Hamsters and allergies & age appropriateness

Question
My four and a half year old son is desperate for a hamster.  I had
hamsters as a kid and love them.  As an adult, I am terribly
allergic to most furry animals - I know for certain that I get
severly ill (asthma & respitory infections) from rabbits, cats and
many dogs (its the dandur in their fur that gets me).  Is there a
particular breed of hampster that I can get that I will not be
allergic to?  If so, what is the best way for me to find a pure bred
of that species.  Lastly, is my little guy old enough to hande a
hampster and help care for it - or should I wait?  I was thinking
of it as a 5th birthday present.

Please help!

Thanks,
Erin

Answer
Hamsters can be a great first pet, especially with a mom who's been there and done that.

Any breed will be about the same, but since syrians are the best type for beginners, get a short haired one. I loved my long haired one dearly, he was my first ever. You might encounter types called teddy bear or black bear hamsters, I would stick to a "golden" syrian, they aren't always gold color, but they are the easiest of the syrians to care for. I now own a black bear syrian hamster, and he can be easily agitated if you touch him too quickly, not good for a young child :)

As long as you keep the cage clean, you won't have to worry about alergens, and even less so if you use a non wood shaving litter, like the gray recycled paper kind. It's pretty cheap too. Once a month when you clean the litter out, wipe down the cage with a little water and a tiny drop of dish soap, then you will really be keeping alergins to a minimum. Just be sure to rinse fully.

Just teach your little guy that when the hamster is sleeping, don't wake him up, just like he wouldn't like it much either, and to play very carefully with it. Since hamsters are small, they can easily be hurt. I would supervise him each time you take the hamster out to handle, make it a special time for the 2 of you. I would leave the hamster alone in the cage on the first day, to get used to things.

All in all, a hamster is a great way to bond with your child and teach responsibility. Need any other help just ask, good luck!

Heather