The main reasons why Syrian hamsters (also known as "Snowball" hamsters) are rarely kept as pets include the noise they make, their high level of activity, the difficulty in raising them, and the fact that not everyone likes their appearance.
Some pet owners have reported that Syrian hamsters can be quite noisy, which can disrupt sleep. Especially when they are active at night, they will run on the wheel, causing headaches for the owners.
Moreover, raising Syrian hamsters requires certain skills and patience. For example, it's necessary to provide them with chew stones or chew sticks to prevent them from gnawing on the cage. Meanwhile, attention should be paid to the proper combination of their diet and the suitability of their living environment. All these factors together have led to the relatively low popularity of Syrian hamsters in the pet market.