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Original poster

Do hamsters really smell and can you house train a rabbit?

30 replies

puddle · 01/09/2006 10:48

My children want a pet. I have grudging accepted that perhaps we could get a hamster. I have a bit of a rat phobia and altho obviously hamsters are sweeter than rats I feel a bit sick at the thought of a rodenty smell - do hamsters smell? How often do you have to clean the cage out?

Another friend suggested a rabbit - I don't like the idea of animals in hutches and we have a small paved garden so couldn't really have a run. Apparantly though you can house train a rabbit to use a litter tray and have them in your house during the day and the hutch at night - has anyone done this?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 01/09/2006 10:50

Hamsters are cute and cuddly.

Rats are Satan's spawn.

liquidclocks · 01/09/2006 10:53

No, they don't smell ime, cleaned mine out 'properly' once every couple of weeks and semi cleaned - bed, left over food & poo removal once a week, 'wet patch' every 2/3 days. And they are cute and lovely - my mum didn't want one when I was younger but within a week of getting one she was more into it than I was! Just need to handle them quite a lot so can be time intensive.

liquidclocks · 01/09/2006 10:53

Have you considered a goldfish?

Original poster
puddle · 01/09/2006 10:54

expat even typing the word rat gives me a dry mouth and a churning tum.

OP posts:
emmatom · 01/09/2006 11:15

Hamsters are lovely. They have a sawdusty smell when you've just cleaned them out, which is quite nice and then, depending where you keep it ie big room or small room, within a couple of days you can smell the wee a bit.

Have one if you are sure you're happy to clean cage out completely once a week at least.

They love to store their food in their nest for up to a week as welll, so be careful in giving bits of veg, fruit etc, as this can pong.

I used to let my rabbit in the house when I had one many years ago. You can't house train them.

Iklboo · 01/09/2006 11:18

Hamsters only smell if you don't clean them out properly. My friend house trained her rabbit to use a litter tray, but it sometimes "forgot" - and chewed all the wires behind the TV.

Can I just say I LOVE RATTIES!!!

They're nothing like the hulking great nasty smelly dirty sewer rats - or the "Hollywood" version of rats either. I loved my girls and it broke my heart when they went.

theflumpsmum · 01/09/2006 11:21

Hi Puddle
Hamsters aren't smelly unless you dont clean them out often enough,lol,if you put a jam jar in their cage (on its side)with some sawdust in it,in the corner they use for their loo they'll use the jar instead.Then all you have to do is empty ,wash and replace each day.A complete clean of their cage weekly should make sure of no smells.
though as another poster mentioned they do need lots of handlng,as does any other furry pet,to keep them tame.

Rabbits can be litter trained ,my rabbit has a litter tray in her hutch ,and like the jam jar I just empty,wash and refill with saw dust daily.My one did used to live in my house,she was shut away in a indoor pen at night,but after chewing through speaker wires and taking a fancy to a corner of my carpet,is now in a hutch outside,but gets let out each day in her run(all weather one).

Hope thats helped and good luck with whatever you decide to get.

Original poster
puddle · 01/09/2006 11:35

Ah yes, the rabbit chewing thing. Hadn't thought about that. DP (totally anti-pet) would combust if a pet damaged his speakers.

Flumpsmum am loving the idea of a hamster toilet.

Have thought of fish liquidclocks but blimey they're dull. I'd quite like a pet that can give a bit back.

Sorry any rat lovers (bleuch) I may have offended

OP posts:
pixiepins · 01/09/2006 11:50

oh my god...how can anyone not like ratties?
i personally wouldn't get a hamster cause i find (with experince) they can be quite nippy!
also they are nocternal and unlike rats don't tend to take too kindly to being woken at 9.30am by your child who wants to play with it!
i am a little biased cause i do own 4 rats!
all of whom are very sweet and don't bite and love to play! my little boy loves them!
rats are also easier to handle as they are bigger!

Twinkie1 · 01/09/2006 11:52

Have lovely ginger hamster called Chippie - DH asked DD if she would like it when we were at the garden centre one day (she's 6 like she is going to say no!!) so £45 later we were the proud owners of a lovely hamsetr - is v cute and not at all smelly - easy to clean out and costs hardly anything - I get it out of its cage and paly with it fior a while and let it have a run around and then its goes back.

The Rat thing is all to do with tails I think - long thin slimy yucky tails!!

grumpyfrumpy · 01/09/2006 11:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

theflumpsmum · 01/09/2006 11:55

What about a Guinea Pig instead of the rabbit.They cant be house trained but are very sociable and gentle creatures.Also if you dont like the idea of them being shut up in a hutch outside you can buy indoor cages now,large enough for even a rabbit to live in.Then just get a pen for them to go outside in in good weather.I had guinea Pigs from when I was very small and found them to be excellent pets.
Would have them now but sadly developed an allergy to them years ago

Original poster
puddle · 01/09/2006 11:59

I do really like guinea pigs. I like that burbley noise they make.

An indoor cage for a GP would have to be quite big though wouldn't it?

OP posts:
kiskidee · 01/09/2006 12:08

guinea pigs are active during the day hence better for interaction with you and kids. a friend keeps hers in a smallish hutch in the kitchen but i don't know how much 'out' time they need.

theflumpsmum · 01/09/2006 12:09

hi puddle
not as big as you think found this it would give you the idea of size
\link{http://thearkpetshop.co.uk/petshop/product_info.php/cPath/56_6913/products_id/5241}

hope link works havent tried them before

Iklboo · 01/09/2006 12:11

Puddle - I'm not offended - each to their own. I know some people don't like ratties cos of the tails (they're not slimy Twinkie - they're actually very smooth & soft ), cos of Hollywood, cos of sewer rats etc.
They're very affectionate and love to cuddle - but you have to have more than one or it's cruel because they're very social animals.
I've had hamsters too and find they're much more nippy & grumpy.

biglips · 01/09/2006 12:13

i havent read the thread but you can house train rabbits as its quite easy to do as my mum had done it but you cannot house train G. pigs but you can teach them a few tricks eg learn to beg for foods, roll over (it what i used to do with mine) but hamsters - never likes them as they are asleep in the daytime so no fun there but g.pigs are smelly if you dont changed their bedding often best to changed their bedding every 2 days or even every day if possible - HTH!

biglips · 01/09/2006 12:15

theflumpsmum - i was just about to do it for you but it cannot find the server

pixiepins · 01/09/2006 12:22

yes? why do peeps hate rats tails?
they are not slimy! infact very smooth and dry!
rats also look real cute when they yawn!

rustybear · 01/09/2006 12:27

Another thing to think of is how long they live - rabbits can live up to 15 years!
DD got a rabbit & guinea pig for her 8th birthday - they lived inside for about a month until the rabbit chewed wires, then they were exiled to outside.
The guinea pig lasted about 3 years, the rabbit 8 - by which time it had totally lost it's appeal for DD who had to be driven to clean it out.
I'd go for the hamster as if it's a mistake it'll only be around for about 2 years.
Handling tip - if the kids are little, get a syrian rather than the tiny russian or chinese hamsters which are very fast.
When it's new, use a handling tube (we used a jaffa cake tube, cut down). You can put it in the cage & the hamster will run in. Carefully lift it out & get the chid to sit with it on it's lap - the hamster will venture out in its own time, especially if tempted by titbits & there's no risk of dopping it & less risk of being bitten.

Iklboo · 01/09/2006 12:28

Oh pixie - they DO. When they yawn and stretch their little 'arms' forward......aw!

Kidstrack · 01/09/2006 12:36

My rabbit is trained but he is a hutch rabbit that used to come inside (not allowed anymore) since he ate all my cables cutting off the phone, tv, all computer wires and the hoover, not all in one go but on different days, he never learned to stop chewing even though i sprayed all the cables with nasty tasting stuff. Our bunny was toilet trained at 10weeks, they usually go in one corner anyway, its best buying a corner tray from the pet shop. He is now 2 and a very friendly bunny (he thinks hes a cat). I clean him out every week and disenfect every month, its so much easier to clean out because he uses the tray!

pixiepins · 01/09/2006 12:39

hey Iklboo...what about when they clean their lil rattie faces with thier lil hands!
or, when they poke their noses out of the bars of thier cage and look all small and cute!
or when they collect a real big piece of food and try to walk with it?

Iklboo · 01/09/2006 12:42

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Original poster
puddle · 01/09/2006 12:44

Stop talking about how cute rats are on my thread !

I used to work with a woman who was rat mad and she chewed the claws of her rats instead of trimming them. they used to lick her mouth 'oooh my cute ratty babies kiss me' (vomit emoticon).

Am veering towards a hamster now - swayed by the 'they only live two years' argument.

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