What kind of small furry pet should i get?

Question

i really want a pet this christmas and im deciding what kind of pet i should get... i was thinking about a guinea pig but alot of people say they smell bad.. alot of people also say rats are nice pets to have.. i dont know about a hamster.. plz give me advice and tell me why you reccomend that pet

Answer 1

RATS are awesome!!

The only thing I say is whether you get a rat or not, research the animal before you get it.

'Some' important rat stuff...

-If you're looking into buying a pet rat, you MUST be willing to buy it a same sex friend. Rats are extremely social and need to be with it's own kind. Your rat can become very neurotic without a friend.
-Do not use cedar or pine shavings, it will damage any small animals lungs.
-You must be willing to buy the rats a decent size cage, I suggest http://martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/ for good rat cages, bigger is always better.

( I can't believe how many people go and put their rat(s) in a 10 gallon tank or some of those hamster cages. :[ )

These are some of the things I can think about off the top of my head. Sorry If that can off kind of mean. I just thought I'd let you know just in case you do get a rat. I mean, if your looking for a cheap 'rodent type animal' then I suggest getting a hamster or a mouse, but if you don't mind spending a little bit of money.. rats are the perfect animal. They cuddle, play, you can teach them tricks, and mine come to their names. Rats are extremely intelligent and make wonderful pets.
The only thing is that these aren't animals you can't just give food and water daily and then forget about them, they need attention.

If you already knew this, (cause some of this is just common sense) then sorry to waste your time.

Good luck!

Answer 2

It is very difficult to look after a small animal when you never see it, and if you never have time to spend with it it may be better if you do not get a pet. It is not fair on any pet to be stuck in a cage their whole lives, and many pets have been known to become untame due to their lack of handling. If you were stuck in your bedroom all day and maybe allowed out for an hour a day, would you be happy? What is the pet supposed to do while you are gone? Maybe it would be better if you did not get a pet until you are ready to handle it more often. If you just had school, maybe that would be OK, but since you also have band practice most days it would simply be unfair. When you have more time, maybe then you can consider getting a pet. Animals have feelings, so is it alright just to leave it stuck in a cage most of it's life?

Answer 3

All rodents have a distinctive odor. So do dogs. So do cats. So do people, for that matter. The right pet is going to be different for everyone. There are a lot of things to consider. How much space do you have to commit to a pet? A larger pet will obviously require more space. How much time can you spend with your pet? The more time you spend with it, the happier it will generally be. Also, most rodents only live about 2 - 3 years. Is this something you're going to be ok with? Lastly, rodents urinate. ALL THE TIME. Their bedding has to be changed at least once a week, they must have ample ventilation, and they cannot have scented wood chips. (They have tender respiratory systems.)
All of that being said, I would recommend a guinnea pig or a rat. Both will get to know you and your scent and - depending on how you treat it - will enjoy your company. Guinnea pigs have actually been know to greet their owners with squealing.
I kept rats for about 7 years, and it was wonderful. I stopped keeping them because having to bury one every couple of years was too difficult for me.

Answer 4

Pet...

This is a nice way to get rid of stress. But sometimes it can give you stress also. LOL. If you want rats, hamsters, rodents and anything within this family make sure you have an open space. Why? Because these emits odor if not well taken cared of.

If you have ample of time to really take care of your pet. Then you can have any of these but the one that seems to be the cutest are hamsters since rats or rodents are known to spread deadly diseases. Make sure you ask a specialist or someone with experience about its maintenance, food and the likes,

Now, if you don't have the time to take care of your pets you can get a fish, lizard and the likes. Since these are pets who don't usually consume most of your time and at the same time looks good in you bedroom or living room.

Hope this helped you. Good luck in finding a new pet. :)

Answer 5

I wouldnt recommend a hamster - they sleep during the day and are up at night - you wouldnt have any fun with them. Guinea pigs are cute and so are rabbits and of course they smell because they live off of pine shavings, its a bad combo. Rats are the most amazing pocket pets you can get. They can be trained, theyre very social, rarely bite and can be affectionate. (Keep in mind they only live 2-3 years though) but its worth it. Rabbits can be litter trained like cats so that could be an option for you, they usually love to be 10 years old. If you get a guinea pig, just remember that they have a vitamin c difiecieny so you have to supplement their diet (most diets contain vitamin C) but its always nice to give them extra - also with guinea pigs, if you get more than 1 make sure you dont house a male and female together. After a certain age, if the female gets pregant she can die due to her pelvis being to small to carry the baby...
all in all i would rank the pets in this order
1 - rats
2- rabbits
3-guinea pigs
4- hamster

goodluck

Answer 6

I don't know why people go on about guinea pigs being smelly. All i can say is that the people that say this don't clean theirs out enough!. If the cage is spot cleaned each day and thoroughly cleaned 2-3 times per week then you won't have the problem and trust me if mine smelt in the slightest i would not be able to stand it!.. Guinea pigs make great first pets they interact with you and get to know their routine. Whatever pet you decide on then i suggest you wait till after christmas to give you time to research them a little. This way you will get the most enjoyment from them when you can be sure they are getting all the nutrition and care they need. good luck.

Answer 7

To be totally honest, unless you're wanting a HUGE responsibility - I wouldn't get a rabbit.

They require more care and attention than a cat or dog, easily. And they live for an average of 7 years! If thinking of a rabbit - look into it VERY VERY muchso before buying.

(I know from experience with somewhat impulse rabbit-buying...I love him but...ugh).

Hamsters are pretty cool if you pick the right one. They can grow very attached to you, and although they are nocturnal - they are generally awake/very active in the evening...which works well if you have work or school. They can be quite friendly, and aren't too bad for stink/cleaning.

Mice are stinky. And you pretty much have to get more than one...then there's the chance they are opposite sex, then there's pregnancy and babies to worry about ...etc. etc. They are also small and quick and skittish creatures who won't ever get anywhere near as tame as a hamster or gerbil or rat might.

Gerbils are very cool pets. In my experience, much smarter than hamster, as well as cleaner/less stinky. Mine grew quite attached to me (although, so did my last hamster). Smart, cool, fun to watch, cute. Etc. I am a fan of gerbils.

Rats I would recommend. I've never had one myself, but I was gearing up to get one. I was asking everyone in the world which new small pet to get, same as you are, and all the answers were a rat. I did months worth of research on them, and they are the smartest, one of the longer-lived rodents, who aren't too smelly, and are big (and therefore easier to find if they get away! haha). They also are trainable. Not only to not run away from you, but to do actual tricks. How cool is that!? Just make sure you do your research, as they have sensitive respiratory systems and general body systems...so there are some do's and don'ts you have to follow.

Rabbits (which is why I ended up not getting a rat or two...) are a huge huge HUGE responsibility. You have to have them out of their cage for at LEAST a couple hours EVERY day. This means you have to be there to supervise, and you have to rabbit-proof your home. This also means cleaning up poo and the stinkiest pee ever (until it's littertrained). The cage also has to be giant, so it takes up more space. They also should always be spayed or neutered, and are prone to a lot of health problems and such, and need to see a vet regularly (just like a cat or dog). They are a LONG term commitment, as well (can live to like, 15 years or something, average around 7...just like getting a cat or dog). You also have to change their litter box in their cage at least twice a day to keep it from stinking. They also need constant social contact. That all being said - they are also a really unique and interesting pet to have, and have a lot of really great qualities you won't find in any other pet.

Anddd that's the extent of the rodents I know enough about to give you information on. Good luck on your decision, and whatever you do - make sure you READ READ READ on the animal you decide to get BEFORE getting it!

Answer 8

Hamsters are great, because their cages only have to be cleaned once a week, they're very sanitary animals,and they only need to be fed once per day. They are nocturnal, and mine has sometimes kept me awake at night. However, you can put them in another room and they won't bother you a bit. The dwarf hamster is smaller than the average hamster, very active, sometimes aggressive, and typically have a smaller life than some hamsters. The Teddy Bear hamster is regular size, less active than some hamsters(they're still very energetic), non-aggressive, and have the average life span at about 2-3 years.
Good Luck! I hope you will enjoy whatever pet you have chosen as much as I enjoy mine.

Answer 9

I was wondering the same thing myself. I wanted something easy to take care of and something contained. Eventually, I decided on a cat. It has all of the above, and doesn't mind being alone while I'm at work, plus a litter box is really easier to clean than a cage.
But, if you are determined to get a rodent, rats are pretty cool and also smart.

Answer 10

A small furry ANYTHING is gonna smell bad eventually.... You have to change the cage regular, but the COOLEST small furry anything is a RAT!!!!!
They are smart, and really cool to have as pets! Also, they eat anything, and they are really easy to take care of!