The BRODENTS! Rodent Enthusiast Thread!

[Kainé]

I would love some advice from any guinea pig owners out there.

I adopted a companion for my sow today and the person I got her from said that the previous owner kept her confined in a small dirty cage, and she is in need of socialization. She’s calm around people, but absolutely can’t handle touching or handling. I haven’t put her with my other girl yet since I would like to get her settled first. Any tips on helping her get used to me, and introducing her to my other piggie?

[mediocre mackerel]

hand feeding works well, and doing it at a scheduled time can make your guineas look forward to meeting you. Also, talk to them often so she knows your voice. I don't know if this would work for guinea pigs, but i've heard that if you put the 2 wannabe companions in the same cage with a see-through divider, like a metal grid, they might get used to each other's smell and such. good luck!

[drift.]

this is Juarez, yes I did name her after the g-force character,,
She's a ball of sass.

I've never posted her because she doesn't do much xd

[cardboardteeth]

hello! I have three female mice living in a 20 gallon tank, and they all love each other so much and will almost always sleep together.

They are all healthy, happy girls, and there is nothing wrong with this, but I was curious if anyone has ever experienced the same thing I'm about to talk about. I have had one of the mice, Graybird, since February, after finding out my previous mouse [who has now passed] was actually a female. She is a gorgeous girl, red eyes, long, gray coat, who is very skittish and frightened until you can pick her up. After aforementioned female mouse passed on, I knew I needed to get her a friend or two, and so I did. My other two girls, Misty and Bluebell, were feeder mice I rescued. They were already bonded, so I put them in a 10 gallon tank while I kept Graybird in her 20 until I could introduce them. During their stay in the 10 gallon, they were very sweet and would always let me pick them up no matter where they were. It stayed this way until they were bonded with Graybird and were moved into the 20 gallon - once in the 20 gallon, they became much more like Graybird, shying away from my touch and running to hide.

There is nothing wrong with this, of course, because they do not bite me, but I am just sort of perplexed. Has anyone had something like this happen to them before, or know the cause?

[mediocre mackerel]

hello! I have three female mice living in a 20 gallon tank, and they all love each other so much and will almost always sleep together.

They are all healthy, happy girls, and there is nothing wrong with this, but I was curious if anyone has ever experienced the same thing I'm about to talk about. I have had one of the mice, Graybird, since February, after finding out my previous mouse [who has now passed] was actually a female. She is a gorgeous girl, red eyes, long, gray coat, who is very skittish and frightened until you can pick her up. After aforementioned female mouse passed on, I knew I needed to get her a friend or two, and so I did. My other two girls, Misty and Bluebell, were feeder mice I rescued. They were already bonded, so I put them in a 10 gallon tank while I kept Graybird in her 20 until I could introduce them. During their stay in the 10 gallon, they were very sweet and would always let me pick them up no matter where they were. It stayed this way until they were bonded with Graybird and were moved into the 20 gallon - once in the 20 gallon, they became much more like Graybird, shying away from my touch and running to hide.

There is nothing wrong with this, of course, because they do not bite me, but I am just sort of perplexed. Has anyone had something like this happen to them before, or know the cause?

I don't know about mice, but I do know that humans and primates have these certain things in their brains called mirror neurons. Ever get that strong urge to yawn when you see someone else yawn? It's the mirror neurons. It makes the host do what their peers around them are doing. I'm not completely sure about this in mice though. Just a proposal :)

[.Middy.]

So as I said I was getting 5 new piggies from my best friend on my vacation, and two of my new sows popped out three babies each! The two to the left and the tri in the middle are boars, the two blacks and the tri Dalmatian are sows! Still have one sow possibly pregnant, hoping I’ll get some babies from her soon, right now she’s being a excellent babysitter to the babies though lol

[meerkat boi.]

it's coming up to a year now since I wanted a hamster, and I still don't have one.
I may be getting it after the summer, since I'll be out of the country for most of the holidays (three weeks in France, four in estonia) and no one would be there to mind a hamster..

May I ask, what are the best things to look for in a hamster? For example, in a pet shop would you try and look for curiosity in the hamster or something about health?

[MotherMother]

it's coming up to a year now since I wanted a hamster, and I still don't have one.
I may be getting it after the summer, since I'll be out of the country for most of the holidays (three weeks in France, four in estonia) and no one would be there to mind a hamster..

May I ask, what are the best things to look for in a hamster? For example, in a pet shop would you try and look for curiosity in the hamster or something about health?

I hope you can get a hamster! Though I would definitely agree with getting one after your holiday so the little thing isn't lonely while you're gone (: that sound so like a really fun trip!

When picking your pet, no matter where you get it from, always look for good health as a top priority. The hamster should have bright, round, clear eyes, they should not squint nor have discharge in their eyes or nose. Check that the fur is healthy and smooth with no bald patches, and spend some time with the hammy to see if it sneezes or scratches too much.
Second after health is how friendly they are, and more importantly the bond you form. Some hamsters will be more affectionate than others, just like people they all have different personalities! Try asking the breeder or pet store employee if you can hold the hamster to see if you two are a good match.

Also! If you have a choice in where to get your hamster from, I would strongly recommend rescuing one! Rescues are always cleared by a vet for health before being adopted out, volunteers are much more thorough and helpful, and they are just as loving as a brand new baby hamster. You can actually find baby hamsters in shelters, too! Adult hamsters will be able to show you their true personalities, while babies may be more of a guessing game. Either way take a visit to your local shelter and see if they have any up for adoption!
Good luck and I hope you get a new friend!!

[meerkat boi.]

it's coming up to a year now since I wanted a hamster, and I still don't have one.
I may be getting it after the summer, since I'll be out of the country for most of the holidays (three weeks in France, four in estonia) and no one would be there to mind a hamster..

May I ask, what are the best things to look for in a hamster? For example, in a pet shop would you try and look for curiosity in the hamster or something about health?

I hope you can get a hamster! Though I would definitely agree with getting one after your holiday so the little thing isn't lonely while you're gone (: that sound so like a really fun trip!

When picking your pet, no matter where you get it from, always look for good health as a top priority. The hamster should have bright, round, clear eyes, they should not squint nor have discharge in their eyes or nose. Check that the fur is healthy and smooth with no bald patches, and spend some time with the hammy to see if it sneezes or scratches too much.
Second after health is how friendly they are, and more importantly the bond you form. Some hamsters will be more affectionate than others, just like people they all have different personalities! Try asking the breeder or pet store employee if you can hold the hamster to see if you two are a good match.

Also! If you have a choice in where to get your hamster from, I would strongly recommend rescuing one! Rescues are always cleared by a vet for health before being adopted out, volunteers are much more thorough and helpful, and they are just as loving as a brand new baby hamster. You can actually find baby hamsters in shelters, too! Adult hamsters will be able to show you their true personalities, while babies may be more of a guessing game. Either way take a visit to your local shelter and see if they have any up for adoption!
Good luck and I hope you get a new friend!!

Thank you! I've been to many shelters before, and mainly they only have cats and dogs.

[ghostmaker]

hello! i changed my username hah, i was formerly resonatings/.mochi


my birthday is coming up in june and i’m really hoping to get a hamster aaaa !! i had mentioned reasons why my parents don’t want me getting one which were: the short lifespan, the inability to take them on vacation, and my mom is worried that they might smell or carry disease..

i’ve thought of plans as to where they would go if we went on vacation; my cousin is our first option, and the second is one of my best friends who has two hamsters (i would most likely have my cousin come to my house, and i could provide a back-up bin cage for going to my friend’s house.)

i’m also prepared for the short lifespan.. i’ve always thought about when my dogs will eventually grow old, as well as any pet i get. i’m hoping to be a vet, so i’ll eventually have to understand this.

as for the odor, i know that in most cases, it’s the tank/cage that smells, so i plan to spot clean daily and deep clean weekly. when cleaning, i’ll obviously wear gloves (i’ve seen people do it without them) as i know there are diseases that hamsters carry, but most i found don’t affect humans.


any other suggestions/tips would be appreciated!!