which rodent best for me? - Page 3 - Paw Talk

HamterDudette · #31 11-28-2004, 06:42 PM

cool, thanks.

Padfoot · #32 11-28-2004, 06:51 PM

Well... Apollo, the one that dances, has always been friendly. Afrodita has always been tolerant, and Atenea has never liked being picked up... I really didn't exactly worked with them to make them tame. The others that I have for adoption, and the one I gave my nieces were bred by me, so they were handled since they opened their eyes. I think that age may be an important factor on how tame they are.

Amethystbelle · #33 11-29-2004, 08:48 AM

I've always found the younger the hamster and the more effort i have put into it the better the pet it has made, the hamster i have now Merlyn was a little older when i got him and he's not as tame as some of the others i have had but never bitten me yet and a lovely little soul too!

DragonTamer · #34 11-29-2004, 03:53 PM

well dude.. out of the 10 almost 11 years I've kept rats.. I've had about 60 total (over 70 with the current litter) and only 3 have ever bitten... EVER! and these were mostly rescues!

Honestly... it's VERY rare for a rat to ever bite.. unless something was seriously wrong with them.

As far as exotics go... I've seen some WONDERFUL jirds, completely untamed but didn't bite, didn't run away, didn't anything... very friendly even without being handled from birth.

Amethystbelle · #35 11-30-2004, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DragonTamer


	well dude.. out of the 10 almost 11 years I've kept rats.. I've had about 60 total (over 70 with the current litter) and only 3 have ever bitten... EVER! and these were mostly rescues! Honestly... it's VERY rare for a rat to ever bite.. unless something was seriously wrong with them. As far as exotics go... I've seen some WONDERFUL jirds, completely untamed but didn't bite, didn't run away, didn't anything... very friendly even without being handled from birth.

Very true there about rats, very rare they bite

Oh i love the ratty pictures in your signature especially the middle Christmassy one its very cute

HamterDudette · #36 12-01-2004, 03:13 PM

i'm sorry, i just really don't care for rats very much. it's not like i hate them, but i don't really like them as much as other people.

Amethystbelle · #37 12-02-2004, 10:09 AM

Well everyones different when it comes to pets, you should always gets what makes you happy and what you feel comfy with

Runt · #38 12-19-2004, 08:59 AM

Quote:


	does anybody have experience on dwarf hamsters? i'd really like to know how many people have had dwarves that are actually unfriendly. usually, the only dwarf hamster owners that speak up are the ones with friendly ones because the other people are too embarassed that they didn't get what they hoped for...the ones in the petstore are so cute, i had to consider them!

I have raised over 400 of the dwarf hamsters and yes some do bite and some didn't.No matter how much I interacted with them some would still give a nip if startled.I had a few that were just biters from the time they were born.
The worst biters I ever had was a male I paired with a female.They were both very friendly till the babies came along.Then they got very protective and if I put my hand in the cage to feed here they both came and latch onto my hand.They left it bloody on several occasions.
My grandaughter was always in there with me and she was warned about some of them(those with babies)not to get around them.She was 2 years old and got bit on several occassions but that never stopped her she never feared any of them.
AS far as a good pet in my opinion I know you want color but degus are by far more friendly than a hamster but as with guniea pigs they need space.My grandkids can get any of them out without fear of being bit.
I have never had a rat but have had a few mice when I was younger.So I have no idea about a rat.

HamterDudette · #39 12-19-2004, 09:28 AM

thanks a lot. i really appreciate all your help. i think i might try gerbils next.

DragonTamer · #40 12-19-2004, 12:32 PM

well to each his own.

I will say that as far as rodents go, I've owned in the past and present: mice, rats, gerbils, pygmy mice, egyptian spiny mice, hamsters, russian dwarf hamsters, and a giant african pouched rat. Rats are by far the best pet I've ever had, save my giant african pouched rat. the pouched rat is like a giant, more intelligent and more wild version of a domestic rat.

Gerbils- they're fun... don't seem to bite, but they don't interact much with you. Not saying they don't completely interact, but what little mine did was sort of disappointing. I let my two boys have play time daily in a penned off area on the rug, and they'd come up to me to check me out. They were cool (I got one from a breeder, ,and the other was a rescue, the one from a breeder was definitely MUCH more social and ready to accept being handled than the rescue was).

mice- Cool, the ones from good breeders don't bite and will sit in your hand. Although the only time I've ever had one interact with me, and actually groom me annd constantly beg for time out was the one I hand raised as a baby. they seem rather dim compared to rats (but nowhere near as dim as a hamster or gerbil)

Spiny mice- VERY social and intelligent, but not a domestic animal. Also, unless you have had one since day one and it's been handled since birth, then expect a biter. They bite HARD, too! Otherwise, the rewards they give if properly cared for and handled since birth are wonderful. they will come when called, and will groom your fingers and cuddle.

pygmy mice- ACK no.. with these guys, expect a completely nocturnal mouse that you CAN NOT handle AT ALL without it jumping clean out of a 10 gallon tank and completely disappearing on you. They're VERY very tiny, as well. they're about the size of a normal mouse's HEAD!!! basically a strictly tank pet. you can't even keep them in a wire cage....

hamster- many people say horrible things about hamsters, but the ONE that I had, a syrian hairless, was very friendly. he didn't bite, but he flung poo out of his cage (it was hilarious, LOL!). Not the brightest, either.. he would walk right off of your hand, something I was definitely not used to since I've been a rat and mouse owner MANY MANY years before I got a hamster. maybe other hamsters are different, but I know my dwarf's the same way, except he DOES bite and dig at you.

rats- I recommend to anyone and everyone. it's the closest you'll ever get to a dog in the rodent kingdom. I also love them because, I hate dogs but want a constant companion who's extroardinarily intelligent, cuddles, grooms me and begs to be let out of the cage costantly. My first experience with any rodent was with a rat I bought. I wanted a mouse but they only had rats... a few years later I got two female "retired" feeder breeder mice and was severely disappointed. I just can't be without rats anymore..

giant pouched rat- definitely not for everyone, and illegal now anyway thanks to stupid government laws that MAKE NO SENSE. My boy is VERY cuddly, but only to me. he will churble and chirp at anyone else that goes near him. He licks and kisses and loves being scratched and petted. He's also so intelligent, that it's sometimes scary. He can open his cage door, he goes to the bathroom IN THE TOILET!!!!! He's also litter trained for his cage. Matisse knows his name, heck, he even knows to fiddle with the doorknob to get out of the house... I used to take him on a walk on his leash and harness daily (he loves walks... he follows the trails and walks just like a dog would), and one day when I didn't take him out, I caught him on the ledge of the table, reaching out at the doorknob! Also, they can bite THROUGH wire, concrete, etc. he can be very destructive when he wants his way. he can even bite through a brazil nut in only one chomp.... definitely not for anyone unless you can handle a "tame" exotic animal who you have to lay the rules down for, or else they WILL get their way.

CavyGrl · #41 12-19-2004, 08:23 PM

I think you should get a pair of mice. A 15 Gallon tank will be more than enough and they will have plenty of room to run and play. I got my two male mice from my local humane society. They get along just fine. If you get two males just make sure they are litter mates and then they wont fight. They are really fun to wach when they start to play. The only down side is that they only play late at night. Mine are very friendly. Good Luck

Luciana Mottola · #42 12-19-2004, 09:14 PM

i can't live without rats either

anja92 · #43 12-21-2004, 02:17 PM

Setting the cage size issue aside and if you don't like rats I would say go for a pair of guinea pigs. Our piggy is so sweet we trim her nails bathe her, she NEVER has bitten us once, she is best friends with my pekinese and they lay on the couch together and share celery, they cuddle up and sleep.She has him, so she really doesn't need a guinea friend.She is very inteligent, she squeals when she hears her food bag or my voice saying her name.
you can make your own cage with cheap wood and some wire mesh also pretty cheap.
I had a mouse as a child, he wasn't very affectionate or interested they are fun to look at but not much interaction.
Hope you find your right pet.

ladyfur · #44 12-22-2004, 05:37 AM

i have had 2 teddy bear hamsters.
lily was funny. she'd put her hand on a cat's nose and push. she was totally tame.
nibble was not tame. he was social in that you could give him raisons by hand, but that was it.

i had a guinea pig when i was little. francis was very shy and did not leave her "house" a cut cardboard box on newspaper. even if the box itself was removed to be replaced- she refused to leave the newspaper.
i had porcellus who loved to be brushed while he ate his broccolli. he never bit.
great pet. had black hair that stuck up in every directions, called a rooster.

i had a mouse, sweetheart, at age 7. it bit. my friends adopted it. it lived 3 yrs as a pet and they tamed it.
i had two tiny mice: guenivere and lillian. very very tame. very tiny. did not live a long time.
never bit. played leap mouse over each other on my arm.

had dwarf rabbits... wait, rodents, oops

we have now hambone. he is about 5 wks approx. he bit but it was in a very bad cage he took (we think) several falls in and had bad reaction to aveggie he ate. hes ok now and getting tame again.

so....

there's my take.

100%gerbil · #45 01-04-2005, 10:08 AM

i would suggest gerbils cos they come in lots of different colours most of them on this site:
http://home.wtal.de/ehr/gerbils/colors.htm
and they don't use the toilet alot so their cages can stay clean for up to 2 -3 weeks for me.
They are also VERY friendly cos my gerbils go EVERYWHERE with me eg.shops, park,in my bed etc. They LOVE to get out of their cages and have fun cos otherwise they get bored. They like rats and mice very social so you need more than one.
They rarely bite and if they do it means most of the time that they are really angry or in great pain.