# I am a bit torn



## Miss.PuddyCat (Jul 13, 2009)

I had a hamster when I was younger but she was very friendly from what I remeber. But my brother had a lovely teddy bear cream and white boy hamster (he was abosutly crushed when ted passed away)

Since earlier this year I've wanted to get another hamster but my mother doesnt want anything to with a rodent. Plus there is no where at the moment I could keep it without my gang finding it so I have to wait till I move out

The thing is I'm torn on weather to get a Hamster or a Rat? 

Its been over a decade since I had a hamster so I can't remeber much. What would you guys say is a good one for a beginner?


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## Nicky09 (Feb 26, 2009)

I would recommend a syrian I think thats the same as a teddy bear. Easy to handle, friendly. With rats you need to keep a group of them syrians need to be on their own


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## CharleyRogan (Feb 20, 2009)

I would get rats... they are much more entertaining and clever, but you need a big cage and more than 1 rat as they are very sociable animals!


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

Get gerbils


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## Miss.PuddyCat (Jul 13, 2009)

My ham was short haired with orange ruby markings?

I really like some of the cages and designs you can do for hamster like this one










But I think I read some where that a syrain would be to big for something like this?

Now that you mention it anyone that I have heard of saying a rat would be good has mentioned on having more then one. So it'd probably depend on how much room we have when the time comes. Can you keep all girl rats togeather or will they fight?

I heard gerbails are really really jumpy? An old friend had a few years ago and I remeber they could really jump!. How does it work with them, is good to keep more then one?


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

Miss.PuddyCat said:


> I heard gerbails are really really jumpy? An old friend had a few years ago and I remeber they could really jump!. How does it work with them, is good to keep more then one?


Yes, you need to keep them in pairs or trios. None of mine are jumpy


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## CharleyRogan (Feb 20, 2009)

You really wanna clean summat like that out every week?

Get RATS!!!! LMAO Girlies can go together, harder to boys to stay together. But they are really active, and they are really adventurous and sociable!


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## Miss.PuddyCat (Jul 13, 2009)

Marcia - Alright. I'll be honest and say my friends gerbails are the only ones I've ever seen . What would be an ideal cage for them, what are they like as in behavouir?

Charely - Sure if it made my pet happy but I dont think my boyfriend would let me go that crazy hah. Rats sound like so much fun  What would be the caging requirments for them?


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

Miss.PuddyCat said:


> Marcia - Alright. I'll be honest and say my friends gerbails are the only ones I've ever seen . What would be an ideal cage for them, what are they like as in behavouir?


Cages for gerbils is a bad idea for many reasons, tanks are far better and often cheaper 

You can decorate them with wooden toys, toilet roll tubes, anything cardboard actually lol. A 20 gallon aqauarium would be a great size for housing a pair of gerbils


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## Miss.PuddyCat (Jul 13, 2009)

Marcia said:


> Cages for gerbils is a bad idea for many reasons, tanks are far better and often cheaper
> 
> You can decorate them with wooden toys, toilet roll tubes, anything cardboard actually lol. A 20 gallon aqauarium would be a great size for housing a pair of gerbils


Really I thought tanks were bad, because of ventalition?

Is it because of their tails ?

Just looked up gerbils they are really cute, this is gonna be tough choice lol


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

Miss.PuddyCat said:


> Really I thought tanks were bad, because of ventalition?
> 
> Is it because of their tails ?
> 
> Just looked up gerbils they are really cute, this is gonna be tough choice lol


It's because of their tails and feet. Also, gerbils will chew on the bars of a cage cauing discolouration around the mouth and possibly fractured teeth.

The ventilation is no problem


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## Miss.PuddyCat (Jul 13, 2009)

Marcia said:


> It's because of their tails and feet. Also, gerbils will chew on the bars of a cage cauing discolouration around the mouth and possibly fractured teeth.
> 
> The ventilation is no problem


Ouch so defiently a tank then. Could that also happen to rats and hamsters?

I'm adding gerbails to the list.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Miss.PuddyCat said:


> Ouch so defiently a tank then. Could that also happen to rats and hamsters?
> 
> I'm adding gerbails to the list.


can't say om behalf of other rodents but tanks are no good for rats as they can be prone to respy problems & the lack of ventilation exascerbates this. Also rats like to climb about & lounge in hammocks & it's hard to hang these up in a tank!


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## Miss.PuddyCat (Jul 13, 2009)

simplysardonic said:


> can't say om behalf of other rodents but tanks are no good for rats as they can be prone to respy problems & the lack of ventilation exascerbates this. Also rats like to climb about & lounge in hammocks & it's hard to hang these up in a tank!


Thanks for info 

So by hammock do you mean something similar to a ferret hammock could be used?


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## chug89 (Nov 27, 2009)

Get a rat


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Miss.PuddyCat said:


> Thanks for info
> 
> So by hammock do you mean something similar to a ferret hammock could be used?


yes there are quite a few sites that sell them, or you can make your own. There are a few people in the rodent section who make them tooMy rats love their hammock tubes best- they all pile in together


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

You can keep hamsters in a tank but as simplysardonic has said, it's a no no for rats


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## Miss.PuddyCat (Jul 13, 2009)

Another one for the rats 

There all soo cute, I might end up with a three eventually

Soo hamster and gerbails can be in tanks but not rats because of breathing problems.

What about wheels and gerbails bad idea as well?


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

You can give gerbils wheels as long as their those closed wheels, no gaps.


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## Miss.PuddyCat (Jul 13, 2009)

Marcia said:


> You can give gerbils wheels as long as their those closed wheels, no gaps.


Thanks 

I was just thinking say you get three gerbails or three rats would one feel left out?

also are gerbails up at night ? what about rats?

For rats what would be the best kind of cage?


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

Gerbils arn't nocturnal. They get up, rumage around for a bit then go back to sleep and they do this several times a day 

Rats however are nocturnal.

If you had 3 of either, one wouldn't feel left out


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## Miss.PuddyCat (Jul 13, 2009)

Marcia said:


> Gerbils arn't nocturnal. They get up, rumage around for a bit then go back to sleep and they do this several times a day
> 
> Rats however are nocturnal.
> 
> If you had 3 of either, one wouldn't feel left out


Well you learn something new everyday, I didnt think Gerbils got up in the day.

Alright. For Gerbils how much in size should you go up when you add another furry member to the gruop in tank size?


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

The general rule is 10 gallons for 1 gerbil then an additional 5 gallons for each extra gerbil. Although the bigger the better :thumbup1:

My biggest tank is a 4 ft tank which i think holds 60-70 gallons but i only have 4 gerbils in that


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

for all info on rats go to

Fancy Rats | Home

click community.

it is a great site with loads of info like cages,food,toys,hammocks,types of bedding.
sawdust and shavings are a no no.they can flair up respiratory problems in rats.

and i have 7 males.3 live together and then the other 2 in two groups.

i have never had any problems with males.and i've been keeping rats for over 12 years.

male rats tend to be cuddlier and sit still.whereas females are constantly on the go and your lucky if you get to cuddle them for a few mins.

males get bigger.

cage size for 3 males would be around 80cm long 70-80cm high and 45cm depth.
needs to be a wire cage with a deep base to hold bedding in.

and wire cage floors are not ideal as they cause sore feet in rats.
a plastic or metal base only.

and its not recommended to have a lone rat.
they get depressed and sit about all day long.
rats in the wild are like pack animals and when you have a group of rats as pets it fun to watch them play fight and groom each other,they also like to sleep snuggled in a huge rat pile.

amy


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## SolBhonjai (Dec 4, 2009)

I have have 11 gerbils and cages are fine to a point.

Cages are nice due to their bright colours,but gerbils are chewers and they will eventually chew all the bar paint off,this either gives them colouration around their mouths or they could break a tooth.
As well they can also put a good chunk of their nose out and if spooked or stuck they freak and could either break their own neck or just hurt themselves.
As well gerbils like to dig and throw bedding everywhere so often the bedding never stays on the cage.

Tanks are very very nice,you have a clear view of the gerbils on any angle. Even though you cant attach tubes to the tank itself you are able to add more wooden toys or even have some tubes in the tank itself. What I like most about tanks is that the bedding stays there and the gerbils have a clear view of their surrounding so they are less timid and more approachable once they get used to where they are.

If all else fails you can combine the two. Get the tank to be the main bedding area so they can dif and tunnel and have the wire top for their food adn toys. It looks nice and you get the best of both.

Hopes that helps.


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## ShannonLouise. (Feb 2, 2009)

Sorry this has nothing to do with the thread but Miss.PuddyCat your cats are gorgeous!! :001_wub:


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## metame (Sep 25, 2009)

get all three


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## laurvystein (Dec 21, 2009)

I vote you get a hamster.
They're adorable and fun to play with.


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## Miss.PuddyCat (Jul 13, 2009)

Hey guys thanks for the help 

I am still torn as I like how with Gerbils and Rats you have more then one but I always like what you can do with hamster cages.


Grr I think I may end up with all three eventually.


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