Comparing Common Pet Rodents

Where I live, the pets stores seem to gravitate mostly toward hamsters and guinea pigs when it comes to small pets, though there are usually a few other choices. My pet peeve (no pun intended) is that there are rarely pet rats around, and regular readers know how enthusiastic I am about the qualities of rats as pets. Anyway, I think that in general, the most common small pets you will find at a pet store are hamsters, gerbils, mice, rats and guinea pigs. But which should you choose? A lot depends on what you are looking for in your pet and how much money and space you can invest in proper housing. For a quick run down of the pros, cons, and basic requirements of these fabulous five critters, see Comparing Common Pet Rodent.

More small pets: lately, I tend to also see chinchillas at all the pet stores, and sometimes even degus.

Photo © Lianne McLeod