Am i allergic to hamsters?

How do i prevent my hamsters from dying so early?

• I've been taking care of hamsters for quite a while now and recently every time i buy a hamster, eventually it dies for about days after... i make sure i feed them well, i train them when it is time to eat. i clean the cage when it becomes smelly and dirty... i replace the water everyday as much as possible. and i play with them at times... and even leave them alone when i feel that they're occurring stress... I could hardly sleep when i have no school to guide them during the night because... the series of deaths of my hamsters are usually when i woke up from bed the hamsters dies in there sleep. i have done what was suppose to be right.. and yet they still die... i'm pretty much troubled and thoughtless of what wrong have i done wrong... T^T Is it because of the environment that i live in??? or simply they die in their sleep...? My dad used to have pet hamsters when he was a kid and would last for about half a year... so im pretty much gets alot of lectures coming from my dad saying am not a good owner enough for these little creatures... am desperate and am starting to be guilty about myself because i feel like am the reason why they die so early and such... i need your opinions so bad... Thank you

• Answer:

  Thats....mysterious. Hamsters have been known to live two years. If your fathers hamsters only lived 6 months than thats too short of a life... What bedding are you using? Pine and ceder bedding are TOXIC and u should never use them. For the next hamster, get a different kind of food. Dont put the cage near an air freshener, or anything "smelly". small rodents have very sensitive lungs. for the same reason keep thm somewhere ventilated Do not feed anything but hamster food to start out. You should leave the hamster alone for at least a day or two after you get him. Even if he doesn't seem stressed, he will be since he is in a new place. I know its hard to resist holding and playing with them, but you will stress out the hamster. Thats all that I can think of. Rodents are sensitive creatures. I suggest that if another passes, dont get another hamster, they are dying for some reason. Try a new rodent, like a mouse or a rat or a gerbil. It could also be the petstore you are getting them from...so try a different store next time.