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

Hi Andy and welcome to the forums. Im not an expert on either but I'll pass on what I do know.

Rats and degus alike are both alot happier when kept in same sex groups, especially degus who are supposed to have a longer life span when kept in a group than on their own.

If you want interaction a rat would probably suit you better as degu are very inquistive and will be off like a shot to explore anything in their sight, this might be you to sometimes but not always!

Another thing with degu is where you'e going to home them, normal plastic based cages are a no-no as they will chew straight through. An aquarium or full wire cage are the best options.

Both rats and degus are highly intelligent so need lots of things in their home for stimulation, multi-levels, tubes, things to chew on and play with.

Also degus cannot tolerate any suger so you have to be particularly careful with their diet and the treats you give.

I can't think of anything else at the moment but hope that helps you a bit, i'm sure you'll find someone on here who can give you more info.

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Never had a degu but I adore my rats!! I have five females in a cage and all of them are friendly (well one hates me but loves my husband lol). They are all tame and just so lovely. You can tell what they are feeling, they will play with you and eat from your hands and lick you and....I just love them!!

At the moment I have a single rat, but only because his brother passed away at the weekend and he really is very old and set in his way and wont accept any newcomers (hes a right grump!!!). But I would have to say if you get rats get at least two of the same sex and from a breeder. Rats from pet shops take a lot longer to settle in because they are not very tame. I have both pet shop rats and breeder rats and have to say I noticed the difference, Its also important to look into proper feeding for them because commerical rat food is pretty much full of junk and not very good for them. I feed mine on dog kibble, rabbit food, dry pasta twists and shredded wheat!!

Males are definatly the most affectionate and lazy lol. I used to have one a while back who went everywhere with me in an old denim handbag! He would sleep on my shoulder, sit on my computer desk, everything. Also rats make excellent pets for children if you have any or any visit.

I will stop praising them now lol. Good luck with your choice and I hope you find the right pet for you!

Hi there
We fostered degu for a short time and also rats for longer periods.

I would always go for rats. I found them to be more laid back than degu and also easier to handle and tame.

Good luck with your decision

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Paula

Grifdegalles

Thanks everyone for all the advice!
I've been posting on a few forums and everyone keeps saying rats rats rats! So they are looking to be the right choice, possibly not as cute as degu, but their personalities and interraction definetly seem to be what I'm after!

Does anyone know any good breeders in/near wiltshire?

Does anyone know how to convince a person "scared of tails" how not to be?hehe

what are people's views on castration and do you know how much it costs? I'm quite precautionary and would prefer to get it done when they're younger and aparently safer, than wait to find out if they will become aggressive etc! Is it a risky operation? is it painfull for the little guys?

Thanks

Hi I had a tail phobia but I soon got used to my ratties tail.
Rats make fantastic pets but make sure you get a boy as females are prone to tumors. After one operation to have atumor removed my rat developed another within two months and had to be put down.

Think I'm gonna get a couple of rats once we have the house all sorted out. The misses won't be too pleased!!!

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if u want 2 castrate ur rats ring round vets in ur area as some will give u a discount if u get more than 1 rat castrated at a time i live in brighton and a vet quoted me £13 each as i have 8 male rats hope this helps

with proper handling and care, the likelihood of them becoming agrressive is very small. i have 19 rats together in one huge cage, and 15 are unrelated, and all are very easy to handle and friendly.
www.fancyrats.co.uk is a good place for information and finding breeders

you can get a full list of registered rat breeders from National Fancy Rat Society

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Jacky and the pet gang