Ive had many hamsters, and im ready to try something new. I have 3 hamsters right now (had 4 yesterday, but one died~old age) Do you think a rat would be a fun and different addition to my rodent family, or should i just stick to hamsters. And do you think it would be to difficult dealing with 2 different types or rodents (im only 15) or would it not make any difference
what do you think?
Oh, and if i did end up getting a rat, i was thinking of a hairless, would that be a bad idea for a beginner rat, or does it make a difference?
thanks
Answers:
*im 15 too! i used to have hamsters.. then i got two female rats! and now i will prolly never get a hamster again! i like them and all, they are really cute, but rats are just soooo much more social! but if you get one, you have to get two! to me, its cruel to a rat if they dont have a companion constantly there...
*if i were you i would start by getting a regular rat, hairless have special needs that can usually only be met by an experienced rat owner. Rats are soo smart! both of mine know their name and a variety of tricks.
*The cage you are talking about sounds pretty good for two (female) rats.. its about the same size as mine! but if you are going to have them in that size cage, you have to make sure they have lots of time outside of the cage every day (over 30 min a day)
*When getting a rat..
--if you want to get them from a petstore (i recommend not) ask to hold them before you pay for them, when the petstore person puts their hand in the cage to take them out, watch to see if the rats try to bite their hand or are extremely afraid (signs of no proper care- probably there as a feeder rat)
--look at local animal shelters- thats where i get mine- animal shelters tend to care ALOT more about rats than petstores, they are there as PET rats, NOT feeder rats, so you know they are handled and checked for illnesses
--breeders are also a good place to get them if there are none at your local animal shelter, you know the breeders care about the rats. BUT you must check out the living conditions of the rats because a lot of breeders are in it for the money and will cross/over breed rats and keep them in over populated and dirty cages
*When preparing the cage for rats you should make sure there is a house for them to fit into, lots of chew toys to make sure their teeth dont get overgrown, and lots of 'game' toys to keep their mind stimulated (old chain necklace washed and have cheerios strung on it, slightly cracked/opened hard boiled egg are favorites of mine)
*hope this helps! good luck!*
it is really up to you. i heard rats bite but so do hamsters and mice. so i guess all rodents do. i would do some research on rats before you got one though just to make sure they would make a good pet.
I would get a hairy rat, they are easier to find and generally healither. As far as hamsters vs. rats, rats are much more intelligent and can be trained with treats (they love cheerios). I'm not sure if you should keep them together or not though.
u might just want to stick to the hamsters for now because if u add a rat to the cage all the hamsters might immediately reject it!
if u do get a rat try getting 2 and keep them in a different cage but still 2gether and get the one that catches ur eye first!
hamster
I think that a rat is cool...but the poop and pee might be a problem...they have larger feces and the urine smells strong...might want to consider that as well.Either way it sounds like you take care of your rodents so I don't think it will be a problem for you to handle different types.
well hamstersare cool but theyre too small i find rat are more playful and smart i woulid say a rat(furry)but if u put rats vs guinea pig i would pick guinea pig
okay i personally like rats better because they are more social. it matters how involved you are willing to be if you are ready for a rat. you should play with them everyday. i think you will be able to handle a rat. just keep there food and cages seperate. i would get a female because males '' mark there territory'' ALOT. females are also smaller. that cage should be fine. hairless rats tend to be more aggressive. i would recommend a regular fancy rat. they are the most submissive and gentle. also try to get a rat from a breeder or an owner that wants to give it up for some reason.(moving, money, ect.) DO NOT get a rat from a pet store. they do not care about them and almost all of them have a desease. most pet store rats are just there for snake food and are never handled so they are aggressive and dont like people.
good luck.
It is good to try something new for once, but its up to you... a hairless rat is ok but you should start out with a furry rat. You have done a lot of research on rats... maybe you should try it, or you can just stick to hamsters, but trying a rat would be better
Actully, you should get a guinea pig. They aren't like hamsters, they are more social. I have 2 guinea pigs and they are fun.
Rats make excelent pets, out of all the rodents i know they are the nicest.
Having both rats and hamsters, I think both make really good pets but rats are better, more social and friendly (especially the females) As for their habitat, the bigger the better but just double check it to make sure that there is no way for them to escape. And obviously, DO NOT try putting rats and hamsters together. ;) Good Luck!
first of all you'll need two rats. they don't do well by themselves and if you've done your research than you would know that. that cage might be to small for them and i would go and get a cage meant for rats or ferrets as long as the bar spacing isn't to big. hairless rats are prone to skin problems are require a lot of special care, if you've never had a rat before i wouldn't suggest getting a hairless. the room needs to be at the right temperature for them at all times. they need a cage mate that has fur to keep them warm. they need vet care more often for their skin conditions.
In my opinion rats make the best caged pets. They're better than any hamster, bird, or reptile, especially for younger pet owners.
Rats are very social and love to be touched by their human owners. You want to get a pair of them young if possible. They will keep each other company when you can't be with them. They need a lot of attention; at least 30 mins to an hour of handling each day.
I've had hamsters before and I think you'll come to find that rats are the way to go. They will sit on your shoulders while you walk around, (I even do the dishes with my two rats up there), whereas a hamster may jump to the ground with no regard for it's own safety.
Rats are smart and can be easily trained. They can be potty trained and learn to come to their name. They love to climb and will try to find the tallest thing to sit on top of.
As you said, you definitely don't want to put the rat(s) with your hamsters and perhaps you should purchase a new cage that will be big enough for two adult rats.
As for the biting, hamsters are 50x more likely to bite than a rat. In all my work with rats I've only been bitten once when sticking my hand into a cage with a new mommy and her babies. (I completely understand her motive.) However, if handled improperly, any animal can and will bite.
Hope this helped. I love when people are willing to look past "the tail" and the reputation to see how loving pet rats can be.
P.S. PetSmart doesn't sell feeder rodents and their animals are usually handled by knowledgeable animal caretakers. If your rats are a little skittish at first, take it slow and work with them. They'll learn to trust you.
We have to male rats they are very fun
I would stick with hamsters.I don't think you should get a rat because hamsters are much cuter than rats.I would never get a rat because of their tail.Their tail would always gross me out.If you want to get a hamster,I would say robo dwarf hamsters are the best.I have 6 of them,and I've never had any problem with them.They are so sweet.They are very fun to watch.They would never bite because I have 6,and they would never bite me.I hope you get a robo dwarf hamster!
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