Which Small Pet is Right for Your Lifestyle?

With many species available, which one should join your household?

There are many reasons to opt to bring a small pet into the family, rather than a dog, cat, or other larger animal. Cheaper food and supplies, sometimes nocturnal schedules, and apartment friendliness are just a few motivating factors for opting to bring home a small pet. But though many small mammals appear similar, all have different care standards and behavior. Which small pet is the right fit for your household?

HAMSTERS

The hamster is one of the most popular small pets to enter a family, particularly for those with young children seeking to have a first pet. However, this might not be a good idea, given that kids aren’t typically awake late into the night — hamsters are naturally nocturnal, and don’t appreciate being woken during their normal sleeping hours. (Be aware that it’s typical for hamsters to rustle in their bedding, chew, and overall make noise while they are awake — so if you’re a light sleeper, they may not be a wonderful choice.) Hamsters also require much more space and enrichment than many assume — a typical standard for cages is at least 450 square inches, with a wheel that is at least 12 inches for larger hamsters to prevent spinal issues. They should also have at the very least 3–4 inches of bedding to burrow in, and multiple toys to keep them busy (a bored hamster will begin trying to climb or chew their cage walls). And there’s many hamster species to choose from, all with slight differences in care and personality. Syrians are the most common, along with the most friendly; dwarf species such as Roborovskis are more shy but also much smaller. Hamsters also unfortunately don’t last long, like many small mammals — they typically live only to two years old. However, many make the most out of this short time, and bond with their hamsters — some can even be taught tricks like coming when called or doing actions on command.

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MICE

Often considered to be just a house pest, for some mice are also a loving companion. Mice have seen increasing popularity as pets recently, and for good reason. They are fairly inexpensive, less smelly than some other small animals, and can coexist as pairs (unlike hamsters, which will often fight to the death). Mice are also crepuscular, meaning they are active primarily during twilight, and will be awake through parts of both the day and night. This means that they may be a good choice for those that will not have time to spend with their pet at night. Mice may be able to taught some small tricks, but cannot be ‘housetrained’ — not because of a lack of intelligence, but due to an inability to ‘hold it’. Due to selective breeding, pet mice now come in many different colors, including familiar patterns you’d see in cats such as Siamese.

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GERBILS

First kept for use in science, the Mongolian gerbil began to be kept as pets during the 1950s, when they first arrived in the United States. These charming little animals inhabit burrows within grasslands and deserts in their native habitat. In captivity, they also greatly enjoy burrowing, and often should be kept in a tank as opposed to a wire cage so that their digging activities don’t send bedding everywhere. They are also very social animals, and are usually best kept in pairs or groups; a single gerbil is a lonely gerbil. These animals are not nocturnal, and are also slightly larger than some other small mammals kept as pets; they are about 4 inches in length, with their long tail adding on another 4 inches. Naturally, gerbils feed mainly on seeds and grains, and so they don’t need many fresh fruits or vegetables added into their diet. They will enjoy toys and enrichment activities such as treats buried in their bedding for them to discover or cardboard tubes for them to crawl through.

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RATS

With an even more unsavory reputation than mice, rats are often disregarded as gross vermin, not companion animals. But rats are surprisingly intelligent and can make wonderful pets (they can even be used as working animals, such as rats trained to sniff out gunpowder residue). Pet rats, also known as fancy rats, are descendants of the wild brown rat. Domesticated rats have a longer lifespan and typically a smaller size than wild rats. Rats are social animals and should typically be kept with a cagemate, as well as often being eager to bond with humans in the household. Rats are known to display affection by climbing up your body to ride on your shoulder or by licking. Rats are curious animals that love to investigate; you can keep them entertained by regularly rotating the toys they have available and giving them plenty of out-of-cage time with you.

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DEGUS

Unknown to many, the degu is a fairly uncommon pet rodent originating from Chile. These rodents are larger than a Syrian hamster, but smaller than rats. They are extremely social, and form complex burrow systems; they should have large cages with deep bedding in order to perform their natural behaviors. One of the greatest things about these small animals is their lifespan — unlike other small rodents, a healthy and well cared for degu can reach up to 10 years old in captivity (although it’s typical for them to live for 6–8 years). Degus are bored easily, and need time daily out of the cage to interact with you, along with lots of toys. Degus do fine on a base diet developed for them (from a trustworthy brand), but their diet should be supplemented with fresh veggies, especially leafy greens. Degus are larger than hamsters or mice, reaching 5–7 inches long, with an additional 6-inch tail. They are easily distinguishable from similar small rodents by their adorably oversized ears.

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GUINEA PIGS

Guinea pigs, also known as cavies, are common household pets originally domesticated as a form of livestock (used for food). Guinea pigs are docile pets that often respond well to handling, and can be good pets for families with children due to their gentle natures. They are fairly heavy, weighing 1–2 pounds typically, with some livestock breeds clocking in at over 6. Guinea pigs are easily frightened and are shy by nature, so loud, busy households are not always a good fit. Guinea pigs are also fairly noisy in comparison to some other small mammals, communicating with squeaks, grunts, and even purrs. Guinea pigs often live 5–7 years in captivity; with proper housing and diet, they are more likely to reach the higher end of those numbers. It’s important that guineas are fed not only a base pelleted diet, but have constant access to grass hay, along with fresh vegetables daily. Guineas do not make their own vitamin C and obtain it from the food they eat instead, so it’s important to monitor this aspect of their diet and make sure they are receiving enough.