PETS: am i just a misery or is it cruel to keep a small rodent CAGED all its life?

[unpaidcleaner]

I'm being nagged constantly about getting a pet - pet hamster, pet guinea pig, pet anybloodything. One of my main objections is that i believe it's cruel to keep an animal in a cage for it's lifetime, with the odd hour outside if it's not raining and the kids can be bothered. But everyone else's kids have pets and their parents aren't cruel - as I'm constantly being told by my kids. Am i just a total poe faced misery, like my kids say, or am i right?? i can't tell any more!
Please help me!!

Well, what do you think is going to happen to all the small rodents in the pet shop, if you don't buy one? They'll be released into the wild and live a long and blissful life in a flower-strewn meadow?

Po-faced misery, I'm afraid

my rabbits seem happy enough, they loll about all day like queens.

i've kept several hamsters over the years. you can get really good cages that offer interesting environments. tunnels, wooden chew logs etc. downside to hamsters being they run round most of the night then sleep all day.
try pet information for looking at cages etc