Ideas for small rodent pet
By breepeace
@breepeace (3014)
Canada
June 29, 2007 6:51pm CST
I have a medium sized wire cage that I bought from a garage sale last year and I've been debating what kind of small fur-buddy I should get to make it his home.
Unfortunately, my favorite rodent pet (rats) are illegal to keep in the province I live in, since it's been rat-free since the early 1950s – people found with a pet rat are subject to a $5000 fine and their animal will be taken away and destroyed, so that's out. The cage is also much too small for a guinea pig, chinchilla, ferret or hedgehog.
I'd like a small rodent pocket pet that is capable of becoming tame with socialization and handling, preferably one quite sociable (like a rat) and fairly clean.
Anyone have any ideas or recommendations? Any experiences, good or bad?
1 person likes this
1 response
@Signal20 (2281)
• United States
1 Jul 07
How did they eliminate all the rats? That's interesting!! I've lived in the city and the country, and both have had rats lol. Seemed the city ones were dirtier and much larger too :) How about a hamster? As long as the wires are fairly close together so it can't squeeze out, should be fine. Certain types do grow quite big, smaller then a rat of course. They can be pretty tame, you do have to handle them a bit when they're young, and deal with the poop in your hand and occasional bite, but mine grew out of that real quick-fortunately lol. I can't think of any other rodent type pocket pet that would stay smaller then those you mentioned and fit in that size cage. Also, if the cage has a wire door that kind of snaps over one of the wires, I recommend-from experience lol-get a little hook to put on there. I bought some plastic ones, not sure what they're called, but they look like the metal piece on a dog leash that hooks onto the dog collar. We had a few escapes from our hamsters until I got that thingie for the door.
1 person likes this
@breepeace (3014)
• Canada
1 Jul 07
Alberta rat hunters are aided in their policing efforts by features of the natural landscape: boreal forests in the north, the Rocky Mountains in the west, and vast prairie to the south (whose low human populations do not allow human-dependent rats to survive).
It is still illegal for anyone, except research institutions with appropriate permits, to import or possess live rats in Alberta.
Rather than typing out a longer explanation, though, I'll provide you with a few links on 'rat control' in Alberta.
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex3441
http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0006685
A hamster might work, but I've known people who've owned them, and even with regular handling they seem to have a proclivity to urinate all over you and your clothes. I've never met one that struck me as particularly friendly or curious. They always seem to be sleeping.
It might be different with different hamsters, but with my luck, I'd get a lazy hamster with a vendetta! :)
1 person likes this
@breepeace (3014)
• Canada
5 Jul 07
I ended up getting mice. One fancy mouse female from a pet store, and 2 baby feeder mice from a breeder who was hoping for a better life for her babies than food.
Their names are Ginger (the fancy mouse), Sage and Cinnamon. :)
1 person likes this
@Signal20 (2281)
• United States
9 Jul 07
Thanks for the links, sounds interesting! A place with no rats lol :)
Never had mice before-aside from the unwanted ones in my house...don't know much about them other then they're cute. Hamsters aren't that bad, as long as they're handled when they're young, they stop peeing and pooping in your hand lol, at least mine did :) Good luck with the mice :)
