Question about rodent pets?

Question

Which ones bite and shed the least?

Also about how long do they live?

We are thinking of getting one and I was wondering if you have had any good (or bad) experiences with them?

Answer 1

I think that rats make the best pets. They get big so they can be handled. They don't bite if you get them when they are babies and raise them. You can train them to do tricks and other things too. Mine used to ride on my shoulders and in my pockets.

Hamsters, gerbils, and mice can be good if you don't want to do too much with them. Hamsters aren't as bad as gerbils and mice but I've only known these to bite too. Of course if you get them as babies then you can raise them and that may be different.
Prairie dogs are horrible pets, degus fall in the gerbil, mice category in my opinion.

Most rats live 2-3 yrs. They can eat almost anything, but a good diet consist of rat chow blocks and then a mixture of fresh veges and fruits. Corn is fattening so be careful. They usually don't have many health concerns until they get older. Females get mammary tumors commonly. Overall, this would be my first choice of a rodent pet. There is a lot of information out there about the care of a rats as pets.

Answer 2

Rats make great intelligent pets, but only live around 2-4 years. Which is a real shame, because they are about as affectionate as a cat, ferret, or even dog! And by the way, ferrets are NOT rodents. Rodents aren't really shedders, and I've never had one bite me(doesn't mean they can't!). But I had a couple of blue rats, they used to snuggle up and take a nap in my lap. Great animals, really. So sad they get such a bad rep.

Answer 3

Hairless hamsters or rats shed the least for the simple reason that they have no hair :-) Rodents are usually nice to you if you are nice to them but there is always some exceptions. Hamster live about 2 - 2 1/2 years, Rats live 2-3 years

Answer 4

well no matter what all rodents bite. but if you want to own a rodent as a pet then the rat is the best choice. i breed rats and they are the best to have as pets. as long as they are held everyday and all the time. i have had some that bit and that just didn't want to be tamed so i used them to feed to my snakes. i breed all types and colors. i sell them at my garage sales and give the rest to my local pet store. now mice on the other hand can be alittle harder to tame. but they end to bite more and they are faster if they get loose. so the best one to get is a rat. if you do make sure you are able to pick up and that the rat does not run from you when you reach in the cage. rats live to be about 2-4 yrs. good luck in your choice.

Answer 5

Well all rodents bite. But depends on the personality of your rodent. Well rats are intelagent. I believe they live for About 5 years. Though I am not sure. Rodents are very easy to take care of. I have had good experiences with rats, mice, and hamsters. All of my rats, and mice were good and nice. All but one hamster they were good. If you buy one ask the pet store clerk if you can handle the one you want and see if he bites.

Answer 6

Guinea pigs are a excellent choice! I'm pretty sure they live up to eight years and they RARELY bite,also short hair breeds don't really shed alot. We started a whole guinea pig population in our house. First Chocolate mated with Scribbles,then came jumper,thumper,and springy came. Then came snickers,smudge,brownie,vinnilla. Then Springy and Brownie moved over by my grand ma's. Then came the others(they had no names) And then My grandmother bought nicole and then came other no names. Then came more and more and now the only ones that have names (that are at my grand ma's house) are milkshake,springy,brownie,and sabrina. My point is that they make wonderfull pets and they have lots of babbies in order to make happy little colonies. You can just have one ore two or make a whole colonie just make sure you have enough room.

Answer 7

Rats live an average of 2-4 years, and make nice pets. They are very social, and it is best to keep a same sex pair (male or female). Since they are larger, with a body length of about 8 inches (and a hairless tail about the same), they are a easy to handle. With regular handling they become very tame and enjoy human companionship, and they rarely bite. They need time outside of the cage for social interaction and exercise, and can even be taught simple tricks (they have even been compared to dogs in their ability to bond and interact with people). They do need a large cage: a tall cage with at least 24 inches by 36 inches of floor space is recommended. Due to their social nature they need more time and attention than many of the other small rodents, but make rewarding pets.

I had two femal rats they never did bite anyone and were lots of fun to have around. I never thought I would like rats till I got mine. If you do let them run around some please know they chew everything so you will need to always look for them. They will chew electric cords and could get shocked, they can get under a rocker or walked on.

If you decide to go for a rat know they need to go in pairs or they get lonely many breeders will not sell only one rat to a person they sell 2. This is really a must but I am sure you can find a pet store or even breeder who may sale only one but it is not a good idea.
Also some thing to look for if you see one of them loosing weight go to the vet, red tears (looks like blood from the eye area) or even nose then it is a way of them saying they are ill and need a vet.

Rats like any animal will need clean bedding they do not stink as long as you keep the cage clean and you can bath them wiht some baby shampoo but only use warm water on the eyes and head and dry them good.
Food get rat food and they love baby food as a treat really they eat anything..lol.. but rat food must always be present any other food is for a treat one time or two times a week.

And if they get sick and have a hard time breathing you can go in the bathroom run hot water steam the room hold them and give them some chocloate it helps with their breathing.

if you ever need to hand feed one due to illness get a syringe and put baby food in it and feed them this way.

Also the love a box to crawl under a sleep in and things to crawl around on and paly with you do not need a wheel but different toys for them.

They do make great pets I loved mine had them for 3 yrs both just recently passed away and I am going to get two more.

And one more thing males are more clam then females the males loved to be held and will even in time sleep in your arms females are always on the go..lol

good luck in your choice

Answer 8

I used to own a petstore, so I've had bad experiences with all animals. Ferrets are stinky, and sometimes they can get REALLY wild. And they bite. Chinchillas are usually pretty nice, males more than females. But they can be mean, and they have a tendancy to pee on you when they're either extremely relaxed, or scared (don't ask). They are funny with the raisins, though. Rabbits scream when they get scared, and they are very very messy. Mice are very small and poop a lot. Hamsters are usually mean, and they smell. And if you get a long-haired one, and it gets sick, you're stuck cleaning hamster diahrea off of its little butt. And they get sick a lot. Rats smell, but usually you can find a nice one among the bunch. I've known some really mean rats, though. I mean...really mean. Hedgehogs are cool to have around, except they can be mean. And they bite. And they do this weird thing where if they smell somthing they really like, they foam at the mouth. Have I spoiled your appetite for pets? Sorry!

Answer 9

rat or mouse 6-7 yr
hamster. not to young because when they are babies they bite alot. 4-6 yr
gineepigs 6-9
rabbit 8-11 maby more

Answer 10

Rat's and Mice
Very Clean animals and I heard they rarely bite.