plain jane Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I'd like to get my kids a little rodent-type pet (meaning no fish, bearded dragons, hermit crabs, etc). I always had gerbils, hamsters, and rabbits growing up and I have a lot of good memories from them so I'd like the same for my kids. Dh and I have ruled out a rabbit. I would LOVE a cuddly Holland Lop but the size of the cage and the space it would require is not going to work for us at this time.Dh wants to get the kids a hedgehog but I'm a little hesitant. I was thinking more along the lines of gerbil or hamster. Neither of us are fans of guinea pigs (sorry, I know people love them on this board) so those are out too. I saw the Roborovski Hamster at a pet store last week and absolutely fell in love. It's got to be the cutest thing I've ever seen (in rodent form).I am concerned about its small size and crazy fast speed. I know the kids will want to take it out and play with it from time to time. (From what I've read Robos are not really meant for handling much, although they tend to bite way less often than other hamster breeds).What does the Hive think? Gerbil? Hamster? Hedgehog? Don't say I'm crazy. I already know that. LOL I've heard great things about rats but have had a hard time finding quality ones locally and dh isn't willing to put too much effort (or travel time) into acquiring this pet. Let's just say he's not as gung-ho as I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 For what it's worth, our local tv news just had one of those You Know What Else Will Kill You? segments about hedgehogs. Apparently, some 30% of hedgies carry salmonella and have sickened people pretty seriously. The reporter talked to some hedgehog owners who said it's just a matter of keeping the cage clean and washing your hands after handling the pet, but I'd be concerned if I had little kids. Those Hedgies of Doom were awfully cute, though. Good luck in Rodent Quest '13! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela in GA Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I wouldn't get any of them. We've had a hamster. Not a lot of fun. :p We have Holland Lops. We keep ours in a guinea pig cage. They don't really require a ton of room. We have a leash that the kids like to use to "walk" their bunnies when the weather is nice. We also have a "play pen" that we made out of those wire cubes that you can assemble with zip ties. We put that outside so the rabbits can eat grass, dandelions, etc. Anyway, I know you said you didn't want a Holland Lop because you don't have the room for the cage. But, a hedgehog would require the same size cage as a Holland I would imagine. At least the cage my brother had for his hedgehog was the same size as the cage we use for our Hollands. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I vote gerbils. They are social creatures so you need to get 2 that are in the same cage at the pet store (or wherever you are getting them). They have the benefit of not being nocturnal creatures. They are awake off and on all day. I know most hamsters are up all night and then sleep the day away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 We are getting a Blueberry Hamster for my big girl's birthday this spring. Hamsters aren't super fun but they can zip around in their little ball and that is fun for the girls. I had a hamster once and it lived about 2 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 I wouldn't get any of them. We've had a hamster. Not a lot of fun. :p We have Holland Lops. We keep ours in a guinea pig cage. They don't really require a ton of room. We have a leash that the kids like to use to "walk" their bunnies when the weather is nice. We also have a "play pen" that we made out of those wire cubes that you can assemble with zip ties. We put that outside so the rabbits can eat grass, dandelions, etc. Anyway, I know you said you didn't want a Holland Lop because you don't have the room for the cage. But, a hedgehog would require the same size cage as a Holland I would imagine. At least the cage my brother had for his hedgehog was the same size as the cage we use for our Hollands. :-) I know. :( I love lops. I had several growing up (not at the same time) and I loved them so much. They were all house litter trained and had the run of the house. They would come to me when I called them and snuggle on my chest (and scratch when they had to get down to use the litter box). They were the greatest pets. Part of the problem is that we have a cat. I don't think kitty will like having a rabbit in the house and it won't get to run as much as I would like. A gerbil or hamster can be taken into a room and the door closed to take out and play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkd Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I think most of these choices would be difficult with a cat. One of the best ways we interacted with our hamsters and gerbils as a kid was to put them in a little ball or car enclosure and let them run arounnd the room with us playing or hanging out. You would need to have the cat put in a specific room to allow this. I liked hamsters better as a child. I thought they were cuter and cuddlier. However, gerbils tend to live longer. As you noted, guinea pigs are very popular on this page! I have never had one but have increased interest due to the guinea pig frenzy around here. I think a rabbit is a good idea too. I had rabbits as a kid and adored them. They live longer than the others, can go outside, are more interactive, etc. And for a completely off the wall idea: Have you considered a mini pig (not guinea, I mean pig)? They are clean, smart, friendly, don't need a cage, and could easily cohabitat with a cat. Maybe I've been reading too much Mercy Watson lately! We have a dog and chickens. I hope to get back into salt water fish soon. I really want to get some goats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 We have a Robo! He's the cutest thing ever. We don't take him out much and I'm the only one allowed to do so because of the speed factor. But they love to watch him in the ball. A visitor to tr house left the cage open an he got out and we were able to catch him. I vote Robo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Get a rat, or better, two. Fun, smart, active, trainable, interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 How about a chihuahua? Rat + legs is still a rodent. . .. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I got a Gerbil when I was in Second Grade. Skippy lived for 4 years and was a terrific pet! They're desert animals so their poop is very dry and compact. It used to run around the home in it's little plastic ball and would burrow under the shoulder of your shirt and snuggle there. I've considered getting our Second Grade DD one, but we have littles ones in the home and I'm afraid that anyone much younger than 7 would unintentionally be too rough on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Kate Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Get a rat, or better, two. Fun, smart, active, trainable, interesting. Agree! We have two dumbo rats and they are great. Very smart and sociable!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaffodilDreams Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Hamsters get a bad rap, but we've had great success with turning them into sociable little cuddle bugs. When we first get them, we give them 24 hours to adapt to their new environment. Then we spend several hours a day over the next week holding them and giving them treats. We don't let their protesting devil shrieks and the occasional nip deter us from our mission to tame them. After about a week, they are very open to being handled, cuddled, etc. The only negative to us in having hamsters is that they don't live very long. We get very attached to those cute little guys, so it's difficult when their time is up. We have guineas, too, and I love them, but I enjoy the hamsters more. Dd is more partial to the guineas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gentlemommy Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Rats!!! They are smart, sweet, and clean. We loved ours. They really are like mini dogs,they learned their names and would come running to us. We had a cage for them, but after a bit, we just let them free roam in the extra bathroom. They used their cage as their potty, they didn't 'go' anywhere else. They loved getting all kinds of treats from us-yogurt, berries, Cheerios, any little bites of snacks we shared. We now have mice, they are definitely sweet and cute, though not quite as personable as our rats were. However, they've learned to crawl up onto our hands when we reach into the cage, and will happily sit on our shoulders or in our hand while we read or do school. :-) Never ever had either rats or mice bite. Mice can live in a smaller cage (we have three in a glass aquarium) so long as they get daily play time/interaction outside of their cage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I also vote for rats. We've had several over the years. Now that we only have the two cats, dh often asks wistfully if we can get rats again. And he started out thinking he'd hate them, lol. If you do decide to look into getting rats, check your local animal shelter. Even if they don't have any at the moment, they might know of someone who needs to rehome a cuddly, sociable rat or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.g. Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Rats. Definitely rats. They have such fun and distinctive personalities. I never had a rat bite me, even when startled, unlike the long line of mice, gerbils, and hamsters we had as children. Our humane society is always looking for homes for a rat or three. It's a great place to start if you're looking for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Part of the problem is that we have a cat. I don't think kitty will like having a rabbit in the house and it won't get to run as much as I would like. A gerbil or hamster can be taken into a room and the door closed to take out and play. You would have to put a gerbil or a hamster in a ball or enclosed cage area for out of their home play. Mine think nothing of darting under furniture if they happen to escape our hands. If you are thinking of something big enough that you can let it roam freely in a room, you might need to consider the rats that others seem to like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 My son had hedgehogs for years and they were unbelievablely cute and full of personality. They also have at least some mechanism to defend from cats (just in case one gets in the room when you have the hedgie out). My son used to carry his around in his pockets. The part that I liked the best is that they didn't stink. Everyone I know who kept gerbils and hamsters, the animal seems to stink up the area, even when the cage is kept very clean (I don't know about rats). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jen3kids Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 We have chinese Dwarf Hamsters and they are cuddly and sweet. We also have a guinea pig and a rabbit. And 2 cats. We love all of them. The cats are interested in all of them, but they're cats and can't help it. The rabbit can take care of himself and the guinea pig used to be bigger than the cats, so she's safe, although we are careful. The hamster - fair game to the cats. We're very careful about knowing where they are when we've got the hamster out! One cat grabbed her out of dd's hand, but didn't hurt her, thank goodness. If you keep the cages clean, they won't stink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 If you do decide to look into getting rats, check your local animal shelter. Even if they don't have any at the moment, they might know of someone who needs to rehome a cuddly, sociable rat or two. You can also check Petfinder.com. There are always lots of "small furries" listed there. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 hamsters are cuter, gerbils are smarter. I had both. My kids had gerbils. when they took it out, it had to be in their bedroom - floor picked up, and crack under the door blocked. they'd make mazes out of duplo or blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I am leaning towards rats now. Everyone who has rats raves about them. I still have two teeth marks on my pinkie from wild rat and my whole bed sheet was stained with my finger blood! Still, I am very open minded and will try rats if my ds wants them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyerin Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 IMO, rats are by far the best small animal pet! I've had several. Social, friendly, curious, and so much personality! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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