Need feedback on personal experiences with small pets?

Question

Want to get a small, furry pet. I live in an apt. and don't have a whole lot of free time during the day so was thinking of something other than a dog or cat. Had a hamster once, but it got sick and died a few months later. Still have the cage and stuff though, so i was thinking of getting something along the same line (gerbil, ferret, guinea pig). I would like some feedback on what types there are and some of their characteristics. I've done research so I'm mainly looking for personal experience here. (i.e. which types make good travel companions if necessary, which types tend to be more aggressive (biting) and which seem to have a friendly nature, male or female, which ones have less odor and mess, easy to care for, ect). I don't mind if they're nocturnal, but I .would like to be able to hold it and play with it without being bitten...and would love it if it didn't run away when I got it out. Already have a fairly large hamster cage, but wasn't necessarily wanting another one.

Answer 1

Hello
I would highly recommend a pet rat, female. Having had, bred, and worked professionally with rats, mice, and hamsters I must say that rats have always been my favorite for many reasons.
Rats are much more friendly and cuddly than mice and hamsters, they don’t tend to bite at all (if bought as babies and handled a lot) and can even be trained. I’ve successfully trained my many rats to come to their names, (even from across the room) when set loose, to jump up on things that I ask them to jump on and to stay on my shoulders when I’m out and about. (Unlike hamsters they won’t walk off a perfectly good table or other surface and will easily stay on your shoulder) They don’t get cranky with you if you wake them up in the middle of the day and want to play with them either, mine always jump right up from even a dead sleep and run to me when I open their cage to take them out.
Rats are very friendly and will respond to you in almost the same way a cat or dog would, the plus being that they can be left home alone while you are at work or school all day and won’t hold a grudge ha ha. They come in a variety of colors and types as well.
Both males and females in my experience make good pets though males tend to have a stronger odor and aren’t quiet as easy to train as the females. They can be trained, it just takes a little longer for them to pick up on stuff.
I’ve never been able to train a hamster at all and only managed to get the mice to come when they knew I had food (and very few of them at that).
For my experience, I started work at a pet store for 2 years, then worked for a veterinarian for 6 years and have kept and bred rodents for well over 12 years.
I hope this helps, feel free to e-mail me with any specific questions.

Answer 2

Hi there! It's good that you're researching your possible options before you buy a pet. I recommend getting either a rat or a guinea pig. These two animals rarely bite. Guinea pigs aren't super high on the intelligence scale (although very lovable), but rats are extremely smart and can even be taught tricks! I have never had any of these pets (I have only had a dog, a cat, a hamster, and goldfish as well as tropical fish). I think a rat would probably make a better travel companion than a guinea pig, because guinea pigs make loud noises and require lots of "floor time" and exercise. Also, if you get a rat, I recommend getting a female; an employee of Petco once told me that the females tend to be cuter and have friendlier personalities. If you get a guinea pig, I recommend getting a female, because that way you can get more than one if you ever want to (males do NOT do well in groups). Females tend to be slightly less active and smaller than males (but usually only by about a half a pound). Females also have less strong of an odor. However, if you do decide to get a female, be sure that it isn't pregnant when you adopt/purchase it. But if you take it home with you and later find out that it is pregnant, don't freak out; just contact your local vet and research the topic online. One bonus to getting a rat would be that you wouldn't have to buy a new cage (guinea pigs require lots of space, at least 4 square feet per pig is highly recommended, the bigger the better). Hope my information helped some! Good luck!!! P.S. Have you considered fish? They're not portable, but they are extremely calming, allowed in almost all apartment buildings, very fun to watch, and fairly low-maintenance (excluding all fish requiring a heated tank; don't put yourself through that unless you are willing to commit lots of time to this).

Answer 3

I have two male guinea pigs and a female lionhead rabbit. Since guinea pigs are social animals, esp. if you're not around much, so having two of the same sex is recommended so they don't get lonely. They are wonderful pets, but they take a little more care than most people think. Check out guinealynx.com for care and medical info. on guinea pigs.
My rabbit is a new addition. I've only had her for a month but she's so much fun! She rules the kitchen when we're home and she is in her cage when we are gone. She is trained to only use her cage as a bathroom (which needs to be cleaned a lot, but it's better than her going on the floor!) and she doesn't chew on furniture or anything, so I am pretty lucky. She is very social with us, and lets us pet her and pick her up when she's in the mood.
I hope this helps. Good luck with your pet search!

Answer 4

From my personal experience, ferrets are smelly, crave and require alot of attention (better to just get 2 so they have a playmate) and do bite if they're not tamed at a young age. However, ferrets are incredibly funny and will always brighten your day with their silly antics and can easily travel with you. What about a chinchilla? I've never owned one, but from what I read they should be right up your alley. They are expensive tho.. so I don't know. Whatever small pet you do decide on, just remember to do your research before buying. When i was younger i wanted an iguana so badly that I went ahead and bought one without finding out what exactly they required. After i did some research I found out they are actually quite expensive to care for (building their enclosure and all that) and realized I couldn't care for it so i had to return it.

Answer 5

Rats would be a good choice. They don't smell, and as long as you clean up their cage regularly their cage doesn't, either. I have a room in my house that has a giant rat cage, and 3 hamster cages, and it doesn't smell one bit, because I clean my cages frequently. Keep in mind that rats do require a bit of space, similar to ferret cages, really. You'll need to pay attention to bar spacing, but most cages that work well for ferrets will be great for rats. You do NOT want to keep them in aquariums. Hamsters can be sweet, but they are considerably smaller which can make it hard to handle/pet. Gerbils are nice, a little bigger then hamsters, and they don't pee as much, so their cages stay clean a little longer. However, wheels can squeak, so you'll have to oil them with olive oil, or else get the 'silent spinner' types.

Answer 6

I agree with Tara Lupa. I reckon rats are wicked pets. I have a dog and cat too, but 4 rats and they are easier to look after! Females are the best as they don't smell as much as the boys (you could get the boys desexed, as I got my boys done, and they dont smell at all) and females seem to be more inquisitive. They are easy and cheap to feed, clean their cage every couple of days. The more human contact, the better, they love it. My rats sit on my shoulder quite often. I walk my daughter to school with a rat on my shoulder, or go into town with one sitting there. (and then they decide to go down the front of my shirt is quite amusing when your walking down the main road and people are driving past going "What the hell is that woman doing!?")

You can get different types. Remember that if you do get a rat, they DO NOT like being picked up by the tail, this infact can hurt them very much. Simply slide your hand underneath and pick him/her up gently.

Rats only bite if they are scared, or if your fingers smell like peanut butter, they love the stuff, seriously!

Have fun deciding, good luck!

Answer 7

I reccomend roborowski hamsters, they are like the goldfish of the hamster world. they don't need to be handled they don't bite tho when you do and they are social so if you have a couple they just play together happily all the time. their poop is tiny and they don't smell so in a big house they only need cleanoing out once a fortnight. they are an ideal pet for kids and for adults with only a little amount of time

Answer 8

Guinea pigs are great pets and require little attention. Just make sure it has food, water, and an exercise wheel adn you're good to go. Of course, you would have to pay attention to it from time to time but not much. I had one when I was a teenager and loved it dearly!

Answer 9

I have had my guinea pig for almost 7 years now, and she is one of the best pets that I've ever had. She loves to travel with me, and she is not a biter unless she is getting sick.
She also loves to sit and watch TV with one of my birds and myself.
Guinea pigs definatley have personalities. Any animal is going to have an odor and a mess, so be ready for that, but the personality of my Miss Piggy makes up for it. She has been trained to walk on a leash and harness and she wil folllow me around the house.

Good luck on your decision.

Answer 10

I'd go for a pair of rats. They are very affectionate, love to play, and are pretty low maintenance.