Small Pets or Rodents? Find Out Which One is Right for You.

A small pet like a hamster, might make a perfect addition to your family. Face it kids love little critters, however moms aren't to big on the whole "pet rodent" idea. Actually small critters, such as "rodents" make wonderful pets, and can bring hours of enjoyment.

First you will need to decide which small pet is right for you. Here is a brief description of a few little guys, which some call rodents, that will hopefully make your decision easier.

Hamsters: Hamsters are most active at night. This means during most of the day you will not see them. During the daytime they hide in their bedding, or tunnels to sleep. Hamsters love running on wheels, which might mean hearing a squeaking noise during the night, and they can run for hours at a time. They also have pockets in their cheeks to store food, and to move bedding around with. Kids love seeing them pack their cheeks full of goodies, it is truly amazing how much they can fit in their mouths. Hamsters prefer to live alone, and usually do not get along well with other hamsters in their cage. They can be sociable, but need to be handled daily in order for this to happen.

Gerbils: These little guys are also more active at night, and love to run on wheels. However, they are clean, interesting, and hardy. The only main difference between a hamster, and a gerbil is gerbils are very sociable toward their own kind, and do not like being alone. It is best to keep these little guys in small groups, preferably of the same sex, to prevent unwanted breeding.

Guinea Pigs: Guinea Pigs are more active in the day, but require a much larger cage. With a little handling you will find they are very friendly, and easy to hold. It's usually okay to keep several together in a one cage.

Mice: Mice are the most affordable in the group, and are very hardy. Like Gerbils, and Hamsters, they sleep most of the day, and play during the night. Females rarely fight amongst each other, but males should always be housed separately. Female mice have very little odor, while males make themselves known. Over all mice have a nice disposition, but a female mouse makes a better pet.

Rats: A pet rat might not be moms first choice, but they make excellent pets. Rats are most active during the day, allowing you to play, and enjoy them more. They are also very intelligent, and can be trained easily. Rats are also larger then a hamster, or mouse, making them more hardy for kids to handle. Even though they have a bad reputation as a rodent, you will find they are cuddly, and cute. It is okay to house several of them in one cage, however you should keep males, and females apart.

Rabbits: Bunnies are cute, but not always cuddly, They are most active during the day, and enjoy living alone. Rabbits are easy to care for, but don't do very many tricks. Their are several beautiful breeds to choose from however. A rabbit can be timid at first, and may require lots of handling in order to become sociable.

All of these animals can be found at local pet stores. You might also want to take a peek at the pet classifieds as well. Sites such as www.craigslist.com have plenty of small animals available for adoption. Your local ASPCA may also have some looking for new homes, so make sure to check with them as well. Regardless of which one you chose they will certainly give you hours if not years of enjoyment.