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Small Animal Anonymous
I'm thinking about buying a small animal of some sort, possibly a rabbit, mouse, rat, or hamster. What do you guys think I should get?
>> Anonymous
hamsters are nocturnal = do not want

id get a guinea pig
>> Anonymous
Rat, Guinea Pig, or Chinchilla. Guinea pig is low maintenance, Rat is mid, Chin is high-ish. I've had at least five Guinea Pigs in my life, and they're really sweet. Most of them will respond if you whistle at them- it's really cute.
>> Anonymous
OP Here:

I was thinking about getting a rat, because my friend says you can teach them to do some pretty badass stuff. Will they keep me up at night? When I was in 5th grade or so I had a hamster that kept me up all night from running on his wheel or gnawing on his bars.

Basically I want something that wont just sleep all day, is easy to take care of, and is fun to play with.
>> Anonymous
guinea pig....get one that is tame and feed it right, it will be a great pet with low maintenance
>> Anonymous
I would suggest rats. Mice won't really interact with you and hamsters are generally assholes. I don't know a lot about rabbits, but I understand they can be rather high upkeep.

Although I've heard of lots of people who've had great experiences with guinea pigs, I personally wouldn't suggest them. They're cute and lovable, but very high upkeep. They need lots of space, and will make that space very dirty in a short period of time. (I had to clean mine's cage two times a week, and it was pretty big. [Can't remember the exact measurements.]) Some litter train, but it's a little hit or miss. In addition to that, they will make quite a bit of noise.

If you do go with guinea pigs, do /not/ buy bags of timothy from Kaytee - it's way-the-hell overpriced. Buy a decent sized square bale from a farmer (check the classified, someone will be selling it), you'll get much more, typically for the same price or less. Keep it in a very large garbage bag to deal with mess.

But I digress - rats are the way to go. Getting two females from the same litter would probably be best. Most rats won't run on a wheel - if they do and noise becomes a problem, grease it with vegetable oil. Mine will chew the bars or their cage for a few minutes after lights-out, but generally not after that unless they didn't get enough outside-time that day to wear off their energy. Make sure they get enough exercise and give them some cardboard or wood to chew and it shouldn't give you too much trouble. If it does, get an aquarium - 20 gallon long /at minimum/ if they get lots of exercise, preferably a 30 gallon long or more. Check craigslist - someone who got bored of fish will be selling one for fairly cheap eventually. (You will need to clean an aquarium more often, though, to prevent ammonia build up.)
>> Anonymous
>>266059
Thanks a lot. ;) I think I'm going to go with a rat.

I only want one, though.. :S Should I get a male or female if I'm buying just one?
>> Anonymous
Rats make very good pets. Sweet and lovable, small and pretty easy to keep. You can teach them little tricks and whatnot, and a more subdued rat will be more than happy riding on your shoulder, or sitting on your lap.
I think its your best choice. Hamsters are boring and nocturnal, rabbits require a shitload of space, and the upkeep is difficult. Chinchilla cost a pretty penny, mice are pretty non-interactive, and Guinea Pigs are nice but don't offer all that a rat can (you can't exactly tote a guinea pig around the house on your shoulder).
tl;dr get a rat they are AWESOME.
>> Anonymous
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>>266061

No trouble, man. You should really consider getting two, however, as they can develop psychological issues if kept alone. (Rats are naturally social animals.) In addition, the stress can make them more prone to disease, and they generally won't live as long. The monetary and time investment differences between caring for one rat or two is minimal.

If, for whatever reason, you cannot keep more than one - it's mostly a matter of personal choice. Females tend to be smaller and more playful, males tend to be larger and more cuddly. (This, of course, varies from individual to individual, but that's the rule of thumb.) A warning about males, however - they go through a period of heightened aggression during puberty. If that's not a big issue, it doesn't particularly matter. You might keep an eye out for dumbo-variety rats (they can be identified by their larger, wider-set ears, I've pictured one here), they tend to tame quicker.

If you do decide you can handle two, as aforementioned I'd advise two females from the same litter. Other combinations are possible, but this is the easiest and best for a beginner.
>> Anonymous
Bunnies! Adopt from a rescue. They're the best. Don't make noise.
>> Ritsa-chan
I would say a gerbil because most other rodents are native to a moist area, which means you can smell their droppings, while a gerbil is native to the desert, which means that you cant smell them.
>> Anonymous
>>266074

I'm thinking that maybe I could start out with just taking care of one, and if I find it fairly easy, I'll buy another one.
>> Anonymous
I think females rats are fun, but males are the way to go. They are so sweet and cuddly. Females are too hyper.

Also, it is NOT recommended to keep them in a tank at all... rats are very prone to respiratory problems and need the air circulation that a cage provides. Also, they love to climb, so a cage is the way to go.

It's also better to get at least two, because they're not any harder to care for than one, and they can keep each other company when you can't play with them. A lonely rat is a sad rat.
>> Anonymous
if I get two male rats, will they kill each other? :S
>> Anonymous
>>266085

Make sure they're from the same litter and don't come into contact with females after you bring them home. (Not sounding like a likely event, anyway.)
>> Anonymous
Rats are great. I used to have 2 of them.
>> Anonymous
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A lilac, orange and white Satin Peruvian guinea pig
>> Anonymous
>>266440

aka regular guinea pig to which someone stapled a wig.
>> Anonymous
no actually from here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_pig
>> Anonymous
I would go with guinea pigs, ive currently got one and his awesome. Rats are awesome and you'll bond to them super fast but its gonna suck after they die cause they only like for like 3 years, while if you feed your guinea pig right and do everything right they can live up to 8 years old
>> Anonymous
My rabbit lived to be 12.
>> Anonymous
get a bat. they fly. make sure it's a fruit bat or flying fox though.
>> Anonymous
its a capybara
>> Anonymous
CAPYBARA CAPYBARA!
>> Anonymous
Get a rabbit. They're bigger and cuter. Once they start to get to know you better they become affectionate. Also they are very clean and they can swim.