Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum THE LOUNGE Question about other rodents

Viewing 13 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • megan_ann
      Participant
      32 posts Send Private Message

        For no particular reason, I’ve been bored and making a list of future pets for after college. :p I have only ever had guinea pigs, so I kind of have an affinity for rodents in general. The kind of pets I like are ones you can just sit and cuddle with and they won’t be constantly moving all the time and will let you cuddle with them. Now, guinea pigs and rabbits both have fun running around and such but have no problem just laying there and cuddling with you, so those are fine (I actually want a Flemish Giant some day because I like large, laid-back rabbits best), but a lot of these other pets I don’t have experience with.

        My friend had a pet chinchilla and that thing never sat still and you could never pet it for long, so those are out…

        Some dogs will cuddle with you but I don’t like their barking so those are out too….

        Hamsters and gerbils and rats also don’t strike me as the sit still and cuddle type (not saying they aren’t affectionate but like rats seem like they’d more enjoy playing with you and not sit still so much) but I don’t have much experience with them so I’m not sure…

        So here’s my tentative list, with stars on the ones that I’m not sure if cuddly or not:

        * Rats

        * Hamsters (NOT a dwarf though)

        * Gerbils

        * Degus

        Rabbits (preferably a Flemish Giant or other docile rabbit)

        Guinea Pigs

        Cats (preferably a Ragdoll or other big, very docile cat)

         

        Anyone wanna give some insight on it? Haha yeah I WAS bored…


      • Sage Cat
        Participant
        1883 posts Send Private Message

          Only one (supper nit-picky) thing: Rabbits are not rodents! They are langomorphs!!!
          I’m pretty sure cats are not rodents either – tee, hee, hee!

          I don’t have experience with anything on your list other than cats and rabbits (which can both be quite snuggly) – but I know lots of people on this forum do. I’m sure they will jump in with a thought or two!


        • Monkeybun
          Participant
          10479 posts Send Private Message

            I’m a kitty and bunny fan, my Neko was a ragdoll siamese kitty, and she was the most cuddly, pretty thing ever. I used to have gerbils, they don’t cuddle much lol. Rats, my mom suggested I get a rat as they make great pets, intelligent, can hang around on your shoulder all day and be happy.


          • MarkBun
            Participant
            2842 posts Send Private Message

              One that made me do a doubletake was a chinchilla. Someone in Berkeley had one on their shoulder and it was just hopping from one shoulder to the next, happy as all can be.


            • Elrohwen
              Participant
              7318 posts Send Private Message

                I’ve had over a dozen gerbils over the last 15 years and they’re wonderful little animals. However, the majority are not cuddlers unfortunately. I did have one who would run around on the couch, then settle down and curl up in a ball next to me and sleep. He’d even lay there for 30-40 minutes at a time while I watched tv. It was the cutest thing and I was very upset when he passed away. Despite his cuddling, he wouldn’t hold still when I wanted him to, and he wasn’t into being petted. He just wanted to be near me. I actually moved on to bunnies because I wanted a small pet that would enjoy petting and some cuddling because I don’t think that’s really possible with most small rodents (or chins). Out of the dozen gerbils I’ve had, only a few really enjoyed being picked up; the others would run up to me for attention, but would scramble a bit when I tried to pick them up, but enjoyed being able to run around on the couch (still had to be supervised, because they’ll jump off and run away; they eventually come back, but it’s a pain to chase them around trying to catch them). Very few have nipped a bit, but not really in an aggressive way.

                I have some experience with other people’s chins and they’ve been mostly fairly skittish. Even the ones who weren’t skittish were not at all interested in cuddling and only wanted to run around and explore. They acted a lot like gerbils and other small rodents actually, despite their larger size.

                I’ve heard great things about rats, but I can’t say if they’re cuddlers or not because I don’t have experience with them. I would imagine they’re more interested in running around and exploring but there might be some cuddlers in the bunch too. 

                I think if you want something to pet and cuddle with on occasion, you’re better off getting a bun or a cat. I haven’t had any cuddling experiences with the other animals you listed though they’re great pets in their own ways.

                If you do get a small rodent, I really recommend you get one from a rescue that can tell you about their personality, or a breeder. I’ve had petstore gerbils and they were the least friendly ones I had. The ones I got from breeders who handled them a lot and gave them attention were fantastic. I imagine rescues would be great because they really care about their animals, but I rarely see small rodents in rescues (at least around where I am).


              • Barbie
                Participant
                1581 posts Send Private Message

                  Well I’ve had a few hamsters over the years, both dwarfs and regular sized ones… They were cute and fun to watch, but I didn’t find them very cuddly. I’ve heard a lot of good things about rats, but have never had one. Honestly, Leroy’s not much into cuddling either. He’s a mini rex though, I’ve heard that the larger rabbits are much more content to be cuddled and loved on though.

                  My friend’s mom has a couple ragdolls and they’re really pretty! Though.. I volunteer at a shelter, and there are so many great cats there (and I’m not even a cat person ).

                  I know you said you’re opposed to a dog because of the barking, so I don’t want to push the issue but…. there are quite a few breeds that don’t have such a propensity to barking. I LOVE dogs, and I think the smaller breeds are cute, but they tend to be yappy, so I don’t think even I would go for a toy breed. The great thing about dogs is that you can train them not to bark! And to do lots of other tricks! If you decide to consider a dog, think about a larger breed, in my experience, they don’t bark as much – or look for a smaller breed that is known to be quiet. Basenjis are medium sized (GORGEOUS) dogs that rarely make much noise because of the way their larynx is shaped. And of course, if you have a specific breed in mind, look into breed specific rescues.


                • Adalaide
                  Participant
                  433 posts Send Private Message

                    A neighbor had a chinchilla and I thought it was the cutest thing ever. It was super friendly and the neighbor said it spent a lot of time hanging out with him when strangers weren’t there freaking it out.
                    My aunt had a dog once that was mute. That solves the barking problem. She had some other health problems though and only lived to be about 7 or 8 years old. She was a real beauty though, I don’t remember what she was exactly but some sort of husky mix something or other. Super soft and cuddly and friendly.
                    Freya is by far the least cuddly animal I’ve ever been around. She’s still lots of fun and I wouldn’t trade her for anything more cuddly or social. I know my opinion is probably unpopular, but if there is a rodent in my house it’s because it’s intruding and I’ll do whatever it takes to get rid of it. I do not do rodents as pets, which I had to explain to my husband about a billion times.


                  • Kokaneeandkahlua
                    Participant
                    12067 posts Send Private Message

                      Can’t really offer advice on the other rodents, I’ve only had GP’s (they were great!)

                      I’m looking at my next pets already as well No new buns until we build a house (they will have a better bedroom, and I want three partitions for three pairs)

                      We are getting an Akita in the spring when we move (apparently we are selling our house when reno’s are done…) Dave wants a black/white blue eyed northern dog (so may not be an Akita but that’s what he wants) we’re already watching all the shelters just in case…

                      AND I’m on a wait list for an Eclectus parrot. Hopefully a female but I will consider male if that’s all that is born. I LOVE big birds and apparently eclectus are easy ‘starter’ parrots, less bitey, less messy and very talky I can’t wait!! I’m buying from a breeder rather then rescuing because genetically and environmentally it’s better-especially many rescue birds I’ve checked out have issues and not a good idea for a first time parrot owner


                    • megan_ann
                      Participant
                      32 posts Send Private Message

                        For me a big factor would be a pet that bonds with you, even if it weren’t TOO snuggly. From my friend’s chinchilla, I had gotten the impression that it didn’t MIND my friend being around but was not really attached to him at all and seemed more excited about running around and didn’t really want to interact with him. I don’t want a pet that is fun to watch in its cage but really doesn’t bond to me at all, you know? And it also IS nice to know which pets are more able to sit still and be petted too. I have heard that rats DO bond really well to people, which is why I’m thinking that might be a good place to start but I’m not sure. Not that I’ll be buying another pet any time soon… just something to think about!
                        I was also interested in degus because I tend to go for the larger rodents and degus are about the size of a rat, but they also live a lot longer than rats (5-8 years), which would make them a much longer commitment if they ended up not being to my liking, you know?


                      • Kokaneeandkahlua
                        Participant
                        12067 posts Send Private Message

                          The only thing I would caution is not to mix ferrets with buns-so don’t consider them. They’re cute an all, but not good with buns.

                          I’ve heard rats make excellent pets, are clean and smart. They ‘come in’ neat colors too


                        • Sage Cat
                          Participant
                          1883 posts Send Private Message

                            K&K – I have only known one parrot, an African Gray – he was amazing!!! Eclectus are beautiful. I take it you are up for a 30 year bond.

                            I have also heard Ferrets and Rabbits are a VERY BAD MIX!


                          • Elrohwen
                            Participant
                            7318 posts Send Private Message

                              Posted By Kokaneeandkahlua on 11/04/2009 01:20 PM
                              The only thing I would caution is not to mix ferrets with buns-so don’t consider them. They’re cute an all, but not good with buns.

                              I’ve heard rats make excellent pets, are clean and smart. They ‘come in’ neat colors too

                              Ferrets are also ridiculously stinky! I always thought they were cute until my roommate during an internship bought some. They stayed in her room and it was a huge corporate apartment, but they whole place stunk so much I could hardly eat in there. I’m fairly open to some animal smells, but the ferret one I just can’t take. Blech.
                               


                            • Deleted User
                              Participant
                              22064 posts Send Private Message

                                Posted By violagirl23 on 11/02/2009 01:21 PM

                                (…)I’ve been bored and making a list of future pets for after college.

                                Violagirl, I think your current pet is absolutely gorgeous. I really love your new bunny. She reminds me of Garfield the cat. She may live 10 or 12 years and will really grow on you. As for what pet to get next, I am going to be the spoilsport here. It doesn’t really matter what you choose, just make sure it’s manageable for you. It is so easy to acquire a fancy beautiful pet but they all need to be cleaned up after and provided with adequate space and attention. The rabbit now was a good choice for you.

                                I am not a fan of rodents because of diseases they can carry; rabbits are a much better fit for humans. I like the ragdoll cats too but it’s a lot fur so again you will need to factor in more clean-up time. Wait and see what your future situation will turn out to be and go from there.

                                 


                              • Lagomorpheus
                                Participant
                                442 posts Send Private Message

                                  Posted By Sage Cat on 11/02/2009 01:38 PM
                                  Only one (supper nit-picky) thing: Rabbits are not rodents! They are langomorphs!!!

                                  One even more nit-picky thing: Rabbits are LAGOMORPHS not “langomorphs”!

                              Viewing 13 reply threads
                              • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

                              Forum THE LOUNGE Question about other rodents