Best small furry for dd6

[Sometimeswinning]

My dd has fallen in love with having a pet. Dh and I have decided between a hamster, mouse or gerbil. I will obviously take over the care! I have always had hamsters but after visiting a few places have fallen for mice! I have also been told gerbils are lovely pets aswell. I also like the fact that mice are sold in pairs. Can anyone help me choose with my dd?

She won't want to handle the gerbils. I did say I would be doing the majority of the care. She will enjoy watching her pet play and me cleaning their home!

As much as I have a love for rats, dh who will be sharing our daughters responsibilities does not. Therefore this needs to suit him aswell.

Appreciating all the ideas on how to socialise and help the gerbils settle into their new homes!

Just bear in mind that whatever small animal you choose will need a large cage. The minimum for a Syrian hamster is 75 x 40 x 40cm, and that's the absolute minimum. For gerbils it's the same (and you should always get 2 gerbils together as they need companionship). Most small pets aren't brilliant for children if I'm honest. Gerbils are hard to handle, particularly if you've never had them before, hamsters only come out in the late evening and overnight, and rats will always need companionship, so if one dies you will immediately need to get another as it is beyond cruel to keep them alone.

Have a look at the RSPCA or Blue Cross websites on their information pages; it will give you all the info you need to know before getting a small animal. Please don't believe the employees in Pets at Home that will sell you a small cage and an 'exercise ball' (these balls are very disorientating and unpleasant for small animals). Look online for the best advice. Sites like this can be very helpful.

www.smallpetrodentawarenessweek.co.uk

www.hamsterwelfare.com/cage-advice-and-evidence/

gerbilforum.proboards.com

Gerbils are a terrible idea. OP gets them anyway.

Actually it's only been recent comments which have said not to get gerbils. It was only after I had committed to getting them did I recieve any negative points. I do appreciate the advice I have recieved regarding making sure they have a good living space and digging ground!

@Sometimeswinning I was a "no to Gerbils" poster, I adore them which is why I specialise in their rescue and care, but for that reason I know they are not the right pet for a young child. If the decision has been made to get Gerbils, then please please check out my website as most online information about their care is dreadful. I've written a full section on housing, how to DIY your own tank and how to set up a Detolf correctly in way that bedding doesn't go everywhere as previous posters have commented. I've compiled all this information from years of experience of Gerbils, so if I can pass this on to you, to give them the best care possible, then that's a positive from this thread.

gerbilcare.co.uk/

I absolutely looked at it. I have realised it won't be quite as straight forward as a cage and bedding after this post and your website. I am in the position where we already had a large area set aside for their home. Just seems like it will take up the whole space now! I have completely taken that from her and your website.

I can't see anyone else mentioned this, but sorry if I am repeating it... but gerbils are known to be cannibals and eat each other. I know that despite what seemed to be the best of food / home etc, several people have told me their children's gerbils turned cannibal. And I am not sure if this is a topic or fact that you would want your 6 year old to be exploring! I know they aren't alone in such habits, but I know a lot of people who have given up on gerbils for the reason that they kept eating each other!

I had several pairs of gerbils when I was a child and none of them were a cannibal.

I’ve never had a cannibal Gerbil either?

the can fight if they don’t have the correct set up- and “de-clan”, although I’ve never had this happen.

o/p I have a detolf set up and don’t find they kick their substrate over. Compared to a fish tank of a similar size, even second hand, they are much cheaper.

the tails don’t fall off, but can de-glove with rough handling. This is where the skin comes loose, rather than the tail falling off.

@Sometimeswinning - thank you :) Enjoy your Gerbils :)

@Quveas Sometimes if a Gerbil dies naturally it's mate(s) will start to eat it (this has never happened to me btw). This is a throw back to the wild where Gerbils would not want the scent of a dead Gerbil to attract predators, so they are eating the evidence. Without knowing what's happened, it can appear that your Gerbils have simply eaten each other for no reason, which is just not the case.

Gerbils can "de-clan" and fight, but I've written a separate section on that and how to prevent it and what to do when it happens. gerbilcare.co.uk/de-clanning-fighting/

Rats are amazing pets! Such characters! And they dont live that long which makes them not quite so much of a commitment. (although this can backfire, as my little favourite died at the beginning of June, and I have not got over it at all) They do need a big cage though, but are quite easy to keep. Boys are supposedly more stinky but cuddlier.

I'd go for a rat. I had all of the above as a child and by far the best was my pet rat. Mice smell... horrendously! You will smell them throughout the house. Gerbils are very skitty and hamsters prone to biting unless handled a lot. Rats however are large enough to handle, only bite if hardly touched, dont smell unless dirty and are incredibly affectionate and clever. I even tought mine tricks!

I see what everyone's saying about rats, and while I've never had them myself they are freaking adorable, but as long as your daughter is gentle and trustworthy there's no reason she won't be a fab gerbil owner! I had my first pair at 7 and was great with them. The main thing is to get them as babies from a decent breeder. Pet shop gerbils are usually too old to socialise properly, are fearful from living in such a stressful situation and bitey/impossible to handle as they've never been habituated to it. If your breeder is any good she'll have properly tamed them and will show your daughter how to handle them. They are fragile little things, absolutely no grabbing or squeezing or chasing allowed, but then that's true of any pet! If she's a quiet child who'll sit calmly and let them scamper on her, hand feed them without teasing them and handle them gently and only when they're in the mood, they'll learn to trust and love each other.

It's true that gerbils can fall out (de-clan). My first pair did due to one needing eardrops for an infection, so his brother no longer recognised his scent. It was so sad as they had always loved each other so much. I had another set many years later who fell out too. They were a trio of girls I bought from Pets at Home (having waited a year to try and find a couple from a rescue place!) who were so highly strung and stressed out it's really not surprising they fought. That was stressful as I needed 3 setups for a while!! It can't hurt to have a separate cage somewhere OP that you can use in an emergency, and as transportation should you need to take them to the vet.

Gerbils LOVE pumpkin seeds (only give in moderation!) so if you carve a pumpkin this Halloween show your daughter how to wash, dry and store the seeds ready for training. No need to peel, the gerbs will do that very neatly themselves!

My gerbils have never eaten each other, I don't think they are cannibals😂

If she is a careful child, you are watching her then I think Gerbils are perfect. They are very cute, they have their own personalities and are really fun to watch. Yes you have to be gentle, but I think this is the case with all pets.

My current gerbils came from pets at home, and whilst I 100% agree a breeder is better, they've never bitten me, they are friendly and like little strokes and to climb on me. I have never found biting an issue with gerbils and I always thought they were some of the least bitey rodents

A deltof is just personal preference, lots of people use them but I just prefer a big aquarium with a tank topper as a wooden divider has never stopped my gerbils kicking bedding everywhere! And it's a bit deeper and therefore they can build better tunnel systems. But they will be happy in either, space is the most important thing

@SilentHedges I'm trying to figure out the tunneling material. Can you recommend where I could get this?

Carefresh, from Pets at Home. You squash it down firmly with your hands into the tank and it's great for tunnelling in.

www.amazon.co.uk/Carefresh-Complete-Confetti-Bedding-Animals/dp/B00OKBTEF2/ref=asc_df_B00OKBTEF2/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=255523469218&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15062178209200015336&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9041096&hvtargid=pla-309159869481&psc=1

You shouldn't need to change it move than once every 4/6 weeks if you have it deep enough.

Ooo sorry, I just realised you were asking someone else a specifically - ignore me!

@Sometimeswinning Finacard is dust extracted and one bale will last months, its very economical. A proper sized tank only needs a full clean every 4-6 weeks, as Gerbils are clean and constant tank changes will stress them.

Layer Finacard with dust extracted Timothy or Meadow Hay which helps them to bind their tunnels. Mix in forage food, shredded paper etc for enrichment.

www.finacard.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=49

littlehayco.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoY7ltqef-gIVEWHmCh2SygkmEAAYAiAAEgJJHvD_BwE (mouse options work).

gerbilcare.co.uk/cleaning-and-tank-setup/

Anything else just ask 🙂

No! Thankyou! I need links and info. I seem to have got myself into something and need to get it right. I've not even got them yet!!

Thankyou. Home is sorted but I'm finding it difficult to breakdown the tank/tunnelling bit! Timothy Hay is the only thing I feel confident in!

@Sometimeswinning I've spent years trialling different setups and products. You can't go wrong with the above.

@stillvicarinatutu you make such a good case for rats. DD (13) has asked for two, but we already have much-loved indoor guinea pigs, chinchillas and budgies...

Seriously tempted by rats, though!