# Rats vs hamsters vs gerbils..



## Canyx (May 2, 2008)

Ok perhaps this may be biased on a RAT forum, but logically, statistically, whatever-ly... 

Which is the most 'intelligent' and bonds most to a human companion?
I'm thinking rats, which is why I'm planning on getting those instead of hte other critters... but jsut wondering


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Rats, definately.

I've had hamsters and mice, never had gerbils - but rats have a sense of awareness that are completely unlike any other small animal that I've ever had. They are incredibly emotive and they are just one of those pets that you get once .. and never look back.


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## Umeboshi (May 2, 2008)

Rats FTW

My hamster wasn't much of the playing type, and my gerbil was too fast for my to handle. Rats are stronger, cuddlier, and more lovable. I feel bad for rats because they're so misunderstood.


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

Rats defiantly! I've had all of them and the rats are the best! Hamsters don't like to be touched, don't want to be bothered and honestly don't do much but lay around and sleep. Gerbils are fast, again hate to be handled and don't really like their humans. Rats love their people, are easy to handle, very smart, ect.


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## windyhill (Apr 19, 2008)

Rats 100%
They love people,enough said


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## Canyx (May 2, 2008)

Ahh, I fogot to ask about bunnies, what about those? ; D


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## Kellye (Apr 25, 2008)

Bunnies aren't really into their people either although better than some of the animals mentioned. The most loving animals besides cats and dogs are rats.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

I have had mice and guinea pigs all my life and only recently discovered rats. They are the best. Mice are entertaining and cute but do not crave human attention. Guinea pigs can get tame but most love to be fed and will run away if you try to pick them up from a floor. 
But rats..... wow, i wish I had found out about them 40 years ago. You can pick them up from any where, they wake up to play with you, follow you everywhere and are so loving. I am starting to enjoy them almost more than dogs.


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

By far, rats.

I've had gerbils, mice, guinea pigs, and rats. The rats actually enjoy being held. They take treats from my fingers and don't hide when I open the cage door.

Rats, for sure.


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## Magpie (Mar 30, 2008)

I'd always owned hamsters, despite wanting a rat, but anyway...

Hamsters are sweet little things, they will, though it requires a huge amount of time an effort, bond to you. They're just lazy as heck- even at night and can't be bothered to do much  Great lap-rodents if you're looking for something to sleep curled up in your shirt as you watch TV 


Then I had my pair of gerbils...

Lovely little things, intelligent and entertaining, but too 'whizzy' to both really interacting with you. Reluctant to be held, even when well socialised- but they very rarely bite and are real sweethearts if/when they stay still.


Rats actually enjoy being held, though. Of course, I don't have mine just yet, but from the little experience I've had of them, they've got the 'best of both'. They're active and entertaining, but cuddly, too


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## wildweims (Mar 3, 2008)

I've had them all-- bunnies, hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats. Rats are the most dog-like as they are playful, yet like being held and spending time with their humans. Bunnies are okay, but they just aren't so interactive and playful with humans, from my experience. Hamsters don't naturally like humans. And gerbils and mice are just nuts and love to run around! Rats are very smart and can learn behaviors. I haven't found that with any other small animals. I had had them all and rats are the only ones I would get more of!


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ive had hamsters, mice and gerbils (and now rats)

Hamsters: I vow NEVER to get another one again.. ive had four in my life time and two were devils in fur. The others were really sweet though, but hamsters are generally lazy little things.. 

Mice: I had four and I loved them. They were SO adorable and had such big personalities! They didnt enjoy being handled too much but they would steal food from my plate really cockily and are amazing to watch, i think theyre more the 'sit back and watch' kind of pets rather than 'play with' pets. They were still awesome though <3

Gerbils: Ive only ever had one but I will remember him for the rest of my life. He was a cocky little b*stard and I loved it XD Again, didnt like to be handled, but he was also another thief in the family, lol.

Rats: Ive never owned rats before now, i got my two girls three days ago. Sorry to say that theyre frightened and hate to be picked up, they werent handled as babies AT ALL! Now, dispite this i still love them, and Kiba is coming on leaps and bounds, in just three days she'll lick yogurt from my finger and will crawl over me and investigate my face at free-time, shes fascinated by it when i breathe out of my nose, lol. Indie loves to be stroked on the head and nearly fell asleep in my mums hand the other day because she was so relaxed, shes more like a male, lol. Like i said, they dont like to be handled but once you actually managed to get them out Indie will settle down but Kiba will still try to get away, i guess its because shes more like a female than Indie so wants to explore everything, she hates sitting still. 

So those are my experiences with the said animals, i hope this helps.


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## leilastroud (Apr 6, 2008)

You definitely came to the place to be convinced to have rats!! 

My hamster is adorable, but the same thing as everyone else really! A little lazy, when I get him out he wont sit still and is too fast to catch if he kamikaze jumps off my leg (which he has done more than once!)

I think everyone has covered all the points with bunnies and gerbils.

Have a lovely mischief in my house now, and rats are brilliant. I had a cat before, and he was amusing, but having lots of rats is like having 13 amusing cats who all do funny things! 

they're brilliant pets, go for it!

Leila :0)


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## Adie09 (Jan 24, 2008)

I've had hamsters and I think they come with bad karma. My first and only hamster bit me one day, the next day she ran herself to death and had a heart attack. Poor thing  I never really bonded with her because she didn't want to do anything but run in her wheel. 
I've had boy mice,...they were so cute! I even had one with long hair but I eventually had to give them up because of their smell....it was pretty bad, but I missed them.
i've never had gerbils...But I'm sure I wouldn't like those very much either.

It is true, Rats get a bad rep. But I don't understand why people will go through the trouble of hamsters and gerbils when it's sooooooo much easier to bond with a rat who has soooooo much more personality. I tell people it's like comparing it with a little dog, because they will chill with you on the couch and you can take them to the park(I do anyway) so Rats win my vote...by FAR.

sorry so long lol

Nikki


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

1st - Ratties! 
2nd - Gerbils. 
3rd - Hamsters.

I must have had about 20 hamsters in total since I was about 4 lol. I only ever got bit by one of them, so I don't understand why a lot of reviews say they're biters. However they don't really interact with humans, are v.lazy and generally want to go anywhere you aren't when you have them out. They have no concept of heights; quite willingly walk off things! 8O 

As for gerbils, I have 2 at the moment. One quite likes to come out and wander around on me, however the other is quite evil, so he just has his friend to play with. They are much more interesting to watch than hamsters though, making their tunnels in the bedding . 

I've had my first two rats for about one year and they're great! They always want to be out whenever they see me near their cage or when I come into the room. They follow you around like miniture dogs aswell and groom you.

I did a test the other day; I held the rats while my boyfriend went out the room and when he came back in they didn't react. Then he held them and I went out and came back in; they went nuts wanting to jump on me straight away hehe. I guess they must love me more! :lol: 

Did you get any ratties Canyx??


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

rats by far bond to humans over any other small prey type mammal (i.e. gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, sugar gliders, degus, etc)

I say prey type because ferrets are small mammals & they love their human slaves quite a bit too

Skunks tend to bond with humans as well

So with that said... look at the animals dietary needs... omnivores & carnivores obtain a higher intellect than herbivores


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## AlienMando (Jan 19, 2008)

A1APassion said:


> I say prey type because ferrets are small mammals & they love their human slaves quite a bit too


Definitely! =)


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## amandahoney (May 14, 2007)

of all the smaller animals, i'd say rats, of course, but i'd like to stand up for rabbits as well. they're maybe not as smart as rats, but i've had some really cuddly and playful rabbits (and some completely aloof and awful ones, too) and they can be lovely little pets. they do bond to humans. i rescued an abandoned dutch quite a few years ago, found him wandering alone and scared in the woods. i had to chase him down to catch him, but it was worth it, because i think he knew for the rest of his life who i was and that he was in a much better place.

so in my mind, rabbits occupy a (distant) second place to rats.


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## Nicodimus (Jun 23, 2008)

Here are my experiences:

Gerbils: Cute to watch, but most do not enjoy being handled, and try to squirm away. I had one male out of several gerbils that didn't enjoy, but at least tolerated being handled. 

Rabbits: Only had one, and she was not a very rewarding pet. She was always nervous, despite me trying to make her calmer by handling her a lot. She clawed and nipped me on a regular basis,,and I hate to say it, but after a few months of that, I stopped handling her much because no progress was being made. One of my friends' wives that had a male bunny wanted a female too and volunteered to take her. They got divorced right after that, so I never heard how it worked out with my bunny. Hopefully she led a happier life than she did with me. My impression of rabbits as play-with pets is that they aren't really smart enough to form much of a bond with you, but I only had one so perhaps she isn't typical of all pet rabbits.

Rats: Entering my 6th day as the daddy of 2 males, and already had more fun with them than my gerbils and rabbits combined, although I got quite a scare Thursday when one of them decided to climb down inside the sofa. (Got a nice sofa throw yesterday at Wal*mart to stop that!) They are, as others have mentioned, almost like tiny loyal dogs. They enjoy your company and respond to your voice.


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## CaptainFlow (May 16, 2007)

I haven't had any of the others, because I got rats as my first pets when I was 7, and have never looked back! But with my experiences with the others as pets of friends... totally lame compared to rats. 

It's just my favorite thing ever to walk into a room if my girls are asleep, say "hello my girls!" and have them instantly wake up and beg to be with me. It's precious, and such extreme love in such a teeny little package.


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## Susinko (Apr 29, 2008)

Which do I favor? That's not fair! A mom can't pick between her children!

I currently keep three different kind of rodents. Rats, mice and gerbils.

I LOVE my rats. My four rats bring me much love and comfort. They are so intelligent and they have so much personalities and love. They are a joy to be around and there is no down side to owning them at all.




Magpie said:


> Then I had my pair of gerbils...
> 
> Lovely little things, intelligent and entertaining, but too 'whizzy' to both really interacting with you. Reluctant to be held, even when well socialised- but they very rarely bite and are real sweethearts if/when they stay still.


You pretty much hit the nail on the head when you said that! I LOVE my gerbils! My first pair were two schimmel brothers and my first introduction to the Wonderful World of Rodents! They were absolutely wonderful and they lived until the very old age of about four. The two I have now, Nocturne and Sparkle, are wonderful little critters! It's hard to really bond with them as they would much rather be on the move and digging in their tank! (Yes, gerbils are kept in tanks as they love and need to dig and four inches of aspen doesn't stay in a barred cage long!)

As a lot of people have mentioned, my mice are more of a "Sit back and watch pet". I love watching my five girls play in their tank with all their toys. (Tank for them to. There isn't a cage with bars close enough to keep two of my more smaller mice from getting out.) They love to pile on to their huge wheel and grab on to the mesh so they can all spin around as the wheel moves! They are such sweet little things!

I've only really owned one hamster. I rescued Catfood from a really bad home. He was an old hamster when I got him and his three level cage was caked in about six months worth of litter, molded food and feces. He had most likely been manhandled by the person's toddler. He just wanted to be left alone. I named him Catfood because of how much my cats liked him! He lived quite a long time. I didn't have a bad experience with him, but I'm not really interested in owning another hamster.


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## hipoluvsmud (May 22, 2008)

If anyone has read my very first post in the 'hello' forum, they will know that I had never, ever even thought about having a rat as a pet. My son Ben rescued one, and he has been a part of our family ever since, probably 2 months now.
I have had gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, and even a bearded dragon! Out of all of these animals, I have to say.....Frank, our rat, wins hands down. He is such good fun! He's intelligent, he is inquisitive, he's very loving.......he spazzes out when he sees Jake, my youngest son. They have thois bond that I've never seen before. 
I don't know if Frank is an extra special rat, or if we could ever find another one like him. I just know that we love Frank, and reading what everyone else says about their rats, they are all loved as much by the people on this forum. So, yeah, it was a biased question, but who cares! Ratties rule!


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## triffeh (Jun 3, 2008)

I have rats and chinchillas, all males. Chinchillas are, I'd guess, the second-friendliest rodent pet. They like people, bond with their owners, and enjoy contact - mine will hop right up my arm onto my shoulders. However, they are not especially affectionate and when they are, they groom you by plucking hairs out of your arm (!). However, they're great fun to watch when free-ranging and, if socialized, will get in your face just like a rat will, use you as a springboard, etc. Male chinchillas, however, are like female rats only more so - they won't sit still to be petted, they want to run and play and eat everything that is expensive to repair.

My rats are similar to the chinchillas, but better pets overall I think. Very very affectionate - more licky than any dog I've had. Much more easily trained than chinchillas, who have a squirrel-like ADHD mentality. They will sit still and be petted and enjoy it. On the downside, they are so short-lived. I'm looking forward to my chinchillas living to 10-15 years old.

I wouldn't give up either, and keeping both I feel like I have the best of the best.

-mark


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## Marysmuse (Apr 28, 2008)

I just have to put in a word for piggies. If they're handled daily, and given sufficient cage-space and hide boxes, they can become very cuddly "lap" pets. They definately bond with their owners, I've seen it happen in our own herd. 

When Rodney came to us, he was neglected, in a too-small cage, and rarely handled. He was skittish and nippy. My daughter held him every single day. He watched tv with her, sat on her lap while she read books, pretty much went everywhere with her. 
Soon he would actually come over to greet her when she approached the cage. 

He was absolutely the sweetest animal we've ever known, and with a very unique personality. He is much missed.

All our piggies have their own personalities. We love each of them. Sir Nibbles was a shy boy when he came to us a couple weeks ago, but now he's settling right in. Milk and Cookie, the twins, are right pains in the neck, both of them. Milk is aggressive with other pigs to the point he'll probably have to live alone.  

Cookie has two friends, Cuddles and Lucky, and so far everyone's co-habitating happily. Oreo, the boys' mom, is living with Queen... Oreo tends to be more assertive than Queen, but they're buds. Queen was Rodney's sister, also neglected, but she was incredibly shy rather than nippy and aggressive. Now she's friendlier, and doesn't mind brushing and bathing as much. (she's a long-hair, so her fur takes quite a lot of maintanance.)

Lucky was my rescue... he's vocal, a clown. Romeo, the teddy, is a dominant older boar who hangs out on top of the pig-loo and hide-boxes. Silly piggy, he doesn't know pigs don't like shelves.  And Buckwheat is quiet and shy, very laid back.

The down-side to pigs, if there is one, is that they need large amounts of floor space. My cages average 30x60 inches for 3 pigs. Boys housed together need more room. The girls are in a 30x42. 

Rats like the higher cages, with shelves, so you can get away with less diameter and more height, where pigs need actual floor space. A consideration in a smaller home or apartment.

Rats like to run and play more than piggies, who will tend to sit in your lap. They're definately more gymnastic, climbing all over. Pigs tend to get very excited about food, and not much else. Of course older pigs are less active than young ones.

For me, living in an old farmhouse, pigs are easier to keep track of during out of the cage time. With rats, we'd need to stop up quite a few holes, or rat-proof just one room. The pigs dont' go far when they're on the floor, and won't fit through most of the knotholes. 

Pigs are more appropriate for young kids... Still needing supervision, of course, and I probably wouldn't give any small animal to a kid under 7 or so, but rats I'd wait until the kids are more like 10. JMHO, and it depends on the kid, of course.

Good luck choosing... No matter what you choose, I'm sure you'll enjoy them. 

Rejoicing in the day,
-Mary


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

Well, I have had 3 adullt hamsters and two litters of babies (they told us they gave us two boys, they didnt) and I have also had ratties.
RATTIES are smarter.


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## Marysmuse (Apr 28, 2008)

2boysloose said:


> Well, I have had 3 adullt hamsters and two litters of babies (they told us they gave us two boys, they didnt) and I have also had ratties.
> RATTIES are smarter.


Umm... Two litters? 
Have you figured out how that keeps happening yet? 8O 

:lol: 

Rejoicing in the day,
-Mary


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## AlienMando (Jan 19, 2008)

Marysmuse said:



> 2boysloose said:
> 
> 
> > Well, I have had 3 adullt hamsters and two litters of babies (they told us they gave us two boys, they didnt) and I have also had ratties.
> ...


Two girls probably got pregnant at once?


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