2 gerbils, 2 mice, 2 dwarf Hamsters, or 1 Syrian? Which should I get???

Question

My mom said I could have a cheap (NO ferret)

and not nasty(rat)

{she HATES rats}

So I`m stuck with 2 gerbils, 2 mice, 2 dwarf hamsters, and 1 Syrian.

And whats better for a 9 yr old out of these animals(we would be getting our own)

NONE OTHER ANIMALS PLEASE

I want something....

-playful

-smart

-active

-FUN

The 9 yr old would like something that is........

-fun but ''snuggly''

-cute

PLEASE tell us your recommendation and why you think they would be BEST for us, NOT YOU

Also PLEASE add things like.....

-treats they can eat

-can they bathe in water or do they need sand/dust

-can you hold them or will they jump

-anything else you think would be helpful

ANYTHING said would be appreciated

We`ve both been experienced with pets, so we know the basics(cage, water, food, ect....)

PLEASE HELPS US!

-Amanda

&

-Jessica(9)

Answer 1

For a 9 year old you'll be wanting something that is:

- Interesting (colourful & friendly)

- Active (not in bed all day, when at the pet shop, try and choose the most active in the cage/tank).

- Not going to produce tons of babies (so make sure you are very sure they are the same gender).

For this I'd definatley reccommend a gerbil! They are usually tame before you buy them, if not they are certainly easier to tame than other rodents. They don't mind being handled and are a good size for youngsters to handle too. Mice can escape through fingers etc. Any rodent is unpredictable when holding but gerbils seem to be less likey to bite/escape!

Treats can all be found on www.petwebsite.com which believe me is a great website!

They don't NEED sand but it's always fun to watch them give themself a bit of a sandbath. Don't bath them in water though this is not neccessary!

I hope you enjoy you're new pet/s and decide on something you'll enjoy for the next few years!

You can always email me on yahoo if you need to know anything else :]

Answer 2

2 gerbils

Answer 3

For your expectations I would suggest two Gerbils.

- They are not nocturnal which means that they are active for most of the day whereas Hamsters are only active during the night.

- They are VERY playful (always up to mischief when they think you're not looking!)

- They are extremely clean animals. Depending on how many Gerbils are living in one cage, there is no need to clean them out more than once every two weeks.

Gerbils can eat all sorts of treats such as

- Broccoli

- Carrots

-Seed and nuts (be carefull how many you feed them as some seeds and nuts can be very high in fat)

- Celery

- Cheese

- Boiled Egg

All in all they love their fruit and veggies but I am very warey of Lettuce as it can be covered in pestacides so I tend to steer clear of them to be safe

Gerbils LOVE a good sand bath. Their coat can get greasy at times so they adore a nice roll around once in a while. Remember not to leave it in for too long as they will end up using it a litter tray!

Gerbils teeth are constantly growing so they needa tough wooden toy to chew away at. A cheap and cheerful toy that they adore is a simple toilet roll tube!

For Jessica I would suggest a Syrian Hamster.

-Unlike Gerbils, Syrians tend to stay quite still whereas Gerbils are constantly on the run! It becomes very difficult to hold a Gerbil when it's not "in the mood".

- They tend to look more "cuddly" & "snuggly" then Gerbils or mice.

Syrians tend to like the same treats as Gerbils.

Syrians don't really need a sand bath as their fur doesn't get very greasy.

One dowside to Syrians (from my own experience) is they tend to nip alot compared to Gerbils.

I hope this has helped!

Answer 4

Hi Amanda and Jessica!

For you, I would advise gerbils.

They are very smart animals who are easy to hold- they are unlikely to bite you if handled correctly. They are hilarious to watch and don't sleep for too long- about four hours a day. You can train them to jump small hurdles, respond to their names, beg and 'play dead'. They love to be together and are fun to watch together.

I have two- I'm eighteen, twice the age!- and also work in a pet shop with them and other animals. I don't know why more parents don't get gerbils for their children- Syrians are liable to bite and Dwarf Hamsters are hard to hold as they are quite fast and some of them bite, so they're better to watch, not handle.

Gerbils like many fruits and vegetables like carrots, brocoli etc. and they also like crickets!

They need sand to bathe in, though mine haven't worked out how to use the sand yet.

They CAN jump but they are quite easy to hold if you're firm- they're more likely to scuttle up to the top of your arm and sit on your should.

They must have wood and ceramic toys as they chew insanely and plastic can hurt them internally. Apart from that, they are wonderful and simple.

Answer 5

Hi,

I have had all of those pets and currently have 2 gerbils and 5 dwarf hamsters that I bred myself. Hamsters can be biters and I enourage you to get a rescued one first if you decide to go with hamsters. Both make wonderful pets (dwarf and Syrian) but hamsters are prone to illness (stress related with both and diabetes with dwarfs).  If you spend lots of time with them they actually do get to know you and "beg" to come out of the cage. Female Syrians go into heat every 4-5 days or so and have a musky odor.

As for mice, I would not have them again. They all got a bit mean as old age approached and smell a bit bad.

Then there are gerbils. I think for a 9 year old this would be my choice. They rarely ever bite, love dust baths, love to burrow and play and are sweet. Get a pair as they are social animals. Also, no plastic cages. They chew everything and you will find them gone one morning with a hole in the cage! I have mine in a 10 gallon aquarium with a wire cage topper that you can find at a petstore or online. It creates a 3 story space. I use a mixture of aspen (no pine or cedar!) and eco bedding (shredded paper bedding) and they love it.They also need an enclosed wheel (no wire opening because of their tail). They usually do not like exercise balls. They love to chew the cardborad rolls of empty toilet paper. They live a bit longer than hamsters and are less prone to stress related illness. They always come to the door of the cage to greet me. get a book about them for more info and never pick them up by the tail. They can "de-glove" and that is bad for them.

Answer 6

Gerbils and mice are disgusting, they really are. Their coat isn't soft and they aren't cuddly. I have 2 syrian dalmation hamsters and they are perfectly fine together. They are the softest most cuddly little creatures in the pet store. They can eat pretty much any fruit or vegetables, and I have a sand bath for them and they LOVE it! One of mine has jumped from my hand a few times, you just have to be careful of that. But overall they are wonderful pets!