Anyone used a hamster or other small type animal in their show? I know a fella who used a Sugar Glider in a chick pan and it went over very well.

Hmm, it sounds good. I'm not sure though. Do you own a hamster?

Joe Ovette did a small pamphlet, many years ago, on Livestock Magic. In it were a few tricks with hamsters. They are cute, small and I see no reason they would not go over okay with the audience. I do not know how they behave in a load chamber. I would guess like a rabbit, but they could be busier. You probably know that Harry Anderson did a bit where he appeared to eat one years ago.
quack

Hello

Don't you mean Freddie Star?

Luke,

If your question is aimed at me, the answer is no. The pamphlet I am talking about is by Joe Ovette and Harry did the eating a hamster bit on national TV here, you can read about it in his book. I have no idea who Freddie Star is!
quack

Hi

Sorry I didn't mean to offend you or anything I know Joe Ovette did the pamphlet I forget that this is not a U.K. site and not many people know Freddie Star in the U.S.A., Freddie Star is a big Comedian over here who did a Hamster eating thing on tv about 12 years ago.

Luke

No offense. I just did not know for sure if you were making reference to my earlier post.

quack

I use hamsters.

They are delightful critters for magic, since they have a natural tendency to roll up into a ball, making them smaller and easy to conceal in your hand.

A few points:

Hamsters bite! You will not be able to break them of this, so be prepared to get used to it. A good natured hamster will just nip a little, not enough to really hurt. A real biter can be painful, though. Make sure your hands are clean and don't smell like food.

Always treat them well. Get them used to being handled gradually. If a hamster decides he doesn't like you, you probably won't be able to win him over.

Remember that they are small animals and much more delicate and easier to injure then a large rabbit.

My hamster hardly ever bites and never squeaks and lays still for a little bit.
and change bags and dove pans and chick pans
put ham in it and stir it, say I put some ham and stir and I get a ham stir.
I hope you like it.
bob maget

Could hamsters be used for a cups and balls routine as a final kicker?

Much like Baby Chicks... sure, it's been done. Lance Burton does it with a mouse.

Teddybear Hampsters, as the name would imply, are the nicest by reputation.

I use to use hampsters. When I make my animal appear, I always leave them out on a stand/perch. All my animals are easy to train except the hampsters. No matter how high the stand was, they would always jump off during the show. I later brought them a ball cage to keep them in. But each one would always find a way out the closed door. I might try them again in the future.

Dynamike