How to Buy the Perfect Hamster

If you're thinking about getting a hamster, you know you want a perfect one. You know you can get one at the pet store, but how healthy are those hamsters? Another choice is buying your hamster from a breeder.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Find a breeder. Contact your local vet to see if they know of any breeders in your area. You can also go to the North American Breeder's Registry or Petwebsite for a list of hamster breeders.
2. Make sure you've got a true breeder, not someone who simply ended up with a bunch of baby hamsters. True breeders choose parent hamsters carefully, looking at general health and genetics. They'll usually train baby hamsters to be used to human contact before selling them to you.
3. Pick up your hamster before bringing it home to make sure it won't bite you. Retraining a hamster not to bite takes time and patience and is probably something you don't want to do. Ideally, your hamster should be used to humans by the time you take it home.
4. Watch the hamsters to make sure they're active and alert (remembering that hamsters are nocturnal animals and may be groggy during the day). In addition, your hamster shouldn't be wet, have injuries from the other hamsters or be missing any fur patches.