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sutekkie

Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2022
Messages
11
Hi there!
I'm new to the rat forums and a first-time rat owner after being a long time hamster owner. :) I have two boys, Twitch and Nibbles. They're about 3 months old and I'm not sure what their past was like but they're both super skittish and shy so I don't have that many pictures of them :)

My partner and I are working hard on taming and socializing but we look forward to joining the community and learning all we can about rat care :)
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Welcome to the forums. You've come to the right place.:)

On rats and hamsters, which do you think are better pets?
 
Hello, Rattie!

I would have to say as a hamster, Guinea pig (not a rodent but still adorable) mouse and rat mom, hands down rats are the best. They’re small enough to be easy to care for but big enough to have more than just survival on their minds at all times. When handled lovingly and regularly and given out-of-cage time, rats are like mini dogs who love you unconditionally. They love to be pet and snuggled. Unfortunately their life span is much shorter than Guinea pigs. If you cannot handle saying goodbye after about 2.5 years, a Guinea pig is a close second for best pet.

I have mice which I saved from the feeder bin. Out of 3, 1 was a lovely companion. The other 2 are just so skittish and bitey.

I have to say that the absolute BEST pet I’ve ever had is a wild baby squirrel that was orphaned. We hand raised him and he was surprisingly so much like a dog and, don’t tell my rats but he was better than any rat I’ve ever had and that is saying a lot. He was just so cuddly and had a sparkling personality. We knew we would have to release him and with a mixture of joy and grief we released him at 7 months of age and he’s never come back. I know he doesn’t qualify since squirrels are wild animals but as far as rodents go, they are the Cadillac of them all.
 
Hello, Rattie!

I would have to say as a hamster, Guinea pig (not a rodent but still adorable) mouse and rat mom, hands down rats are the best. They’re small enough to be easy to care for but big enough to have more than just survival on their minds at all times. When handled lovingly and regularly and given out-of-cage time, rats are like mini dogs who love you unconditionally. They love to be pet and snuggled. Unfortunately their life span is much shorter than Guinea pigs. If you cannot handle saying goodbye after about 2.5 years, a Guinea pig is a close second for best pet.

I have mice which I saved from the feeder bin. Out of 3, 1 was a lovely companion. The other 2 are just so skittish and bitey.

I have to say that the absolute BEST pet I’ve ever had is a wild baby squirrel that was orphaned. We hand raised him and he was surprisingly so much like a dog and, don’t tell my rats but he was better than any rat I’ve ever had and that is saying a lot. He was just so cuddly and had a sparkling personality. We knew we would have to release him and with a mixture of joy and grief we released him at 7 months of age and he’s never come back. I know he doesn’t qualify since squirrels are wild animals but as far as rodents go, they are the Cadillac of them all.
Oh my gosh I’m sorry if I hijacked this post! I didn’t see that your question was attached to the above post. I have to stop trying to access rat forums from my phone.
 
Hi there!
I'm new to the rat forums and a first-time rat owner after being a long time hamster owner. :) I have two boys, Twitch and Nibbles. They're about 3 months old and I'm not sure what their past was like but they're both super skittish and shy so I don't have that many pictures of them :)

My partner and I are working hard on taming and socializing but we look forward to joining the community and learning all we can about rat care :)
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I’m so happy you’re here! You’re doing everything right. Babies are super skittish. Just handle them regularly and hold on for another 3 months. When they are full grown at 6 months I find they mellow out and become very cuddly.
 
Oh my gosh I’m sorry if I hijacked this post! I didn’t see that your question was attached to the above post. I have to stop trying to access rat forums from my phone.
Hey, all good in that regard.😀
I have to say that the absolute BEST pet I’ve ever had is a wild baby squirrel that was orphaned. We hand raised him and he was surprisingly so much like a dog and, don’t tell my rats but he was better than any rat I’ve ever had and that is saying a lot. He was just so cuddly and had a sparkling personality. We knew we would have to release him and with a mixture of joy and grief we released him at 7 months of age and he’s never come back. I know he doesn’t qualify since squirrels are wild animals but as far as rodents go, they are the Cadillac of them all.
I was about to tell your rats, but pity them.😂 Do you really like rats over hamsters? If yes, the secret is safe.🤣
 
Welcome to the forums. You've come to the right place.:)

On rats and hamsters, which do you think are better pets?
Oh gosh, this is a hard question!

I think Rats and Hammies have their different lovable characteristics. What I always loved about my hammies was how diverse their personalities were (some of them very stoic but trusting, some of them would want to hang out and cuddle all day). I've heard people call rats pocket puppies, but hammies were like pocket cats! Not as keen to show "dog-levels" of enthusiasm but definitely showed affection in other ways.

I really loved seeing their personalities come out, there were lots of hamsters for rehoming on websites online and I would pick the ones that looked like they came from really neglectful homes. It was really rewarding because their previous owners would tell me that the hamsters were aggressive, skittish, shy, etc. but they always turned out to be really lovable and adorable once they got some TLC in their lives. I think what really drew me to rats was 2 things: one of them was merely because I moved into a smaller house and no longer had space for 4+ hamsters in their own individual cages. (I'm really keen on owning more than one because I just cant get enough!) The other was their social nature, which is something I had NEVER experienced before. I love watching my rats play and wrestle with each other and I really hope with time and good training they'll come out of their shell... Hopefully when they are more comfortable with me I can upgrade their cage and adopt another pair of brothers :)

I know this is totally dodging the question but I just can't pick... I'm already in love with my little ratties even though they choose not to spend too much time with me yet... They get more and more comfortable with me with every day that passes and it just reminds me of my hams and how much I loved bringing them out of their shell. It's like choosing between cats and dogs!
 
I’m so happy you’re here! You’re doing everything right. Babies are super skittish. Just handle them regularly and hold on for another 3 months. When they are full grown at 6 months I find they mellow out and become very cuddly.
So happy to hear! Thank you for the warm welcome. I took them home from someone online that was rehoming (they didn't like how skittish they were, go figure) and I'm pretty sure they were previously pet store rats, so I'm doing the best I can despite them being scared little potatoes. They get more and more adventurous every day and I can't wait until they feel safe around me :)
 
Thanks. I love the way you talk about your pets. Enjoyed the pocket puppies and pocket cats comparison. The question should have been who are better owners, not pets.😀

Do hamsters need their own individual cages?
 
Thanks. I love the way you talk about your pets. Enjoyed the pocket puppies and pocket cats comparison. The question should have been who are better owners, not pets.😀

Do hamsters need their own individual cages?
Thanks! I'm just real passionate about my rodents haha. :D
To answer your question. yes! They are highly territorial and will usually show stress and aggression when housed together. Some people will say you can house winter whites or robos together if they are same sex siblings but there is such a high risk of territorial behaviour developing as they get older, plus they are solitary animals so theres no real benefit to housing them together. Hamsters definitely thrive without fellow ham friends and lots and lots of space :) Unfortunately I've heard of one too many inexperienced ham owners trying to find a companion to their little rodent and coming home to an injury or death ):
 
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