According to a survey that was done by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association in 2003-2004, three out of 10 households in the United States have pet hamsters.
The popularity of pet hamsters has actually been increasing in many countries, but all governments are not pleased with the development. In fact, in Vietnam, pet hamsters were banned in 2008 and anyone who violated the ban were fined 30 million Vietnamese dong -- roughly double the annual average income. Vietnamese authorities decided to ban the furry creatures because of the lack of controls in their importation, which raised concern over disease.
More about hamsters:
- Hamsters hail from the Middle East, Northern and Eastern Asia; the first hamsters to come to the US were Syrian.
- A hamster may appear to have puffy cheeks because they store extra food in their cheeks to eat later.
- Hamsters are nocturnal; they sleep during the day and are up during the night.