Which "Pocket Pet" is best?

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I've had 2 different rats as pets. My female was wonderful, my male bit. If you want a true "pocket pet" get a flying squirrel.

 

[danielle82]

they sell flying squirrels as pets? do they fly at your face

 

[debilorrah]

Rats are, as many have mentioned, friendly, cuddly and they don't bite. Hamsters bite, period. Ferrets DO stink, and they are a high maintenance animal. They need their person around 24/7, they are thieves, practical jokers and anything you are missing is bound to be in a pile somwhere in your house that you haven't looked yet. I had two ferrets, Fred and Ethel, that loved to steal my hair stuff. Curling irons, flat irons, hair ties, barrets. It was awful!!!!

 

[sheila3935]

Rats diffently. DD has 18. They are so sweet and smart. They love treats and give little rattie kisses. The girls are prone to mammary tumors. My DD has mostly boys. Her two girls on has a hugh tumor that she had removed once but has come back and vet says as long as her quality of life is good leave it til time to put her down the other died of mammary cancer. Hairless rats are neat looking but not very hardy. Prone to pneumonia. The only time we have been bit is when one gets a little crazy over treats.

 

[bagendhens]

So I am looking for something that is really friendly, loves to be held and won't bite. And also something that isn't smelly/dirty, or too expensive.

Which one suites me best?

Hamster
Rat
Guinea Pig
Ferret
Mouse

well given the list
the only small animal ive ever had draw blood is a hamster...ive never met a hamster that didnt bite, and being that hamsters are solitary creatures while many will let you hold them i cant say they "love" to be held.

ferrets...ive never met one that sits still ong enough to be held, and they tend to be nippy (ferrets play ROUGH) and no matter how much you clean their cage even decented ferts have a very...unique...odor...
also a ferret is anything but cheap...
most feerets come from mass breeders and are highly prone to adreanal and pancreatic issues, not to mention the cost of a cage large enough and getting 2 as they are highly social...

so that leaves guinea pigs, rats and mice.

my only experience with guinnea pigs is limited, but from my experience while typically sweet they are prey animals and not secure with being picked up all the time...


mice can be sweet and very inteligent but they are fast and squirmy and never still...

somy suggestion...
Rats! get 2 of the same sex, and given your looking for cuddle bugs, get 2 males...(males are typically much more lad back and frankly lazy, while females are curious and active) rats are very inteligent, very social, diurnal, and truly do develop storng bonds to their people.
ive personally had over 20 rats in my life time and never had one biter...even a couple of unsocilized feeder rescues while skittish and scared at first never attempted more than a nibble (and that was because id been handling food and forgot to wash my hands) my males loved to hang out in pockets, sleeves and hoodies, and my females loved to learn tricks like tightroap walking and such.

they do need a LARGE cage considering thier size (check out martins cages) but other than that they are relitivly inexpensive pets.
the only downside i can see to rats is that they simply dont live long enough, ive had rats surpass 5 years and its still not long enough

 

[Chiko]

Rats are super cute and easy!! I would get one. Hamsters are nocturnal and are mean during the day, Rats are perfect! Rarely bite, love being carried and love to explore.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Given your requirements, don't get a ferret. They have a natural musky odor to them which most people find quite stinky (I know I do). They are very expensive. Not only is the initial cost to buy one is more than any of the other animals you've mentioned, but they also need annual vet visits and shots like a dog or cat, become obstructed (which requires surgery) at the drop of a hat (I swear, ferrets get obstructed by hairballs...and that's not taking into account their penchant for eating things like small pieces of rubber), and are extremely prone to developing insulinoma and adrenal disease (both of which are chronic diseases which are not particularly cheap to treat). And they do tend to be nippy. At work, we always say "never trust a ferret" because the minute you do you get bit (sometimes in the face!). That's not to say that all ferrets go around biting all the time, but of the animals you've listed they are probably the most likely to bite (well, maybe second most likely). They can make good pets for the right person, but inexpensive and odor-free they are not.

I probably wouldn't recommend hamsters to you either. I can't say that any of the ones I've met have really truly enjoyed being held. And hamsters are probably the most likely on your list to bite. Not to say all will bite, I had an awesome hamster when I was a kid that as far as I remember only ever bit one person and that was because the little brat was tossing her into the air. They aren't expensive at all, unless they have to go to the vet for some reason and even then they don't come anywhere near being as expensive as a ferret, cat, or dog. They can stink however. They are desert animals and concentrate their urine very well...and concentrated urine has a strong odor to it.

You probably wouldn't be all that happy with mice either. The males smell pretty bad, and while you can get mice used to being handled they are not a pet that naturally loves being held. They do best in small groups as they are very social animals. And while I wouldn't say they are really nippy (certainly less nippy than hamsters) they can be a little nippy if they are not used to being handled.

Guinea pigs I really like. I think they make great pets. I don't know that I'd say they love being held, but they certainly do enjoy interacting with their owners. They are easy to care for and inexpensive, unless they have chronic tooth issues. Guinea pigs (and rabbits and chinchillas) can have molar malocclusion which can cause their cheek teeth to become overgrown, often creating sharp points that can lacerate their cheeks and even entrap the tongue making it impossible for the animal to swallow. If that happens, they will need regular vet visits to have the teeth filed down under anesthesia. Fortunately, most guinea pigs are not prone to this problem. They are generally docile and rarely bite. I personally don't think they smell as long as you keep the cage cleaned, although I have met some people who do.

Rats are probably ideal for you. They are extremely interactive and love love love attention from their owners. They enjoy being held and carried on your shoulder and will run to the cage door to greet you. And I have never been bitten by a rat. Not when I was handling huge, unsocialized feeder males who squeaked in terror when I picked them up when I worked in a pet store and not even when I had to hold a rat with a tail injury down while the vet debrided the wound and bandaged it (it was clearly very painful for the poor rat). Rats certainly can bite, but I'd say they are the least likely of all the small pets to do so. If you do get rats, get more than one. I started out with one rat. I rescued her from the local vet tech program (she would have been euthanized otherwise) and for a few weeks it was just her. She seemed to do ok, but once I finally convinced my husband that we should get her a buddy I saw a dramatic change in her. She became much much more outgoing and social with us. Clearly she had been depressed as a single rat. And because of that experience, I will never ever have a single rat again. Females don't smell much. Males have a stronger odor (although they are also generally more cuddly than females). But if you keep the cage clean is really shouldn't be something that's really noticeable. Rats are prone to respiratory infections and mammary tumors (they can also be prone to other reproductive tumors). If you decide to go with rats, I can't recommend finding a reputable breeder that breeds for health and longevity enough. Of the 7 rats I've had, one lived to be two years old, one only lived to be about 8 months old, and the rest all died at around a year of age. The one that lived for about two years was from a breeder who bred for health. The rest all came originally from the feeder bin (they were rescues except for the one that I bought to keep my first rat company) and as such were bred for numbers and with no regard for long-term health. Some of the rats I saw at the breeder's when I went to pick up my baby were three years old and still going strong...quite old for a rat.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Aye, I handle roughly 300 unsocialized rats per day (not mine), and have never been bit. Some, even though they are not pets, still enjoy cuddling and being pet after the first time you pick them up! I have seen people get bit most often by sticking fingers near the cage bars of males. Occasionally, people will get a biter though.

 

[tinychicky]

MICE always mice i love them they're very friendly and handleable when they've been raised right. i have two does (females) and a buck (male) and one accidental litter of 6 bucks and four does who will be ready for new homes in a couple weeks if you are interested (and live close enough)

they are all very sweet and have been socialized

 

[Chiko]

You could also try Gerbils. They are diurnal and nocturnal! Super energetic, playful, tame, and cute! Easy to care for also. Just like hamsters.