What is a good first time pet rodent?

Question

I really want pet rodent. I do not care about what type of if it is not a chincilla(To expencive). I would prefer a small-medium sized, cheap( For cage, Food, the pet, ect.), fun(Like a pet rat), and loving. I am into any pet, I do not care if you p***a ferret, rat or gerbil. Please, I can not think of a pet to chose from, I really need help with this. Plus, how much is the pet?

Thanks-- :)

Answer 1

RAT! they are the cleanest, smartest, cutest and most social rodent there is! http://ratguide.com/ there are many websites and that s just one!

Answer 2

I think a hamster would be best for you.

Answer 3

I would suggest either a hamster, mouse, or gerbil. They are all great starting pets.

I say no to rabbits because: The cage needs to be large and can get expensive.

I say no to ferrets because: They are expensive all around; cage, food, and all of that stuff.

I say no to rats because: They need a large cage,and vet visits are frequent and costly.

I say no to hedgehogs for most of those reasons, too.

Hamsters, mice, and gerbils aren't very expensive.

HOUSING:

Each of these rodents can live in a 10 gallon tank with a mesh lid. You can buy a 10 gallon tank at Wal-mart for $10, and the lid costs about $8. So, housing is now covered.

FOOD:

For hamsters, I suggest Mazuri lab blocks for hamsters. It is very healthy. You can also buy some seeds for them, since they enjoy that. For mice, I suggest Mazuri lab blocks for rats and mice. It is also healthy. I think they can have seeds, too.

I don't know if Mazuri has blocks for gerbils, but they may. Gerbils can also eat seeds. (Side note: DO NOT buy any product from KAYTEE. That food brand has a preservative in it called ethoxyquin which has been known to cause cancer in small pets.)

Each of these rodents can also have fruits and vegetables several times a week. You can search google for which types each rodent can have.

BEHAVIOR:

Hamsters are more prone to biting than most small pets, but once they are tame, the biting reduces and they don't mind being held. Hamsters are territorial and cannot be housed together. Although, Dwarf hamsters can if they have grown up together since birth, but they may still end up fighting. Hamsters are nocturnal.

Mice don't bite as much as hamsters, but they can still be skittish and quick to get away. You will need to tame them as well, but they would still probably rather run around than be held. They are small, and it may be hard to hold them. Female mice can be housed together, but male mice cannot. It is recommended to keep females in pairs or groups. Mice are nocturnal.

Gerbils do bite, but not much. They are quite easy to tame and fun to play with. Gerbils can be housed in same s*x pairs, and this is recommended. Gerbils are diernal, meaning they are awake during the day.

PLAY:

Since these are all rodents, they all have an urge to chew. Providing store bought chew toys are always a good idea, and it is even fun for them. But other than chewing on hard things, they like wheels, and other home made toys such as toilet paper rolls. Be creative! I would suggest getting atleast two hides for your pet so they can get away.

Dwarf hamsters, mice, and gerbils like to burrow (Some may disagree about mice doing it, but my friend's mice do), so providing a lot of bedding is a good idea. It's fun to watch them create tunnels and dig! Especially the gerbils!

The plastic balls are another thing that most small pet owners have for these types of rodents. It lets them safely roam around.

BUYING:

If you choose to buy from a pet store, I suggest PetSmart. They take better care of their animals than Petco does.

Look for ones that are active with bright eyes and well groomed fur. Ask an employee to let you play with them for a few minutes so you can make your choice easier.

Good luck! =)

Answer 4

I have a mouse and have always had mice growing up. They are usually very friendly and only cost around $1.25 to purchase. You can feed them lots of things including parakeet seed and rodent lab blocks, both of which only cost a little over $1/lb in bulk. The cage prices vary depending on how much room you want but I would definitely suggest a wheel (plastic not metal) and a wooden house to chew on and provide shelter.

Answer 5

I suggest you get a hamster.

Answer 6

Hedgehogs are adoribley fun, they have long lifesands for small pets, and are quite clean

Answer 7

Good first time rodents are rabbits (at my pet store £15), guinea pigs (£15), hamsters (£6), mice and rats (£8), becuase they are small, cheap, cheap to look after, easy to care for and make a great pet so take your pick whichever one you want.

Answer 8

Rats

They are intelligent and gentle, not to mention extremely cheap. Ideal for beginners, and you can play with them, for example train them to go through mazes.

I do not know how much they cost, but as far as I know they are very cheap to buy, feed etc.

Rats teeth constantly grow, so they will need something to chew on. Putting a stick in the cage will do, or just buy something from a pet shop.

In regards to bedding, chuck a few paper towels in the cage and the rat will tear them up and make it's own bed.

Rats are usually quite active so they will need to be let out regularly.

Answer 9

hamster

Answer 10

one word hamster

Answer 11

i would get a rabbit, they are easy to clean and nice and fun to hold. i think hamsters and gerbils are too small and quick for some children to have, they are so easy to drop.rabbits are much bigger. if you browse around some  ads in your local paper you may get one free, to buy about 50 dollars,you could build a cage or buy one 100 bucks. checkaround second hand.

Answer 12

ok i have 2 guinea pigs very nice  not that expensive  like 35-40 bucks  dont bite food like 4 bucks for a very big bag that last me a month and i use shredded paper as beding so i pay about 4 bucks every  month

Answer 13

we bought my daughter a guinea pig as a first pet...we went to a pet store and paid about $50 for pet and cage with complete set up...

guinea pigs are a  relatively cheap pet to own...you will need food a few accessories and will need to make sure they have things to chew on(your pet store can help you with this) because their teeth constantly grow  The chewing keeps them filed down...You will also need to have your guinea pigs toe nails clipped periodically...we do this ourselves at home after my vet showed me how...

we also have gerbils but the guinea pig is a much calmer animal and loves to just hang out with my daughter...