Small pet troubles :(

Question

There are many small animals out there in the world that I'm sure would make great pets. The only problem is, I have no idea what small pet is right for me. I'm not a fan of animals with a noticeable smell though. Also, I understand that all animals bite, but I'd prefer one with a low bite, if that makes any sense? I'm primarily interested in Ferrets, Rats, or Guinea Pigs. I really need some help here, and I hope this makes sense. Thank you all so very much :)

Answer 1

Ferrets smell and bite rly hard they break skin sometimes i highly recommend guinea pigs they are soooooo sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

Answer 2

All three make great pets, rats are my personal favorite.

Well, when it comes to small pets, there are many options.

FERRETS:

Ferrets make great pets. They are playful, cuddly, and bond to their owners very quickly. But ferrets are not for everyone, they are high-maintenance and require alot of special care. Ferrets are are hilarious, jumping up and down, "dooking", doing backflips,and playing mock combat. Ferrets are very flexible, and some people don't believe they have any bones at all! But ferrets acctually have a full skeleton, and they can bend all the way in half! They live 8-11 years.

RATS:

Many people cringe at the thought of a rat for a pet, but rats are actually clean, very intelligent animals. Pet rats bond to their owner from day one, and can even be taught some tricks. Rats make great pets for everyone, even beginners, because of their sweet, calm temperment and because they rarely bite. Rats are highly social and become depressed if not housed with other rats. They live 3-5 years.

GUINEA PIGS:

Guinea pigs (also known as Cavies) are one of the more popular pocket pets. They are not really playful, but are very snuggly and love to sit on your lap while you pet them and comb their fur. They are one of the best pets for children to keep, because they are easy to tame and they rarely bite when handled. Caring for guinea pigs is simalar to caring for rabbits. Guinea pigs live 5-7 years

FANCY MICE:

Fancy mice are quick, lively, and come in so many different colours! They are easy pets to keep, and quite inexpensive. They are usually quite easy to tame and enjoy being handled. They are almost as intelligent as rats, and can be taught simple tricks. They very much enjoy being with their owners. They live 2-4 years.

PYGMY MICE:

Pygmy mice are the smallest species of rodent, eight full grown pygmys would weigh less than 1 ounce put together. Their care is generally the same as the regular mice, but they do not like to be held much, and can make great "look-but-dont-touch" pets. Some pygmys do tolerate being held occasionally. They live 1-3 years.

SYRIAN HAMSTERS:

Syrian hamsters are sometimes called false names such as "Teddy-bear", "Black-bear", "Panda bear", or "Honey-bear". These are all just fancy commercial names for Syrian hamster. These hamsters make great first pets for kids, are easy to tame and enjoy being handled. They are fairly inexpensive to keep. Syrians must be housed by themselves or they will fight to the death. Lives 2-3 years.

CHINESE HAMSTERS:

The typical Chinese hamster is a sweet, docile rodent. They are a dwarf hamster species and, with their long tail and thin body, resembles a mouse. Be carful when purchasing one, as some strains can be difficult to tame. They live 2-3 years.

CAMPBELL'S RUSSIAN HAMSTERS:

Caring for Campbell's Russian Dwarf hamsters is fairly easy, But they are usually only friendly on their terms, and are make better pets for people with experiance with the easier to tame Syrian hamster. Dwarf hamsters that are kept in pairs or colonies are happier than those who are caged by themselves. They usually live 2-3 years.

WINTER WHITE HAMSTERS:

Winter white dwarf hamsters have an amazing pattern of changing their coat colour from agouti (brown) to white every winter. They have the same care needs and temperment of the more popular Campbell's russian dwarf hamster. These hamsters typically live 2-3 years.

ROBOROVSKI HAMSTERS:

Roborovskis are the smallest species of hamster, and the fastest too. They are fun to have around, and they will sit on your shoulder and allow you to hold them. They are sweet animals that can live in pairs or colonies. They are the longest-living hamster, living 3-4 years.

SUGAR GLIDERS:

Sugar gliders are rare in BC. They are exotic marsupials from Australia, and are quite expensive to keep. There are many advantages to owning a sugar glider though, They will bond to their owner, they are long lived (10-15 years!), they don't make much noise, and they are very smart. Unless you are willing to pay plenty of attention to your sugar glider each day, they must be kept in pairs to prevent lonliness.

GERBILS:

Gerbils are very busy animals and are constantly playing and running around. Gerbils that are housed with other gerbils tend to live longer than those who live alone. Unlike many of the other pocket pets, gerbils are not nocturnal, and are usually active during the day, making them easy pets for people who are away at work during the night. Gerbils live 4-6 years.

HEDGEHOGS:

Hedgehogs are solitary animals, and need to be housed on their own. Because of their sharp quills, hedgehogs are not generally snuggly pets, and are very timid, but they will occasionally enjoy to be with their owners and come out of their cage. These are exotic animals that must have the right owner to understand their special care and needs. They live 4-7 years.

DEGUS:

Degus have many of the same qualities of both gerbils and guinea pigs. They are considered more intelligent and playful than guinea pigs, yet more laid back and cuddly than gerbils. You must be careful when handling degus and not to pull on their tail because when a degu feels threatened it may shed it's tail. The tail will never grow back if this happens. They live 5-7 years.

CHINCHILLAS:

Because of their extremely soft fur and adorable eyes, many people want to cuddle and pet Chinchillas, but they do not like to be held often. Chinchillas require a special dust bath to keep their coat clean and should never be bathed in water as this could make your chinchilla very sick and could possibly kill it. Chinchillas make good pets for people who like to play with their pet, but not cuddle it much. They live 16-22 years.

RABBITS:

Who could not love the popular pet rabbit? Rabbits make great pets, they are cuddly, playful, and smart. Rabbits can be housed indoors or in an outdoor hutch, and should be kept in pairs. Bunnies live 7-10 years

ZEBRA MICE

care same as fancy mouse

SPINY MICE

care same as fancy mouse

GOOD LUCK CHOOSING!

Answer 3

Well, if you keep them in a room, then the room will start smelling really bad,no matter what type if rodent it is, it will smell and bite, especially bite! I would recommend a rat because they are really sweet and clean!

Answer 4

First off, I am going to recommend you the guinea pig. There are TONS in shelters out there. BUT they require ALOT of responsibility. Despite popular belief, they do NOT make good children's pets, most certinaly not a "starter pet" either.  Also, They DO require alot of space for their cage, and they need at least one buddy. They also do not stink if you have them in the appropriate cage size, and clean at LEAST once a week. They can live anywhere between 4-6 years, but with proper care there are tons that live up to 10 even.

To do your research on guinea pigs, use these websites. They are the most up-to-date, and have people with many years of experience, cavy savvy vets, and people who run guinea pig rescues.

www.cavyspirit.com

www.guineapigcages.com

www.guinealynx.com

Those are the three websites EVERY cavy owner should know about and go by. Cavy spirit is actually a guinea pig rescue itself. Just read over EVERYTHING carefully, look around those websites, and base your decision if the guinea pig is the animal for you.

Eraser actually pretty explained it pretty well.

Hope you decide and are able to get a pig. They are animals with amazing personailties! :)

Answer 5

Ferrets are the most amount of work and most expensive. They can cost as much as a dog or cat considering they need shots as well as a neuter and descent. They are also the most inquisitive and capable of getting everywhere. They need a couple hours each day exploring outside of their cage, so baby-proofing your home will be needed. You also must familiarize yourself with the training you will need to do with them. An untrained ferret can become aggressive and unruley. They are social and MUST not live alone! Two ferrets is minimum. They need a pretty large cage, and some toys and such. Other than that, they are also know to be quite stinky, so frequent litter changes are important. They live 7-9 years.

http://www.ferretcare.org/

Rats are very similar to ferrets, but require less maintenence. They are also social, and must not live alone, so min. of two. They also require daily time out of the cage, but don't get into as much trouble as ferrets. They will gnaw on things, so be warned! They are social, and will accept you as part of their family and almost crave your attention, as do ferrets. They also need very large cages, and actually, ferret cages are perfect for rats. They can also be litter trained for ease of cleaning. Males are stinkier than females, but I have both and both are under control because I empty out thier litter boxes daily. They only live 3-4 years.

http://www.petratscanada.com/ratcare.htm

Guinea pigs are the most timid. Once they warm up, they can hang out with you and relax, but this can take a while. They are naturally very frightful, so you need to be patient at first. They are also social, so again min. is two. They require very large cages, luckily you can make one yourself for very little. A large cage, as well as daily out of cage time is mandatory since this is their only source of exercise. They need fresh veggies regularily, on top of hay and food. Some poeple give vitamins, but as long as you balance out thier diet, it isn't necessary. They too can be litter trained, and as long as you change this often, no smell problem. They live around 8 years.

http://www.cavyspirit.com/

http://www.guineapigcages.com/

And NO animal is "more likely to bite" or anything of that source. That's as good as racism! All of these animals, if treated properly can live their entire lives NEVER biting you or anyone else. Well, I suppose in this case ferrets are an exception sinc they are carnivores. They naturally use their mouths to play and such, so you probabaly would get nipped if it is having so much fun, it bites too hard, but a ferret would not flat out bite you without reason. And actually, same with rats, they use their mouths to 'feel' things sicne their eyes are bad, so it could bite to hard without realizing it. But the only time an animal will bite is when this is the last thing it feels it can do to protect itself. So take it easy, give them thier space, especially when they are new, and respect them in general. You will not get bitten this way.

Answer 6

Mice smell, rats are big mice. Ferrets, bite. Guinea pigs or rabbits are good and they don't bite or smell much. Go fro a Guinea Pig or Rabbit. Just remember that you need 2+ Guinea pigs, they get very lonely. Oh, and you can't house a rabbit and a guinea pig in the same cage, the rabbit may kick it do death

Answer 7

Hmm...guinea pig, chinchilla, or bunny would probably be best for you. I've had all those, ferrets bite & smell, rats don't bite very often but can smell if you don't keep them clean, hammies/mice/gerbils...about the same but less smell and more biting .

Answer 8

In my opinion guinea pigs are the best.

They don't ever bite unless you scare them terribly or if they mistake your hand for food. Also, guinea pigs are not smelly at all, unless you do not clean their cage or the hay is the one that smells. other than that, nothing should smell.

Answer 9

Hamsters!!! cute little hamsters.

If you want cute ones, you can get dwarf hamsters but they bite, and you cant hold them :(

For supplies, get bedding(any kind id good), water, food, a hamster ball, a cute little igloo, an aquarium with holes where you can attach tubes, and practically make it a play house, and lots and lots of toys!!!

By the way hamsters dont cost huge, they only cose 10 or 15 dollars.And they sell those perfect sized cages that include everything in it including bedding food water bottle, and toy. And all together including the hamster is only about 50 dollars

trust me its worth it

Answer 10

guinea pigs make GREAT pets. i have never been bitten by mine. they do require a larger cage though. they do have a smell risk though. if you keep its cage clean, they should be fine with no odor. i would also look into gerbils though it isn't on your list. they are very friendly and don't often bite unless you deserve it. they don't require as much space as a guinea pig but are social. they should be kept in at lest pairs. if you get a pair, i would reccommend getting a 15 gallon aquarium.

Answer 11

go to a pet store and have someone help you find what you want just tell them what you want

Answer 12

I would suggest a male teddy bear hamster, these barely bite, and unless you stick your head inside the cage, you barely notice the smell, too. Males are much calmer than females I've heard, and teddy bear hamsters come in many shades colorsors. Teddy bear hamsters eventually grow EXESSIVELY long hair, as you will see in these pictures:

http://www.hammyworld.de/images/hp_ara3....

http://www.newpetmall.com/teddy-bear-ham...

http://www.hamstertunnels.com/assets/sch...

Teddy bear hamsters don't make alot of racket and don't need alot of attention though, if you do get one, or any hamster for that matter, you might want to try this schedule to keep him/her healthy and happy! Try to give it 3 or 4 treats a day, but if you want it really skinny, try 2 or 3 treats per day. Buy a ball for him/her, and try to put it in it for at least 15 minutes a day. To bond with him/her, try holding it for again, at least 15 minutes a day, for food, I suggest these two excelent brands that my hamster loves:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

http://www.petlanddiscounts.com/detail.a...

BEDDING:

http://www.petlanddiscounts.com/detail.a... I suggest changing at least once a week!

TREATS:

http://www.petlanddiscounts.com/detail.a...

TOYS:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js... comes in different colors!

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js... also comes in different colors!

CAGE:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

STORE:

Petsmart, their site is: www.petsmart.com

Hope I helped and good luck!

-Pumpkin  :)

Answer 13

Whichever you choose, give lots of TLC! Shannon had a very well written answer. Although I prefer Syrian hamies, who once tamed, very nice, friendly, cuddly, sweet, and will always cheer you up! They may bite once or twice in the beginning, BUT, they will become tame, and then therefore your best friend. Bunnies are sweet too. Have lots of love for your critter, whichever you choose! I LOVE CRITTERS!!!!!

Answer 14

ok, well i dont know much about ferrets rats or guinea pigs but i do have a rabbit =] she is a small holland lop and she doesnt smell (unless u stick your nose right on her fur, but you dont want to do that cus then youll get fur up your nose) anyway, if you are good and change the litter every day, it doesnt smell. my bunny doesnt bite but i know some that do. just make sure you make a good choice when you pick out your bunny (or you can go adopt one thats already trained and stuff. there are a lot of bunnies looking for a good home)

hope this helped E=D

Answer 15

I've never actually played with a rat so i'm not sure if they're like ferrets but my 2 ferrets but in the beginning and within about 3 days i trained them not to bite. It was more than easy to train them you just have to know when to stop them and how to do it so they know it's not right. They're very sweet but the only problem can be the smell. I'm used to the smell by now so it doesnt bug me but it bugs my parents

Answer 16

look at animal planet.com

Answer 17

chinchilla. chinchilla!!! get a kit (baby chinchilla) and pat it every day, etc. get it accustomed to people, adn it will make a great pet. ferrets reek, they smell awful... rats, dont smell, too much, but are irritating, and guinea pigs get a panic attack if they even hear a feather drop.

Answer 18

okay well first if you don't want a pet that smells to much then you can take ferrets off of your list, because they do tend to smell.

then guinea pigs can smell too.

i would suggest a rat, they don't smell as much, they are really social so if you do get one don't, get 2 or more! they live around 2 yrs. best to keep females together, and usually they don't bite unless very threatend! and they are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO intellagent!!!

hamsters also make great pets! i would suggest also that before you get any animal or pet READ ALL ABOUT THEM FIRST!!!  

Answer 19

here are some suggestions---

1. hamster- is small and is like the ones you mentioned

2. guinea pig- that would make a good pet that is similar to hamsters (i would rather have a hamster- my opinion)

3. mice- smaller than rats and cuter

4. bunnies- so soft and cuddly and cute

5. a small dog- more interactive

6. cat- more interactive

7. parakeet- small pet!

Answer 20

lol nice name.... i think im the only boy left named taylor. but anyhow. all animals are gunna smell to some degree, just like you do. i personally think guinea pigs are boring (no offense to the gpig people, but if i want an animal thats initially terrified of me ill stick to my bunnys) rats and ferrets are both extremely active and entertaining, but both have odors even when cleaned exceptionally often.

check out sugar gliders, i normally wouldnt recommend them to someone without smanimal exp. but if you can afford to get a properly socialized pair they make wonderful companions, and they have barely any noticable odor too.

and to whoever said their weasel (ferret) can break their skin when they bite, then theyre doing something wrong with their ferret,  they caaaann bite very hard but its an extremely easy habit to break (just like a mouthy puppy), put some bitter apple on your hand, and no more strong bites. When a ferret play bites i thinks its cute and you can play bite him back (gentle pinchs around the ears and neck) flip him over on his back and rough him up a little bit, they love it.

hope this essay helped, lol

Answer 21

rats can get you sick ferrets are meen dirty yucky animals and guinea pigs p**p more than you could imagine same with rabbitts those are the down sides but there are many up sides also

Answer 22

i just bought my second rat today, in my opinion they make perfect pets. i did alot of research before i chose, and rats have many good qualitys they are very smart and easy to train, very loving,social, ive never had a problem with smell and never have i been bitten or shown aggression from any rat.

few things before you buy - there are several sizes mine are large and jumbo there are also smaller versions. its best to get a neutered rat especially with male rats

also be carful with bedding cedar can be very harmful to small critters and rats have a very sensitive sense of smell and cedar will  cause problems. note also some common health problems- respritory ( watch for exessive sneezing and whispy breathing), tumors(which by getting a neutered rat reduces the chance).

and for the best relationship handle your rat alot and dont be surprised if at first they pee alot, this is just a phase and eventually they stop

bring him home, calm your rat down, pet it, give it treats and introduce it to its new home.

hmm and food, where i live the stores do not have "rat food" i buy hamster food which is fine. and i feed mine a bit of my meal now and again if appropriate and give him veggies, nuts, fruit, some meat because the store food does not always provide everything. and i freeze bits of peanut butter for treats. they can have chocolate as well but has nothing they need

ya that covers the rat hehe.

for more info on any pet ( i used this site)

to help you find a good pet

http://www.peteducation.com/