Which rodent to get?

13510 Views 71 Replies 27 Participants Last post by Georgia163, May 30, 2008

Nobimon

Discussion Starter · Dec 25, 2007

Hi everybody, my girlfriend is going to college, and she is looking for a new small friend. She's got her own house, so she can have any pet. Anyhow, she doesn't want any pet, she is looking for the "perfect" pet for her. She wants it to be, intelligent, rather small, sociable towards humans and other animals(of the same species), friendly, clean and not smelly

What do you suggest?
Thanks in advance

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VanillaRat

· #2 · Dec 26, 2007

Rat all the way!

Rats are very social (you should keep at least two of the same sex),highly intelligent (they can be trained to do some tricks and learn their name and everything),very clean,very friendly and affectionate and they love to interact with humans.They are alot like little dogs,except you don't have to walk them out in crappy weather!

They are also less likely to bite then a hamster and in my opinion are the best of all small animals.And I have mice,a hamster and rats.Plus I have a guinea pig as well and used to have a gerbil and I definatly say rats top them all...I love all my babies tho!

If you would like to know anything else,just ask me.You can PM me too.

Cazsamps

· #3 · Dec 26, 2007

Yeah i would defo say rat! They tick all the boxes you have mentioned lol. Friendly,sociable(with humans and rats) must be kept in pairs to be fair to them! highly intelligent,groom on average 16 hours a day so very clean lol as long as the cage is kept clean they dont smell and over-all they are just the BEST pet!!
Only thing is once you get rats there is no going back and you will soon want more and more lol xx

Korali

· #4 · Dec 26, 2007

RATS !!!!

Are the best pets ever !!!!

For all the reasons mentioned above, and cuz they are so cuddly adoreable, and loving.

They are great pets, and the time you spend with them will be rewarded !!!

Korali

Kendalle

· #5 · Dec 26, 2007

i agree

VanillaRat

· #6 · Dec 27, 2007

Rats seem to take the cake!!

Binky

· #7 · Dec 27, 2007

I'm going to be different and say a degu. They fit all of the above, but they are trickier than rats. Their diets need to be specific, "they can't have this, this and this, but they can have this...". They're diabetic, so it might just depend on wether your girlfriend would take extra time to make sure they get what they can have and not what could make them sick.

laydeerodentzz

· #8 · Dec 29, 2007

Yep a rat for sure! They are all the things she wants and even more!

petkeeper

· #9 · Jan 6, 2008

I would have to say rat or degu...but if she is looking for the one that smells less degus would be the answer! Female rats smell a lot less than males but they still produce an odor. If you have a male rat neutered it also helps with the smell. I have found degus don't smell at all. Rats I find are a little more social than the degus with their humans, but degus are longer living than a rat. I find rats are to short lived and have more heath issues. These are only my opinions from my personal experience.

VanillaRat

· #10 · Jan 6, 2008

Rats generally should not smell if you keep their cages clean.There may be an odor if you have several in the same room,but generally speaking they should not smell.

Female rats normally have a grape scent,many rat owners find this and when I had females they smelled like grape soda.

petkeeper

· #11 · Jan 7, 2008

I found even with cage cleaning every other day rats still had an odor to their urine. I don't find that with degus...that is all I was stating.

VanillaRat

· #12 · Jan 7, 2008

Oh,it's all good.

Jennicat

· #13 · Jan 7, 2008

Huh, I did not know that about rats... I've got a rattie girl now and I can't smell anything from her! Maybe she'll start smelling like grape soda soon.

VanillaRat

· #14 · Jan 7, 2008

Jennicat said:
Huh, I did not know that about rats... I've got a rattie girl now and I can't smell anything from her! Maybe she'll start smelling like grape soda soon.

Not all rats smell like that apparently.
I have not had a female rat in a long time,I kind of miss girlies...but love my boys.

Check out these links,there is info about their scent.
http://www.ratclub.org/ratcare_getting.htm
http://wererat.net/ratfacts.htm

tiger

· #15 · Jan 8, 2008

I'm going to go with a guinea pig!

While very social like the famed rat mentioned already, guinea pigs really do associate with their owner and will greet with squeaks and playful jumping upon seeing their owner. Plus, giving them floor time to play around freely is fun for all, because they are a little bigger than rats and can roam around more with slightly less worry, and they are a joy to watch!

While not the most intelligent things in the world (rats beat out in this argument!), guinea pigs can be litter trained, and also some simple tricks if trained with treats.

They love to cuddle and are as curious as anything, plus they enjoy (and require!) a salad to complement their pellets and hay, so while making dinner you can toss in lettuce and assorted veggies and watch your bud enjoy it like you!

They aren't smelly, and while they poo a lot, it's little work at all if you've potty trained (and even if you haven't, guinea pigs tend to "do their thing" in corners, so a simple spot cleaning is all you need!) A good rule of thumb for the cage is that there should be 2 square feet of room per pig, but it isn't uncommon to get some Cubes and section of a part of a room, add a pan with some bedding (carefresh, or aspen... no pine or cedar), some toys, and let them roam and have a good time!

I can see that the rats are dominating the conversation, and while they are great pets, I just thought I'd introduce another lil' guy

PM me if you have any more questions about 'em! (I'll leave the rat questions to the experts

)

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VanillaRat

· #16 · Jan 9, 2008

I have both rats and a guinea pig and love them both.I still go with rat tho!

However I do want to add,that guinea pigs are wonderul little guys as well.

tiger

· #17 · Jan 9, 2008

-whispers- had my mom net been terrified of rats, I probably would've had both as well a couple of years ago

Mousey

· #18 · Jan 10, 2008

I'd get a rat. They are pretty cool and don't bite as much as hamsters or mice. None of mine have ever bitten me. Rat's can actually learn tricks and to come to their name or for a treat.

LongClaws

· #19 · Jan 10, 2008

I HIGHLY recommend a chinchilla. They're the most loving and sociable animals I've ever had. they have no sent, and require little maintenance. It's like having a puppy 24/7 (except chinchillas will only pee in their cage) Plus they'll get excited and bark, wag their tails, and run over to you when you come near their cage.

imperfection

· #20 · Jan 17, 2008

Mice! Mice are small, sociable, friendly, sweet, amusing, smart... Mice greet you when you get home, don't smell, easy to care for... They are gorgeous. <3 I got my first when I was young, two females. They came to me when I called, they fell asleep in my hands, they even went SWIMMING with me... they're gorgeous animals! If you want to know more about mice, mail me. ^^

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