I have had gerbils recommended to me but was told to buy 2.
Thoughts please
2007-03-19 03:55:00 · 28 answers · asked by ? 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
Gerbils are lovely for any age yes buy two
2007-03-19 03:57:12 · answer #1 · answered by Dilili 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gerbils were my first pet at the age of 5. I had 2 males and they were very good pets. After them I got a female teddy bear hamster who was also a nice pet. I think a better choice for his age would be something like a guinea pig. They're a bit larger, more of a companion than something that just sits in a cage, and you don't have to worry too much about it getting away from you and squeezing under small cracks or down vents. Plus guinea pigs live longer than small rodents. Hope this helps.
2007-03-19 04:01:48 · answer #2 · answered by dolfingrrl928 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would say start off with a pair of gerbils. Try the breeder listing on www.agsgerbils.org and get two tame and friendly babies.
Gerbils are alot of fun, inexpensive, and really easy to care for. They are desert animals so they only need a cage cleaning every two weeks. And they are thrilled with the simpliest gift -- like a cardboard paper towel roll. They are not going to get upset like rats or a rabbit if you can't take them out every day. They love to come out, but are not needy animals and are happy playing with each other in their cage if they have wooden toys to climb and cardboard to gnaw. They will live 3 1/2 years.
Make sure you or an adult in the house checks on the gerbils every day to see that they being cared for.
If your brother is attentive with the gerbils and takes them out every day for long periods of time a pair of rats would be a great next pet.
PS - Someone said you cannot tell the gender of gerbils. This is not true, here is a site that shows you how:
http://www.gerbils.co.uk/gerbils/gender.htm
Not all pet store workers know the difference so make sure to check the gerbils yourself and get two girls or two boys.
2007-03-19 06:58:39 · answer #3 · answered by ABC Gerbils 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes with gerbils,rats and mice you need 2 of the same sex-same goes for rabbits and guinea pigs.
A syrian hamster can be kept alone but they are a bit less friendly than the more social species.
2007-03-19 06:39:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We had a variety of rodents for our two kids. We had two guinea pigs, two rats, gerbils and hamsters.
The one thing I would recommend is not to buy two of the latter as they will breed faster than you can change their litter and you'll be stuck getting rid of the off springs and one of the partners. There is no sure way of making sure you have two of the same sex.
Rats are great because you can train them to do tricks but they're prone to tumors which will shorten their sweet lives.
Guinea pigs are great to have but can be skittish at first. As much handling as possible will calm them down to the point that they'll love to be carried around and played with.
I agree with everyone who recommend getting two. They'll keep each other company. My daughter's guinea pigs lived till the ripe old age of 6.
2007-03-19 05:12:22 · answer #5 · answered by kissmystarfishpucker 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gerbils do need to be in pairs. Hamsters need to be alone. Rats make excellent pets - my sons had all these pets when younger, but rats were best. Clean, intelligent, easy to feed, friendly. You must make sure to have a large enough cage, plenty of things for the rat to play with
2007-03-20 12:01:56 · answer #6 · answered by CatWoman1 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I reccomend a rat or a dwarf hamster.
Rats do well in pairs or small groups, since they are very social creatures. Rats are very clean and spend lots of time grooming themselves. They are very smart and can be trained to do tricks. They make good companions for people and often have a dog-like personality. It is best to get a rat from a reputable breeder, but if you must buy it from a pet store, check for signs of common illnesses, such as respiratory infections.
Dwarf hamsters do very well without cagemate. In my experience it seems they behave more when handled, compared to some other hamsters. They are one of the smallest rodents kept as pets, so you don't need a huge cage and the cage wil require cleaning less often. Again, if you get it from a petstore, check for common signs of hamster illness, such as wet tail.
2007-03-19 05:27:36 · answer #7 · answered by marina 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should buy a guinea pig. They're super friendly and live longer than most rodents. You should buy two guinea pigs though for they won't get lonley. They're social animals and could die of lonlieness. If you're sad they have a way of making you feel better. You can look up guinea pigs online for more info on them.
2007-03-19 04:21:59 · answer #8 · answered by Emma 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In my experience gerbils and hamsters both bite. We have 3 rats and they are so cool. You can train them to do tricks and use a litter box (if you have the patience). I would get 2 however, they can get bored and 2 would occupy each other. It doesn't cost much more to have the second one, maybe a slightly bigger cage.
2007-03-19 03:59:43 · answer #9 · answered by mom of 2 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Rats are to most friendly-est social rodent when treated in the correct manner (just like all animals).
They love human contact, and do some quite cool stuff!
2007-03-19 03:59:38 · answer #10 · answered by Minxy m 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋