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Gerbils
by BestBullies
I have a beautiful little male albino gerbil called Marvin he is about 9 months old now and is full of charm and character he looks just like a mini bull terrier with red eyes he is such a looker, after my mice died I really felt our family was incomplete so after a month or so had passed we was in the pet shop buying dog food and I saw ... this little white head and pink eyes peering out of a little house at me he was in the adoptiion part of the store when we asked why they told us it was because he is albino and that people tend to go for the ones without red eyes so that was it we had the cage at home we adopted him right there, it took him awhile to settle in but once he had he came out of his shell. They tend not to drink alot but will eat plenty Marvins fav treat is nuts, he takes one from our hand every morning.
They are incredibly intelligent animals and love attention, they love to burrow so I really would suggest a glass topped virarium as you will end up with sawdust everywhere, they also require a dust bath as this is how they keep clean and without one will become grubby and have dull fur, Marvin just loves to roll around in his bath and it is so amusing to watch, they are very quick animals so dont let them out unless you are absolutely certain you can get them back again, they are very active and will get bored quickly if not kept occupied make sure you get plenty of chews as they love to gnaw on things avoid placing anything plastic in with your Gerbil they will bite through it (they have incredibly strong teeth) if they swallow the plastic it can be harmful to them, Gerbils are also quite active throughout the day and night unlike hamsters and mice who tend to be most active at night,but they love to be handled if you have small children make sure they dont squeeze them as they are fragile little creatures, I find that they dont smell at all which is amazing and are very clean animals, they are great for all the family and I am so very glad that we saved little Marvin.
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Rabbits in general
by amazonia
I had never had a small furry animal always cats and dogs. After my mother passed away I decided I wanted a pet to keep me company - I choose my first rabbit. I knew next to nothing about rabbits aside from the fact that they are very cute so, my first task before bringing a rabbit home was to swot up.
I read two books ... about rabbits cover to cover and anything I could find on the internet. If you are considering getting a rabbit I would highly recommend you read up on the animal - rabbits for dummies came in handy for me.
Rabbits are very cute and cuddly to look at but they do have their own personality and very big teeth which can be used on your flesh and it hurts. My bunny is a female (doe) she is a black and white dutch breed rabbit her picture is in my profile.
Female rabbits can become sexually aggressive and very protective of their surroundings when their hormones kick in. My rabbit became a bit manic around 3 months old. During this time she would run round my feet constantly honking, humping my arm and biting me. If you have a female rabbit I would highly suggest you get her spayed i.e her ovaries and uterus removed this makes her better behaved and also removes the risk of cancer which is high for female rabbits.
I would also suggest that rabbits may not be suitable for very young children as even as an adult it is tempting to grab a bunny and snuggle them when they don't want you to - do that and they could hurt themselves trying to escape or hurt your child with their teeth through fear or anger. Older children, supervised children or children who are calm and quiet may suit a bunny very well.
Through the ups and downs I have grown very attached to my bunny and her unique personality and wouldn't change her for the world.
My bunny is a house rabbit - keeping your bunny in doors means you can keep a close eye on them and bond with them more closely. My rabbit loves to be stroked and cuddled - all on her own terms of course.
The hard work you put into bonding with your rabbit makes you love them all the more. They are very quiet clean pets but can be prone to chewing things you don't want them to therefore, I would suggest you buy them plenty of chew toys that are particularly for rabbits - of course their are cheap alternative such as cardboard boxes and toilet roll tubes which they usually love to play with. A rabbit does not need huge amounts of supervision so suits me as I work full time and would not be able to keep a dog or a cat in the area I live in. They can be affectionate and loving and their is no better sight than a happy bunny bounding around your home leaping and jumping or flopping on the floor at the sheer happiness of life! I would recommend a bunny as a pet - just make sure you do your homework. Feed them healthy food and get your female spayed. If you do decide to get a bunny - enjoy the happiness that this lovely pet can bring :)
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Rats
by Vicstar84
I have kept rats since I was a student at university. I had Guinea Pigs in the past but wanted a different rodent. Someone recommended a rat and I was sold!
Why Rats?
Rats are clever animals, they eat a diverse, fairly cheap diet. They are quite concerned with their personal hygiene, particularly females and therefore ... cleaning out the cage can be quite easy. I trained mine to a litter tray. Boys tend to smell more than Girls. You can teach them tricks, you can show them even! Girls tend to be more active than boys- boys tend to be bigger, lazier and cuddlier! I've always kept girls. You should always keep rats in pairs, and because they have a 'friend' they aren't a 24-7 drain on your time. If handled early they will be gentle animals- lack of handling and socialisation can make them quite aggressive and believe me, a rat bite hurts. They clamp down and don't let go! I once saw a child get a bite on the face from a poorly handled Rat.
Honest Disadvantages:
They need a big cage. And this can be a very big layout.
In order for them to be socialble they need to be handled every day
They don't live long- i've had one live to 3 before but they tend to go quite young
Vet bills- very prone to tumours- I had one rat cost me over £1000 in vet bills
They are quick rodents- probably not suitable for very young children because of this!
Rats are a rewarding family pet with a bad reputation because of their wild counterparts. Look beyond that and you'll have a good family pet!
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