I want a small Pet. What is the best choice?

Question

i'm getting a pet. And I kinda want a rodent but i've heard that their ferocious. is this true? I love rats... ive never had one but are they good pets? Whats the perfect SMALL pet?

Answer 1

Rats are great, they are much more social than other rodents. Hamsters for example would be perfectly fine left alone, but rats crave attention and interaction. They are much more active and even fun to watch run around, and smart to boot!

Answer 2

Hi, not all rodents are ferocious at all, I have had experience with many different rodents and yes a few have been a bit aggressive and so on but that's just that one pets personality its not like every animal in that species will be like that, I have also had experience with heaps of kind and sweet rodents.
If you love rats and know you are responsible enough to care for one and know all the requirements then that would be a fine choice for you as you are looking for a small pet, one thing about a rat is, is they require a lot more attention then say a mouse which is also a small pet and a rodent, I have two mice and they make fantastic pets! Inexpensive, cute, fun, easy to care for and most will not be ferocious at all (rats that come from a pet shop tend to be a bit more aggressive towards humans then mice from a pet shop) despite how easy and cheap mice are to care for most people agree that rats make a better pet all up because they can come out more and will want interaction with you a lot more then a mouse. There's always something like a hamster but I haven't had as much experience with those and I don't think they are quite as good a pet as a rat or a mouse.
I hope I helped!
Good luck!
Here is a couple of sites on rodents to help you make your decision:
http://www.petalia.com.au/Templates/StoryTemplate_Process.cfm?specie=Small_Pets&story_no=107
http://exoticpets.about.com/od/rodents/Chinchillas_Degus_Flying_Squirrels_Prairie_Dogs_and_other_Rodents.htm

Answer 3

No, rodents aren't ferocious. A few individuals may be bad-tempered, but no domesticated rodent could be considered ferocious.

I'd say that rats are the best, but they should be kept in large cages (and a pair of rats is better than a single rat).
Guinea pigs and gerbils are also good; although guinea pigs require lots of space and floortime.
Hamsters are a good choice if you want a low-maintenance pet that doesn't require too much space.
Mice are a little skittish, and smell pretty bad, but can make good pets too if properly tamed =).

@kyyyyy: Nah, most rats love to be held (and some also enjoy being massaged and stroked ^^). Just about every rodent can eventually grow to like being pet and held.

Answer 4

Good choice on rats! They're the small animal world's best kept secret!

Wild rats can indeed be ferocious. I was bit by one TWICE while I was sleeping (on the first bite I dreamed I was caught on a Brier. However, when I finally live trapped the little bastard, lunging and screaming at me throught he cage, I noticed that he had a huge wound on his tail. He'd gotten in through an open window next to my domestic rat's cage and she'd torn him a new one while the cat slept. VIVA GUARD RAT.

I've also raised a wild cotton rat from 2 weeks old, she's as tame as a domestic mouse. The roof rats I raised from 2 weeks were pretty jumpy, but I only raised them up to solid foods, then they went back with their finder (is that a word? oh well...)

Rats are social creatures, and if you have the time to spend, you can just get one. One rat will bond to YOU. Two or more will bond with each other, which is ok if you don't have as much time as you'd like. However, there's something special about a rat solely being interested in you. My Brisby was a solo rat for about a year, which is why she follows me around like a puppy, lets me pet and love on her as much as I want, is never intimidated by new surroundings, and always wants to know what I'm doing. I'm even having problems confining her to a play area! She gets out and comes to find us ANYWHERE in the house, first thing. She gets depressed if I can't take her out.

If you choose to get a rat, look up local breeders and rescues first. Pet stores get their animals from questionable resources/mills. Even if the animal is healthy, its no guarantee of the breeding/hygene/social circumstances that it was born into. I'm not saying that you shouldn't buy one from a pet store, just be aware that there can be predisposed health and behavioral problems. Anybody can put a male and female rat together, but breeders put extra time and effort into rearing healthy, social animals. Ideally a rat should be held/played with from the time its eyes are open, and a ratmill breeder can't do that.

You can also contact breeders about any rescues they might have on hand. They might not have the genetic guarantee, but being in the care of a breeder, you knw they've been pamperd and played with. All of my current girls are rescues that I found myself. Two were from pet stores that were going to close, one has a misfigured tail, and one (cotton rat) was found wild as a baby. They would've been snake food or euthanized.

When it comes to breed, nearly all domestic rats are the same. The differences you see are due to breeding and genetics. Dumbo ears, for example, are a recessive gene.

Rats are very understated, loyal, loving creatures. They're so easy to take care of and its hard to believe that so much personality can fit into such a little body. They're like a living beanbag that wants nothing more than to be played with.

Answer 5

i don't think there is a perfect small pet but there are a lot of good ones. for example a hamster can be a good one or a chinchilla is a good one also. a rat can be a good one too or a gerbil. i think a ferret is a great pet cuz i got one it's not really small but it can live in a cage. the pet that i would suggest the most is a ferret because it is a little big but you can play and cuddle with it more than the other ones but it can be a little more work but i think it's worth it

Answer 6

I work in a pet store & have found the rats to be clean & friendly. I've never seen any aggression from them, the females might be better. I also like the white mice but they smell a lot worse. I would much prefer a rat over a hamster, any day. Ferrets are also great but you need to commit to keeping their cage & litterbox very clean and bathe them about every 2 weeks as they do have a natural musky smell. If you get one, make sure they have been neutered/spayed and descented. Visit a pet store where you can handle the animals before you make your decision.

Answer 7

Rodents aren't ferocious at all.
Unless your mean to it, or it's been treated bad. Or if it just has a mean personality.

I wouldn't know about rats, as there are none in Alberta.

But I'd suggest a hamster, chinchilla, guinea pig or gerbil.

If you're going to get a guinea pig, tough, you'll need to get it a friend, or spend a lot of time with it. Guineas are very social.

Hamsters don't need attention 24/7, and don't need hamster friends. Hell, DON'T give it a friend. It could end badly.

No idea about chinchillas or gerbils, though.

But I hear chinchillas are quite smart as far as rodents go. and are pretty sociable.

Answer 8

My favorite by far was a guinea pig. Its kind of like a small dog because of its personality and how you can relate to it. Unlike a rat or mouse or other little pets the actually enjoy being petted and held...well not always held. I had 6 of them and none of which were ferocious.

Answer 9

I dont think rodents are really ferocious. I think they're sweet. And yes i think rats are awesome too :D Umm.. maybe you could get some type of animal like some kinda reptile [like a turtle] or anything low maintanice [like a fish, turtle, hamsters <
Good luck finding a good pet for you(:
Gina<333

Answer 10

I have a rat and they are really good pets. They're cute, intelligent and social. I love my pet rat. I think a rat is the perfect small pet. And plus he's never bit me.