More birthday advice: if you were going to buy a small rodent for a pet...

[SKL]

1.  What rodents make great indoor (caged) pets?  As in not too expensive, stinky, mean, or fragile?

2.  Would you buy 1 or 2?  Do they need rodent companionship or is it better to have them socialize with their humans?

[Guest]

Depends entirely on the rodent.

 

You're the primary caregiver unless your kid steps up in a big way, and even then supervision is probably needed to maintain living standards unless or until the child gets really into the care on their own. It's your pet first and foremost, just to set that expectation correctly. Even if the child isn't having fun with the animal you still need to keep up proper care and socialization :)

 

If you were wanting an animal that cuddles and plays a little but is happy in a nice big habitat and to be watched too, I'd absolutely suggest a single Syrian hamster. They're a great balance between soft pet (though delicate and not entirely appropriate for a small child, they're a great animal for a careful preteen or teen with a parent helping) and not too intensive on the social needs scale. They still do much better with regular handling and hand feeding though.

 

My personal favorite are rats, and they do best in groups of 2-3. They benefit from more vertical cage space and climbing toys than a horizontal tank and burrowing material like a hamster, and are HIGHLY social with both their humans and one another. They really must be kept in a group and can't be played with too much - though some rats have more stoic personalities and some are more outgoing, I've yet to see one get tired of their human ;). If they need a nap they'd rather snuggle in a roomy pocket or hood than alone in a cage. And rat piles are the sweetest - I love their group behavior and it only enhances their behavior as pets. Unlike hamsters they really *need* proper socialization, hand feeding, and contact daily. More is better. In that way hamsters (and mice) are a little more low maintenance for someone who has a busy schedule or is gone most of the day. But rats are like lovable, dumb dogs and do best being in and around the family as much as possible.

 

Very broadly, rats tend to have more health issues than hamsters, but it depends on the animal. Tumor removal on rats is common and both types of rodents have delicate bones and can't be squeezed or dropped (which is why they better suit an older and more careful child and need adult supervision), but I have had a lot more vet intervention with my rats than hamsters in general. It's not expensive, just something to consider.

 

Does that help at all?

Edited October 5, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[Guest]

Oh, and I've also had guinea pigs but like rabbits they benefit from much more space than a smaller rodent, and also do better in groups. They can be fantastic animals but the proper cage requirements are harder to meet if space is an issue. A group of three guinea pigs really need about 12 square feet of running space, minimum. Bunnies are similar in their requirements though I'd say slightly less active in terms of scurrying, more hopping space is appreciated.

 

Mice aren't my thing. Not as social or sweet as a rat and not as cuddly as a hamster, as a general rule. There are some exceptions, especially if you get one from a breeder, but I'd still choose a hamster or rat group first :)

Edited October 5, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[Ravin]

Gerbils do best if not alone. They are kind of delicate and can get a permanent bad attitude with any fright so may not be up for handling depending on their early socialization. They also die easily, did I mention that? 

 

Whatever you get, if it's more than one, make sure you have accurate sex determinations and get them all the same unless you want many, many.

[crazyforlatin]

Even though we are homeschoolers, we still got 2 rats since we can't cuddle with one rat constantly. It's been an amazing experience for DD. Forget about mice, one ate the other, and I had to clean it up without letting DD know when she was 4 years old. But Artic is right, tumor can be a problem. Overall, not that expensive to raise them.

[Kassia]

We also have rats and they have been wonderful pets.  You should get more than one because they do need companionship.  We got ours from a breeder and they have the best personality and have had no health issues at all (they are almost 27 months old now).  They are smart animals and really are like little dogs.  I highly recommend rats as pets.   

 

 

[MercyA]

Guinea pigs are expensive, need a lot of space, and can live 5-7 years or more.

 

Male mice are stinky; female mice not as much. They are fun to watch but not really interested in people. They are (in my experience) less likely to bite than hamsters.

 

Hamsters are nocturnal, so it's best to handle them in the evening. They are not too expensive or hard to care for (although they occasionally need their teeth trimmed), but don't really bond with their humans. However, they are very cute and are fine alone (and in fact you really shouldn't keep two Syrian hamsters together).

 

I've never had a rat, but envy those who have. So intelligent and sweet and they really bond with their owners.  

[nevergiveup]

I would never have a rat after having to stomp on them during corn shelling season and after having read a book on them, nasty critters.

[GailV]

Dd researched rodents several years ago, and settled on rats as the best for her.  We usually have them 2 at a time, although we've occasionally had 3.

 

Arctic Mama did a great job of summing up pros and cons.  The females are the ones with more tumors, by the way.  We've had many females who've never had a tumor, but nos. 11 and 12 seem like they're in the Tumor of the Month club, and we sort of wish the vet would give us a punch card.

 

Try to find a vet who does small exotics before you get very far in this process.  It's nice to know where to go BEFORE an emergency arises.  If rats get a respiratory illness, for example, they'll try to hide it from you -- by the time you figure it out it may be critical, and you'll need to get into the vet ASAP.

[Mrs_JWM]

We have enjoyed having mice for almost 20 years - different ones, of course, as they are not a long-lived pet. :(

 

We buy them from the pet store and my daughter plays with them a few times a week. They are healthy and seem happy enough in their cage, which we clean weekly. We've gotten a pair of females every time except for the time my daughter fell in love with a male. We just had him by himself, but he was incredibly stinky. The females are definitely less stinky.

 

We choose mice over rats because as much as I have wanted rats, I know I don't have the time to devote to them. Mice are much less effort. Besides, otherwise, they would have been fed to a snake. :)

 

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[summerreading]

I love, love guinea pigs, they are so sweet, but super high maintenance and need to be in groups of 2 or more. I'd probably get a rat next if my family would agree.

[lmrich]

We love our bunny! But bunnies need more room and need time to hop around freely. Beyonce, our bunny, is litter boxed trained and happily joins us while we work. 

 

[foxbridgeacademy]

My favorite are rats, they can be such sweeties. Make sure to get them (you need 2) young. After rats I'd say piggies are the best. Cute and funny, very social.  If you plan on having either animal in a bedroom remember they are nocturnal and will keep you awake. I don't like hamsters, they are IME bite-y if not worked with regularly... even then  :glare: .

[Lizzie in Ma]

We have had guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets, you name it along with the rest of the menagerie.  My favorite was the little Djungarian hamster, sweet, quiet, friendly, neat, easy to care for.  Adored it.  NOT teddy bear hamsters, those blighters are evil.  Only drawback was they are not long lived.