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Anonymous
Hey /an/

For all you small pet owners out there, I have question. Which small rodent would be the best to "keep secretly?" My living situation is one that strictly forbids pets (dorm), but my RA can fuck himself in the ass.

I guess what I'm asking is what pet (I'm particularly interested in rodents) smell the least, can be kept in a small enclosure, etc.?
>> Anonymous
OP here, I'm sorry for the grammar...
>> Anonymous
Get a rat.

They're the best of the small rodents.
>> Anonymous
A dwarf hamster! The most manly rodent pet.

No seriously, dwarf hamsters. Very small, eat very little food, shit and piss a little so their cage needs less cleaning than others, cheap to buy, cheap to own. Just dont get careless and buy two as hamsters MUST live alone.
>> Anonymous
>>300146

Hmmmm. they are cute as hell, but I've heard hamsters in general have a penchant for biting. However, I think I heard somewhere that dwarfs are more docile...I guess as long as smell and noise are minimal.
>> Anonymous
>>300145

I've always wanted a rat as I've heard they're social, intelligent, etc. Rat would be best case scenario. However, I don't think I could responsibly care for the little thing (big, stimulating cage) without getting my ass busted. :(
>> Anonymous
>>300148
Well if you mistreat them or they are not that used to you they will bite, but they cant really pierce your skin because they are not that strong.
I have three dwarf hamsters, which only nibble on my fingertips if they smell good. Like if i have just touched som lettuce, meat or something that smells good to a hamster.
With a bit of care they can get really friendly, for example one of my dwarf hamsters come out of his burrow when i call him, and sits in my hand all by himself.
They dont really smell, it varies a bit from hamster to hamster, or if they are male or female. But still, its the one rodent that has the least bad odors.
They dont need a really big cage, but remember if you have a small cage they must have something to keep them occupied. They need a wheel and lots of stuff to dig in and hide and play with.

I could go on forever on how to keep a dwarf hamster, but before i get too sidetracked, i think they must be the most suited pet to conceal.
They are cheap to have because they eat very little food and drink equeally less water.
Dont smell (only of you dont clean and change the bedding of the cage in over a month but i hope you got some sense).
Cute and have some pretty funny antics.
Just remember that they are nocturnal, but can be trained over a period of time to be awake while you are.
>> Anonymous
>>300146

Definitely a dwarf hamster. Rats seem chill but I'm not sure about how little space they need. A dwarf hamster needs a regular ten gallon fish tank (things cost like 10$) with a nice silent wheel, a little house thing to hide away in, and a toilet paper tube if you want.

they're very cheap. and the biting thing depends on your hamsters-- i've had two that were total sweethearts. one never bit me, the second only would if I had her out for too long, at which point she'd gently start nipping on my fingers.

i did have one dwarf hamster that was a total cunt and would fucking maul your hand if you tried to touch her. we had to wear ski gloves to put new food in her cage because she'd go apeshit.

most of them are nice though, i highly recommend them. they hardly ever smell and eat/drink very little. just handle a few before you buy one and pick the nicest one, so you can find out if it likes to bite or not.
>> Anonymous
same>>300178
Just remember that no matter what, ONLY GET ONE HAMSTER! Its imperative that you remember this fact. You might see tons of pictures on the web with a bunch of hamsters together, or people saying they had a bunch of hamster without problems etc. It looks cute.
But its not! People seldom speak of the backside of the medal when it comes to hamsters. When they are young, up to two months of age, they can be together yes. But suddenly they snap and fight to the death, and they wont stop until one is dead, no matter how you pair them. It sounds tragic for such a little animal but thats just how they are. And dont worry if you think they might get lonely, because they wont, because thats how they live in nature.

Everything i know about hamsters, ive learned the hard way sadly, and i dont want anyone to make the same mistakes i did.
>> Anonymous
>>300178
>>300182
same
>>300180
Agree, take your time picking out your dwarf hamster, as their behaviour can greatly vary.
Ask the petstore if you can try and hold some of them, and pick the ones that seem the most curious and inquisitive. But do take your time, or you might end up with a hybrid that is one short of going crazy.
>> Anonymous
Do not get a rat. They are social and smart and will want to be out of their cage and spend a bunch of time with you. (plus, you'd have to get two so they could keep each other company) If you adopt a rat or two, living in the dorm secretly would be very unfair to it.
I don't know much about mice or hamsters but I do believe they don't require as much attention/space as a rat does. And, you can buy one of those silent plastic wheels for exercise.
>> Anonymous
>>300182
holy shit... i am so getting like 5 hamsters and recording it
>> Anonymous
i'm keeping my ball python secretly in my dorm. It's easy. The biggest issue i have in the secrecy is what you will encounter with any pet.

People talking about it. Keep it amongst your closest friends and no one else.
>> Anonymous
Whats that extremely cute rabbit thing in OP's post?
>> Anonymous
>>300209
A rabbit.
>> Anonymous
>>300223
What kind of rabbit, you silly head.
>> Anonymous
I would personally recommend a mouse.

A 10 gallon aquarium can hold three girl mice, which stink FAR less than boy mice. So, they won't be smelled by your RA. You can keep them on sterilized (baked/frozen) garden soil to even further minimize any potential smells.

If you get a wire mesh wheel, and keep it oiled, they're very silent. The mice themselves are, well, quiet as a mouse. The only times they make noise are when squabbling with one another.

Also, a 10 gallon is fairly small and can be stashed in a closet or stowed in a rubbermaid bin if needed to hide them.

Mice, also, are very sweet and friendly and can hang out on your shoulder while you're on the computer and they're very fun to watch.
>> Anonymous
>>300195

OP here. (NOT HERE). Thanks for everyone's really great input, and I'm getting pretty psyched about dwarf hamsters, and mice as well. First off, I got to put in proper research, but I think my school year will be much improved with a cuddly little friend :3
>> Anonymous
I personnally think that no animals are to be kept in a "small enclosure"
>> Anonymous
I think we should have a mouse vs dwarf hamster debate!

MY TURN!

Mice are not prone to biting at all. I have never been agressively bit by a female mouse in the past 6 years. I have been nibbled and tasted when I had yummy oils on my hands, that's it.

Mice can live communally. Nothing is more fun than watching 3 girls hang out together, groom, play, and just be adorable. The dominant female will pin down and "power groom" the other ones while they chirp.

Mice are cheaper. They cost like 2-7 bucks, while hamsters can range up to 20.

Mice like and will seek out human attention. If I stick my hand in my girl's cage (about 11 living in it right now) I get mice crawling up my arms onto my shoulders. They love to hang out on me while I am on the computer.

Mice come in more colors:
http://thefunmouse.com/varieties/selfcolors.cfm

They also come in interesting fur types:
http://thefunmouse.com/varieties/coats.cfm

Mice do not spend 90% of their awake time trying to escape from their cage much like all the hamsters I had did. They don't spend all night chewing on the cage, plastic, whatever. I had a mouse cage in my dorm, a large tupperware bin, that did not have a lid. They did not escape once in two semesters, or even try.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Considering I'm in my dorm right now, watching my rats chase each other, my answer should be obvious.

A bed on bed risers can be under your bed, hw
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Mice are amazing. I had two girl mice in my freshman dorm. My roommate and I took them out to play all the time. As long as you socialize them, they are very sweet.

Note: If you, or friends, smoke pot, do it away from the mice. My shitty sophomore roommate hotboxed our dorm and my mice went crazy and started fighting each other. :-(
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Btw, the orange one was Pekoe. This is Rorschach.
>> Anonymous
This thread is going to get me in trouble. Now I really want some mice for my dorm. I haven't even been in college a week and already I'm thinking of ways to get thrown out.
>> Anonymous
I'd recommend mice.

I had a (female) hamster, and I had to clean the cage every week because of the smell.
>> Anonymous
I don't think you should house them in an aquarium
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>300476
Aquariums are the best cages, in my opinion, for mice. As long as it is regularly cleaned, it should not affect their respiratory tract. They are virtually escape proof.

99% of commercially available wire cages are inadequate for mice, as their bar spacing is way too wide. I have yet to see a safe one in stores.

Now I'm going to be a mouse-whore and post pictures of my babies ^_^!

This is my baby boy, he is a fuzzy splashed mouse.
>> Mice Breeders! Anonymous
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>> Mice Breeders! Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Here's a current litter I have, they're about 2 weeks old in this picture.

Three of them are texels, the other two are fuzzy (like the boy pictured above, their coats grow in slower...)
>> Anonymous
>>300492

>Three of them are texels, the other two are NIGGERS (like the boy pictured above, they steal the other mice's bikes...)

FIXD
>> Anonymous
>>300146

Dawrf hamsters can live together, although sometimes they might have to be separated. Syrian hamsters on the other hand have to live alone.
>> Anonymous
rabbits are not rodents, lookitup
>> Anonymous
don't get a rabbit, they're lame as fuck.
>> Anonymous
Ok so it's
two girl mice vs. one dwarf hamster

hmmmmmmmm
>> Mice Breeders! Anonymous
Go for the mice! Go for the mice! :D

Watching two things interact is 1000x better than watching one thing be boring and sleep/run/eat/drink.

The group interactions of female mice are just so endearing. They groom eachother, sleep in piles, chase eachother around.

Mice are SO curious. You put anything new in their cage and they're instantly all over it running around all excited. It's funny stringing up some cheerios and hanging it off the roof just out of reach of the mice, they'll go crazy until they get it down. I sometimes make pinatas based on the same principles.

I would really recommend getting a mouse from a real breeder if you can. Store mice can be skittish at first and might need some taming (although they most likely won't bite, just run and hide XD)

But yeah, may I ask where you live? I might be able to recommend a good breeder for you.
>> Anonymous
Your RA will check your room. They have to. Also how well do you know your new roommate? Do you anticipate having a very positive relationship with him?
My only worry is that your going to need to get rid of whatever pet you get, and that sucks for the pet.
>> Anonymous
RAs only ever go in rooms regarding a report of something fishy. Or like, if there's a fire alarm, ours always checked to make sure everyone had left.
>> Anonymous
>>300653
I live in the San Francisco East Bay

>>300665
My roommate is totally cool, I've asked and RAs coming in the room are incredibly rare.
>> Anonymous
the obvious pet would be something that's easy to hide and doesn't leave many or any signs of it's presence (droppings, fur, ect.).
You could get mice but the cage would be abit troublesome to hide, not to mention someone could get suspicious if they saw the fillers and stuff in your trash when you cleaned it.
You ever think of getting something that you could be semi independent and wouldn't require a cage like a trained bird?
>> Anonymous
My friend picked up an abandoned pet rat from the lawns of a nearby dorm. It had been dumped by some tenant who got caught with a pet, against the rules of the dorm, so rather be turfed out he/she/it turfed out the rat.

tl;dr don't ruin the life of an animal just so you can feel good for a short time.
>> Mice Breeders! Anonymous
LotsOSpots (LOS)
http://mousykins.com/lotsospots/
Santa Clarita, CA (USA)
Will ship
Contact: Kelli Boka

Ministock Farm
Rocky Point, CA (USA)
No Shipping
Contact: Holly Stephens


Only two breeders I could find on my quick search, not sure how close they are to you.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
My rat keeps trying to get out of her cage.

(the white one)

The mouse passed away not too long ago.


Rats are better, they get attached and become best friends, mice and hampsters just tolerate you.
>> Anonymous
>>301111
Yes, but she's living in a dorm, and rats need large cages compared to mice.
>> Anonymous
>>300204

Thank you that sounds like good advice.
>> Anonymous
>>301111

Is that seriously what I fucking think it is?

Just in case.. You're a fucking moron. Mice are the natural prey of rats. Go end yourself, jackass.
>> Anonymous
If you're worried about needing a larger cage, you could always make one that has a large floor area, but is shorter. Think under bed storage container type cage.
>> Anonymous
>>301123
Not true, if you feed the rat meats every now and then, nothing will happen.

My rat lived with that mouse for 2 1/2 years.

And one before that mouse for 1.

The last mouse had gotten about 5 years old before it died, she just spent the last year with it.
>> Mice Breeders! Anonymous
>>301140

You're an absolute fucking moron. Way to risk the life of those poor mice, seriously. What the fuck? Rats are natural predators of mice. Leave 'em together, sure, they might not instantly kill it, but then sometimes people stick their rodents on their cats for some lulz and they don't die right away, but it could, and likely will happen.

That's an enormous and unnecessary risk. It's called muricide, moron.

I've read articles in scientific journals regarding studies on mice and to induce fear in them they use the smell of a rat. HMMMM, wonder why?

And by the way, saying that mice just "tolerate" you shows you've never had a mouse from a respectable breeder that was raised and bred appropriately. :P
>> Anonymous
>>301158
Really? I didn't know rats ate mice.

Crazy.