Hey there,

I currently have a gerbil, I had 2 but one has sadly passed on. I'm now looking into which type of rodent I'd like to look after next.

I love the way my gerbils look and the way they move, but as I got them from a rescue centre they aren't very tame, they would eat off my hand and stuff inside the cage but outside they simply wanted to get away.

So now i'm looking for some pets that are a bit more intelligent and that I can build a kind of relationship with and be able to pet and have sit still every once in a while.

I love the look of degus but I have no idea how they act with humans. Are they likely to enjoy being stroked and handled without trying to get away and explore all the time? Is there differences between males and females in terms of temperment?

I've been reading a lot about rats and I think they are definetly the kind of personalities that would suit me, with the lazy boys who like a good nap on their owner and a stroke or two. But the size of two males and the cage they'd need seems like maybe too much of a step up from two little, easy gerbils.

What differences would i see in keeping a single rat or two rats in terms of their willingness to interract with me?

Can anyone sway me to get either rats or degus?

Also does anyone know of any good rat or degu breeders in Wiltshire?

Sorry for the long post! I appreciate any help and words of wisdom that come my way

Thanks

Andy