Looking to get my 7 year old daughter a pet of her own and am stuck between a hamster and a rat. I'm looking for a pet that she can pretty much be in charge of caring for with minor supervision. If you have had either a hamster or a rat or even both I'd love to get your information on which is better. Either way I'll be going to a private breeder to obtain the animal so we skip the whole "not hand tame" aspect. Thanks :)
Sheena
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brilliant that you're planning to get the pet or pets from a breeder.
over the years, I've kept both, and for a first rodent I would definitely recommend rats. a PAIR of rats, as they are highly social animals that should never be kept on their own.
keeping rats alone causes health, behavioural, social and psychological problems. in fact, you're unlikely to find a responsible breeder who will sell you a single rat unless you are an experienced rat owner who has other rats to introduce them to.
however rats are a bigger commitment. they are a lot more needy. rats need at least an hour out of the cage each day, and you need a much larger and more expensive cage for them. they are also quite prone to a number of health issues, that will require vet treatment at some point in their life. it's rare for rats to go their whole life not needing a vet. but being from a breeder, they will be healthier and have a more robust immune system than a pet shop rat.
hamsters are definitely much more low maintainence. their cages are smaller, and they don't need as much attention. they also tend to be less sensitive health wise.
but rats are the much more rewarding pets. they are very intelligent, and interactive. they are easy to litter train, making clean up easier, and if your daughter is inclined to teach them, rats can learn a wide variety of tricks.
rats actively crave and seek out human attention, and enjoy riding around on your shoulder, or just sitting around with you.
rats smell less than hamsters. this is because hamsters are desert animals, so they have very concentrated pee. female rats hardly have a scent at all, and male rats smell faintly musky, but not unpleasant.
I would tend to recommend males as first rats, as they tend to be more laid back and docile. females tend to be more playful and active. both genders need to be in same sex pairs or more.
rats are not nocturnal, they are crepuscular. this means that they sleep and wake for shorter periods, and are naturally most active around dusk and dawn. they adjust quickly to your routine. because they don't have a large chunk of being awake and a large chunk of being asleep, they don't get grumpy if you wake them up to spend time with them. unlike hamsters, who are grumpy if you wake them. hamsters sleep most of the day and run on a wheel a lot of the night, making them less suited to being kept in a bedroom.
best of all, rats BOND with you. really strongly, like a dog does. hamsters can learn to trust you, but they aren't social animals, so they don't naturally form social bonds like rats do. you also get an impression that they learn to tolerate rather than enjoy affection.
rats are also VERY much less likely to bite. it's not a first line of defence for them. more a last resort. I have had rats for over 20 years, and to this day have never been bitten by a rat. even when one of them needed some very uncomfortable surgery aftercare, and as much as he hated it and squirmed and squeaked and tried to get away, he never once bit me.
rats tend to only bite if they are very afraid or in pain. and sometimes even then they won't.
they are much easier and less nervous to handle.
I have found rats to be by far the most interactive and rewarding small animals I've had, and I've kept a lot of different animals.
if I had a child I was looking to get their first small pets, I would choose a pair of male rats.
Anonymous
a hamster would be good for her if shes a beginer bet she would maybe like a long living hamster which at pet which is a chinese dwarf hamster
?
Rats!
First off rats MUST be adopted in pairs. You cannot have one rat, you must get 2 of the same gender. Males tend to be cuddly while females tend to be playful.
Now I'll explain why rats....I have had both and I can't believe I even bothered with a hamster. While cute, hamsters are nippy energetic creatures who really don't make good bonding pets. They are fun to watch, but if you're looking for a pet you can trust a 7 year old with defiantly choose rats. Since hamsters are small and fast it could quickly run away and be lost for quite a long time. Rats however are the smartest, cleanest and most intelligent rodents. Many compare them to low maintenance dogs. However they require more care than a hamster. I would do a lot of research with your daughter to find the proper cage, food, toys, ect. But overall rats make amazing pets. They form bonds, sit on your shoulder, and rarely ever bite. My rats have never bitten me, even when they get really really scared they're more likely to run away then bite. A breeder will never let you adopt a single rat unless you own one who they usually make you bring. So if you can't handle 2 and a decent sized cage then I would opt for a hamster.
MissKatieAnn
I like hamsters better. Rats always creeped me out. I've had like 5 hamsters in my life and as long as you handle them often as babies they are great and great entertainment watching them run around and roll in their balls!
Snapealicious
I say a rat. They're very smart and loving. And you can teach them tricks. Rats are pretty easy going. Hamsters, I noticed, sleep all day and are only fun late at night when they're actually active. And you can't teach it to stand on two feet...