Which "Pocket Pet" is best?

[Tanichca]

Guinea pig, we used to breed them, and they are so sweet! But I dont see why a small chicken (serama) cant be a pocket pet...

 

[KDailey]

Rat Rat Rat Rat Rat! I've had several and they make absolutely wonderful pets!

My first rat Tinkerbelle was a DREAM. She'd run up to the side of her cage and stick her little hand out to reach for me when I got home from work. She came when I called her name. She rode around on my shoulder and slept in my shirt when we watched tv. Also she NEVER bit. Anybody. Never. I would feed her rice krispies by hand one at a time (and you know how little rice krispies are) and if she wasn't able to take it gently from my fingers she just didn't take it.

My mom was totally against a pet rat until we got Tinkerbelle. Now whenever somebody says something about getting their kid a small pet she immediately says, "Oooh get a rat! My daughter has one and it's the best small pet we've had!" Notice she said WE....

Definately go with a rat!

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Wow! I am surprised with all the responses! Thank you all for you input!
I think I've decided on rats. I like dumbo rats, I think they are cute.

But, would you reccomend 2 males or 2 females?
I heard that the males are more affectionate then the females? Is this true? Also, I read that the males smell more then the females?

I also heard that you shouldnt get a rat from a petstore. If anyone knows any dumbo rat breeders in or around Massachusetts, let me know.
Once again, thank you all for your input. It has really helped me decide.

 

[carolinagirl58]

Here's a list of Dumbo rat breeders.....

http://www.ratfanclub.org/breeders.html

 

[mothrhen]

RATS, RATS, RATS!!! They are clean, friendly, smart and soooo social. I can't recommend them enough. I've had every small and furry imaginable and rats rule. I got my 1st at 13 and have had them ever since (well into my 40's now, UG!). My sons first pet was a rat. They don't have a strong smell like mice or ferrets. The best ones come from good breeders but, I've gotten nice ones from feeder bins too. If you're close to PA I can refer you to a couple good breeders. My boys are sleeping in their hammocks right now. . .

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

rat.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

But, would you reccomend 2 males or 2 females?
I heard that the males are more affectionate then the females? Is this true? Also, I read that the males smell more then the females?

These are generalizations, buut:

Females:
-tend to be smaller
-tend to have softer, more plush coats
-tend to drip urine more often than males, and seem to have a harder time holding their bladder in general
-tend to explore more and be more active
-prone to mammary tumors

Males:
-should not be fed orange juice or peels as the d-limonene is a carcinogen in male rats (tends to cause testicular cancer)
-tend to have more wiry coats
-tend to be bigger
-are, er, well endowed which creeps some people out; more noticeable in white rats.
-tend to be chill, more sleepy and stay still for cuddling longer
-tend to be bitey around cage bars (Whether this is due to territorial issues around the home, or because they tend to be more grabby around things they think are food, I'm not sure. I can stick my fingers through the bars and my females will just lick them. Not so with many males)
-have more of a musk to them, though a clean cage means most people don't notice it. Usually have more waxy build up which often makes the fur appear orangish
-some will scent mark or spray...including on you. None of mine have noticeably done this one me

I have had and love both the females and males. I've had two favorite rats of all time, and one was a male, the other a female. They were both pretty stereotypical male and female in behavior.

I feel if you keep a male singly or in pairs or a group is your choice. Here is why. I have not yet seen females attack and kill each other (one person thought their's had, but the female had already died and the other was just snacking after the fact). I have seen many males kill each other, both lab rats and pets, including males who have lived together their entire lives. One I remember vividly was an upset friend who had her males kill each other two years in. There were no females around to explain that behavior, no changes in their setting. If you keep males in a pair, the best bet is littermates or rats of the same age purchased together, and purchased at a young age. Males can live very happily together, and be very sweet and groom each other. You may feel the benefits outweigh the risks or vice versa.

Almost every singly housed female I've seen has either been neurotic or stressed to the point of self-barbering. I always keep my females at least with a cagemate, no matter how much attention I give them. I've never seen a female of any age not take to another female when properly introduced. Some people also spay their females (prevents their dreaded mammary tumors), and keep them with a male.

As for affection, I haven't found males to be more affectionate. I've found them to be more *cuddly* in general, but I've had females follow me around the house and leap into my husband's lap because they just love being near you. They just don't sit still as long, unless you are my husband who is some kind of rat whisperer. They go to sleep on him and seem to have little ratty crushes on him. XD​

 

[tinychicky]

mom'sfolly :

I've had or handled most of these animals. I would say rats every time. There is a reason they are the go to animal for pyschological testing; they are smart, clean and easy to handle. If you have any type of animal allergies, avoid guinea pigs. They are highly allergic animals. Hamsters, gerbils and mice all are very small and hard to socialize. They are also not very smart so that the interaction would be limited. I think ferrets have their good points, but they have many bad points that have already been listed here.

mice are very easy to socialize IMO

if you get those sold as feeders that havn't been handled nicely a day in there lives, then yes they can be more difficult. if you get mice sold specifically as pets or from a breeder they have been handled from just a few days old and are very friendly.

 

[tinychicky]

your in mass? i'm in nh! too bad you don't want a mouse i have a 2-week old litter of 10 very sweet agouti (brown and black) ones who are just opening thier eyes

they'll need homes in 2-3 more weeks.

 

[Bessie1994Snider]

If your getting a rat I would deffinently go females, just make they aren't pregnant. We bought a young female who we didn't know was pregnant, but ended up having 15 babies

I have had both sexes and my females have always been friendlier and less aggresive!!! Good luck rats make great pets