# Hamster, Gerbil, or Mouse? I can't decide!



## Kallumap

Hello, I've been wanting a small pet for a while now. But I really don't know which 'small pet' to get. I've been debating between the 3 listed in the title. But I've heard different things from all. I have already had Hamsters and Gerbils but never had a mouse. I know Gerbils need a bigger cage to dig, and are easy to look after (because they need to go to the toilet less) but I have experienced Syrian Hamsters twice and they seem a lot more 'social' to me. I really enjoyed having both Gerbils and Hamsters but I was wondering if a mouse may be a good choice? Thanks


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## DwarfHam

Take hamster! 
If you want to know more about them visit my site: Dwarf hamsters introduction and behavior


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## Colette

Much as I love my hamster; mice are my first rodent love and still my favourite by a long shot. They almost never bite, are active, industrious and absolutely fascinating to watch. When I last had mice they got nicknamed "mouse-vision" because in the evening people spent more time watching them than the tv!

Their care is a bit different to hamsters; for one thing female mice are social animals and really must be housed in groups, or at least pairs. (I had a group of 9 girls). Of course with several mice you also get the benefit of watchingthem interact with eachother.

They are messier than hamsters and gerbils too - mice communicate and scent mark extensively using urine; so they tend to pee on everything. My mice needed a thorough weekly clean which included washing ALL their toys as well as tunnels, cage bars etc. (The hamster I have now is a breeze by comparison).

Male mice do tend to smell - their pee is pretty intense. They are far more likely to fight - some people manage to pair or trio house succesfully in very large cages; other people keep boys alone. (A few people prefer to neuter boys and keep them with a group of ladies).

Personally I prefer bar caging because mice love to climb and are far more agile than hammies; it also makes it easier to use all the available space, attach toys to the walls and ceiling etc. However, being that bit smaller you do need to be aware of bar spacing. Large adult mice can usually be housed in cages with 9-10mm bar spacing but small mice or youngsters may need 8mm bar spacing or an enclosed type cage. 

They may need lots of space (IMO), be a bit pongy and take more cleaning than some other rodents but for me there's no contest. Mice are awesome!


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## thedogsmother

What do you want from a pet?

My gerbils are by far the easiest pets I own, they need cleaning out less regularly, and are virtually smell free, you need to keep them in pairs or groups if at all possible.

My mice are pretty amazing little creatures and I will always have a love for them, they do have drawbacks though, you have to keep the girls in groups, you can keep a male alone but both sexes have an odour, the boys more than the girls, you can have a lot of fun designing their cages though.

Hamsters are fantastic and you have several different types of hamster to choose from, they do have the drawback of being nocturnal, so if you arent a nightowl they might not be the animal for you.


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## elmthesofties

thedogsmother said:


> What do you want from a pet?


This.
I know this isn't helpful to you, but some people consider all sorts of weird animals as their ideal pet. Some people love keeping hedgehogs, some people love keeping sugar gliders. Doesn't mean I'd like them, doesn't mean you'd like them. So just remember that we will probably say completely different things, but it doesn't mean that only one of us is right. 

If you have kept gerbils and hamsters before and you didn't 'click' with them, then what's the worst that could happen with a mouse? I understand that it's not a healthy attitude to have, but it's a factor you might like to consider.


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## peter0

Since you know about hamsters and gerbils i'll go on about mice

I have boys and girls and as had been said girls need to be kept in atleast a pair as they are very social. Mice are a little smelly but with a good cleaning regime it isn't bad. With mice it's best to 'spot clean' the cage by only clearing most of the bedding out but leaving a good amount as it will already have their smell on it and with toys i wash the wheels every week and one other toy so the others still smell the same. I do a big clean once a month where it's all fresh bedding, clean most of the toys and the base gets a good scrub. If you clean everything every week they will just put their scent straight back on everything.

They are brilliant to watch as they love exploring and climbing but no matter how nice you put their toys and bedding they have to mess it up and turn it into a bomb site. They are fairly easy to look after and i have so much fun decorating their cages


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## Kallumap

Thanks guys, I will definitely be looking more on mice, but if I were to buy them, where would you suggest I look? I live in Bury St Edmund's area (in Suffolk) I have looked on things like Preloved and Gumtree, but can't really find much. I normally buy my Hamsters and Gerbils from Pets At Home, I must say I would prefer to buy from proper breeders, for the expense and for the health of the animals. But I can never find a good breeder. 

Also cages, thanks for suggesting wire cages (for them to climb) but I was just wondering, would they like a big tank? As I have a huge fish tank that I used for my Gerbils and they loved burrowing (I should think mice love digging as well).

Thanks


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## Wobbles

Hamsters! Without a shadow of doubt, to me hamsters are the best small pet. Yes they come out at night, but you can "train" them to come out at a time you want. Mine all know if they awaken at 6.30 I'll be along with food and stuff, and its not hard to change the time for them. As long as you take them food at the same time they will learn to wake up and appear at that time. I don't mind them being out early evening as I don't have time during the day anyway. They are friendly, not to expensive to keep, and don't smell. I only need to clean my hammy cages out every couple weeks.

Gerbils are fun to watch and don't bite usually. Their really entertaining to watch digging little tunnels in the bedding. Gerbils don't smell, but their generally not as cuddly as hamsters, though my 3 are really squishy for gerbils and will happily let you catch and hold them. Their meant to be out in the daytime, but in all honesty, like my hamsters, my gerbils will appear when they know I'm there, be that morning, afternoon or evening.

Mice I love, and have had before, but one thing stops me getting them again. The smell! Girls aren't bad, still more odor than hams/gerbs though,but boys, put bluntly can and possibly will stink your lounge out! And any other place they come in contact with! Without being mean, they really really reek, animal smells don't bother me, wet dog, rabbit cage pee corner, rodent smell etc, but even I could not stand the smell of these mice! I used to wash the cage out every day, every 2-4 days, leave it for a week or so, nothing worked. Nor did any of the air purifiers, sprays or liquids I bought. It was so bad I had to shower and change my clothes as soon as I'd been around them, as the smell just sticks to you. I only had to stand by the cage as soon as I moved it was obvious I'd been near them. If you can deal with the smell, mice are great, friendly, don't bite, and fun to watch. If you do decide on mice though, I'd get girls!! Yes you can keep them in a big tank, just make sure they have lots of climbing toys in it, get a coil of cheap rope from the DIY store and make lots of climbing strands from it. Mice are excellent escape artists, at least they couldn't get out of a glass tank! Don't put males in a tank though, the pee fumes wouldn't be able to go anywhere and they could gas themselves with it!!:lol:


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## peter0

Mice do fine in a tank with good cleaning and lots and lots of climbing toys as they love climbing.

I don't think males are that smelly i have 3 boys in my bedroom and have 6 at one point and aslong as i don't clean out the whole cage and all their things they don't smell too much. If you try and keep it smelling clean with lots of products, air purifiers, sprays and liquids as it just makes the mouse want to mark even more as their smell is being masked by everything else. I don't wash the bars a lot of my boys cages as they mark every single bar so if you leave it they won't keep doing it. Females are best kept it groups and males alone and sometimes this makes males a bit more easy to tame as they like the human company and are such sweet little things


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## Kallumap

Hello, I decided on getting another Syrian Hammie. I think I made the right choice. She seems lovely so far, only had her for a day. She's exploring her new cage, I will upload some piccys soon!


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## Wobbles

Aww, you must be thrilled with her! I'm biased,but I do think hamsters are the best option for pets out of the rodent family, their friendly, interactable, easy to keep and don't smell. Where did you get her in the end?


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## polishrose

Kallumap said:


> Hello, I decided on getting another Syrian Hammie. I think I made the right choice. She seems lovely so far, only had her for a day. She's exploring her new cage, I will upload some piccys soon!


Aww hammies are lovely-looking forward to seeing pics


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