Re: thinking about cheating on my mice and hamsters

by MouseLover Tue 21 Jun 2016, 5:18 pm

I think their faces are fairly similar to dwarf hamsters, but their bodies are more streamlined like mices Smile

That is a handsome gerbil indeed. Such lovely eyes gerbils have!

by Artistwolf Tue 21 Jun 2016, 5:21 pm

I feel like gerbils look totally different from other rodents in almost every way Wink

Maybe more like very streamlined ginea pigs.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Tue 21 Jun 2016, 6:01 pm

MouseLover wrote:I think their faces are fairly similar to dwarf hamsters, but their bodies are more streamlined like mices That is a handsome gerbil indeed. Such lovely eyes gerbils have!

Yeah, that was exactly what I meant! It's the face Smile

.

by Soren Wed 22 Jun 2016, 1:00 am

AnonymousMouseOwner wrote:Is it just me or do gerbils look like a hamster with a tail?

I thought the same thing! Although I've only seen hamsters at pet stores, never really had one. If i was more in tune with the species, it would be easier to tell the difference.

by Bandit Cat Wed 22 Jun 2016, 11:36 am

I have 3 male gerbils, and they are so much fun! You always have to remember that each animal has their own personality. Some gerbils will love snuggling, while as some rats might hate it. But, it could be the other way around! Gerbils tend to make everything messy, and chew through anything (be careful with plastic!) but, they have little to no odor. They do make wonderful pets, and have such cute little faces! They are quite a bit different then hamsters. (at least different then robo hamsters, I haven't had other types of hamsters) I find that they tend to nibble on your fingers less, aren't as jumpy, (once they're tame) and they tend to be up whenever you want them to be. They kind of adjust to any schedule, and mine just wake up when I come into the room, and sleep when I'm gone. I've never had rats before, but I think they're amazing animals as well.

by River Wed 22 Jun 2016, 12:06 pm

I had one gerbil when I was younger and I knew little to nothing about them, so I feel you with the rat thing. All that aside, her name was Arietty and for the most part, she was pretty fun as far as I remember - I only wish I had cared for her better!

by River Wed 22 Jun 2016, 12:08 pm

Artistwolf wrote:I feel like gerbils look totally different from other rodents in almost every way Maybe more like very streamlined ginea pigs.

I'm a big degu fan, so I've had lots of degus - a bit like large gerbils! Only rodent I can think of similar to gerbils look wise.

by CAPSLOCK Wed 22 Jun 2016, 7:56 pm

Rats are great pets. They are clever and personable. They do not tend to bite, although they have poor eyesight so you never want to stick treats through the bars of their cage, or they'll think anything coming through (fingers...) is a treat and will bite it. They are bigger and slower than hamsters/mice/gerbils, so they're easier to handle, especially for little kids. And not as able to squeeze into all the tiniest places, which means they can run around the room if there are no wires accessible. Of course, all their things are bigger - wheels, cages, appetites. They're great shoulder-sitters, or pocket sleepers, and love to hang out on your neck behind your hair (if it's long enough).

I had a pair of rats, and every day after school I'd let them out and they would run around the whole floor (they didn't do stairs). When they were done, they'd go back in their cage themselves. They are mischievous little guys - mine would come out to greet me when I would walk down the hall, so I never had to search for them. However at one point I looked under my bed and discovered the boys had made a little stash of stolen things - including gum, smarties, and chocolate!

I haven't had gerbils personally, but I work in an animal shelter and we've had them occasionally. They can certainly be friendly little guys and are not biters. Though they can be wiggly and skittish, they are like mice (and rats, and guinea pigs) in that they really don't tend to bite people. In theory, gerbils make less mess if they have deep bedding to burrow in. The idea being that they are going to dig and tunnel one way or another, so if they've got plenty of bedding for that then they aren't dismantling their setup every day shoving a smaller amount of bedding around in every corner. For the same reason, a tank is a great home since you can put in 6-8" of bedding for them to make tunnels and dens. They mow through cardboard tubes. They will take dust baths like chinchillas.

I find that rats have more smell than gerbils, but if the cage is cleaned regularly it is not noticeable. Neither smells like a male mouse Wink

by scaredymouse Thu 23 Jun 2016, 12:10 am

geez, all the replies are complicating my choice! now, i'm leaning toward gerbils... because since I could get them from a breeder, they would be friendly. and of course, beautiful! I have a nice tank 29g tank, really tall for digging!

as much as I would love rat snuggles... i also like keeping a lot of animals which i spend a lot of time with. it might been good to get some gerbils that don't have such a high time commitment (cleaning and socializing). plus, I've never had a pet from a breeder. a nice, healthy, pretty, well behaved pet!

edit: my hubby had a gerbil when he was a kid and it bit him. so he hates gerbils. it would be good for him to meet a nice gerbil Smile

by MouseLover Thu 23 Jun 2016, 10:25 am

I think rats bond so much to their owners that they can be a little needy. I really want some one day, but it definitely needs to be the right time so that I have loads of time to spend with them Smile

If you'd prefer something a little lower maintenance right now, gerbils would be the way to go Smile

I'd be interested in following your gerbil experiences if you decide to get some Smile

they're the rodent I probably know the least about, so am quite curious.

by Brynne Thu 23 Jun 2016, 6:58 pm

Ooh, that gerbil is a handsome fellow!

As for body shape, male gerbils are noticeably bulkier than females. I always described my bucks as 'built like a brick.' Their torso was rectangular, heavy for its size, and made of solid muscle. They usually weighed about 4 ounces.
Does are rather slim and much lighter. They are strong for digging, but don't have the body-builder look of bucks. I think mine weighed nearly 3 ounces.

by scaredymouse Sat 25 Jun 2016, 4:26 pm

So while i was looking for mouse breeders for one of our new members... i got way off track and found that there are dwarf rats now. They are cute as a button. They are so small! Full grown, they are about the size of a 4 week old rat and just about as cute. See for yourself!

thinking about cheating on my mice and hamsters - Page 2 Dwarf10

thinking about cheating on my mice and hamsters - Page 2 Dwarf10

I mean, you guys are right. Eventually, I will have gerbils and rats. And probably a chinchilla and for sure a Chinese dwarf hamster. I think the deciding factor on gerbils or rats will be what i can get my hands on from a reputable breeder when the time comes.

I'm probably going to need one of these floofy bunnies, too. Check out this link. There are two videos, one with a longhair bunny enjoying a fan and then another enjoying a walk on a leash. I NEED A BUNNY.

https://www.facebook.com/StoneyCreekRabbits/?fref=nf

by River Sat 25 Jun 2016, 5:00 pm

scaredymouse wrote: I'm probably going to need one of these floofy bunnies, too. Check out this link. There are two videos, one with a longhair bunny enjoying a fan and then another enjoying a walk on a leash. I NEED A BUNNY.

I had some lionheads once! We just fostered them temporarily, though. I have four bunnies currently, one who wasn't meant to be a permanent residence but well...here he is, been here for months on end now.

by Peachy Sat 25 Jun 2016, 5:37 pm

Aww, the dwarf rat is cute. And the rabbits look like floofy cats!

A few weeks ago I started thinking about what pet will come after mice... I don't plan to stop keeping mice, but 6/10 are over 17 months, and I'd like to keep it to one tank when I can. We think hedgehogs sound fun but have a while before we'll be ready to make up our mind. Razz

by scaredymouse Sat 25 Jun 2016, 5:58 pm

Yeah, you've been up to your eyeballs with mice the last couple years. I think when Goose leaves me, I'll take break from boy mice. And I'd like my female colony back down to three. Goose has never been able to tolerate being near the females, so he's in a table in the dining room. And when Splotchy is in heart, Murray can hardly stand it. So, from now on, I'm going to really try to only keep same sex animals in a species.

I love all my hams but I think I'll try to stick with dwarf hams in the future. They are my favorite. And with all that space, I'll get to know some other animals like gerbils, rats, chinchillas and bunnies!

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