Best Pet Rodent?

[Dannikins]

What do you think is the best pet rodent and why? A list of pro's and con's would be very helpful!

Dannikins x

[charmedjames]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dannikins What do you think is the best pet rodent and why? A list of pro's and con's would be very helpful! Dannikins x

A rat.
the smart! cute! easy! and it will love you for all its life if you love it too!
so a rat all the way for me!
(when i went to the pet shop yesterday i was so tempted to get another rat iv had (3) up to now. but i wanted to get a syrian hamster cos iv never had one. but next time its gonna be another that i think.
oh and a rat doesnt bite well none of mine did!

[Jess]

I like guinea pigs.

[charmedjames]

i love rats there so clever and cuddly !

[Jess]

Oops, forgot the pros and cons!

+ Snuggly
+ Dont bite often
+ Very sweet and loving
+ Acually enjoy being held
+ Live longer than rats, mice, hamsters, ect.
+ Dont smell

- Cage should be fairly large and takes up alot of space
- Can get sick easily

[charmedjames]

rats!
+tame
+love bein handled
+love playing with you
+make good mothers(if you want to breed!)
+cute
+very clean

-need a big cage!
(in my experience)

[Binky]

I don't know. It all depends, really. Talking on my personal refrence, I'd say Degus. But as in for a small child, not one that's squirmy, etc.

Pro:
-Very friendly.
-Live very long. Longest I've ever read was almost 11 years.
-Follow you around. (My adult male only does that though, so it might just be him. Not all Degus..?)
-Talkative! Many cute noises. xD
-Can adapt to any sleeping habbit. Aren't nocturnal, but can become one if living near a nocturnal animal.
-Squishy! xD Atleast mine are. Bonzi likes when I poke his belly.
-Don't smell bad.
-Take dust baths.

Con:
-Live in groups. Not really a con in my opinion, but some people can't have more than one, so bad for them.
-Diabetic
-Need a large space to live in.

[Skratikans]

well i have guinea pigs, rats, mice, and hamsters, so i will just name the pros and cons of each

rats make great pets, they are very interactive with their owners, play with them, lick them, run to them with or without their named being called, seem to like their owners
the cons with rats is that they will pee mark everywhere and on occasion, for me anyway, they will find a spot and chew it although, me again, they seem to seldom do mostly prefer balsa wood

mice are also great pets...they cant jump from place to place so you can raise them on a desk and you can easily place things out of reach for them (unlike rats..bc they are so crafty)..with a lot of attention they can walk to your hand and eat food from it...they can know a schedule and when called they can peek out of their home to ask for food...have personality and interact with each other at night so you can view their antics
the cons of mice is that they dont live long, are susceptible to tumors, and unneutered males have a hard time getting along and have powerful smells

hamsters make great pets they love to roam around , you can even let them free roam a floor (provided there are no holes it could escape to like the floor ventilation or no wires, as with all rodents, to chew)
different hamsters even syrians have diff personalities so your experience will depend on what personality you got, i have experienced all the realms of this, some pee everywhere others are so clean you just clean a bathroom designated area...some chew a lot, others chew only their food...so these are pros and cons...just be aware that just bc your hamster doesnt chew now doesnt mean it wont chew 6wks down the road...also they really do need a lot of space bc they naturally forage for food in the night and can travel up to 8 miles doing it, so its unhealthy to keep it pent up in a small cage all day with no mental stimulation...frequent nightly walks and free roam time is a must if you cant at least dedicate an hr each day (that is night dont bother them in the day bc they get nippy and stress easily; they are nocturnal creatures afterall), dont get one bc you are doing a disfavor to it

and lastly guinea pigs...so far they are ok
cons: they pee and poop were they stand (its VERY rare to hear of potty trained ones) and it smells a lot so you must clean very often to maintain a descent sanitary environment for them, they are shy by nature since they are hunted by many predators in the wild, if you grab them quickly or in a way that would freak them out they will nip (this is true for any animal though), it may take mnths and mnths for them to trust you (even a yr), they wont necessarily some to you, they may tolerate you petting them once you have them

pros: they squeal and make all kinds of noise, very verbal, beg for food, associate certain noises with food, with trust and lots of food will interact will you to a pt

[mtmaughan]

Holla for the rats!

Rats make excellent pets. They can bond very strongly to people, and RARELY bite. I say this about well socialized rats, though, don't think you can get one from the pet store full grown and he'll love you. Also understand that they might nip you, but nipping is completely different from biting, and is often unintentional.

Rats are smart and love to cuddle. However, they are prone to respiratory problems, and vet bills can start to add up.

[VanillaRat]

RATS!

Rats are friendly and affectionate.They bond with their people and are very clean.They are also VERY smart and can learn things like their name,coming when called,"dancing" - my old girl would "dance" for cookies...etc.They are like little dogs,except on rainy days you don't have to take them outside to do their buisness.They are also very rare to bite...I mean less likely to bite then a hammie.

Cons are:they need large cages (this may not be a con to everyone,but I talked to many people who wanted a rat,but couldn't afford large cages),vet bills can be high (females are prone to tumors and all rats are prone to RI's/myco) and they only live between 2-4 yrs.

I cannot imagine life without a rat tho.

[Animalgal]

I simply adore all rodents. So, here yahh go.

Degu

Pros:
Don't smell
Aren't nocturnal, but can become!:
Very nice and don't bite often (unless you just met Mrs. Baby!)
Have orange teeth (Okay don't know why thats a pro..but..hah!)
Are pudgy and fat and are squishable.
They are very loving
Are friendly. (well most of the time, I think, atleast Binky's are. and Yashia is.)

Cons:
Like to have another friend in the cage (most of the time depending on personalitiy.)
Need lotsa space
are diabetic
and thats it! I think....:

Hamsters

Pros:
Hamsters are cuddly, cute and loveable.
Nocturnal. (It's good if you get home from school at 3 or so.)
Very squishiable.
Come in all sorts of species, sizes, and colors.
Only need a medium inclosure. (depending on species.)
Can grow strong bonds on you.
Can be house trained.
are very nosey.
Have long whiskers (I don't know, I like them)

Cons:
Can get sick by alot of things. (such as pine and ceder bedding, rotten food, ect.)
Are color blind
Are a bit blind
Can bite.

(will finish later)

[Amethystbelle]

Its Degus for me

Pros

* They live quite a long time anything upto 10 years sometimes older but usually the average is 6-8 years which for a small rodent is a long time.

* They are clean and omit little to no odour.

* They are diurnal and are up and about in the day.

* They are relatively easy to handle.

* They don't require a special diet, only one that is low in sugar to prevent them becoming diabetic as they can't process sugars.

* Friendly

* Unique, every degu is different and has its own personality.

* Talkative

* Mischievous

* Funny

* Loving

The list goes on and on for me.....

Cons

Non aside from the fact that when they pass on its so hard as you become so attached to them