mice...question??

[Genny]

I wrote a while back about my brother wanting a rat, but now he still hasn't got one, so I really don't know if/when he's getting one, but now he;s wondering about a mouse because my mom thinks a rat would smell too bad. Is there really that big of a difference in the smell?

Do mice usually run from you all the time or can you tame them so they won't be so skittish?? Thanks!

[IRescue452]

Females smell slightly less, and rats smell slightly less than mice. As long as he changes the bedding it won't matter. Both need to be kept at least in pairs.

[Twisterdog]

My son had two rats, Sugar and Ray.

They didn't smell much at all, actually. It's mostly in how clean you keep the cage, of course.

I've never had a pet mouse, but I've had hamsters, gerbils and rats. Of the three, I can tell you by far rats made the best pets. Not necesarily the cutest or fluffiest, but by far the smartest, cleanest and sweetest.

Our rats used one corner of their big cage as a "toilet" and never made much a mess anywhere else. My son taught them little tricks for food, and they rode around on his shoulder.

[Christmas_Hamster]

My hamsters also are potty trained.

Male mice should not be kept together as they fight. Female mice can be kept together. Male mice really smell and females smell less.

I think rats would make a better pet. But if your bro is looking for a pet that he doesn't need to take out for an hour all the time daily the mice would be good. But rats socialize more. Rats also smell less (usually) but he swould still need to clean the cage.

[WELOVESPUPPIES]

When my son was 7 he had a hairless rat. She was really neat but already an adult as we aquired her from a school. She did not smell at all. We never got her a buddy but my son played with her daily and she was extremely friendly never bit, loved to snuggle. Called her name and she came out of her little house every time wanting to be held. Rats do not live very long as I was told by the vet, three to four years if you are lucky(Molly developed mammary cancer and had to be put down and she was only about 2). Also I was told males usually bite? Never had experience with a male so cannot verify that. Tell him to get one really young so that you will hopefully have more time with it. They are capable of being trained to do many things, as are mice. I had mice many years ago. They made just as good of pets as Molly the rat did, just a smaller version and a little more hyper. We cleaned Molly's tank out every couple of days. Don't use cedar either, vet said that it causes upper respiratory infections in most small animals.

[Husky15]

I've owned mice, but never rats, but my best friend had a rat and so did her little sister and I always found that the rats had less odor than mice.

[CathyBogart]

When I was younger, I hid six rats on my closet from my parents for over a year. Hardly any odor.

Later, I started keeping mice. No matter how clean I kept them, they stank. (Not that I didn't love them dearly)

[Christmas_Hamster]

Also I was told males usually bite?

I do not think this is true I think it would depend more the individual rat not the gender.

Don't use cedar either, vet said that it causes upper respiratory infections in most small animals.

Or pine. It causes respiratory problems as you mentioned, can cause hair loss and liver damage as well. The pheonals(sp?) from these shavings cause this and it usually shows up over long periods of time. Just like a human smoking does.

[Genny]

ok, thanks a bunch everyone If he gets one I wanted him to get a rat instead of a mouse, but my mom just thought the rat might have a bad smell compared to the mouse/mice. When ever we go to the petshop the rats always have a strong bad odor, but I think it's probably because there are so many right there all together and they are in small cages. I guess one or two wouldn't smell nearly as bad if they were kept clean. Thanks for everything though. I'll try to convince my mom to let him get a rat instead of a mouse if/when he gets one

Genny

[Christmas_Hamster]

If he wants a rat then tell her that rats smell less then mice.