Not too long ago rodents were only thought of as pests … not pets. Hundreds of years ago, in countries like England, the only good rat was a dead rat. That was because their were so many of them and they carried diseases that made humans very sick.

Today the most popular pet rodents are Hamsters, Rabbits, Gerbils, Mice, Ferrets, Guinea Pigs and Rats.

Pet rodents don’t take up much space, are easy to take care of [ferrets will get you hopping though], and don’t cost a lot of money, once you buy them and set their cage up.

They can give you lots of laughs, are happy running inside a wheel or around your home inside their ball. They’re not fussy eaters, don’t stink, will let you pet them and don’t usually need many trips to the Vet.

Each kind of rodent is its own creature. You’ll need to learn all you can before you decide which one is best for you.

For example, hamsters stay in bed all day and stay up all night. Syrian hamsters each need their own cage. They don’t get along with each other very well.

Guinea Pigs stay awake during the day, but they need a big cage to live in [7 ½ square feet]. You also need to have two together because they hate being alone. They have to have hay to eat so you have to be sure no one in your family is allergic.