Exotic Pets: Pet Rodent Guide

Maybe an ideal pet for you could be a pet rodent, though there is a great deal of difference between a rat and a hamster. Rats rarely bite and hamsters can be quite nippy. There are also guinea pig and a mouse to take into consideration. Rodents take up little space, do not need to be walked, and are very quiet. Rodents are very inexpensive to keep and require no vaccinations. However, they too can become ill, have accidents and can require vet care.

All rodents have similar care in that they need a safe secure cage. Of course, a rat will need a larger cage compared to the mouse. Rodents will need an exercise wheel, toys, chew toys to keep their forever-growing teeth worn down, water bottles, food, and non-toxic bedding.

In the wild, rats are highly social. I strongly suggest purchasing two rats of the same sex. While there are some social species of hamsters, most are not social and should be kept in separate cages. Hamsters react to stress much more acutely than rats. While hamsters are good pets for children when they are together, they should be supervised. Hamsters can become afraid and deliver a nasty bite to the child and children could accidentally injure the hamster.

Supervise your rodents play at all times. There are many harmful and dangerous perils in a home. As with birds and other exotic pets, toxic fumes can kill a rodent. There are also poisonous houseplants to watch out for, and places for the rodents to drown like open containers with liquid in them. Rodents are ideal for our urbanized society.

Do you have or have you had a rodent as a pet?

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