Rats or Mice?

Question

Do you like rats or mice as a pet?

Have you ever had one?

If so, which one do you think is better?Why?

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i am choosing between the two because i know some people say rats are more friendly and social than mice are, but rats are bigger, and their waste is a lot compared to a mouse's!

Another thing im considering: Which one has better hygiene, even when i clean their cage more than once a week?

(personal experience would be appreciated)

thanks!

Answer 1

I have personally never cared for mice, but I have had two rats.  I have also cared for guinea pigs and hamsters before.  Rats were certainly my favorite.  They would sit on my shoulders when I walked around, come when I called and I could even play outside with them because they just followed me around and never tried to run away.  They were also potty trained (on their own) and would always wait to go when they were back in their cages.  It was a great experience and I would certainly recommend!  The only problem I had is that I have allergies and eventually developed allergies to them and was unable to get more rats after they passed.  They are also prone to tumors, so I would consider looking to get them from a breeder who doesn't have as much of a problem with these, if you get them from a pet store you don't know their medical history.  Good luck in your decision and I hope this helps!

Answer 2

i have had 9 rats and i love them to bits, i have 2 at the moment, they are very clean and very low maintenance, i clean their cage once every week and the only disadvantage with them is they do grow quite big but if you don't want them too big i suggest the females (does) they are cheap  to keep and in the wild they are in colonies so get more than 1

hope you choose the rats

Rat TLC

Answer 3

MICE!!!!! I have had both as pets. I "had" two rats, and now have six  mice. Mice are way more social that rats, so whoever told you that is a lie. If you are worried about hygine, then get a mouse, because they clean non stop. If you pick them up, they will start cleaning the minute you put them down, cuz they feel you have gotten them dirty. Some rats, you have to give baths every once and a while, cuz they will turn yellow and greasy sometimes. Mice, can have baths, but they don't nessecarily need them. I hear a lot of people say they do, but mice do not bite. I have only one mouse that bites, and that's cuz he is an over sexed super male. Mice can be shy as well, like my mouse Austin. He loves to play on my arms, but he still gets scared when I open the cage to get him out. My exaple to discredit that mice are shy is my mouse Jared. He is always waiting at the cage for me to take him out. So if you want a mouse that won't be shy, find the alphamale or alphafemale. They are always closer to their owners, because it has power to it. Rats are more intelligent, and can easily learn tricks, while mice are a little more impatient, so if you are looking to train, rats would be best. Good luck picking your pet.

Answer 4

I have had both for pets and I enjoyed the rats more.I quess they make more of a mess only because they discard bigger of everything.Like with any animal the more time you spend with them the more tame they will be and they will be a good companion to you.Have fun.D.Bonanno.

Answer 5

Rats for me. They are more intelligent and affectionate than mice. Rats also smell less believe it or not. Mice are stinky little things, their urine has quite the odor (especially male mice). Both will groom themselves and keep themselves clean though.

Here's some great stuff to research on both:

http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/ratin... (My website)

http://www.petinfopackets.com/links/smal...

http://www.petinfopackets.com/links/smal...

Answer 6

Well, I personally have never had either of them, but I'm doing reasearch right now (trying to talk my dad into letting me get one). I'll tell you what I've found so far. I've heard that rats are very curious and playful, and people who have owned them compare their relationships w/ them to that of a dog. Mice, are more timid though, and don't like being picked up as much. Mice are also very fast, so if you let them loose, you'll be lucky if you catch them again. I've heard overall, that rat's personalities are bigger, esp. if you bond w/ them. They are also the smartest of all the rodents. You are absolutely right about the size. Rats tend to grow to about 6-9 inches when they reach adult hood, which can usually fit in the palm(s) of your hand(s). Males also are a little bigger than females, and when they are older, their coat gets coarser. But really, they are soft. Same w/ mice. Here's a pic of a rat (full grown):

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/e...

Now, mice tend to be about 3-5 inches in length. Here's a pic of a full grown mouse:

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/critters...

Now, their sizes do not include their tails, which is one thing that creeps a lot of people out. Let me just say, they are nothing like I imagined before! They actually feel like a very soft peach. If you are kind of scared and would like to feel a rat/mouse tail for yourself, I would reccomend going to a pet store and asking one of the workers if you can hold or pet each of them. That's what I did, and now I love them even more! As far as hygiene, rats are the cleanliest of all the rodents. They are very meticulous house-keepers as well. Now mice are too, just not so much (because they aren't as smart). You can litter train your rat or mouse, but not all of them are willing to. Most of them choose a certain section of their home to go in anyways, so that is helpful. Also, mice live about 1-3 years, and rats live about 2-5 years. Overall, I would go with the rat (which by the way, if you do go that route, I would HIGHLY reccommend getting 2). Hope this helps!

Answer 7

Quite frankly i'd rather a mice because they are easier to manage and they aren't so big as you mentioned.

Mice would be easier to bring around, and you don't need a big cage to put them in or anything, and with a mice you can have more then 1. The food for mice would also be easier to manage due to their size rather than a rat, and i think caring for a mouse is inexpensive.

Good luck

Answer 8

I've never kept mice so I can't really compare, but I do have rats and would definitely recommend them ! I had no idea what good pets they were til I got them, and I'm really glad I did, they're the best. They're so cuddly and intelligent. I don't think mice really enjoy being held, but the rats are very happy just to drape themselves around your neck for hours, sit on your knee and watch tv, or fall asleep in your arms. They love attention and being stroked. Girls are a lot more active than boys and would rather be off exploring. Boys (which I've got) are much lazier and are happy to sit and be stroked. They're all friendly though. They can be trained and will learn their names.

They do do a lot of pooing, like any animal, but I find with all my rodent pets no matter what they are, that they tend to pick a specific corner of their cage for pooing in, and always use that. My boys do scent-mark sometimes which means you end up with dribbles of wee where they've been (not always), but as you probably know, mice are incontinent, so whichever you get, there's always gonna be a risk of coming into contact with their wee at some point if you handle them regularly like you should.

I couldn't say about mouse hygiene having never kept them but apparently they smell (as do rats), but I wouldn't have thought it would be overpowering if they're cleaned at least once a week and have sawdust to soak up some of the smell. You can even get lavender or lemon-scented sawdust now to help with that.

Obviously with rats you'll need a much bigger cage, and you can't just keep one. I think mice are better in pairs as well but it might be possible to keep one alone (though one doesn't take up really any more space than two, so you may as well have two !).

I would consider owning mice at some point, but I do love the rats, and at this point, I think I prefer them. I like that they're bigger, makes them much more cuddly and easy to handle (and easier to catch if they get out !), they're really easy to tame, and have their own little personalities (not that mice don't, but this is what I love about rats). I have a shy one and an outgoing one, and my shy boy will only come to me and be held by me, but the other is happy to be petted by anyone at all. They're really good, I couldn't recommend them more, despite their smells when they're due a clean. They're clever little things and will easily pick up on games you try and play with them, and need mental stimulation, probably a lot more than mice, so they need toys and interaction.

I've heard from people who've kept them that mice are nasty and vicious, but then I've heard a lot of bad things about rats that have turned out not to be true at all, so you need a good range of opinions from people who handle their animals all the time (the only reason an animal bites is because they're scared, which is the fault of the owner, not the animal).

So I'd go with rats as being the more entertaining pet, you can't really get bored of them. Mice are more to watch.

Answer 9

I like rats better because it easy to handle than mice; mice are great but to me rats seem got more brains.

It best for you to clean up their cage one time a week.

If you get one then good luck!

Answer 10

Rats all the way!!! lol

yeh they are bigger but also much more friendly, and they are extremely clean...They are also sooointelligent, yuou can pottytrain them if you are worried about the waste...which there isnt actally thatt much!!! But rats do need as lot more space to play thn mice!!

Answer 11

I've had both and if you get rats from a breeder then they are like little dogs, smart, cuddly and can learn trick but mice tend to be shy, scared and bite. seriously at the moment my sister has rats and when one of them escaped in the night, instead of going who knows where it serched the house for her then went to sleep on her bed. People who say you should get mice are the ones who haven't had them both and make asupmtions that just arnt true.