female syrian hamster

Hi everyone,

I have been to the pet shop today and bought a female syrian hamster. i am sure i have heard that you shouldn't by female hamsters. Is this true - i wasn't prepared for this. i was intent on getting a male but when i arrived at the pet shop, there were only females and the assistant insisted that females are not usually agresive, and that males can be the same etc. Confused now. any advise would be great, not that i can change my mind, but so that i am prepared (probably armed with thick leather motercycle gloves!!!!) - h and if hamsters bite - do they hurt???

thanks

nicola

I have never heard that you should not get a female hamster. I had one many years ago. She was actually very nice but the first time I tried to pick her up she did bite me. But, it doesn't hurt much. Just be careful when you try to pick her up when she is asleep. For the first few days just let her settle in so you don't scare her too much. Hamsters are great pets!

It can hurt. Just make sure when you try and pick her up she's not sleeping. I mean wait till shes awake hamsters can get startled easily. Good luck!! Have any pictures??
Oh yeah welcome to PT!!

thanks for your replies - you have put my mind at rest!!

i will try and get some pics - won't the flash on the camera startle her though???

It might if she is sleeping, but if she is awake it won't scare her as much. But it may take a while for her to get used to it.

Glad I could help!:)

Not when she's awake, she'll get used to it...

Female hamsters are no different to male hamsters. When hamsters bite it is like a nip or a paper cut to me, it doesn't really hurt. It happens to fast to feel it.

amber is right. i work at a petstore and we usually only get female hamsters. you can incounter nice female hams and mean ones, same with male hamsters. I have had nice and mean of both sex's. just let her get used to her surroundings before you start handling her ok. and update.