This is why I have the tank.. for the one i have in my bedroom.. remember I had the prob of her smashing her water bottle around when I got into bed problem solved I managed to get all the big wheels in situ and she just makes a bit of noise with that now..

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i think a rat would be lovely for her (and she has voiced a strong interest in them lol) but we havent got the room really

i had 2 mice when very young - micky and minney - how original
but obviously my parents looked after them mainly
i cant really remember that much about them?

we had problems with incorrect sexing of our robs (i had 3 'boys') and it led to a breeding frenzy
never want to get into that situation again which is why i was erring toward a syrian

x

the chinese hamster is gorgeous
do they like to be kept with others?
are they flighty?
x

For just two rats.. I dont think you would need a massive amount of room.. especially if your daughter can free range them in her bedroom.. They ar fab pets.. And like I say. like little dogs.. follow you about..

As for mice. easy to handle they dont jump off you which is what bugs me about the hamsters.. mice will climb all over you.. They wont dive off your bed.. but then again my rats have never tried to either.. but the hamsters blimey I can't take my eyes off one if I pop it on the bed..

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Yes they are quite fast unfortunately, we only got her last Sunday so she's still a bit timid.
Pets at home used to advise that they are kept in pairs but I would never do this as once they mature they seem to fight and sometimes this ends in the death of one of them so I won't chance it. My sister had two and one of them killed the other one and was eating it when she came downstairs in the morning.

What about guinea pigs, they can be tamed easily, have loads of personality and love being cuddled and brushed? Not nocturnal either.

hmmm considering 2 female mice if i can get from a reputable breeder who will sex them properly

and possibly the cambridge cage?

what floor covering do you use?
lots of conflicting info on that x

I dont have mice now.. but I would use the same as I do for my rats.. Its that wood based cat litter.. doesn't smell (I dont think).. I dont know what area you are But Yorkshire Rose on here is possibly the best person to ask..
You can also get them from rescue.. they tend to have lots in..

A normal hamster cage you will prob find babies will escape through the bars.. but not once they are adults.. you could make a temporary bin cage till they are big enough and that will be very cheap.. it also gives you somewhere to put them when you are cleaning their cage out..

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I wouldn't use wood based cat litter at all; it's just compressed sawdust. When wet or soiled it gives off phenols which can irritate the respiratory tract. Rats and mice have such sensitive little noses you really do have to be careful what you give them.

Generally the most favoured substrates are shredded cardboard (Finacard, Ecobed, Green Mile), Hemp (Aubiose, Hemcore), paper/recycled paper (Yesterday's News, Carefresh), Newspaper, Fleece and Cotton towels

My rats and hamster have a thin layer of Aubiose topped up with a thicker layer of either Finacard/Ecobed/Greenmile. I then give shredded paper and tissue for them to use as bedding.

Though the Cambridge cage is adequate for mice, I'm really big on giving caged animals as much space as you can. Considering how active mice are I wouldn't put them in anything smaller than a Freddy 2.

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Kate x
Oscar the dog
Rufus the cat
Manny, Floyd, Boba, Maida, Nilda, George, Tom, Tiny, William & Eugene the rats
Bobby the hamster

I have a cat litter tray in my rat cage... and thats the only place it is.. and so far has been fine.. have also heard of many using this.. thats how I started using it.. Ive always been told not to use shavings but large chip can be ok as long as minima dust... Also my rats train is cleaned out quite regular with there being seven in there..

And for bedding I use tissue I shred it a bit then let them do the rest..

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Really? I have only ever heard or been told bad things about it. I've just searched this forum, the NERS forum and the Fancy Rat forum and cannot find anything to condone their use.

We all know how bad sawdust and wood shavings (though some hard chip shavings are considered okay (though I still wouldn't use them) are, so why should the compressed stuff be any better? Honestly, there are so many other options available, I really would change - it's just not worth risking your rat's health just because 'so far it's been fine'. It could be doing damage to them that isn't obvious yet.

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Kate x
Oscar the dog
Rufus the cat
Manny, Floyd, Boba, Maida, Nilda, George, Tom, Tiny, William & Eugene the rats
Bobby the hamster