What is the best small rodent pet for a 10 year old (e.g. hamster, gerbil, rat, etc.)?
What does your child want out of the rodent pet? They all live about the same length (2-3 years). Rats are the smartest, but they keep growing, and therefore need the most space. You can have just one rat, or a same-sex pair. They need a lot of attention and handling. Hamsters are the cutest. But they have to be kept alone as they fight terribly once they are adults. They run on their wheels and crunch their food all night–if they are in the bedroom, it can be VERY annoying (been there, done that). But they are cuddly and since they only have a stub of a tail, they don’t invoke the “eww” factor like rats and gerbils do. Mini hamsters are available at some pet stores. Gerbils like to be kept in groups–best if you buy a several at the same time, that are the same size/age (if you don’t want to make more gerbils, get all 1 sex). They are the ones who will enjoy the “habitrail” type enclosures (hamsters tend to get too fat). No matter what critter you choose, get a much bigger cage than
Here is a site that might help you. http://www.petworldstore.com/facts/smallanimals_rodentsgeneralcarenew.html Whatever you do, do not purchase a pet for your 10 year old or any other child, if you are not sure that they are going to take care of it and I mean changing the bedding, the whole nine yards. There are too many hamsters, Guinea pigs, gerbals, etc that are not taken care of and either die or are given away to someone else who really couldn’t care less. I do not like rats at all, I guess they are not really bad, I just do not care for them. Guinea pigs will talk to you and when you come in the house they whistle cause they are just so glad you are home.
Guinea pigs are really nice and you can even train them to go in a litter box, so it can have a bigger area to move around in. Whatever you get make sure you get one that has either been hand-raised or is still pretty young, especially if you get a hamster. If they aren’t hand-raised they may never be comfortable being held and that’s no fun.
