Are you looking for a good first pet for a child? Do you live in an apartment that does not allow for pets? Is your lifestyle too busy for a dog or a cat, but you would still like to have a pet of some sort? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then a pocket pet could be just what you are looking for. What is a pocket pet? Generally, the term refers to hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats. These pets all have roughly the same care requirements, but differ greatly in the opinions they elicit from people. This is a comprehensive guide to choosing and keeping one of these wonderful little animals. I have owned all of these pets at various times and can’t wait until my children are old enough for their own pocket pets.

General Care

The care of these animals is the same for all four of them. They are all rodents and are all friendly pets. The lifespan varies from 1-3 years, so they are great pets for people who cannot commit to a longer living pet such as a dog. They do not need exercised outside of the cage (except for rats) and are very quite.

Housing

When choosing a cage, keep in mind that they are rodents and will chew on anything. Therefore, the best bet for housing is an aquarium with a screen top or a metal cage made for rodents. There are pros and cons to each of these choices, the aquarium will have a foul odor quicker, but will keep the area around the cage clean of bedding and food debris. A metal cage made specifically for rodents will allow for better air circulation, therefore the smell will seem to be less offensive. However, the animals will borrow in the bedding causing it to spill out of the cage along with any food that is in the way.

Feeding

The best possible feed for any of these small pets is a diet formulated specifically for rodents. There are foods made for laboratory animals that are nutritionally balanced and should be offered at all times. This food can be supplemented with a variety of seeds, fresh fruit and vegetables and occasionally some “snack” foods such as crackers. These animals will also enjoy a treat from your garden such as grass, dandelions, or sunflowers. Care should be taken to make sure these plants are not treated with any chemicals and should be washed first.

Fresh water needs to be available at all times. There are many types of gravity fed water bottles on the market today, lots of colors and styles to choose from to match your tastes. Water should not be offered in a bowl, as it will be tipped over or soon filled with bedding and food.

Bedding

The bedding used for rodents should be something they can burrow in but that is easy to clean. A popular choice for bedding is pine wood shavings, while these are adequate some animals could be allergic to them. Corncob bedding is an excellent choice, it is cheap, easy to clean and helps absorb the odor.

Never use cedar wood shavings for rodent cages, there is an oil in it that is at best irritating to the animals, at worst deadly.

Cage Décor

A rodent cage should be outfitted with pretty much the same things no matter which type of pet is chosen. They will need somewhere to hide; this will need to be large enough for the animal to get inside. Hamsters, gerbils, rats and mice are all rodents; their teeth will continue to grow for their entire lives. Therefore, they need chew toys provided at all times. If there is nothing for them to chew on, the teeth will grow outside of the mouth causing all sorts of problems. Chew toys can be found at any pet store.

These are active animals with a lot of nervous energy. The easiest way to help them burn that energy off is with an exercise wheel. The animals will spend a large amount of time in the wheel, running, running, running. If the wheel should become squeaky, it will need to be lubricated. Never use a petroleum-based product in the cage, do not use Vaseline on the wheel. Petroleum products are poisonous and are likely to be licked off by the animal. Use vegetable oil instead, this will cure the squeak and is not harmful to the pet.

Hamsters: Cute and Fluffy

Hamsters are a very popular pocket pet for children. They can be found in pet stores, classrooms and children’s bedrooms all across the country. The teddy bear and the dwarf hamsters are the most common species available. The teddy bear hamster is the traditional type, big and fluffy with cute little faces. The dwarf hamster is smaller and generally has shorter hair than the teddy bear.

Hamsters are good first pets for children that are old enough to understand that the animals do not want to be manhandled all the time. Children should be sympathetic to the fact that these are nocturnal animals and do not really like to be woken up during the day. Generally, children over the age of seven do well with hamsters.

Hamsters have a tendency to bite when they are woken up from a good sleep. Care should be taken to avoid their teeth, which can be very long and do a lot of damage to little fingers. However, once the hamster has time to wake up and is in a good mood, it will enjoy being taken out for some exercise every now and then. It is best to exercise it in a plastic ball made especially for this purpose. The ball prevents the hamster from getting under furniture, stepped on or lost.

Mice: Nervous but Friendly

Mice are not something that people generally invite into their homes on purpose. They tend to evoke an image of an unclean house. However, mice are actually very clean little animals and make good pets, for the right kind of person. They can make an excellent pet for someone who just wants the company of another living thing. They prefer not to be handled and are very nervous little animals. They do not bite as a rule; they are just always looking to get somewhere else. Mice come in a variety of colors, everything from white to brown, grey to blue.

They are small in stature and make up for it in the antics they perform for you to observe. Mice like to be kept in groups of two or more so that they do not become lonely. Be sure to have a rodent expert sex them. Keep in mind that putting two males together could result in fighting that may be uncontrollable. Only keep same sexes together they multiply very quickly, usually producing four to six pups every time.

Gerbils: Friendly and Fearless

Gerbils are very social animals and need to be kept in groups of two or more, this is very important for them to be happy pets. They mate for life and are monogamous. If separated from their mate, they may never take another one again. They do not always breed when put in male/female pairs for that reason. However, care should be given that if offspring are not desired, the pairs should be same sexed.

Another nice attribute of the gerbil is that they are from desert climates; therefore, they utilize water very well. This trait results in less urine in the cage, less mess and less smell than other rodents produce.

Rats: Little Dogs in Cages

Rats are by far the most intelligent of the pocket pets. They will learn tricks if enough time is spent with them. They bond with people to the point of becoming a real part of the family. Rats like to have time outside of the cage, they usually enjoy a ride on some ones shoulders. A pet rat will come to the top of the cage when it hears a voice and beg to be let out. They will beg for a snack from your dinner and will curl up on your lap for a nap. Rats do not have the same tendencies to run away as other rodents do. They do not bite as a first line of defense; in fact, domestic rats will try almost anything not to bite.

They do get a lot larger than the other pets discussed and therefore have larger cage requirements. They do best in at least a 20-gallon aquarium, for a pair. A great choice for rats is a cage made for a ferret, they generally have multiple levels and the rats are too big to get out (although while they are young, and aquarium is best).

Rats prefer to be in groups of two or more, but again, it is so important not to put male/female pairs together unless they are to be used for breeding. Rats can produce up to 20 pups per litter! Male rats do very well together as pairs and do not have the same problems with fighting as other rodents do.

Choosing the Right Pocket Pet

Before choosing any of these pets for a child or an adult, it is important to be able to provide them with all the care that they will need. These are not disposable pets and cannot be let loose if you grow tired of them. They are spoiled. Do not give any of them as surprise gifts, always make sure the recipient is expecting and wanting the animals.

All of these little creatures can make very nice pets, if their needs are taken into consideration. They all have little quirks, likes and dislikes. When these are taken into account and met, everyone can live happily ever after.