[Vladina]

Hi Jimmie and welcome to the forum!
There are lots of friendly and helpful people on this forum who have been here a long time. Sometimes it just takes a day or a few days for people to see new posts and respond, so please don't take it personally. All rat and mouse lovers are welcome here. :wave:

Rats and mice are wonderful and it was so touching to see that you fell in love with that beautiful little mouse you found in your kitchen. These little guys can steal your heart very quickly, I know!

There are so many little differences between keeping pet mice and pet rats that it would take a very long post to go over them, but a good starting point would be to do as much internet (or books!) research as possible about those differences. I do know that rats tend to be much more interactive and affectionate with their people than mice, but there are also mice lovers here who probably have great stories about their affectionate mice so I won't label all mice as non-interactive or I will get in trouble!

I LOVE rats. They are so intelligent, personable, loving and affectionate. I have had gerbils (which I also am very fond of!) and rats. I have not yet had mice, but hopefully you will get some great tips and opinions on them on this forum. Hope you decide to stick around. What happened to your beautiful little mouse that passed away? Do you know? Was she injured or sick? I am so sorry. I know how special our furry little babies are to us, believe me. We all love them so much here. Welcome again, and hope to talk again soon.

 

[Vladina]

Hi Jimmie,
Sorry about my question...I had just posted about why she died and I did not see the original information about the poison in the attic. I am sure the others were right when they said it just worked its way through Zoe's system like the others. I am very sorry.
Breyer's post nailed it about rats and mice. Great post Breyer, I could not have said it better myself. Rats ARE like little dogs..they actively crave your company and companionship. I really think you would just fall in love with a pair of girls or boys. Boys tend to be more like lap pets, lazier, more cuddly and very content to be held and petted and stroked. Girl ratties are more active and love to run around more and investigate things. So if you and your girlfriend would love a lil furry to cuddle and hang out with you, boys tend to be that way more than girls. There are always exceptions though!