Hamsters are cute, but which type of hamster to buy?

Many of the pets we've welcomed into our home over the years have been ones we had as kids ourselves. Hamsters were of particular interest, because we never seemed to keep them as pets for very long. Generally, one of us three kids would forget the hamster was out and about or we'd forget to hinge the door shut when we put the hamster back in the cage. It was only a couple of days before our littlest furry family member disappeared forever somewhere in our old farmhouse.

Learning from our mistakes, we were careful as parents to supervise our children's hamster activities, but by keeping the hamsters longer than a few days, we made other mistakes that we share here so you don't have to live the same experience:

• Two cute baby hamsters seem the perfect addition until they reach maturity and either breed or fight. We had two females that were at each other's throats (literally) once they became adults. This resulted in two habitats and separate playing schedules. More investment than we really wanted.
• Habitats need to be cleaned on a weekly basis. It gets pretty grody and stinky otherwise.
• Hamsters are nocturnal, which can be a problem if your kid is a light sleeper but also wants them in their room. Some planning upfront is worthwhile, especially if you have cats (see next item)
• If you have cats, it won't be long before they discover the hamsters and will be diligent in trying to make them a snack. One of our cats was caught mid-jump into the habitat when we quickly glanced the other way. The laws of nature (and the food chain) are very strong here. Proceed with caution.
• Hamsters don't live very long. Ours died almost two years to the day we bought them (average).

Because they are cute, friendly, and fun to watch and play with, we enjoyed our time with Sally and Charlotte. They are now at rest in our backyard, buried deep enough so the dog isn't tempted to dig them up. Gotta love the multi-pet family...