hamsters,mice and gerbils.

[LimitedEditionLady]

We are trying to pick a new pet,what do you guys think about mice?i like hamsters but oh wants mice.I just dont know.

[RobotHamster]

Rats are the best. :)

[MrsSpencerReid]

Hamsters are the bestest

[Jbck]

Gerbils everytime. Hamsters smell no matter how much you clean them out and Ive ad a few over the years. Nocturnal so not so good for young children although more docile and slow than gerbils.
Gerbilarium glass or plastic with peat and straw very interesting as you can see all their burrowing.
Never owned mice so can't comment on them.

[littlemisswise]

Hamsters are the best. They do not smell. Ours is trained to use a toilet for his wees, we put either sawdust, or some potty litter in it and change it regularly.

Mine is really, really spoilt. He is grey and white, and the second grey and white one we have had, both had amazing temperaments, they both sleep on us, run round the room freely, never, ever bite. We have had others who have been really friendly too, but the grey and white ones are the best IMO.

I find the males are friendlier than the females. If you get one don't get one from Pets at home, go to an independent pet shop and, also, get the biggest case you can afford and have room for. Ours is this one.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Quite obviously, guinea-pigs are the superior being in the rodenty world

But out of the choice listed:

I've had pet mice. The males STINK like you wouldn't believe (Makes my guinea boars smell like a flower garden in comparison)

Female mice are lovely, gentle, inquisitive but ours were great escapologists. And one was pg when we got her

Gerbils at school so no idea except one ate the other (dad and son)

Hamsters- never had.

If I was going to buy a rodent that wasn't a GP, I'd pick rats (female). Clever, lively, friendly but big enough to cuddle. And their tales aren't so bad when you cuddle them.
(Though our mice used to wrap their tails round our wrists or fingers, walk on the underside of our arms and 'whip' with their tails)

[expatinscotland]

Power to the Syrian Hamster!

[enormouse]

I've worked a lot with animals (went to vet school) and owned hamsters (3) and guinea pigs (4). I liked guinea pigs the most, awake during the day and I've never ever been bitten by a guinea pig.

Mice - I found very nervy and too small to make good pets, esp for kids.
Rats - lovely. I'd definitely get one if I could.
Hamsters - better than mice but I prefer guineas and rats.

[RobotHamster]

Fun games to play with your hamster

[LimitedEditionLady]

Robothamster,thats disgusting.

[Grittzio]

Hamsters, we have only had boys which don't smell, apparently girl hamsters smell because they come into season every few days or so I was told by the pet shop....

[RobotHamster]

:)

[Jbck]

Maybe I had lady hamsters but tey all smelled, no matter how regularly tey were cleaned. They had a toilet corner too but couldn't seem to ever keep them pong free for more than a few hours.

[expatinscotland]

We've had females and no smell.

[Twooter]

We've got 2 female Syrian hamsters and 1 was smelly and the other wasn't. Both are lovely, and beg to be held.

Don't make the mistake of getting Chinese or Russian hamsters - they are completely different and a nightmare to handle.

We got ours from pets at home, and they were both healthy and seemed very used to people.

[insanityscratching]

We've got a hamster and she is brilliant and doesn't smell she's toilet trained. She's friendly and fun and not too fast so easy to handle. She's not nocturnal she's awake when dd comes home from school because she feeds her and plays with her then and she's awake at bedtime because dd sits talking to her and then during the night. She's really gentle has never nipped and very sweet.
Mice constantly dribble urine so I wouldn't want to hold them and my friend's rats stink to high heaven tbh.

[expatinscotland]

We just bought a black female Syrian for DD2 after her last, lovely female Syrian died. She is SO cute! We won't train her for a couple more days but she's already 'greeting' us.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

i can't remember our female mice peeing on us that much TBH (though they did pooh loads)

My lovely male guinea-pigs let s know when they need a pee. Very rarely do they pee on us and it's 99% when we don't read the signs.
Even my baby pig is good now

[mouses]

ive had all 3. my opinions

mice - males STINK! females lovely but they take a while to tame up. i have 7 at the mo and come to me when i open the doors.

hamsters - ive had both sex, some have stunk to high heaven. few of mine have bitten and depending how interested you are in watching a sleeping hamster all day and keep you awake all night its different preferances lol.

rats - fantastic! sadly i am allergic to both sexes so cant keep them. BUT they are friendly, smart, i spot cleaned daily to keep smell down. boys are more docile, girl are more more inquisitive.

gerbils - i had 2 boys once that bit my fingers to shreds! i currently own 3 older adopted females who are lovely, they dont smell at all! never attempted to bite.

good luck :-)

[LimitedEditionLady]

So much to think about.mice dont seem popular....

[aristocat]

I am another hamster fan
We have had several Russian Dwarf and they are gorgeous, very friendly and love being held/ played with.

Sadly they do not live very long but I would definitely recommend them.