From Lianne McLeod, DVM,
Your Guide to Exotic Pets.
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I have kids ranging in age from 3-8. Would a mouse be a good pet for us?

A. There is no easy answer to this question, as it depends on the kids, the family, and what is expected from the family's pets.

If the kids (and you) want something they can handle a lot and play with, pet mice may not be the best as they are small, quick (so hard to manage for young hands), and can nip pretty hard if they get scared. If your kids are calm and patient it could potentially work -- pet mice can be handled but they need a gentle touch and sometimes a good deal of patience if they are not very tame. So if you are looking for something to cuddle, mice may not be the best for younger kids to handle.

However, if your family is looking more for pets to watch rather than handle, a pair or group of females can be a great choice, as they are fun to watch and not too difficult to care for. Keep in mind that with young kids, most of the care responsibilities may fall to the parents.

I recommend getting more than one (especially for females -- males are trickier) anyway as they tend to be happiest in the company of other mice. A pair or group of females usually get along well, but to avoid the difficulty of introducing mice try to get some from the same litter (or at least ones that live together already). Male mice (again, from the same litter) may get along but sometimes fight, so may need to be separated. Between this and the tendency of males to be a bit smellier, I usually recommend that females are a better choice for kids.

As with any pets, your kids should also be able to understand that they need to wash their hands after handling a mouse or the equipment. And of course, the adults in the family must be willing to help or supervise proper feeding, cleaning and care of the mice.

If your family prefers something more interactive that they can handle more, you might want to consider [link url=http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/careofrats/a/ratsaspets.htm>rats</link>, <link url=http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/guineapigs/a/Gpsaspets.htm>guinea pigs</link> or a <link url=http://exoticpets.about.com/od/hamsters/p/syrianhams.htm>Syrian hamster</link>.