Pet rodents?

Question

I am interested in getting some sort of rodent as a pet. These are the following ones I am interested in:

Rats,Chinchilas,Guineau Pigs &Hamsters.

If you know anything about these rodents, please tell me, in detail, what you know about them, or if you have any other rodent suggestions.

IMPORTANT:

I have a dog, and he gets along well with all small animals, including rodents. He's been introduced to small animals and he just sniffs them and then ignores them - he never EVER bites them, even if they bite at him. That being said, I don't want a rodent that gets too easily scared , like a rabbit, for example. Meaning I don't want a rodent that is going to get a heart attack and die because they're scared of him. By no means does that mean I'm going to put them together all the time, because I won't. Basically I would prefer a rodent that can tolerate my dog or at least not keel over and die of fright if they somehow come in contact. LOL. thank you in advance!

Answer 1

I had a pet hamster and my dog got along very well with the hamster. Just try to keep their living areas separate and give the dog time to adjust to a new animal. Also try to spend just as much time with the dog as with the new animal so the dog doesn't feel like you are abandoning it

Answer 2

rat cute

Answer 3

i have 2 albino chinchilla and i love em they are very lovey and love to play 1 problem thay are nocternal...... you will know if its getting annoyed it squeeks and tries 2 fight ya lol

Answer 4

i would suggest a rat. they are pretty fearless, after they get over the initial shock of something. Also, the males hardly ever bite and are extremely loving. They will just sit in your lap and cuddle during the day, then once night hits they wake up a bit and you can realy play with them.The only problem is that rats are too social to be alone... no matter how much you play with him, he should have another rat to keep him company.But its realy not much harder to take care of two than one.

Answer 5

well i think you should get an chinchilla! they are so cute!

Answer 6

hi. I don't suggest a hamster because they don't really do much. They sleep all day and wake up at night. They are not really that playful and they are kind of hard to take care of because when their cage gets dirty you will need to clean the wheel, the cage, and the tubes. I haven't had much experience with chinchillas so i can't really give that much info on them (sorry).  About the rats, they p**p a lot and they tend to smell really bad after a while (the smell is hard to get rid of). When they bite you, it hurts a lot. Some rats however are different than others . I have had a couple rats before. Some of them irritated me like crazy and the others died within like a month (according to the vet they had a respratory problem or something). I have had 7 guinea pigs and they are just wonderful! They are very playful, they get attatched to their owner. If you hurt/scare them they WILL be afraid of you. They do no like loud noises and sudden movements. The younger guinea pigs tend ot squeak more than the older ones. Guinea pigs are really fun because you can teach them tricks and play with them. Well you could put them in a big hamster ball but my guinea pigs didn't move in them lol. If you have any other questions feel free to email me =D

Good Luck :)

Answer 7

get a beaver. they have them big *** rubber tails and they're so cute and awesome.

All you need to do is to stock up on lumber and flood the basement, so they can run around and play in the water, and eat wood.

Answer 8

Guinea Pigs get scared easily and can have a heart attack.  They scare even easier than rabbits.  My Chinchilla also scares easily.  He is very timid.  I think if you want a pet that won't be bothered by a dog then you should get a hamster or rat.  I don't own any rats (and believe me, I never will) but I understand that they make great pets.  They are very social and intelligent.  By the way, rabbits aren't rodents they are lagomorphs.

Answer 9

GUINEA PIGS FOR SURE!

Answer 10

I have a lot of experience with rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, and hedgehogs.  I don't know a whole lot about chinchillas...sorry no help there.  I highly recoment a rat as a pet!  If the tail doesn't bother you (that is what bothers most people), they really make awesome pets.  They really have personality and are super friendly.  I prefer females, they are more playful and curious.  I have heard people recomend males though, they tend to be more mellow and just cuddle in your lap, where a female is probably more likely to run around.  

Mice are cute and all but they don't do a whole lot.  The same with gerbils.  Hamsters can become quite mean so I really don't recomend them.  Guinea pigs can be very friendly like rats.  They can have a personality as well.  Hedgehogs are also awesome pets, but can be somewhat expensive and difficult to get as a pet.  I had one and I loved it.  

Anyway over all I highly recomend the rat.  They make awesome pets and are inexpensive.  If you get one (or any rodent) make sure you get some devices such as a nyla bone for the rat to chew on because their teeth will continuously grow if they do not have the means to grind them down.  Other than that they are very easy to care for.  Hope this helps

Answer 11

The rat made a good pet. Would sit on my shoulder.  The dog ignored it.  It lived 4 years.

Answer 12

if you have a dog and he wont eat a rodent, and rats don't creep you out, a pet rat is the only choice, they are incredibly intelligent and social. this is a video about rats and other pets.

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=fz3gzfqndiq.....

    rats are so smart and easy to handle. rats like to be held. you should really get one.