Your child has just asked you the dreaded question. No, not “Where do babies come from?” Your child has just asked you, “Mommy, can I get a pet? Please?” What are you going to say? You want your child to have some responsibilities, but you also need to make sure that you would be willing to take over the care of the animal. You’ll need to consider financial aspects, space needed, and if you’d like to have just one pet or two. The time is not right for a dog or a cat. They’re not interested in birds or reptiles. They want a small and furry pet. A supposedly easy to care for starter pet: a rodent.
There are about 1,500 species of rodents, but I am going to focus on just three of the more common types of rodents kept as pets. After reading this article, you will be able to discuss the pros and cons of guinea pigs, rats, and hamsters with your child to see which pet suits your family best.
First, let’s consider the hamster. Many children are fascinated by hamsters and with good reason. Hamsters are small, do not take up much space, and they are relatively easy and inexpensive to care for. These are also entertaining creatures who will run on wheels, tour your living room in a run-about-ball, and possess fairly good climbing skills. Their diet is not complicated, if the cage is kept clean they are not overly odorous creatures, and they can be handled. Hamsters tend to be fairly hardy and you shouldn’t see many vet visits, although I do recommend having a fund setup just incase. If you get a Syrian hamster, these are solitary animals and so you will only need to keep one. As you can see, the hamster has many pros. However, there are also some cons. Hamsters are nocturnal, so if your child wants to wake up the hamster in the afternoon when they get home from school, that hamster might be just a bit grumpy. The other downside of a nocturnal pet is, if you wanted to put the hamster in your child’s bedroom, the activities of the hamster may keep your child awake. If your child is fearful of being nipped, the hamster might not be the best choice. Not all hamsters will nip, but in my experience they have been more likely to nip than rats or guinea pigs. Another downside is that if you want to get another Syrian hamster later on, you’ll have to get another cage. Syrians will often fight to the death if left together. The hamster can be a great choice for the family that just wants one pet, wants to spend time with that pet in the evenings, and the child can do most of the care with supervision.
Next, let’s move onto a larger rodent: the guinea pig. Many people think a guinea pig is just like a large hamster. This idea will give you a very wrong perception about guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are diurnal (awake during the day), strictly herbivorous (whereas hamsters are omnivores and you can choose to add some insects into their diet if you desire), and guinea pigs severely lack the climbing skills that hamsters possess. Guinea pigs however, are often great pets to sit and watch TV with. They also can be very charmingly vocal and will make loud squeaking sounds when they think they may receive a snack. Watching guinea pigs interact with each other can be very charming, as they are very social creatures. Guinea pigs very rarely nip. They also live longer than hamsters (hamsters only live 2 to 3 years, while guinea pigs live 5 to 8 years). However, there are some drawbacks to guinea pigs that make them unsuitable for many families. Their diet absolutely requires hay. If anyone in your household is allergic to hay, you may not want to adopt a guinea pig. Many children want a pet that can entertain them. While guinea pigs are quite charming, they aren’t always the best entertainers. They physically cannot run in a wheel or ball (and if you try it, it’s very likely they will injure their back). Guinea pigs are also not always the hardiest of pets. Vet bills can get very expensive and you’ll want to ensure that you can keep an emergency fund of at least $300 at all times in case anything happens. Of course, for some people, the space a guinea pig pair takes up is also a problem. At least 7.5 square feet is the recommended cage size for a pair of guinea pigs. If you live in an apartment, that is going to seem very large and might be prohibitive. You may be thinking that you can save space by just adopting one guinea pig. In most cases, this is not what is best for the animal. Guinea pigs are very social and I would highly recommend you adopt at least two. Two will not be much more difficult to care for, but they will be twice as fun to watch. Even though guinea pigs aren’t awake at night like hamsters, it is still not advisable to place their cage in your child’s bedroom. Guinea pigs go downhill fast when they are ill, and you want to see them as much as possible so that you will notice illnesses quickly. They also enjoy being in the center of family life, so a place such as the family room would be best. This is also an excellent location so that everyone can participate in the care, as guinea pigs are considerably more difficult to care for than hamsters. Guinea pigs are great pets for families who desire pets that are somewhat vocal, inquisitive, and yet can be calm enough to be quietly held and snuggled.
Now, you are possibly tempted to skip the rat section altogether. Many people shudder at the thought of having a pet rat. For many people, the tail on a rat turns them off. However, that tail is very useful. It is there to help rats balance. Hamsters can tolerate small falls, for guinea pigs even tiny falls may cause injury or even death, and rats would be the least likely to fall off as your child holds them on their shoulder (this is not to say that you can try shaking and dropping a rat, of course they will fall if you try to make them fall). Rats need a larger cage than hamsters, but unlike guinea pigs that need a lot of running area, with a rat cage you can build up (although, guinea pigs can also enjoy a loft). With their intelligence and natural physical abilities, rats definitely win the entertainment award. Rats, like hamsters, can run in wheels and balls. However, rats can also be taught simple tricks that they will perform for treats. So don’t rule out rats when thinking of the perfect pet rodent. After all, when you see the word “rodent”, the first animal that pops into your mind is likely to be a rat. But a rat isn’t the right pet for anyone. Again these are nocturnal pets. Most are social as well so you will want to adopt more than one. Their lifespan is generally around 5 years or less, which isn’t very long. Although, they are great pets for a family who wants intelligent and entertaining companions who are not overly expensive to care for.
You’re now on the road to discovering the best pet for you. For additional information, you should lookup the small animal rescues nearest you. You can often meet the animals you are interested in adopting and see which pet matches your family the best. Keep in mind that individual personalities of the animal will vary. And remember, you cannot expect your child to take on full responsibility for any pet. If you aren’t interested in the animal, do not adopt. The best pet rodent is the one that everyone in the family loves and cherishes.
