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Virtual Hamsters

Virtual hamsters are fun and entertaining for children and adults alike. Nintendo released their Petz Hamsterz 2 as a follow-up to their enormously popular Petz Hamsterz. The game is an ideal example of software specifically geared towards adopting a virtual pet hamster.

Adopt Virtual Hamsters

Virtual Hamster

Virtual hamsters are ideal pets for young children. They can play with them, care for them, feed them and even clean up after them. They can also turn them off when they are done and parents are not left cleaning up after them. Children enjoy virtual pets, particularly in the Petz Hamsterz games because they can raise their infant hamsters to maturity, pair them up with other hamsters and make baby hamsters. Virtual hamsters are not limited by cage space or finances.

Don’t have a Nintendo GameBoy or DS to play Petz Hamsterz on? Virtual hamsters are popular online via several web sites including:

Be wary of adopting from freeware sites, particularly if they require a download. Downloading files from unknown sites can lead to unwanted software viruses, so always scan your downloads.

Artificial Pet Adoption

Artificial hamsters join a wide array of artificial and computer generated pet adoptions for kids and adults alike. The use of artificial creatures as pets became popular with Nintendo’s Pokémon and then extended to the Petz franchise for the Nintendo GameBoy and later Nintendo DS. Virtual or artificial pets are far more popular in Asia than they are in the West; however the popularity of virtual pets has seen a rise across the world in recent years.

Virtual pets require a large amount of care; the standard keychain virtual hamster is banned from most public schools as are all other virtual pets because they are classified as a distraction. The Petz series is ideal because the pets can be suspended when the game is shut off. Webkinz also features a virtual hamster to which kids and adults can tend.

The major difference between a Webkinz based virtual hamster and a Petz based is that Webkinz focuses on the pet's environment, clothing, animation and games rather than actual pet care and interaction. Petz requires the hamsters to be fed, cleaned up and looked after virtually as one would care for a hamster in real life.

Uses for Virtual Hamsters

Parents enjoy the simple pleasure virtual pets provide for their children. Children learn about what is necessary to look after a pet without actually endangering a real pet. Parents may encourage their children to care for virtual pets prior to investing in a living pet or as an answer to a child’s desire for a real pet. In children, particularly those with allergies, virtual pets can provide access to the simple pleasure of animal ownership without aggravating health conditions.

The Petz series is among the best virtual pets available for children and parents alike. They do require an investment in Nintendo game hardware, but can provide hours of enjoyment for children and their families.

By Heather Long