© Photocapy

Pros:
* Here you can find almost all the breeds and colors.

Cons:
* There are many articles and videos on the web on how bad some pet shops are.
The problem is not with the main chain, but with individual stores because of the manager's lack of involvement or the staff's lack of knowledge. And so we deal with neglected pets, Syrian hamsters sold as dwarf breeds and many other. The best way to decide if a pet shop really cares for his pets or not, is to visit it often and carefully look at the pets. They look healthy? They have fresh water and food? The pets look happy or are they afraid of people?

* Sometimes, when you buy an older hamster you could deal with numerous problems including bad health and taming issues.

* Check the web to see what other hamster owners say. Did they have problems with some pet shops? The animals are treated badly in a certain pet shop? If so, be very careful and try not to buy from that place because you don't get smoke without fire!

Breeders
Many hamster owners consider buying hamsters from a professional breeder a more reliable option than pet shops.

 © Janes Pockele                                                                       
Pros:
* You have the guarantee that you are buying a happy and healthy hamster.

* You can keep in touch with the breeder and tell him exactly what hamster you need and when a female haves babies he can keep that certain baby for you.

* Hamster breeders don't made hybrid species in order to have only healthy, original color and easy to tame hamsters.

* The hamster lived in a stress-free environment.

Cons:
* It might be quite difficult to find a hamster breeder in certain areas.

*  Make sure you are dealing with an experimented breeder and not someone who accidentally ended up with hamster babies.

There are many hamster in rescue centers that just wait for you to take them home. Try to make difference by giving a home to a hamster that has been through a lot. Animal shelters are the best place to start searching for a hamster.

Pros:
* Give a little joy to a lonely hamster-priceless!
* Small adoption fee: $7-$10.

Cons:
* Sometimes they are unable to tell the age of the hamster so you might end up with an old hamster.