Korean Job Discussion Forums

[asmith]

I bought my kid a rabbit at Homeplus about a week ago. I woke up this morning, and the damn thing was as stiff as a board. Perhaps it was a heart-attack. Maybe it was bunny suicide.

My kid is beside himself with sadness. How long does the average bunny live? Would a hamster or gerbil be better in the future. Just looking for a small furry creature that I can get a year out of.

[Daegudavid]

Rescue them... Korea has so many animal problems that I couldn't deal with buying something from a pet shop. All my animals are rescued.

[TK421]

I'm sorry to hear about your bunny. Unfortunately I know nothing about them myself, I've never owned one. I highly recommend a hamster for you over a gerbil, mouse or other rodent. Hamsters live 2-3 years and are very easy to care for. Most of the time hamsters are very friendly and never bite. Once in a while you'll get a mean hamster, so I recommend looking at their personalities before you buy them, because they are different. They're very good pets.

Gerbils are good pets but they're a little quick for children to pet and hold, and they're all over the place. Hamsters and gerbils are both escape artists so make sure you have a good cage, I do not recommend any of those plastic cages full of tubing. They always find a way to escape. I also do not recommend a wire cage. Hamsters chew on the wire if they bored (which means they need more entertainment in their cage) and this chewing on the cage can cause brain damage because of their teeth going farther and father up into their brain.

Hamsters are solitary, so do not buy a pair of them. Especially a pair of males, they will fight and nearly kill each other. Gerbils should be bought in pairs, however.

One last thing: if possible, I have found that golden hamsters, also called honey bear hamsters, are some of the friendliest of hamsters breeds that I've ever encountered. Most likely though there will not be much of a selection or choices of breed. Also, avoid dwarf hamsters. They're extremely small, very fast (bad for kids to hold), have shorter life spans, and the ones I've had experience with bite from time to time.

Good luck! Hamsters are good pets for children. A hamster was my first pet as a child when I was 7 or 8 and I cared for him very well. It taught me my first lessons about responsibility over animal life.

[ajuma]

If you want a kitten, let me know! Our cat (a stray) had 5 of them! They'll be ready to go in 3 weeks (5 weeks old yesterday and cute as can be!)

[Gnawbert]

I know I'm a freak but I think Rats make far better pets than bunnies, hamsters, gerbils, or any of those other brainless creatures. Given, they don't win any awards for being totally adorable, but rats are actually very smart and have their own personalities and make really good pets. Where you would find a rat in Korea I haven't a clue but perhaps you could try a subway station an animal rescue place.

[andz22]

[Dazed and Confused]

Guinea pigs are great pets but you should have 2 femals and a very large cage. They live about 5-6 years, are squeeky, and adorable. They eat alot and have specific needs and you should learn more about them before bringing one home.

[jenna740]

My friend bought 2 rabbits and they both died within a week! My rabbit however has survived.....I don't think I would buy any again from a shop like Homeplus (I got mine in SaveZone, as did my friend!) Apparently a lot of rabbits over here are born with all kind of diseases, I hope your kid is ok now!