The NFC B-Day Chat Thread

[Leahs Mom]

@CapricornFarm
My daughter didn't raise gp's, but she did keep a sugar glider for quite some time

 

[CapricornFarm]

That's gross! I can understand why you wouldn't like them hah if I got them I guess I'd need to have an escape proof cage

I don't like hamsters that much though



I can understand that! But personally I think guinea pigs are adorable!

I can understand the other rodents though. My parents are the same way, though my mom approved gerbils or guinea pigs. She HATES rats and mice though



Cause people think they're adorable. And not enough meat



Agreed!



Yup!! There's like zero meat on those bones (unless you get a fat hamster, which plenty of people have) plus they would probably taste too rodenty. But just not worth the effort for not even a meal lol

Plus they're too cute

That said, I also hate seafood

You hate seafood? I will take your share as i love most of it.
I was once known as the lobster demolisher in the scuba club! First to the table, last to leave. Cleaned them faster than anyone else. Started scuba diving when i was 12. I was a water safety instructor as well.

 

[CapricornFarm]

@CapricornFarm
My daughter didn't raise gp's, but she did keep a sugar glider for quite some time

That is one pet i never had. I did have a toucan, amazon parrots, mynah birds and a monkey though.

 

[bruceha2000]

Nothing "exotic" then @CapricornFarm ??

 

[CapricornFarm]

Nothing "exotic" then @CapricornFarm ??

I had exotic birds and fish silly! I caught an adult flying squirrel with my hands once and a diamond dove.

 

[ShrekDawg]

People in Peru eat guinea pigs, probably not so much in other places. And as noted, guinea pigs are quite a bit larger than hamsters and gerbils.


Better figure out what you don't like about hamsters before you get a similar looking rodent with a long tail. One difference is that gerbils are diurnal therefore more likely to be awake during the day. If you want to cuddle a small furry object, do be aware that they also sleep a lot during the day, no nap interrupting, play with them on their schedule.

Good point!

Although to me they're not that similar. I mostly just find hamsters slightly ugly and annoying. They just bore me. Where as gerbils are more active, cute, do that sit up on their hind legs thing (though I think hamsters do too), awake during the day unlike hamsters.

Plus I read they require a lot of room. Idk how true it is but if I got one, I'd want to have a huge/long tank set up and I just don't have the time or money to build or buy an elaborate set up. I've seen some really cool natural ones with sand and dens and everything. Sure they probably don't NEED all that but I would want to.

Cause they actually can be way more active than people think and run around.

Although that said so do gerbils so they could probably benefit from such a set up too but idk.

And I think gerbils are slightly more interactive and cute

I would really love rats or mice

Quite industrious for a college student!

Indeed

@CapricornFarm
My daughter didn't raise gp's, but she did keep a sugar glider for quite some time

Those are cute

You hate seafood? I will take your share as i love most of it.
I was once known as the lobster demolisher in the scuba club! First to the table, last to leave. Cleaned them faster than anyone else. Started scuba diving when i was 12. I was a water safety instructor as well.

lol awesome

That is one pet i never had. I did have a toucan, amazon parrots, mynah birds and a monkey though.

Wow you've had a lot!!!

Nothing "exotic" then @CapricornFarm ??

Monkey and toucan are exotic lol

I had exotic birds and fish silly! I caught an adult flying squirrel with my hands once and a diamond dove.

Wow!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Good point!

Although to me they're not that similar. I mostly just find hamsters slightly ugly and annoying. They just bore me. Where as gerbils are more active, cute, do that sit up on their hind legs thing (though I think hamsters do too), awake during the day unlike hamsters.

Plus I read they require a lot of room. Idk how true it is but if I got one, I'd want to have a huge/long tank set up and I just don't have the time or money to build or buy an elaborate set up. I've seen some really cool natural ones with sand and dens and everything. Sure they probably don't NEED all that but I would want to.

Cause they actually can be way more active than people think and run around.

Although that said so do gerbils so they could probably benefit from such a set up too but idk.

And I think gerbils are slightly more interactive and cute

I would really love rats or mice





Indeed



Those are cute



lol awesome



Wow you've had a lot!!!



Monkey and toucan are exotic lol



Wow!!!

My gerbils sleep and are awake throughout the day. They don't mind being woken up. They are more aware of their surroundings.

My hamsters are robos, they wake up after dark, run all night basically on the wheel for hours and hours, than go to bed. Most days I don't see them, except for a few minutes. They don't seem to notice me unless I put my hand in the tank, where the gerbils will look at me.

If I had to choose I would gerbils just because I do see them, and they seem to acknowledge me. The hamsters just want to run.

Another difference is gerbils chew on stuff, and my hamsters don't too often. My hamsters don't dig either. They are like watching one channel.

The gerbils are always doing stuff. My white male tries to escape the aquarium every evening around 7. He jumps in the corner for a while before giving up. When I feed my dogs treats from the drawer under their aquarium they get excited to get a dog biscuit. My hamsters don't care, and run in terror where the gerbils are always trying to sniff my hand.

So big differences between the two species.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Wow, i had different experiences than you guys. I really like hamsters. I bought a teddy bear hamster that was really scared to death of me. He was all white with red eyes. He would screech when you tried to pick him up. But i just moved slow and eventually i won him over. All of mine were tame and friendly. I had a whole bunch of colors too. I think I brought the first black hamster to NS in my pocket on a plane in the 70s. I had never seen one that color there before but someone may have had them. I had gerbils too but they were always digging, hyper like. Had one bite through my fingernail once. And one got out and chewed through an electric cord.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Wow, i had different experiences than you guys. I really like hamsters. I bought a teddy bear hamster that was really scared to death of me. He was all white with red eyes. He would screech when you tried to pick him up. But i just moved slow and eventually i won him over. All of mine were tame and friendly. I had a whole bunch of colors too. I think I brought the first black hamster to NS in my pocket on a plane in the 70s. I had never seen one that color there before but someone may have had them. I had gerbils too but they were always digging, hyper like. Had one bite through my fingernail once. And one got out and chewed through an electric cord.

I have only had the robo hamsters, so maybe the Syrian are different. I hope to try one down the road. I picked robos because they are supposed to be able to be kept in pairs, but mine ended up with the big one beating on his tiny brother so they are both kept separately now.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I have only had the robo hamsters, so maybe the Syrian are different. I hope to try one down the road. I picked robos because they are supposed to be able to be kept in pairs, but mine ended up with the big one beating on his tiny brother so they are both kept separately now.

Yeah, hamsters do not play well with others. Those robo hamsters always seemed nasty to me but they seem better now. I guess it took a while to domesticate them.