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~ Rats & Mice ~
Choosing the Right Pet for You
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One thing I have learnt from years in the pet industry - people’s opinions of rats and mice is black and white; they either love ‘em or they hate ‘em!! For this reason, double check with your family members if they are Ok with you having one before you bring one home.
Both rats and mice smell depending upon how often you choose to clean their cage. Male mice smell awful and it can take some time to get used to. Rats, either male or female, don’t really smell as long as their cage is kept clean.
Rats don’t run away if let out of their cage but mice do. Both animals need lots of stimulation in an interesting environment so you will need to be prepared to spend time with them outside of their cage and rotate their toys weekly.
Rats don’t have very good eye sight and will nip if they are frightened. Be careful with small children who may squeal or grab at the rat and frighten it. However, they have excellent hearing and again a sharp yelp from a child or loud bang maybe enough to make them lash out and bite the closet thing to them. Rats have very sharp teeth and will nearly always break the skin when they bite. Be wary of playing music too loud or running machinery for too long near them.
On the other hand, both mice and rats have a great sense of smell. That's why they will bite sometimes if they can smell food on your hands. They simply think that your fingers are the food they can smell on them. It's always a good idea to wash your hands before putting them in the cage.
Neither rats nor mice carry diseases like their wild cousins so you and your family are safe handling them.
Sadly rats or mice only live for a few years and they usually die from stroke or tumors. They do, however, make great pets. Rats have their own personalities; will learn to come when you call them and will happily sit in your pocket for most of the day and 'hang out' with you where ever you go.
Mice are not as responsive but you can train them to run through mazes and if you are interested in breeding them, the patterns and the colours they show are fantastic.
I believe that the more you put into your pet the more you will get back one hundred fold. This is the same for rats and mice. When you spend time with them, you will appreciate their different personalities and needs. All of which provide great joy and company for their owners.
