Need advice re: small animals/hamsters

[hotreds]

Didja ever consider a skunk? You remove those glands and they apparently make great pets and can be litter trained.

Originally Posted by hotreds

Didja ever consider a skunk? You remove those glands and they apparently make great pets and can be litter trained.

alot bigger than a ferret tho lol how about a pigmy hedgehog ?
http://www.mrtoffee.com/CloseupHedgehog.jpg

[Mugen910]

Originally Posted by adampc22

get a ferret mate that are the best lol

[quote=Mugen910;285006][/QUO

[RGD.]

Although they are all just rodents to me - I'd vote for guinea pigs. After growing up with my brothers and sister - and then my girls keeping a variety of rodents - I think guinea pigs are about the easiest to keep - and they very rarely bite. They also like to be held - they don't normally try to escape, run off and hide causing extended searches for them. The are night dwellers - so they will be active when you are both home then. They like the exercise wheels and balls - not so much the tube things from what I have noticed. Keep is cheap with the food and bedding (buy the really large bales).

Any small animal will smell if you don't keep the cage clean. For guinea pigs make sure to add extra chips, shavings, bedding whatever so they have a place to make their nest and one end for their business. As noted an inexpensive aquarium works the best and keeps the mess confined - although it does keep the smells from dissipating.

How about turtles? I've got a pair here looking for a good home -


Ron

[Bear]

Originally Posted by Tenor CS

A mouse? Really? I'm gonna need to do some hardcore convincing of the wife on that one. She likes hamsters because they don't have a mouse/rat-like tail.

Can their tails be docked (like certain breeds of dogs)?

[AD720]

Originally Posted by Tenor CS

Hi guys,

I have a hankering for a fluffy pet...She's allergic to cats...

If you are looking for the companionship of a large(r) animal there are several breeds of hypoallergenic cats. Siberian, Russian Blue (some say Siamese as well). Plus the Sphinx, a/k/a "Mr Bigglesworth" cats but they don't meet the "fluffy" requirement.

FWIW I have an allergy to some cats, certain longhairs really mess up my eyes but our cats are domestic short hairs and I have had not one problem with them. Even a friend who has sever dander allergies is not affected as bad as he usually is by our cats. My fiancé also has a slight allergy but she cured herself by rubbing them in her face for the first couple weeks we had them.

[tsolomon]

I have kept hamsters, mice and Guinea Pigs and the Guinea pig would be my first choice. A little more maintenance, but more of a pet that you can handle. We use to take them outside in the yard to eat grass and sniff around and they do have a little personality. The cage was a little bulky to handle, but it came apart easily. They are easy to keep and feed, we had 3 of them, all females. Hamsters bite, mice just didn't work for me until I had snakes. I think Bearded Dragons make great pets and they are pretty clean.

[Whee]

Originally Posted by AD720

If you are looking for the companionship of a large(r) animal there are several breeds of hypoallergenic cats. Siberian, Russian Blue (some say Siamese as well). Plus the Sphinx, a/k/a "Mr Bigglesworth" cats but they don't meet the "fluffy" requirement.

FWIW I have an allergy to some cats, certain longhairs really mess up my eyes but our cats are domestic short hairs and I have had not one problem with them. Even a friend who has sever dander allergies is not affected as bad as he usually is by our cats. My fiancé also has a slight allergy but she cured herself by rubbing them in her face for the first couple weeks we had them.

This put an unfortunate picture in my head...a nice one, but unfortunate...

[lightning9191]

Originally Posted by AD720

If you are looking for the companionship of a large(r) animal there are several breeds of hypoallergenic cats. Siberian, Russian Blue (some say Siamese as well). Plus the Sphinx, a/k/a "Mr Bigglesworth" cats but they don't meet the "fluffy" requirement.

FWIW I have an allergy to some cats, certain longhairs really mess up my eyes but our cats are domestic short hairs and I have had not one problem with them. Even a friend who has sever dander allergies is not affected as bad as he usually is by our cats. My fiancé also has a slight allergy but she cured herself by rubbing them in her face for the first couple weeks we had them.

I'd like to thank you for putting the strangest image in my head so far today.

[smokeyandthebandit05]

Originally Posted by AD720

My fiancé also has a slight allergy but she cured herself by rubbing them in her face for the first couple weeks we had them.

[WhoDeySchenk]

how about a cute cuddly Sugarglider. They make great pets, very affectionate. I believe they're better off in pairs, so you'll need 2.

[WhoDeySchenk]

This photo rocks!

[Lucky_Hippo]

I've looked into the sugargliders in the past and although I really liked the animals themselves (check your local laws on these) I found a lot of the breeders to be total nut jobs. Several of them required a home visit to check out the living area before the sale. Several requested interview processes and follow up surveys/check ups.

For a rat with wings? Really? Whatever. If I'm jumping through those kind of hoops I'm getting a pet that can at least roll over on comand.

We've had gerbils, mice, hamsters, and guinea pigs. I liked our guinea pig the best. She would curl up under my wife's chin and chatter away contently.

Now if you're looking for easy in the way of pets, and fun to watch I'd go with hermit crabs. I've had them on and off since I was a kid and they are very easy to take care of. They don't require a lot of attention, and mainly like to come out at night to explore and knock around.

Neat to watch.

[Sr Mike]

Small animal, get a rat. They are smarter than mice and hamsters, also less bitey, and far more social. I breed rodents to feed my snakes, I have learned that rats are the better of the three species. Yes I do socialize my rats and give them attention, even if they are snake food.

I've had a number of small fuzzy animals over the years...and they were really easy to clean up about a week after i introduce them to my snakes

Speaking of reptiles, leopard gecko's are the bomb!

Originally Posted by shilala

My brother kept ferrets. They stink. Bad.

I had a female. Smell really wasn't that bad, males are supposed to be worse.

They are OK to run around the house, but it will have to be ferret proofed. They can get into really small spaces and will eat anything they find. A swallowed eraser from the top of a pencil equals expensive bowel surgery or a new ferret.

They are more personable than the rodents and pretty easy to care for. Let me know if you have any more questions about ferrets.

I've had hamsters, guinea pigs and mice. My cousin has had rats and said they are fun to raise.

Originally Posted by LordOfWu

Speaking of reptiles, leopard gecko's are the bomb!

I'd like to get a Chinese water dragon.

[Tenor CS]

Please bear in mind, I am also looking for an animal that costs $20 or less to purchase. Last time I saw ferrets in a pet store, they were $100. And wife just gave me a dirty look when I said skunk.

Her reply: Your farts are all the stink I can handle.

[Sr Mike]

Rats are cheap. My wife will take her rat everywhere, even comes to her when she calls his name.