are great.

If you want to learn a lot more about the basic supplies and what you need to think about before you buy, check out http://www.dwarfhamsterbook.com

I would say yes - especially since I had one at age ten and it was a great way to learn how to be responsible for an animal. Just be careful if you buy two together, my parents made that mistake and the pet store told them they had two girls. 3 weeks later, they had babies! I think I started thinking about where babies came from after that!

A hamster is as good a pet for a child of any age as a dog is. A dog may be bigger but the treatment a dog and a hamster require is much the same. Dogs need to be loved, cared for, fed and cleaned. They also... keep reading →

yes they are, depending on the type you choose cause most of them are really hard to take care of. I would recommend the teddy bear hamster or the dwarf hamster. because they are much more smarter (no offense... keep reading →

The true answer depends on how mature your child is. The major thing you will have to deal with is that they may be excited at first to get the hamster and take care of it but after a while they may become... keep reading →