Gerbil vs Hamster « 12 frogs

Gerbil vs Hamster

by JS on March 8, 2005

I’ve been thinking about gerbils and hamsters lately, and wondering if they are really different animals. I mean, don’t they share a basic purpose: teaching young children lessons about death?

Unless of course the hamster/gerbil-owning family has the kind of parents that lie, and pretend pets never die, and bring a stream of nearly identical rodents into the house.

As luck would have it, I read something about gerbils vs hamsters last night in the No. 14 issue of McSweeney’s:

Gerbils are not hamsters!
As any gerbil fancier will tell you, gerbils are way better than hamsters because gerbils are intelligent, happy creatures who enjoy life, whereas hamsters are boring misanthropes.

Further research indicates hamsters pee a lot more, sleep during the day and occasionally eat their young. Research also indicates mothers should be more careful when they promise a new pet in exchange for a clean room.

60 comments • Tagged as: animals
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60 comments

I have a hamster who has never bitten me; squeaks for his fruit or veg at around 10pm every day and has learned to put his teeth around my finger (not hurting or biting) as a warning if he doesn’t want to come out at any time. He’s 2 1/2 now and not so lively; but has always been happy to come out around tea time or later. He is handled regularly and now refuses to come out when there are kids about! If he gets a slice of cooked new potatoe, he pops back when he’s eaten it to squeak for some more…he has climbed the stairs to the first floor several times, so when he is out I shut the bedroom and bath room doors! Also he learned to unscrew his ‘rotastack bedroom’, and lift up another piece of rotastack unit so he could escape into our kitchen …..(sellotape was then needed to hold the cage and stop him from getting out!) So I would say he is intelligent…

by Lynda on December 30, 2009 at 8:50 pm. #

hamsters and gerbils are the best well thats my oppinion because they are not so fast were you cant catch them. gerbils are more like mice to me even though hamsters and gerbils are related to mice, rats, ect. im into any type of small animal because they are easy to take care of and not that expensive as other animals. so if you like cuddly animals you should go with a hamster because they are a very nice animal to have and they are quite if you like active animals you should go with a gerbil because they are very energetic. but sometimes if you chose the very mean hamster or gerbil that bites you should take them back to the store or were you got them or you wont really like it as a pet cause you will get anoyed with it. p.s by the way people that are saying hamsters rule or they drool or gerbils rule or they drool can you please stop it you need to give a reason why you like that animal or whatever cause just saying that dosnt really help the person chose or decide.

by Danielle on January 30, 2010 at 2:10 am. #

I have owned hamsters, gerbils, mice, rabbits and rats. In my opinion rats are the best pet. I do really like gerbils too though. But rats are by far the most intelligent and fun to own. They are like mini dogs. Mine know their names and give me kisses. When I come home they all jump to the cage door to see me. They love people and do much better in pairs/groups. Mine go to the bathroom in a litter box in their cage. They are not ugly and not mean. I have had hamsters that are mean and boring. When hamsters pee its thick and nasty. Gerbils smell much better and are a lot more fun. So if anyone out there is considering a small pet I say def a rat but if you really cant get one, a gerbil is nice too

by Abby on February 8, 2010 at 4:57 pm. #

I’ve had both gerbils and hamsters, both are great pets, but gerbils are livelier and more graceful and beautiful. My daugter loves the hamster because he’s placid and she can hold him and pet him. The gerbils would never hold still for this. Hamsters are said to bite more, but the two I’ve had never bit anyone. Most of our gerbils have bitten someone at least a few times, but most of those times they had reason to. My daughter has been crazy about her mice, she used to carry them around everywhere with her, put them in castles and schoolbuses, and they just sat there, didn’t try to run away. None of the mice ever bit us, they have been very gentle and sweet. I let the gerbils run around the bathroom, closing the door and leaving them for a while. It’s really fun to watch them explore everything. Gerbils are the most fun to watch, hamsters and mice are more suited for a child to carry around and pet. Our two hamsters have been very tame, but probably if you tamed any hamster when you first got him and were careful when he first woke up in the evening, I don’t think they’re likely to bite.

by ciaparker2 on March 7, 2010 at 9:14 pm. #

I Think That Hamsters and Gerbils are both amazing pets, but a gerbil doesn’t stink as much because there desert rodents so they don’t need alot of water. Gerbils also don’t bite as much and are very active. The only thing is that you can’t pick up a Gerbil by it’s tail or it will break off,
but they are both lovley animals ;]
p.s.gerbils are better for first time buyers and hamsters are better for second time/ experienced rodent owners.

by Taylor on March 18, 2010 at 8:40 pm. #

I’ve had a gerbil, and I currently own one my brother and sister have also had one, one thing I have noticed is that our gerbils are nocturnal and diurnal ,(daytime). I have also noticed that gerbils are prone to mental disorders and when they tell you that gerbils hardly ever bite THEY ARE LIEING gerbils bite a lot and it’s a lot harder to litter train them. They also stink and wriggle like worms. Our gerbils will periodically freak out and randomly run around their cage and start jumping. I am tired of gerbils and want a hamster.

by Emma on October 5, 2010 at 10:39 pm. #

Note: once you get a gerbil a couple months later you will notice how huge it is getting, some gerbils get pretty large, your gerbil will also be VERY greedy and can gorge and become fat.

by Emma on October 5, 2010 at 10:42 pm. #

i have had both hamsters and gerbils and also rats , i think there all nice in their own way and all will bite if they want to. Alot of what you read isnt always right so go with what you think is best for you, all the best

by dondon on October 19, 2010 at 12:07 pm. #